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New girls hoops leader has strong bond with CHS players
Varsity head coach has high hopes for 2017-18 squad
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Junior guard Camryn Silva will fill a big role on Ceres Highs varsity girls basketball team this winter. - photo by DALE BUTLER/The Courier

Aimee Gunzenhauser has been promoted to head coach of Ceres High's varsity girls basketball program.

Gunzenhauser replaces Chad Hammond, who led the Bulldog to an 11-15 overall record and fourth-place finish in the Western Athletic Conference standings (5-5) during his lone season at the helm.

Aimee, a 2009 CHS grad and former Bulldog player, directed lower-level teams at her alma mater the past three seasons.

The JV program had a combined record of 31-18 (18-4 WAC) and claimed one conference title.

The frosh team posted a 13-8 overall record and finished in third place in the league standings (8-4).
"Our expectations are pretty high," Aimee said. "With time and experience, we can improve. Our main goal is to try to make it to playoffs. We have to put in a lot of hard work at practices, stay focused and play as a team."

Gunzenhauser takes over a varsity program that last participated in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs under Vanessa Morris' guidance in 2012-13.

Ceres High's roster features 12 players.

The Bulldogs return five members from last season's team, including Harmen Bahia (senior post/ forward), Andrea Duran (senior guard), Angelina Ursua (senior guard), Savannah Zielke (senior post) and Camryn Silva (junior guard).

Chrystal Perales (junior forward/guard), Jacquelyn Pulido (junior guard), Gabriela Carrasco (junior guard), Lauren Gonzalez (junior guard/forward), Vivian Moreno (junior guard), Branda Villalpando (junior forward/post) and Mya Robinson (sophomore guard) are newcomers.

"I've coached my seniors since they were freshmen," Guznenhauser said. "I coached my juniors and sophomore last year. It's nice to have girls that just need fine-tuning. I don't have to teach them the basics. They know what I expect and how I run things."

Perales, Pulido, Carrasco, Gonzalez, Moreno, Villalpando and Robinson helped lead Ceres High's 2016-17 junior-varsity girls basketball squad to a 17-9 overall record and first-place finish in the WAC standings (9-1).

"There's definitely a lot of pressure," Gunzenhauser said. "They were JV champs last year."