Chaffey athlete wins state title

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Freshman Khallifah Rosser of Chaffey posted a 52.08 and finished first in the 400-meter hurdles at the California Community College Athletic Association state meet at the College of San Mateo on Saturday.

He went into the meet ranked first with an “A” standard of 51.48 that qualified him for the U.S. Junior Championships next month in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I didn’t think of it as pressure,” said Rosser, a graduate of Summit High School, “I really just tried to focus on the race.”

Rosser had a minor distraction to overcome as his shoe came untied in the middle of the race.

“It was definitely a distraction,” he said. “I am happy to have won.”

Chaffey’s 4×100 relay of Rosser, Walter Ford, Derick Smith and Fabian Griffith placed fourth (40.88) with a school-record. Griffith also placed eighth in the 100- meter dash (10.67).

There was some disappointment for San Bernardino Valley as sophomore Shanice Stewart was unable to go in the heptathlon and 100 hurdles because of ankle injury sustained in practice Monday.

She repeated as champion in the long jump on Friday, which eased the disappointment of not getting to compete in the other events. She was second in state last year in the heptathlon.

“I was able to win another state title and that’s what I really wanted to do,” said Stewart, who is headed to Texas Tech in the fall.

Riverside dominated the meet with 151, far outdistancing runner-up Mt. SAC (60). It was the fifth state title in six years for the Tigers. Cerritos was the women’s champion (91).

Top 10 athletes I’m going to miss

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The college season is about done. It’s always fun to go back and think about who did what to make it a memorable school year.

So I’m going to kick out a series of lists, just for amusement. Today it’s the top 10 athletes I’m going to miss covering – I’m talking seniors at four-year schools or sophomores finishing up at a local community college.

Got to start at 10 and work my way up . . . build the suspense. Hopefully those not making the cut won’t be offended. I truly enjoy what I do, every game I cover (that doesn’t go overtime) and every athlete I meet.

10. Annie Lydens, Pomona-Pitzer track/cross country

The last two years have been tough on her (injuries). But she was the subject of a feature her sophomore year. She has interned at the United Nations and her goal is to visit another different country for every year she has been alive. That tells you all you need to know. Nice to see great athletes with such a different perspective. Every interview with a Pomona-Pitzer athlete is an enlightening one.

9. Sarah Beeman, University or Redlands softball

A great player who finally got through a season injury-free and had impressive numbers to show for it. Bonus points for saving me from getting drowned by a celebratory water bucket a few years ago when the Bulldogs won the SCIAC Tournament. Coach Laurie Nevarez was the intended target.

8. Jordan Richard, Cal State Los Angeles basketball

So he doesn’t “play” for a local school. He qualifies as a local because he went to Los Osos and played at CS San Bernardino as a freshman, Riverside as a sophomore. And he played many a game against Cal State and Cal Poly. His game improved each year he ended up being the top shot blocker in the country this season. That’s a good way to go out.

7. Stacey Howard, San Bernardino Valley football

He made just some ridiculous catches this year for the Wolverines. Don’t know how opponents left him so open sometimes, especially on the halfback option. He was the subject for my season preview story and it’s always nice when those guys deliver. Almost makes it seem like I know what I’m doing. (Headed to University of Hawaii).

6. Luke Sweeney, Pomona-Pitzer football

Some times guys pile up lofty statistics against garbage teams or they just because they get a ton of carries but Sweeney is legit. He’s pretty small by running back standards and took a beating. Injuries really limited him last season but he still became the school’s all-time leading rusher. I have to wonder what numbers he would have put up with more talent around him.

5. Jordan Garcia, University of Redlands football

Not a big guy by any stretch but had a nose for the football and always seemed to come up with the big play on defense. Also the only athlete to ever email me and thank me for a story after the interview and before it was even published.

4. Camille Smith, Cal State San Bernardino volleyball

The latest in a line of great Coyote standouts and maybe the MOST interviewed player on the list because of the team’s high profile and her major role in her time there. She’s tough, real tough. And she has always been quite articulate, win or lose. Bonus points for always keeping us guessing what color her hair was going to be next.

3. Sango Niang, Chaffey College basketball

The reason he makes the list is because I can’t remember the last time I saw a player improve so much from one season to the next. Sango excelled in track growing up. That comes from his father being an Olympian. He barely played basketball in high school. He was good as a freshman, phenomenal the past season. He’s small and quick but absolutely fearless. (He’s headed to Division II Simon Fraser next year).

2. Mitchel Anderson, Cal Poly Pomona basketball

He won a national championship with the Broncos in 2010 as a freshman. That is indicative enough of his talent. He’s just a smooth, consistent player. He may not be flashy but by the end of the night he is going to have his 15 pts, 8 rebs, 5 assists and a couple of steals.

1. Kwame Alexander, Cal State San Bernardino basketball

This was an easy choice. Who doesn’t like rim-rattling dunks? Kwame had some of the most ferocious ones I have seen at any level. Go ahead, Google him and check out the dunks on You Tube. Definitely the most exciting player to come along in the CCAA in the last decade.

Kwame Alexander vs. Chico State

Chaffey women make decisions

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More local players have made decisions on four-year schools. This time the athletes are standouts from the Chaffey College women’s team.

Coach Gary Plunkett says 5-foot-10 center Malika Fofana is headed to Cal State San Marcos, an NAIA program transitioning to Divsion II in 2014. Fofana averaged 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds.

She had a season high of 22 points against lowly Cerro Coso. More impressive were a 20 point showing against Foothill Conference champion Mt, San Jacinto and 21 against Saddleback.

Bree Ball, a 6-foot-2 center, is attending NAIA Hope International University.  She averaged 7.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.  Her best of 26 came in a conference road game at Antelope Valley.

Ja’Lisa Gatlin, a 6-foot forward, will go to NAIA Dickinson State (S.D.). She averaged 8 points and 5.2 rebounds. Her best of 16 points came against Sierra.

The Panthers (20-9), third in the Foothill Conference, have a total of five players that have moved on. Earlier guards Sheyenne Williams and Ashlee Harper both decided on the University of Mary (N.D.)

JC basketballers make decisions

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It has been an eventful week  as many of the area’s top community colleges players have made decisions on four-year schools.

I’m starting with Chaffey because the Panthers (27-7) were the state runner-up. Foothill Conference Player of the Year Justin Long (Rancho Cucamonga HS) is headed to Hawaii Pacific. It hasn’t been a winning program but Long (15.8 ppg, 106 3-pointers) should be able to make an immediate impact and should play a lot.

SG Ryan Nitz (Rancho Cucamonga HS) will attend Cal State Monterey Bay, so I’ll be seeing him when the Otters are in town to play Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino. Nitz (9.8 ppg) was solid all year but was less publicized than some of his teammates. But he had a great state tournament which improved his stock. Monterey, also a team that has struggled, but Nitz should be a good fit there. The teams shoots a lot of 3′s and he hits them. Have also heard good things about the Otters coaching staff.

Like the others, SG Kenny Morgan (Summit HS) is headed the Division II route. Morgan (11.4 ppg) will got to Adams State. That’s a program with a little more tradition than the others. Good for him too.

That makes four Panthers who have decided. Speedy point guard Sango Niang (Summit HS) was the first when he signed with Simon-Fraser later in February.

San Bernardino Valley had three players make up their minds. They’re all destined for the state of Idaho. Yep, Idaho.

Sophomore F Marcus Bradley and freshman PG Evann Hall are going to Idaho State while freshman F Paulin Mwape (Redlands East Valley) is headed to Idaho

 

Cal Poly loses coach to CCAA rival

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new harvey

After guiding Cal Poly Pomona to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001 this past season, Isabelle Harvey is leaving the Broncos staff to head the women’s program at CCAA rival Cal State Los Angeles.

It is a definite blow, especially this late in the school year. Athletic director Brian Swanson now begins the process of finding a replacement, possibly an interim coach if the search doesn’t move quickly. And they rarely do.

During Harvey’s seven years at CPP, the Broncos compiled marks of 59-55-17 overall while going 41-51-14 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play.

It won’t be unfamiliar territory for Harvey, who began her coaching career at Cal State L.A. as interim head coach in 2002 for the men’s and women’s soccer teams before holding the top assistant position for both programs in the 2003 and 2004 campaigns.

Harvey, a native of Cap-Rouge, Quebec, Canada, had an outstanding playing career, both at the collegiate level and internationally. She played at USC from 1996 through 2000 and is the only player in the program’s history to earn All-America honors all four seasons. She led the Trojans to the NCAA playoffs three times in those four years.

As a member of the Canadian National Team at the 1999 Women’s World Cup, Harvey started all three games for Canada and registered two assists. She currently ranks 13th in Canadian history with 44 international caps and most recently represented Canada at the 2004 Four Nations Tournament in China.

It will be interesting what happens when a coach at a new a school is playing against the one they left and the players they recruited. Awkward, no doubt. But coaches moving on is just part of the game.

 

 

All-SCIAC baseball players honored

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Player of the Year: Jake Petersen, JR, California Lutheran

Pitcher of the Year: Aaron Roth, JR, California Lutheran

Newcomer of the Year: Jake Petersen, JR, California Lutheran

All-SCIAC First Team

1B: Nick Boggan, SR, California Lutheran

2B: Jason Henning, SR, University of Redlands

3B: Nicho DellaValle, JR, California Lutheran

SS: Logan Allen, SR, Occidental

SS Jordan Dresner, SO, University of Redlands

SS Trevor Koons, SR, California Lutheran

C: Sean McMillan, SO, University of Redlands

OF: Nick Gentili, SR, Pomona-Pitzer

OF: Erik Munzer, SR, Pomona-Pitzer

OF: Alex Scheiwe, JR, University of Redlands

P: Jake Bruml, SO, Pomona-Pitzer

P: Scott Hong, SR, Occidental

P: Kevin Knight, SR, University of La Verne

All-SCIAC Second Team

1B: Mark Saatzer, JR, Chapman

2B: Garrett Smith, SR, California Lutheran

3B: Julian Barzilli, JR, Whittier

SS: George Hanna, JR, University of LaVerne

C: Spencer DuBois, SO, California Lutheran

DH: Johnathan Brooks, SO, Occidental

OF: Connor Battaglia, JR, Chapman

P: Kyle Hart, SR, University of Redlands

P: Tyler Hebda, JR, California Lutheran

P: Scott Peters, SO, California Lutheran

P: Taber Watson, JR, Chapman

UT: Simon Rosenbaum, FR, Pomona-Pitzer

UT: Eliot Smith, SR, University of Redlands

Local product takes over at Citrus

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Alicia Longyear has been named the new Head Coach for the Citrus College Cross Country program.

Alicia Longyear will take over the helm of the Citrus College cross country program. Longyear takes over the reins of the program from Nicki Shaw, who led the Owls’ cross country program the previous three season and steps down to accept an academic position.

Longyear, a product of Claremont High school and the University of Redlands, takes over the head coaching position after being away from the sport the past five years. Prior to that break, Longyear had served as an assistant coach with the Citrus track team, specializing in the distance events

Longyear also served as an assistant track and field and cross country coach at Claremont High (2003-2007). In 2004, Longyear helped direct the Pomona-Pitzer track program while head coach Kirk Reynolds was on sabbatical. Longyear’s coaching career began at the University of La Verne where she was a graduate assistant to the Leopard cross country and track and field teams while she earned her Master’s Degree.

“Now that my children are a little older I feel ready and excited to get back into it.  I have missed the sport,” Longyear said. “As a committed lifelong distance runner, I have continued to train on my own but being part of a cross country team is truly an extraordinary experience.  There is something special about a group of people pushing each other to their utmost limits.”

Longyear’s running career began as a junior at Claremont High School, where she picked up the sport and never looked back.

Along with her coaching duties, Longyear as serves as the Citrus College Athletic Counselor, a position she has held for the past nine years. Longyear holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology from Redlands, and a Masters Degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Athletic Counseling from La Verne.

 

All-CCAA Baseball team announced

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Jordan Whitman

2013 CCAA Baseball All-Conference Team

First Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown
Cody Doyle Cal State L.A. C Jr. Covina, Calif.
James Wharton Cal State L.A. 1B Sr. Reseda, Calif.
Ryan Cooperstone Cal State L.A. 2B Sr. Chatsworth, Calif.
David Garcia Cal State Monterey Bay 3B Sr. Gilroy, Calif.
Jason Merjano Cal State Monterey Bay SS Sr. San Ramon, Calif.
David Castillo Cal State East Bay INF Sr. Pinole, Calif.
Mark Hurley Cal State Monterey Bay OF Jr. Hollister, Calif.
Scott Masik Cal State L.A. OF Sr. Santa Cruz, Calif.
Danny Susdorf UC San Diego OF Sr. Newhall, Calif.
Ivory Thomas Cal State Dominguez Hills OF Sr. Los Angeles, Calif.
Jordan Whitman Cal Poly Pomona OF Sr. Cypress, Calif.
Jeremy Weber Cal State L.A. DH Jr. Lancaster, Calif.
Troy Cruz UC San Diego UTL Fr. Chula Vista, Calif.
Will Anderson Cal State Monterey Bay SP Jr. Pleasanton, Calif.
Nick Baker Chico State SP Jr. La Quinta, Calif.
Harmen Sidhu Sonoma State SP Sr. Martinez, Calif.
Glenn Wallace Sonoma State SP Sr. Reno, Nev.
A.J. Quintero Cal State Monterey Bay RP Jr. Vacaville, Calif.
Second Team
Name School Pos. Yr. Hometown
Mark Lindsay San Francisco State C Sr. Upland, Calif.
Bo Walter Cal Poly Pomona 1B Jr. Lafayette, Calif.
Ronnie Fhurong Cal State Monterey Bay 2B Sr. Hollister, Calif.
Tyler Christian Cal State L.A. 3B Sr. San Jose, Calif.
Miguel Flores San Francisco State SS Sr. Union City, Calif.
Kyle Zozaya Cal State East Bay INF Sr. Hollister, Calif.
Craig Beevers Cal State Stanislaus OF Sr. Newman, Calif.
Grady Espinosa San Francisco State OF Jr. Yucaipa, Calif.
Blake Gibbs Chico State OF Sr. Bellevue, Wash.
Garrett Schwartz Sonoma State OF Jr. Salinas, Calif.
Cody Webber Chico State DH Sr. Fountain Valley, Calif.
Charlie Sharrer Cal State East Bay UTL Sr. Palmdale, Calif.
Sean Becker Cal State East Bay SP Jr. San Fernando, Calif.
Troy Neiman Chico State SP Sr. Castaic, Calif.
Jeff Owen Cal State Monterey Bay SP So. Clovis, Calif.
Jordan Sechler Cal State L.A. SP Sr. Santa Maria, Calif.
Cody Ponce  Cal Poly Pomona RP Fr. Upland, Calif.

 

HONORABLE MENTION: SP: Nolan Sheridan (Fr., San Francisco State), Ryan Goodbrand (Sr., UC San Diego), Kagen Hopkins (SR., Chico State), Matt Fontaine (Sr., CS East Bay) RP: Sean Martin (Sr., Chico State); C: Ben Manlove (Sr., Chico State) 1B: Richard Seigel (Sr., UC San Diego); 2B: Eren Miravalles (Jr., CS East Bay) 3B: Pierson Jeremiah (Sr., Chico State) SS: Dillon Moyer (Jr., UC San Diego) INF: Myles Dempsey (Sr., Chico State), Cody Slader (So., Chico State), Zac Chuvala (Sr., CS East Bay); OF: Brandon Alexander (Sr., CS East Bay), Steven Filippi (Sr., Sonoma State), Kevin Logan (Jr., CS Dominguez Hills), Austin Prott (Sr., Chico State) DH: Billy Hamilton (SR., CS San Bernardinoi); UT: Jason Padlo (Fr., Cal Poly Pomona).

Most Valuable Player: Glenn Wallace, Sonoma State
Most Valuable Player: James Wharton, Cal State L.A.
Freshman of the Year: Troy Cruz, UC San Diego
Co- Newcomer of the Year: Mark Hurley, Cal State Monterey Bay; Sean Becker, Cal State East Bay
Coach of the Year: Walt White, Cal State Monterey Bay

Cal State job should draw great interest

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Kevin Becker cropped.jpg

Kevin Becker resigned today after 17 years heading the Cal State San Bernardino women’s basketball program. He was the longest-tenured coach in the CCAA. Anyone that lasts that long in a position is doing something right.

Now comes the task of finding a successor. The vacancy comes at a tough time with it being the peak recruiting period for coaches. Athletic director Kevin Hatcher says the school expects to move swiftly in filling that position. The bigger and better the pool of applicants, the faster administration can proceed.

It shouldn’t take long. The Cal State job is one of the best, maybe THE best in the 12-team conference for several reasons.

First, the facility. Coussoulis Arena is the top venue in the conference. RIMAC Arena at UC San Diego is also nice and it’s on a campus in La Jolla, so that trumps most. But no other facility can compare from a facilities standpoint.

Second, resources. Yes Cal State system is cash strapped. But the women’s program is funded better than the men’s program which annually competes for conference and regional titles. The women’s has to be funded better because of the gender equity issues and the high ratio of women’s student to men.

Third, the talent pool in the area is unmatched. It probably hasn’t been tapped as much as it should have been in recent years. Yes a lot the talented players in the area probably want to get out and go to school elsewhere. But there are plenty of talented athletes that would welcome the chance to play close to home.

Cal State volleyball coach Kim Cherniss wins with local talent, supplementing it with a few kids from elsewhere. There is no reason the same can’t be done in women’s hoops.

Fourth, it’s a quality job in a quality conference. The top teams in the CCAA pretty much contend for national titles in every sport. The travel is really pretty convenient and less tedious (with the exception of Humboldt State), compared to other conferences. And for the most part the competition within the conference is top notch no matter what the sport.

It shouldn’t be a hard sell for Hatcher.

Taijeron faring well in Mets system

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Former Cal Poly Pomona standout Travis Taijeron has been named Florida State League Player of the Week. Taijeron, of the Ports St. Lucie Mets went 9-for-19 in six games with , six doubles, and a home run.

After tearing up the South Atlantic League for 64 games last season, Taijeron was promoted to St. Lucie in mid June. Though he struggled in the FSL in 2012, hitting .203 in 48 games, he seems to have taken the measure of the league in 2013. The 24-year-old outfielder has at least one extra-base hit in each of his last seven games and is reaching base at a .393 clip, which leads the Mets and ranks 11th in the league.

Taijeron was selected by the New York Mets in the 18th round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Cal Poly Pomona where we was named California Collegiate Athletic Association Male Athlete of the Year..