Curious about all those runners and bikers Moraga residents are going to be seeing on Saturday?

That’s the first ever Moraga Treeline Triathalon.

The event will feature a 400-meter swim at the Campolindo High School pool, a 14-mile bike ride that sends bikers out to Canyon School and back, and a 3.1-mile run through the neighborhood around the high school.

The event gets under way at 5:30 a.m., and the first swimmer takes off at 7 a.m. All proceeds are going back to the town.

For more information, visit www.moragatri.com.

After an exciting third quarter, the score is 35-36 in favor of Bishop O’Dowd.

The score is tied at 20-20 at the half.

13-12 Acalanes at the first quarter. Sloppy passes and missed opportunities abound.

The 2007 Acalanes Boys Varsity Basketball team has had the most successful season in the school’s history, winning DFAL, NCS Division III with hardly a rough patch along the way. Today they are in the Northern California Championships at the Stockton Arena. I’m here along with hundreds of fans, hoping that our team will win and advance to the State Championship at Arco Arena in Sacramento. Today’s game is against Bishop O’Dowd and promises to be a close match. I’ll be giving score reports at each quarter so you can keep up with the action.

-Will Ewing

By Katherine Tam
TIMES STAFF WRITER
About 150 Miramonte High School students walked out of class Wednesday morning to protest the reported layoff of a history teacher.
The students left third period class at about 10:30 a.m. and gathered in the quad, wearing T-shirts and buttons that carried history teacher Jaime Fernandez’s name.
“This is not a popularity contest,” said senior Tyler Pavey. “It’s about education and an amazing teacher.”
School and district officials and at least two Orinda police officers watched the group from the perimeter of the quad. Many returned to class after third period ended; others did not.
Wednesday’s walkout was not organized or authorized by Fernandez, the students said.
About 600 students have signed a petition calling for officials to keep Fernandez, who they say received a layoff notice because he lacks tenure and won’t be returning next fall.
Acalanes school district officials declined to comment on whether Fernandez received a layoff notice, citing personnel confidentiality, said John Stockton, assistant superintendent of curriculum and assessment.
The district is considering possible reductions to programs and staff because of falling enrollment and lack of student demand for some classes, said Jim Negri, district superintendent.
Fernandez has taught history and government at Miramonte for a year and a half, students say. He also coaches sports and has been described as a mentor.
.

Lafayette residents plan to celebrate in style if the Acalanes High School boys basketball team becomes the state champions this month.

Supporters are thinking of holding a parade downtown and the City Council has authorized the closure of Golden Gate Way for a possible parade on March 25 just in case.

Acalanes High School on March 3 won its first North Coast Section Division III championship game since 1980.

The team is two wins away from becoming the state Division III champions. The players will compete against Bishop O’Dowd High School at noon Saturday in Stockton for the NorCal championship. If they win, the players will move onto the finals on March 24.

Katherine Tam

Times photographer Jose Carlos Fajardo captured the excitement Saturday, as Acalanes High School defeated Sacramento, 58-43, to advance to the CIF Northern Regional boys basketball championship.

Read the story and click the Slideshow link to see the photos.

Lamorinda was a buzz of activity last night as the seventh annual Lafayette Jazz Festival opened at Acalanes Performing Arts Center, Campo’s spring musical “Hello Dolly” debuted in Moraga, and the sound of dribbling basketballs and joyous cheers echoed off the walls at Madigan Gym at St. Mary’s College.

Cheers erupted at the jazz fest too as longtime KCBS anchor — and beloved Rossmoor Big Band crooner — Al Hart received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Generations in Jazz Foundation, then stepped to the mic to sing “What a Wonderful World.” The audience got sniffly after legendary arranger and Rossmoor Big Band co-director Frank Como exchanged beaming grins and hugs with Stanley eighth grader Erin Grant. The young tenor saxophonist had performed two jazz classics artfully arranged just for her by the now-retired Como, who spent 20 years as Lionel Hampton’s arranger.

But the best sight-em came afterward. Ripping off cummerbunds with one hand, whipping out cell phones with the other, the younger members of the Rossmoor Big Band, which features teen and veteran musicians performing side-by-side, raced offstage to get the lowdown on the Acalanes basketball team and the NorCal Division III quarterfinals at St. Mary’s. More cheers, this time backstage: the NCS champions had just triumphed over Weston Ranch, 50-47. Next up: Acalanes vs. Sacramento High at St. Mary’s this Saturday at 7 p.m. (Tickets: $5 students, $9 general admission) What a wonderful world …
– Jackie Burrell

Miramonte High school defeated St. Ignatius-San Francisco in the first round of the Division III girls basketball playoffs Thursday. Times reporter Ricardo Sanchez Jr. covered the game and photographer Karl Mondon has a audio slideshow with some great photos from the game. Go to the story on ContraCostaTimes.com to read about the game and find a link to the slideshow.

For more on the high school sports scene, go to the Times’ East Bay Prep Sports blog. And if you have your own photos or video from the game — or from any other youth sports event — post them on the Times’ youth sports photoblog.