Olympics roundup: Mountain View grad leads Canada to softball win

Mountain View High grad Victoria Hayward doubled home two runs in helping Canada beat Italy 8-1 at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on Monday to secure a spot in Tuesday’s bronze medal game against Mexico.

The U.S. and Japan will play for gold. Canada lost to both teams 1-0.

Hayward, a native of Toronto, is Canada’s team captain and leadoff hitter. She also scored three runs.

Jen Gilbert homered in the second inning to give the Canadians a 1-0 edge. Hayward scored on Larissa Franklin’s double in the third and on Jenn Salling’s single in the fifth. She doubled in the sixth and scored on Franklin’s sacrifice fly.

Rugby

East Palo Alto resident and Woodside High grad Folau Niua helped the United States win a pair of Rugby Sevens matches Monday.

The U.S. beat Kenya 19-14 to open Pool C competition and then returned to topple Ireland 19-17 at Tokyo Stadium.

The U.S takes on South Africa on Tuesday.

Niua joined the national team in 2011 and has played in more international matches than any other American.

Table Tennis

Palo Alto grad Lily Zhang won her opening match at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Monday, beating Nigeria’s Offiong Edem. 4-1.

Edem won the first game 15-13 and then Zhang went 11-2, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6.

Zhang, in her third Olympics, meets Chinese Taipei’s Szu Yu Chen on Tuesday.

Fencing

Former NCAA champion and Stanford grad Alexander Massialas dropped his first match in men’s foil 15-12 to Germany’s Peter Joppich at Makuhari Messe Hall on Monday.

Massialas won four straight points to forge a 5-3 lead early in a duel that swung back and forth throughout. There were four lead changes and the duel was tied on 10 occasions.

Massialas tied the match at 12-12 before Joppich won the final three points.

Swimming

Stanford grad, Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Katie Ledecky had to settle for the bronze medal Monday in the 400 free when Australia’s Ariane Titmus stunned the field with a 3:56.69 and beating Ledecky by .67 seconds.

Ledecky, who owns the world record in the event, became the first female to break the 4-minute mark in the 400 free. Titmus joins a select group.

Ledecky returned to the water for the 200 free and won her preliminary heat in a time of 1:55.28 and advances to the semifinals, as does Titmus.

Stanford alum Andrea Murez, swimming with Israel, was sixth in her heat, finishing in 1:58.97.

Incoming Stanford freshman Regan Smith set an Olympic record in winning her semifinal heat of the 100 back in 57.86. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown swam, 57.88 on Sunday.

Incoming Stanford freshman Torri Huske placed fourth in the final of the women’s 100 fly on Monday at Tokyo Aquatic Center.

Huske was out-touched by Australia’s Emma McKeon for the bronze medal. McKeon finished in 55.72 and Huske was timed in 55.73. Canada’s Margaret MacNeil won gold with a time of 55.59.

Stanford’s Taylor Ruck, competing for Canada, placed fifth in her heat with a time of 59.45. She recorded the ninth best time and will be the first alternate for the final.

In the men’s 4×100 free relay, the U.S. won gold with a time of 3:08.97.

Stanford’s Andrei Minakov swam the opening leg for the Russian Olympic Committee, which ultimately finished seventh. Minakov had the ROC in third place after 100 meters.

Volleyball

The U.S. national men’s team dropped a 25-23, 27-25, 21-25, 25-23 decision to the Russian Olympic Committee on Monday.

Stanford grad Erik Shoji recorded nine digs and had an assist for the Americans, who are 1-1 in pool play. Kawika Shoji saw action in the fourth set.

Water polo

Stanford’s Makenzie Fischer scored three times and the U.S. national women’s team improved to 2-0 with a 12-7 victory over China.

Stanford’s Maggie Steffens, Melissa Seidemann and Aria Fischer each added a goal for the Americans (19-0 overall).

By Rick Eymer

By Rick Eymer

By Rick Eymer