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• Fire burns down Lodi garage; house suffers smoke damage

• Racing to aid the less fortunate

• Nakanishi mulls his six years in Assembly

• Holiday Closures

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (151)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (67)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (56)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)
• Tokay Tigers blow late 27-point lead in loss to Wolf Pack (22)

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2008-09 Lodi High girls basketball preview

Lady Flames taking on IronWomen mentality

The basketball preseason is centered around conditioning.

Coaches push their players to the limits with drills, ladders and running stairs to get them in shape for the long season ahead.

This year, the Lodi High girls basketball team stepped its conditioning up a notch. The Flames have not only delved into the usual fitness workouts, but also trained for and created their own triathlon to prepare for the 2008 season.

On Nov. 7, the Flames put on the Lodi High Triathlon — an event that included a half-mile swim in Lodi High's pool, a 13-mile bike ride around town and a 3-mile sprint around the Lodi track.

"It was hard, but it was fun," said Lodi senior Kelsi Meier.

Now, they are transferring their endurance to the basketball court, where instead of sucking wind, especially in the fourth quarter, the Flames figure to be fast-breaking and playing the up-tempo style that suits them.

Please see Lady Flames, Page 12

Lodi High's Kelsi Meier swings the ball during a shooting drill. (Jerry R. Tyson/News-Sentinel)

Lodi is coming off a 21-6 season that saw the Flames go to the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs before they were ousted by McClatchy. This season, in addition to going for their third-straight San Joaquin Athletic Association championship, the Flames are aiming to go further in the playoffs.

"After the success of last year's season, they now have a taste of what it feels like to go far in the postseason and they want to redeem themselves from the loss against McClatchy at UOP (University of the Pacific) last year," said eighth-year head coach Erin Aitken.

Lodi brings a lot of talent to the court this season with a solid core of seniors returning, including last year's SJAA MVP Gabby Munsch (12.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks) and Meier, a guard who averaged 2.8 steals, 2.9 assists and 9.2 points per game.

The team also brings chemistry. Most of the seniors, and even some of the juniors have played together since they were in seventh grade.

"We have been friends forever and we work really well together on and off the court," said senior Jill McMillen.

Aitken is excited about the Flames' possibilities this year. And having a squad that knows each other so well is a bonus.

"This is a very special team due in part to their athleticism, competitive nature and they all enjoy one another on and off the court," she said.

Plus, the team has not only played basketball together for years, now they can say they have swam, biked and ran together. Some of the Flames said they even plan to compete in some more triathlons in the future.

"It was exhilarating," said senior Jessie Saner of the triathlon experience. "We are going to do another one."