University of La Verne: May 2008 Archives

It was another case of so near and yet so far for the University of Redlands golf team as the Bulldogs finished second at the Division III national tournament at Chateau Elon Resort in Braselton, Ga. Friday.

The Bulldogs did not qualify for the event last year but posted three straight second-place showings in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Redlands shot a 14-over 298 to finish with a 72-hole total of 1,195. St. John Fisher, which started the day with a four-stroke lead over Redlands, carded a 22-over 306 and was third at 1,199.

But it was St. John (Minn.), fourth at the start of the day, that came from eight strokes out with a 291 to finish at 1,192.

The recent finish was a bit more disappointing because the Bulldogs had the lead, only to falter on the final three holes. Redlands made up the deficit on St. John Fisher in the first six holes and led until the final three holes, losing seven strokes on the last three.

Ross Canavan was the top individual for the Bulldogs, shooting a 2-over 73 for a 9-over 293 total. E.J. Stenftenagel tied for 10th (75-297).

The player that made the big difference for a third straight day was Alex Hedlund. Normally the No. 5 player, he had a 2-over 73 and was 23rd overall (302).
Scott Pena and J.C. Riter had indentical 77s and both finished at 311.

The University of La Verne, which beat Redlands head-to-head eight times this season, settled for ninth (1,219) in the last match for retiring coach Rex Huigens.

The Leopards had most of its returners from last year's national runner-up team and led after the first round. But nothing went right the last three days.

"Golf can be a fickle game," Huigens said. "We had a good first day but after that we were terrible, no other way to put it."
 

Junior Rizal Amin (74-302) was the top finisher for the Leopards in 23rd. He was followed by Mitchell Fedorka (78-305), Chris Davis (83-309), Andrew Kramer (79-311) and Jordan Talah (76-314)

Huigens said he will miss the camaraderie of his players.

"Any time you do something for that long, it will be a little emotional when you stop doing it," he said. "But the relationships will go on."

2008 All-SCIAC Baseball Selections Announced
May 14, 2008

The 2008 All-SCIAC Baseball Selections have been announced.  University of La Verne Leopards claimed the SCIAC Conference title.  Scott Marcus, a senior from La Verne has been named Player of the Year.  The First and Second All-SCIAC Teams are listed below. 

With one round left to play in the NCAA Division III tournament at Chateau Elon, the University of Redlands golf team is in a familiar position - second.

The Bulldogs qualified for the event in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and finished as national runner-up on all three occasions.

The first two times the Bulldogs were far enough back they didn't have a chance to win. But now they're ready to shed the bridesmaid label.

"We're in it to win it," Redlands coach Art Salvesen said. "We are right where we need to be. It's all up to us on the final day."

St. John Fisher (893) remains in first place with Redlands (897) next. It had started the day eight strokes out but shot a 293, its best round of the tournament while St. John Fisher shot a 297.

The Bulldogs steady twosome of Ross Canavan and E.J. Stenftenagel led the way. Canavan (220) shot an even par-71 for the day and is tied for fourth place individually while Stenftenagel (222), the lone holdover from the runner-up team in 2006, managed a 2-over 73 and is tied for ninth.

The Bulldogs No. 5 man also came up with a clutch performance. Alex Hedlund bounced back back from an opening-day 83 to post the second-best score on his team the last two days, including a 72 Thursday.

"He (Hedlund) was the key for us," Salvesen said. "We know we have two guys that are going to right around par but he gave us a big lift today.

Also checking in for the Bulldogs were Scott Pena (80-234) and J.C. Riter (77-234).

The University of La Verne, which led by 10 strokes after the first day, is tied for seventh after a 298 for a 54-hole total of 911.

Rizal Amin, Chris Davis and Mitchell Fedorka (227) are part of a five-way tie for 27th with Fedorka boasting the Leos bestr round of the day - a 1-under 70. Rounding out the scoring are Andrew Kramer (79-232), Jordan Talah (78-238) and

It was a good first day for the local teams at the Division III national golf championship Tuesday at Chateau Elon Resort in Braselton, Ga.

The University of La Verne surged out to a 10-stroke lead with a 7-over 291 while SCIAC foe University of Redlands is tied for fourth in the 35-team field at 20-over 304.

Skidmore is a distant second (301) while St. John Fisher is third (302).
Leopards coach Rex Huigens is optimistic but guarded, citing the fact that the 72-hole tournament is being conducted over two courses.

"We'll have a lot better idea where we stand after the second round. We played the easier of thre two today," he said. "But we are hitting the ball well so we're off to a good start."

The Leos and the Bulldogs both played the par-71, 7,030-yard Chateau course. Seven of the top eight teams played that one. The other is the par-71 6,728-yard Woodlands course.
A cut will be made after today's round and all teams will play the final two rounds on the same course.

"The one is longer but its straighter," Huigens said. "The other one is shorter and tighter and there is a lot more potential to get into trouble."

La Verne had two players in the top five with Andrew Kramer shooting an even-par 71 and Chris Davis right behind him at 72.

Rounding out the scoring were Rizal Amin (74) and Jordan Talah (74) who were in a logjam of seven players tied for 16th place. Mitchell Fedorka (75) was the non-scoring member of the team.

The Bulldogs are led by Ross Canavan, one of just three players that broke par. He shot a 1-under 70, just two strokes behind leader Scott Harris of Pacific (68).
Also representing the Bulldogs are E.J. Stenftenagel (75), Scott Pena (77), J.C. Riter (81) and Alex Hedlund (83).

"You can't win a title on the first day but you can lose it," Redlands coach Art Salvesen said. "Today will be the difference. This one is real man's course."

It isn't where you start but where you finish that makes a difference. There is no better proof of that than the University of La Verne baseball team.

At no point during the regular season were the Leopards ever first in the SCIAC. They didn't move into the top spot until the final day of the regular season when they swept Pomona-Pitzer and University of Redlands lost twice to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

But it will be coach Scott Winterburn's team representing the SCIAC in the six-team Division III West Region Tournament that starts today at McMurry University in Abilene, Tex.

The Leopards (25-14-1) open play at 10 a.m. against Southern Califorinia rival Chapman (35-3), the nation's top-ranked team.

That will be one of three games on tap with the others pitting George Fox (28-12) against Trinity, Tex. (32-13) and Cal State East Bay (26-14) against host McMurray (29-17).

La Verne's finish this season was the opposite of last season when the Leopards were on top only to drop a spot after falling to Whittier in extra innings in the final game of the season.

"Last year we pretty much led it the entire way. This year we never led," Winterburn said. "Go figure. That's the thing I find most ironic."

Only a fantastic finish put the Leopards in position to have a chance. They won their last eight games and 13 of their last 14 conference games.

Winterburn said his team didn't get too wrapped up in where it was in the standings.

"We weren't worried about how far behind we were," he said. "We just wanted to play better baseball. Then the teams ahead of us starting losing and we had a chance again. "

Today's foe is not an unfamiliar one. The Leopards played the Panthers in a three-game non-conference series and lost all three - 4-0, 4-2 and 11-5.

It will be La Verne's first postseason appearance since 2005 when the Leopards were eliminated by Chapman which was hosting the tournament.

Pitchers Ryan Rose and Jimmy Wilfong and outfielder Brandon Mikkelson, all seniors, are the main holdovers from that team.

Winterburn said sophomore Tim Jolly (5-3, 4.36), a product of Damien High School, would be the likely starter. He went the first game against Chapman in April, giving up just two hits and three runs in a game that was scoreless until the fifth.

Rose (7-3, 6.38) and junior Jesse Sweet (5-3, 3.88) are the other starters. Wilfong (5-2, 2.05) has a team-high 20 appearances, 17 of those out of the bullpen.

The offense is led by senior designated hitter Scott Marcus who hit .375, led the conference in RBI (62) and total bases (125) and was second in runs scored (51) and home runs (13).
Among the other veterans are second baseman Trevor Boucher (.364, 31 RBI) and shortstop Jack Mehl (.369, 58 runs).

The Panthers, who are looking for their fourth straight regional title, have been ranked No. 1 the entire season. Their losses were to Pomona-Pitzer, Redlands and McMurry.
Chapman is hitting .357 as a team (14th nationally) and averaging 9.1 runs a game led by designated hitter Stuart Hyman (.400), third baseman Tristan Phillips (.426) and outfielder Mike Vass (.395, 43 runs, 42 RBI).

"Our guys have hung in there all year," Winterburn said. "We have some momentum and we have nothing to lose because no one expected us to get here.

CONFERENCE CHAMPION: UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS

HEAD COACH: LAURIE NEVAREZ

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  NICKY NEUMANN, UNIVERSITY OF REDLANDS

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR:  MOLLY YRIARTE, WHITTIER COLLEGE

Ashley Paul has been named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week on May 9 for her efforts during La Verne's SCIAC Tournament championship run in softball.

A freshman shortstop from Glendora and a First Team All-SCIAC selection, Paul batted .438 in four games to help lead La Verne to the first-ever SCIAC Tournament Championship. On May 2 Paul went 3-4 with two runs scored in a 10-0 win over CMS and followed with a two-run double in the Leopards' 4-1 triumph over Pomona-Pitzer.

Against top-seed and seventh-ranked Redlands on May 3, she went 2-3 in the opening-game loss, and closed with a single and a run scored as ULV prevailed 5-4 over the Bulldogs to capture the tournament crown and secure a berth in the NCAA West Regionals.

Paul, a starting guard on the Leopard basketball team, finished the regular season with a team-high .433 batting average including a .469 clip in conference play.

By Michelle gardner

Staff Writer

After a long day on the diamond, the University of La Verne softball team headed home to pack. SCIAC rival Redlands went to wait by the phone.

The Leopards gained the SCIAC's automatic bid beating the Bulldogs 5-4 Saturday in the title game of the first SCIAC tournament. Next up is the Division III West Regional which starts Thursday at University of Texas-Tyler.

The Leos (27-17), under first-year coach Julie Smith, have won 11 of their last 12 games. They were the No. 3 seed in the four-team tournament, but upended No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (10-0) and No. 4 Pomona-Pitzer (4-1) on Friday.

"We're peaking at the right time. I used the old marathon analogy," said Smith, a member of the United States' gold-medal Olympic team in 1996. "With about seven miles to go we were running sixth and I told them we still had time to make a move but we had to move together."

Smith chalked part of the team's slow start this season up to the late arrival of three players who came out after basketball. The Leos made the playoffs in that sport, so the trio of freshman shortstop Ashley Paul, senior outfielder Jenny Strycula and freshman reserve Mayra Duenas didn't join the team until the middle of March.

"We had more bodies, more depth and we were able to start practicing much more efficiently," she said. "Then we had to get used to playing together."

Top-seeded Redlands (34-10) had to come through the loser's bracket after dropping its opener to Pitzer 4-1 on Friday. It defeated CMS 6-0 later Friday, then avenged the loss to Pitzer, 6-5, Saturday morning.

Shortstop Melanie Hamlin led the effort, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple, home run and three RBI, with three RBI, falling a single short of the cycle.

Senior pitcher Katie Brnca logged 17 innings of the 21 the Bulldogs played Saturday. She pitched five in the opener, then went the distance in the first game against La Verne, surrendering just four hits. The Bulldogs' offense racked up 11 hits, led by Nicky Neumann's three.

But Redlands trailed from the start in the deciding game, committing two errors on the first three hitters and twice failing to handle bunts, allowing La Verne an early 2-0 lead.
A two-run single by junior Kari Granger in the third made it 4-0.

La Verne was up 5-1 before Redlands scored three in the fifth.
But that inning could have  produced more, as Redlands had two runners thrown out at the plate, the last with some controversy. Kayla Peterson tried to score from first after a hit by Hamlin, but catcher Melissa Carlson made the tag on a toss from pitcher Delaney Baylor-Dick.\

Redlands wanted, but didn't get, an obstruction call on Carlson for blocking the plate without the ball.

The two plays at the plate and four errors proved costly, but coach Laurie Nevarez refused to blame fatigue.

"I hate to blame any one thing or one person," Nevarez said. "For every thing someone didn't do right I can think of five things they did do right."

The Bulldogs, who won their fourth straight regular season title, are hoping for an at-large bid -- which is possible given their strength of schedule and No. 12 national ranking, despite the SCIAC's dubious history of advancing second-place teams.

"A lot of people have told me we have a good shot but you never know," Nevarez said. "I hope we get a shot because I think we're deserving but we didn't do what we needed to do here."