By Brian E. Clark

Cover photo:  Cortney guiding a raft through the Warm Springs Rapid on the Yampa River in Dinosaur National Monument on the Colorado/Utah border.  By Mike McCoy

October 12, 2019 (Rancho San Diego) -- Cortney Bayuk says she’s “living the dream.”

The 24-year-old Rancho San Diego native works as a whitewater river guide - mostly on the Colorado/Utah border - during summers and as ski instructor during the winters in Idaho. 

By Adam Paul, ecpreps.com

Photos by Don De Mars

May 7, 2019 (El Cajon) - With the game in extra innings and tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Joseph Ingrassia (left, 1-2, RBI, 2B) came up and smashed a double to score the game-winning run for the Norsemen on Monday afternoon.

Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

December 4, 2018 (San Diego) - San Diego State water polo head coach Carin Crawford has announced the signing of three players to National Letters Intent. Joining the Aztecs for the 2020 season will be center Jordan Duggan (Santa Barbara, Calif.), utility Katie Ratcliff (El Cajon, Calif) and goalkeeper Hannah McCarley (Riverside, Calif.).

By Miriam Raftery

September 5, 2018 (El Cajon) – The body of Kiera Bergman, 19, a graduate of Valhalla High School who has attended Cuyamaca College, was found September 3^rd along state route 85 in a rural area outside of Phoenix, Arizona. Her family and authorities are asking for public help to find her killer.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

May 15, 2018 (El Cajon) - CIF playoffs for softball have started and today, ECM Sports traveled to Valhalla High for a Division II matchup between the Norsemen (women, for our politically correct readers…) and the Centurions of University City.  The Norsemen were undefeated in the Grossmont League with an 8-0 record.  The Centurions struggled a bit this season, finishing 3-5 in the City - Western League, but still made it to the playoffs thanks to their 14-12 overall record.  Junior Delaney Stettler started on the hill for the Norsemen against senior Natalie Minteer for University City.

Like our sports coverage?  Donate to help support ECM’s sports section!  Type in “Sports” as your donation!

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Does your son or daughter play a sport at a level other than varsity?  Comment on this story or tweet @ECMagSports to request coverage!

Check out our sports section for more sports stories!

Story and photos by Liz Alper

Cover photo:  Valhalla junior Max Hageman drove in the game-winning walkoff single in the eighth inning.

April 17, 2018 (El Cajon) - Valhalla baseball, usually one of the best high school baseball teams in San Diego County, is off to a rare bad start to 2018.  The Norsemen were 6-11 overall coming into today’s game, but were so far, so good in league with a 2-1 record.  The Cougars of Steele Canyon are quite the opposite.  They’re undefeated in league (3-0) and a solid .500 (8-8) overall.  Both teams met on Norsemen turf today.  In football, this would be the battle for the Jamacha Trophy.  We’ll call it that in baseball too for fun.  Senior Trevor Back started for the Cougars against senior Tanner Smith for Valhalla.

East County News Service

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

November 13, 2017 (San Diego) - Valhalla High School girls water polo standout Spencer Samuel has signed a letter of intent to play water polo at San Diego State for the 2018-19 school year.  The utility has been a starter in her three years at VHS and has helped the Norsemen to the CIF Open Division playoffs each season, advancing as far as the semifinals in 2016, after claiming three Grossmont League titles. A scholar-athlete in 2017 in both water polo and swim, the two-time team captain is a multi-year All-American, all-CIF performer and two-time Grossmont League Player of the Year (2016, 2017). Samuel enters her senior season with 253 goals, 148 assists and 261 steals in her career.

Source: San Diego Hall of Champions

Photo: Cameron Sisk, Valhalla High golf

July 8, 2017 (San Diego) -  Each month, the San Diego Hall of Champions honors as many as 4 professional, 7 amateur, and 6 prep athletes as Stars of the Month for their outstanding athletic accomplishments. Stars of the Month are recognized in the San Diego Union Tribune, via the Hall of Champions' app, social media channels and website, on-field at Petco Park prior to a Padres game, and at the annual Salute to the Champions awards dinner. And, top-performing Stars of the Month will also earn Star of the Year accolades.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

March 17, 2017 (El Cajon) - In the midst of Helix basketball’s playoff run, spring sports have begun in East County’s high schools and on St. Patrick's Day, Valhalla High boys lacrosse traveled to Grossmont for an early season conference matchup which marked the beginning of conference play.  Both teams are struggling in the young season; the Norsemen are 0-4 and the Foothillers are 0-3.

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Story and photos by Liz Alper

January 16, 2017 (El Cajon) - Even though it was Martin Luther King Day, the Valhalla Norsemen varsity girls’ soccer team was in action against the Centurions of University City High.  It was the Norsemen’s last non-conference game before conference play.

Source: goaztecs.com press release

Photo: Valhalla High's Casey O'Sullivan via govahalla.org

November 10, 2016 (San Diego) - San Diego State baseball Head Coach Mark Martinez has announced the signing of 12 athletes for the 2018 season. The group of 12 incoming players, all of who will be freshman when they arrive on campus, includes consists nine pitchers, two infielders and an outfielder. Four of the signees double as position players in addition to pitching.



The group includes athletes from local highs schools including one each from Eastlake HS, Scripps Ranch HS, Santana HS, Valhalla HS and Montgomery HS. Six of the signees ranks among the top 20 in the state of California at their position with one ranking among the top 70 players in the country.

Source: Grossmont Union High School District

October 13, 2016 (El Cajon) -Grossmont Union High School District (GUHSD) announced the completion of renovation and modernization work on the main building and theater at Valhalla High School in El Cajon. A re-dedication event was held on Oct. 12 to unveil the new facility to the community.

With a construction cost of $33 million, the 14-month project completely transformed and modernized the 40-year-old main building and the theater, while preserving some of its historical elements.

Alpine lawsuit unsuccessful in attempting to block needed upgrades at Valhalla

By Mary Beth Kastan

September 2, 2015 (Rancho San Diego)--Students returning to Valhalla High School in Rancho San Diego will be joined on campus by some unusual guests: construction crews with heavy equipment.

Despite the noise and dust, we’re excited to see a long-awaited campus modernization project finally underway. Thanks to bond funding provided by East County voters through Proposition U, the 49 classrooms in our 155,000-square-foot main building will be fully renovated for the first time since the school opened more than 40 years ago.