Photograph by George Sakkestad
Edel Maher (left), a member of the visiting basketball team from Listowel, battles for the ball with Los Gatan Liz Coughran.
By Bob Aldrich
Nineteen young women basketball players from Listowel, Ireland, the Los Gatos sister city, were in Los Gatos July 25-28 on their first visit to California.
The girls, ranging in age from 14 to 17, attend the Presentation School in Listowel. They came with their coach, Gerard Tarant. They made up two basketball teams, senior and junior.
The Irish visitors played their first game July 25 at Los Gatos High School, losing to the LGHS senior girls team 61-38.
"They were pretty tired from their trip," said John Hannegan of C.B. Hannegan's, who helped organize the visit. Rich Persia, in charge of the high-school summer camp, helped with arrangements.
Two more games played on Friday were lost to the Los Gatos teams.
The visiting players were hosted by about a dozen Los Gatos families during their stay here, Hannegan said. They were entertained at a party before leaving for San Francisco, where they spent two days before heading home to Ireland. The group had stopped over in New York and Ohio before coming to Los Gatos.
"Next year, we hope to send our high-school girls teams to Listowel," Hannegan said.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, August 14, 1996.
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