Some good timing at Belmont’s Notre Dame

In a nod to that history, the school, the creation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, celebrated the first Belmont class that received Notre Dame diplomas 100 years ago with a gala on campus last weekend.

The inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame follows next month. The induction event marks a milestone for the high school. Prior to the advent of formalized, competitive sports for girls back in the 1970’s, Notre Dame students had few serious sporting opportunities.

That has changed. A lot. Female athletics at Notre Dame — and other schools, single-sex or not — are in tune with the times, spurred in large measure by federal approval of Title IX, the landmark set of regulations that mandate equal opportunities for girls and women in sports and beyond.

Since Title IX became firmly fixed in the U.S. decades ago, the Tigers have gone with the flow and have emerged as a serious athletic factor in the San Mateo County prep scene. About 60% of the school’s 400 students play at least one sport.

The organizers of their Hall of Fame have a lengthy list of worthy candidates for induction, which, in many ways, will be a celebration of competitive female sports overall. The inaugural class includes:

• Multisport star Lauren Gualco.

• Soccer standout Chioma Igwe.

• Pioneering softball pitcher Sheila Langrock.

• Volleyball ace Katie Smoot.

• Athletic director Bill Harke.

• The 2004 championship soccer team.

The Hall of Fame affair is set for Saturday, April 20, beginning at noon on the Notre Dame campus. For tickets, priced at $40 per person, call the school at (650) 595-1913.

BRING THE PANDAS TO NORDSTROM: San Francisco’s primary downtown commercial district is suffering from a long bout of rejection. Prime retail businesses are saying adios with alarming regularity. It’s a trend. The reasons vary but crime concerns appear to be paramount. At the same time, city officials are seeking to secure a visit from several cuddly pandas from China. Fab idea. Why not kill a couple of birds with one creative stone: Display the cute bears at the old, vacant Nordstrom store. Put ‘em in prime public viewing position. Market ‘em. Charge a fee to see the animals up-close. You can thank me later.

TAKE THAT, UNWELCOME CRITTERS: Millbrae’s online newsletter advises its citizenry to be aware of the occasional presence of coyotes within the town. A variety of methods to shoo them away if you happen to see one of the creatures near you is provided. Among the recommendations, via the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, is tossing rocks or sticks at the animals. Then comes the counter-intuitive caveat: The idea isn’t to harm them but to make it clear they aren’t “welcome.” Really? Rocks have a way of making a distinct impact when it comes to a strong suggestion to go back home.

BLAKE SNELL’S MONEY MATH: Major League Baseball pitchers, at least most of them, are members of the 1%. They are generally paid quite well. Blake Snell, an accomplished left-handed hurler at the peak of his powers, is a new member of the San Francisco Giants. He is being paid $31 million for his sporting services during the 2024 season. Let’s do some math. If he gets 31 starting assignments and averages 90 pitches per outing (both reasonable estimates in today’s pro baseball world), he will be paid $11,111 per toss. And he’s a member of the players’ union as well. Nice compensation if you can get it.

Contact John Horgan at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com or via messaging on Facebook and Instagram. His book, “Cradle of Champions — A Selected History of San Mateo County Sports,” is available via https://historysmc.org/online-store/. All proceeds benefit the San Mateo County Historical Association.