May 2009 Archives
For four years at Cal State San Bernardino, Tanya Zeferjahn of Hesperia was called the best cross country runner in the history of the Coyotes program.
Now, she can be called national champion.
This past Friday, Zeferjahn - competing for
Sarah Waple, director of sports information for
"Zeferjahn ran an even pace with a pack of 12 through the first 5,000 meters. The pack then was paired down to five over the next 3000 meters. When Kimi Shank of Missouri-Southern pulled away with 800 meters to go, Zeferjahn responded to her move.
"It wasn't until the bell lap with 400 meters remaining that Zeferjahn took control of the race with a surge that saw her quickly open up a two-second gap on Shank. Zeferjahn was then able to solidly secure her first NCAA national title with a closing 35-second 200 meter kick to win..." Shank was timed in 35:42.93. Tori Tyler and Alia Gray of
Zeferjahn also qualified in the 5,000 meters but elected not to run after her big win in the 10,000.
Zeferjahn was an all-American for the Coyotes in 2004, finishing among the top 30 runners as the first woman to reach the NCAA Division II cross country national championship meet since cross country begat at CSUSB in 1984.
She is a graduate student at
Last month at the Penn Relays in
Earlier this year, Zeferjahn won the Carolinas Conference 10,000 meter run to earn all-conference honors. She was also named the Southeast Region Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association.
Zeferjahn graduated from CSUSB in 2006 after setting team records at 5,000 meters (18:28.1) and 6,000 meters (21:59). She earned all-CCAA conference honors three times, NCAA all-West Region honors four times and was an NCAA all-American in 2004, finishing 28th in the national championship meet.
She was the CSUSB athletic department's co-Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year twice, maintaining a 3.89 grade point average in business administration with an emphasis in environmental management. She was twice an ESPN-The Magazine/CoSIDA District 8 academic all-region first team selection in track/cross country and was an NCAA Division II Track& Cross Country Coaches Assn. scholastic all-American.
Zeferjahn is a 2002 graduate of
"Jonathan's experience at the NCAA was crucial and he got the job done,'' Broncos head coach Troy Johnson said. "And Tiffany may be the most determined athlete that I've been around. Both of them came through today. They're among the elite in their events and deserve it.''
Turner (La Crescenta) finished eighth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 11:00.55. She holds the school record in the event and became CPP's first Bronco All-American in that event.
"For me, when I heard my name among the 12 who made it to the finals the other night was big,'' Turner said. "I had the 16th best time coming in and knowing I was among the 12 in the finals was a big goal.
"Today, my coach (assistant Tony Reyes) told me don't count bodies, but to just run and that kept me focused on the moment. It was pretty neat to come off the track and see the smiles on my coaches' faces.''
"She did what she needed to do,'' Johnson said. "I sent her a text message earlier in the day that said fight to be in the top eight and she did. Tony did a great job of preparing her for the race.''
Williams, who was competing in his third NCAA event, earned his first All-American honor by finishing seventh in the 100 meters. The Temecula native earned his honor with a 10.48 effort.
He is the first Bronco to earn an All-American honor in his event since David Gillard in 1972.
"I got out of the blocks well, but I'm a little disappointed that I didn't finish higher,'' Williams said. "I didn't lift my knees high enough. But to be in my third NCAA and earn my first All-American honor means a lot to me. I'm looking forward to coming back again and going after the 100 and 200 and the relays.''
"Jonathan had as good of a start out of the blocks as he has had,'' Johnson said. "There's so little room for error when you're going against an elite field. Jonathan improved over a year ago, and he's determined to come back and win it. He's competitive and hungry and that's how you need to be.''
So near and yet so far.
The Cal State San Bernardino men's golf team had hoped to capture the school's first state championship in any sport. But the Coyotes squandered an eight-hole lead and lost a sudden-death playoff to CCAA rival Sonoma State at the Division II national championship at Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash.
The Coyotes, who came into the event ranked No. 5, started the day eight ahead of Barry (Fla.) and nine ahead of Sonoma State. The No. 6 Seawolves chipped away at that lead and finally drew even on the 18th hole of the day and 72nd of the tournament with the last group of the day on the course.
The Coyotes' team total of 300 was their worst of the four days while the 291 by Sonoma State was the low round from any team any day.
Sonoma State's Patrick Bauer and Cal State's Gene Webster were in that last group. Bauer finished with a bogey at the 416-yard par-4 hole but Webster double-bogeyed.
Not only did that cost the Coyotes a team title, it cost the Arroyo Valley High School product medalist honors. He went all three rounds either in first or tied for first and was even par through three rounds but ended up tied for third with a 77 on the day and a 6-over 290 for the tournament.
Webster was trying to become the school's first medalist at the event since Scott Householder in 1997 when the event was held in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Micah Burke, the lone senior in the Coyotes quartet, placed ninth at 9-over 293 after a 2-over 73 final round. Junior Joe Alldis tied for 14th with an 11-over 295 that included a final-round 75.
Junior Thomas Chu rounded out play with a 77 for a 304 while Kenny Pigman, normally the team's No. 2 player, tallied a 75 for a four-day total of 306.
The Coyotes' second-place finish was the team's best effort in 13 trips to the national championship tournament going back to 1986 when the program was in Division III. The Coyotes finished third in 1988, 1997 and 1998, fourth in 1987 and 1990 and fifth in 1991 giving the program seven top five finishes.
It was a great day for the CCAA, which had its two top golf teams finish 1-2 in the national tournament. It was the first D-2 national title for a CCAA golf team in 35 years dating back to 1974 when Cal State Northridge won the tournament. It was the first win by a California school since UC Davis won it in 1979.
Medalist honors were also decided on an extra hole as Kelbi Lee of Ferris State defeated Gavin Smith of Indiana-Pennsylvania on the first hole. Both finished at 5-over 289 for the tournament.
The golf team is the second team this school year to narrowly miss bringing home the school's first national title. In the fall the women's volleyball team lost in the championship match to Concordia-St. Paul.
The Cal State San Bernardino golf team is closing in on their first national title in any sport.
The team shot an 11-over 295 at the NCAA Division II Golf Championships Thursday at Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash., for a 54-hole total of 27-over 879. The Coyotes take an eight-stroke lead into today's final round. Barry (Fla.) is second at 887, while CCAA champion Sonoma State and No. 1-ranked Columbus State are another stroke back.
"We have some veteran players and they know they can't get too far ahead of themselves, especially in this sport," Coyotes coach Tom Mainez said. "We're in great position. Now we just have to go out and finish the job."
The Coyotes had the best round of the day for the second day in a row. They started play tied for second but junior Gene Webster helped propel the Coyotes into the lead.
Webster heads the 107-man field by two strokes over Wayne State's Steve Cuzzort, a transfer from Michigan State, and Indiana-Pennsylvania's Gavin Smith. Webster had a 1-over 72 to put him at even (213) par for the tournament. He had an adventurous second round on Wednesday, but he had a consistent third round that included 15 pars, two bogeys and one birdie.
Junior Joe Alldis and senior Micah Burke are part of a four-way tie for 10th at 7-over 220.
Alldis had his best round of the tournament with a 2-over 73. Rounding out the scoring for the Coyotes are Thomas Chu at 77-227 and Kenny Pigman, normally the team's No. 2 player, at 80-231.
"We have some guys that really have stepped up," Mainez said. "Pigman is capable of better and I have to think he is going to come out and shoot a great 18 holes tomorrow."
The Coyotes will start at the first tee with their first player at 12:50 p.m.
and moved into second place at the NCAA Division Championships at the
Loomis Trail Golf Club in Blaine, Wash. Junior Gene Webster led the
effort as the Coyotes finished with a 2-over 286, pulling them within
one stroke of Barry (Fla.) which shot a 290 and has a two-day total
583.
There is a five-stroke gap to No. 1 ranked Columbus State and CCAA
champion Sonoma State who are tied for third at 589.
``We're right where we need to be,'' Coyotes coach Tom Mainez said.
``It's something we talked about all year and the guys did the job.
The good thing is we're in this position and we have guys that we
know can shoot better than they have so far.''
For Wednesday's second round the Coyotes were paired with Columbus
State which Mainez liked.
``It's good to see where you stand when you're playing with such a
quality team,'' he added. ``They're making shot after shot and you
want to go out and match them. For some teams it might be distracting
but our guys like it. They can take it the right way without losing
focus.''
Webster, making his third straight appearance at nationals, is tied
for first place individually with Wayne State (Mich.) senior Steve
Cuzzort. The two are the only players in the 107-man field under par
after 36 holes on the 6,955-yard par 71 course.
Webster finished on the front nine with a 34 and birdied the last two
holes to finish even for the day and 1-under (141) for the
tournament. His round consisted of seven birdies, five bogeys and a
double bogey on the par-4 No. 17.
``Last year I was going through a swing change and I still was not
feeling comfortable with it,'' he said. ``I am feeling pretty good
now, more like I was my freshman year.''
The Coyotes are in contention even though No. 2 player Kenny Pigman,
a sophomore out of Norco, has yet to match the scores he put up
during the regular season. He is 9-over for the tournament after a
4-over on Wednesday.
Junior Joe Alldis and senior Micah Burke are part of an eight-way tie
for 14th with each at 5-over 147. Burke had the best score of the day
for the Coyotes at 1-under 70 with four birdies and three bogeys.
Junior Thomas Chu improved from a 6-over the first day to a 2-over 74
the second and is at 150.
``It's reassuring to know we're right in the hunt and we haven't put
together our best round yet. This would be a good time to do it,''
Mainez said.
Third round play starts at 7:30 today. Chu will be the first off for
the Coyotes, teeing off at 1 p.m. The Coyote players will be going
off with those from Sonoma State and Ba
Former Cal State San Bernardino all-American Sarah Reneker has been named interim head coach of the Coyotes' women's water polo team for the 2009-10 academic year, it was announced by Athletic Director Kevin L. Hatcher.
Reneker, an assistant coach with the team in 2008-09, succeeds Lorenzo Maya, who served as acting head coach of the team this past season following the resignation of Tom Finwall, who left to be girls' water polo coach at
Reneker played four years for Finwall after being recruited out of
"I'm ecstatic about this opportunity, especially given the fact I have worked with all these girls this past season and they are all coming back," said Reneker. "I am really pumped up."
The Coyotes, with no seniors on the team and several freshmen and first-year NCAA Division II players on the team, posted a 12-23 record and finished 10th in the Western Water Polo Association, a 12-team conference.
"We had such a young team and we didn't have much time to recruit but the girls got a full year's experience of playing in our system and found out what it takes to play at this level. We will definitely be stronger next season," Reneker said.
Reneker is looking at a few incoming freshmen and community college transfers to bolster the team's depth in 2010.
"I think we have a good opportunity to do really well," she said.
The Coyotes will return Kaitlin Hartman, a three-year veteran who set a new single-season Coyote scoring record with 120 goals in 2009 along with two-year starter Jennifer Goetz , freshmen Emily Hove and Danica Vera and junior Kelsey Morino. Seasoned goalkeeper Bryanna Burns will return for her third season in the cage.
Reneker played for the Coyotes from 2002 to 2006, missing all of 2005 with an injury. She was an NCAA Div. II all-American in 2004 for scoring 117 goals for a team that went 23-16. She is No. 2 on the team's single-season scoring list and No. 2 on the career scoring list with 324 goals.
She also ranks No.2 on the Coyotes career list for assists and steals and is No. 1 in career ejections drawn.
Reneker is a 2006 graduate of CSUSB with a degree in communications. She is a 2001 graduate of
Sophomore Kenny Pigman shot an even-par 71 Wednesday and his teammates all shot 75 or lower as Cal State San Bernardino finished fourth in the 2009 NCAA Division II West-Central Super Regional golf tournament.
The Cal State San Bernardino golf team is fifth after the opening round of the NCAA Division II West-Central Super Regional at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.
Senior Micah Burke and sophomore Kenny Pigman were the low men for the Coyotes, each with a 2-over 73 on the 7,016-yard, par-71 layout. Juniors Thomas Chu and Joe Alldis shot 3-over 74s and junior Gene Webster came in with a 75.
The team's total of 294 left them 10 shots back of first-round leader Sonoma State, which came in at even par 284 thanks to a 5-under 66 turned in by all-American Jarin Todd.
Ahead of them were Colorado-Colorado Springs at 289, five shots back of Sonoma State, Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State, each at 290.
The teams will play 18 holes on Tuesday and finish the tournament on Wednesday. The top five teams, regardless of whether they represent the West or Central and the top two individuals from non-qualifying teams, will advance to the NCAA national championship on May 19-22.
Brandon Harkins of Chico State was the early first round leader in the field of 108 golfers with a 6-under 65.
The Coyotes team started the round on the back nine. Burke shot even par on the back side that included a birdie at the par-5, 576-yard 14th hole and a bogey at the 17th hole. He came home with a 38 on the front nine, birdying No. 4, a 164-yard par 3 and No. 9, a 575-yard par-5.
Unfortunately, Burke suffered a double bogey at the 557-yard par-5 sixth hole and also bogeyed No. 1 and No. 2 to finish at 73.
Alldis started fast with birdies at the 342-yard, par-4 13th hole and the 576-yard par-5 14th hole to go two under par through No. 15. However, he bogeyed 16, 17 and 18 to close out the back nine at one-over par 36. He shot 38 on the front nine, all pars except for bogeys at No. 2 and No. 3 in his round of 74.
Pigman birdied the par-4, 342-yard 13th, but suffered bogeys at 16 and 18 to go out in 36, then bogeyed No. 1 and the par-3, 186-yard second hole before collecting a birdie at the 557-yard, par-5 sixth hole in his round of 73.
