Rio Mesa High School
Encyclopedia
Rio Mesa High School is located in Oxnard, California
and is within the Oxnard Union High School District
. It serves the Oxnard communities of Northern Oxnard, River Park, Nyeland Acres, and El Rio
, as well as the western portion of the city of Camarillo. The name "Rio Mesa" was conceived by then trustee board member Robert (Bob) Matthews derived from the two original school districts that fed the school in 1965--Rio School District and Mesa Union--though it now takes students from the Pleasant Valley School District as well. The school is surrounded by the Oxnard Plain
strawberry fields. It is noted for its picturesque setting.
. Questions focus on the relationship between geography and current events.
In 2004, Rio Mesa won the team competition for the first time and earned a helicopter ride from Aspen Helicopters. New team member Bryce Newman won the individual championship.
In 2005, Newman defended his individual championship and the team placed third.
In 2006, the Rio Mesa team missed some key tie-breaking questions and finished sixth. Bryce Newman finished second in the individual competition, one point behind a student from Buena High School. Kim Ma is the team advisor. However, in the past two years, Rio Mesa has lost with the resurgence of Newbury Park High School.
The team adviser was Scott Lee for several years, but recently, the task of adviser has passed to Chris Moody. Thomas Kim was the captain of the team from 2000-2002 and Nathan Giusti was the captain of the team from 2003-2005.
In 2000, the team placed 2nd. In 2001, the team placed 7th. In 2002, the team placed 2nd. In 2003, the team placed 3rd.
In 2004, the team placed 2nd behind Buena High School. Although Rio Mesa beat Buena High School in the original round, Rio Mesa lost to Buena in a tie-breaking round by 10 points (one toss-up question).
In 2005, Rio Mesa placed 2nd.
In 2006, Moody became the new adviser for the Knowledge Bowl team and the team placed 4th that year.
The next time-frame for success of this marching program came during the years of 2001-2006, under the direction of Analese Alvarez. During this span, the marching band won 1st place or sweepstakes in 10 straight regional field show competitions, the drumline were gold medal winners in ADLA (2004), and the group qualified for SCSBOA Field Championships two years in a row with the percussion winning the High Percussion award both times. Awards at the Royal HS competition in 2004 also marked the band program's first sweepstakes awards in over 12 years. During this time, a winterguard team was formed for the first time in over 2 years.
In the school year of 2007-2008, Lisa Fleming was Director. The Rio Mesa Percussion Sweepstakes in the Competition held in Simi Valley High School and was the only band in the County in their division to attend SCSBOA Field Championships and to win 3rd Place in all Southern California in many, many years.
The Members and Boosters hope to do as great as last year.
This year (2010-2011) the Rio Mesa Marching Band & Colorguard is directed by Mr. Mark Petrowsky, with Drum Major Daniel Balderrama.
PVL Wrestling- 2010 5-1
Track and Field - Coach Brian Fitzgerald has an outstanding record coaching sprinters. Angela Burnham, Marion Jones
and Valexsia Droughn each won the prestigious 100 meters
at the CIF California State Meet
, with Burnham adding the 100 and 200 meters
titles while leading the team to the girl's team in 1991. Jones also won multiple titles, including both sprints 4 years in a row, completed after transferring out of the program for her junior year. Jones went on to future worldwide fame and disrepute. Both Burnham and Jones were named the national Girl's "High School Athlete of the Year" by Track and Field News twice. In 2000, Porchea Carroll, came within a few thousandths of a second of also winning the state 100 meters title.
The first local competition was held in 2005. Rio Mesa finished second by one question to Buena HS, losing an appeal of a disputed answer.
In 2006, Rio Mesa finished first by four questions, defeating second-place Buena and winning the trip to Washington, D.C.
to the national competition. The advisor was Chris Moody. Team members were Eli Jacobson, Bryce Newman and Max Schuberth. Daniel Samimi was the fourth member at the local competition, but was not able to attend the national competition; he was replaced by William Moyer.
In 2007, Rio Mesa successfully defended its local championship against 13 other teams. This time Rio Mesa and Buena tied with 75 correct. Rio Mesa then correctly answered four of five tie-breaking questions about Africa, defeating Buena by one point. The team competed in Washington, D.C. March 24, 2007. The team comprises Pat Browne, Eli Jacobson, Bryce Newman and Daniel Samimi, [team members, and Chris Moody, advisor.] In 2008, Rio Mesa once again defended its local championship. The team, composed of Jon Wu, Tom Darlington, Daniel Yu, Jeff Holloway and Chris Russell, competed in Washington, D.C. on April 5 and placed 19th of 42 regional winning teams.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and is within the Oxnard Union High School District
Oxnard Union High School District
Oxnard Union High School District is a union high school district for public schools in Oxnard, California that also serves the surrounding unincorporated areas of El Rio, Channel Islands and Somis as well as the cities of Port Hueneme and Camarillo...
. It serves the Oxnard communities of Northern Oxnard, River Park, Nyeland Acres, and El Rio
El Rio, California
El Rio is a small unincorporated census-designated town in Ventura County, California, USA, on the northeast side of the 101 Freeway and Oxnard, and south of the Santa Clara River...
, as well as the western portion of the city of Camarillo. The name "Rio Mesa" was conceived by then trustee board member Robert (Bob) Matthews derived from the two original school districts that fed the school in 1965--Rio School District and Mesa Union--though it now takes students from the Pleasant Valley School District as well. The school is surrounded by the Oxnard Plain
Oxnard Plain
The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California bounded by the Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Susana Mountains, and Oak Ridge to the east, the Topatopa Mountains to the north, the Santa Clara River Valley to the northeast and the Pacific Ocean to the south and...
strawberry fields. It is noted for its picturesque setting.
Rio Mesa Dance Company
The Dance Company puts on two performances each year: one winter show and one spring show. The winter show is generally a children's theater type of show whereas the spring show is a collaboration of several different styles of dance including jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and tap. Some past winter shows include the Dance Company's own renditions of Beauty and the Beast, Annie, The Wizard of Oz, Newsies, the Lion King,Under the Sea: A Fish Tale, "You Can't Stop the Beat" and this year's current theme Welcome to My Nightmare. Some of the spring shows have been entitled "Express Yourself", "Full Out", "Lights, Camera, Action: Movie Madness", "Remember When: a Decade of Dance", "Heat Up the Dance Floor", "Wild", "Pulse", "Take Cover" and this years show "CLICK"Geography Challenge, aka the Geo Bowl
This competition is held each December at Oxnard CollegeOxnard College
Oxnard College is a California-state funded community college located in Oxnard, California. It was established in 1975. It serves the Oxnard Plain cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, and the town of Port Hueneme. The college offers two year degrees, as well as career and technical education programs to...
. Questions focus on the relationship between geography and current events.
In 2004, Rio Mesa won the team competition for the first time and earned a helicopter ride from Aspen Helicopters. New team member Bryce Newman won the individual championship.
In 2005, Newman defended his individual championship and the team placed third.
In 2006, the Rio Mesa team missed some key tie-breaking questions and finished sixth. Bryce Newman finished second in the individual competition, one point behind a student from Buena High School. Kim Ma is the team advisor. However, in the past two years, Rio Mesa has lost with the resurgence of Newbury Park High School.
Rio Mesa Knowledge Bowl
Rio Mesa participates in the Knowledge Bowl event that occurs every spring. Sponsored by the local AAUW chapter and spearheaded by Betty Rutherford, Knowledge Bowl began about 1970. [By comparison, the U.S. Academic Decathlon was founded in 1981.] Knowledge Bowl is a competition similar to Jeopardy where four players on two teams ring buzzers to answer questions for their team. There are two types of questions. Toss-up questions are worth ten points and there are 40 toss-up questions in a game. If a team rings in before a toss-up question has been fully read, and answers incorrectly, there is a five-point penalty. If the toss-up question is answered correctly, then a bonus question is given to that team. A bonus question can be worth anywhere from 20-30 points. The team with more points wins the game.The team adviser was Scott Lee for several years, but recently, the task of adviser has passed to Chris Moody. Thomas Kim was the captain of the team from 2000-2002 and Nathan Giusti was the captain of the team from 2003-2005.
In 2000, the team placed 2nd. In 2001, the team placed 7th. In 2002, the team placed 2nd. In 2003, the team placed 3rd.
In 2004, the team placed 2nd behind Buena High School. Although Rio Mesa beat Buena High School in the original round, Rio Mesa lost to Buena in a tie-breaking round by 10 points (one toss-up question).
In 2005, Rio Mesa placed 2nd.
In 2006, Moody became the new adviser for the Knowledge Bowl team and the team placed 4th that year.
The Spartan Marching Band
The Rio Mesa Spartan Band holds the record for winning the most consecutive sweepstakes awards in a marching season in the County. It was back in 1975–1976 under the direction of William (Bill) Course that the Rio Mesa Spartan Marching Band with its over 100 members had won Sweepstakes at every parade they participated in that season—a feat that had never before been accomplished in the history of the Rio Mesa Spartan Marching Band. Director William Course was left with the option for the following year to seek tougher competition outside of the Tri Counties (Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange Counties) for his undefeated Spartan Marching Band or be stuck attending the same exact parades the following year as non competitors participating as each parade's prior "Sweepstakes" Honor Band. Mr. Course petitioned the Oxnard Unified school board for permission for the following years Spartan Band to travel outside the Tri Counties for tougher competitions (Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties). Because of the distance the Oxnard Board of Directors denied his request, Mr. Course resigned from Rio Mesa and took the music director position at the newly built Calabasas High School. Never since has the Rio Mesa Spartan Band or any other High School band in the county won sweepstakes at every parade they have entered for the entire season.The next time-frame for success of this marching program came during the years of 2001-2006, under the direction of Analese Alvarez. During this span, the marching band won 1st place or sweepstakes in 10 straight regional field show competitions, the drumline were gold medal winners in ADLA (2004), and the group qualified for SCSBOA Field Championships two years in a row with the percussion winning the High Percussion award both times. Awards at the Royal HS competition in 2004 also marked the band program's first sweepstakes awards in over 12 years. During this time, a winterguard team was formed for the first time in over 2 years.
In the school year of 2007-2008, Lisa Fleming was Director. The Rio Mesa Percussion Sweepstakes in the Competition held in Simi Valley High School and was the only band in the County in their division to attend SCSBOA Field Championships and to win 3rd Place in all Southern California in many, many years.
The Members and Boosters hope to do as great as last year.
This year (2010-2011) the Rio Mesa Marching Band & Colorguard is directed by Mr. Mark Petrowsky, with Drum Major Daniel Balderrama.
Rio Mesa Championships
CIF Football - 1971 Rio Mesa (Div A) John Reardon 28-20 Paso RoblesPVL Wrestling- 2010 5-1
Track and Field - Coach Brian Fitzgerald has an outstanding record coaching sprinters. Angela Burnham, Marion Jones
Marion Jones
Marion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
and Valexsia Droughn each won the prestigious 100 meters
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
at the CIF California State Meet
CIF California State Meet
The CIF California State Meet is the annual championship track and field meet for the California Interscholastic Federation. The meet was started in 1915 for boys and 1974 for girls. Every athlete in every high school in California has a direct qualification path that can reach the state meet...
, with Burnham adding the 100 and 200 meters
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
titles while leading the team to the girl's team in 1991. Jones also won multiple titles, including both sprints 4 years in a row, completed after transferring out of the program for her junior year. Jones went on to future worldwide fame and disrepute. Both Burnham and Jones were named the national Girl's "High School Athlete of the Year" by Track and Field News twice. In 2000, Porchea Carroll, came within a few thousandths of a second of also winning the state 100 meters title.
World Quest
The local World Quest competition, held each February, is sponsored by the World Affairs Council, California Central Coast. There are ten rounds with ten questions each. The rounds vary annually, comprising a variety of subjects, but generally the competition tests students' knowledge of what is happening in the world.The first local competition was held in 2005. Rio Mesa finished second by one question to Buena HS, losing an appeal of a disputed answer.
In 2006, Rio Mesa finished first by four questions, defeating second-place Buena and winning the trip to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to the national competition. The advisor was Chris Moody. Team members were Eli Jacobson, Bryce Newman and Max Schuberth. Daniel Samimi was the fourth member at the local competition, but was not able to attend the national competition; he was replaced by William Moyer.
In 2007, Rio Mesa successfully defended its local championship against 13 other teams. This time Rio Mesa and Buena tied with 75 correct. Rio Mesa then correctly answered four of five tie-breaking questions about Africa, defeating Buena by one point. The team competed in Washington, D.C. March 24, 2007. The team comprises Pat Browne, Eli Jacobson, Bryce Newman and Daniel Samimi, [team members, and Chris Moody, advisor.] In 2008, Rio Mesa once again defended its local championship. The team, composed of Jon Wu, Tom Darlington, Daniel Yu, Jeff Holloway and Chris Russell, competed in Washington, D.C. on April 5 and placed 19th of 42 regional winning teams.
Notable alumni
- Bobby AyalaBobby AyalaRobert Joseph "Bobby" Ayala was a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs and Montreal Expos. He showed promise as a bullpen pitcher for the Mariners, but then struggled and was eventually released.Ayala went to high school at Rio Mesa in Oxnard, California...
: former Major League Baseball pitcher - Mike and Bob Bryan: Professional tennis players who combined for eight Grand Slam titles
- Dave EnglandDave EnglandDave England is an American daredevil stunt performer and former professional snowboarder who is known for appearing on the MTV series Jackass, as well as the films Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, and Jackass 3D.-Life and career:Johnny Knoxville stated on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...
: Appeared in the MTV series Jackass, as well as the films Jackass: The Movie, Jackass: Number Two, and Jackass 3D. - Scott FujitaScott FujitaScott Anthony Fujita is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
: New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
linebacker - Ross Harris : is an American actor, artist, and musician.
- Marion JonesMarion JonesMarion Lois Jones , also known as Marion Jones-Thompson, is a former world champion track and field athlete, and a former professional basketball player for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA...
: former world champion track and field athlete - Michael LeeMichael Lee (keyboardist)Michael Lee is a keyboardist and composer in Los Angeles. He has worked as keyboardist programmer, and technical consultant with Meredith Brooks, Melissa Etheridge, and David Foster. He has also worked with several Contemporary Christian music artists, including Michelle Tumes, Avalon, and BeBe...
: Producer and keyboardist for Meredith BrooksMeredith BrooksMeredith Ann Brooks is an American singer/songwriter and guitarist. She is best known for her 1997 hit song "Bitch", for which she was nominated for a Grammy Award.- Early life :...
and Melissa EtheridgeMelissa EtheridgeMelissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals... - Kevin ThomasKevin Thomas (cornerback b. 1986)Kevin Thomas is an American football cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, after being selected in the third round of the NFL Draft...
: Current Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
cornerback - Blake WingleBlake WingleBlake Leo Wingle is a former Guard in the National Football League who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns. Wingle played collegiate ball for Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo and UCLA before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 9th round of the 1983...
: former NFL offensive guard - Dmitri YoungDmitri YoungDmitri Dell Young is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Young is 6'2" and 275 pounds...
: former Major League Baseball player - Randy "Scott" HolmanScott Holman (baseball)Randy Scott Holman is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for the New York Mets in the 1980, 1982, and 1983 baseball seasons.-External links:...
: former Major League Baseball pitcher - New York Mets 1983 - 1984 - Justin De FratusJustin De FratusJustin Andrew De Fratus is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.-Career:De Fratus attended Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, California and then Ventura College...
: Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Philles