August 2008 Archives

The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team made its 2008 debut and what a debut it was. The team trounced defending Division II national champion Concordia-St. Paul 25-19, 25-23 and 25-17. And it really wasn't that close.

The Bears started the season ranked No. 1 while the Coyotes entered at No. 4. What was impressive was that the Coyotes defeated a strong opponent without playing their best. They were good, especially for the first match of the season. But they still didn't play at the level they have played at in the past. But they're well on their way.

Coach Kim Cherniss used 12 players, all of whom contributed. Beaumont native Jessica Granados was the star with 23 kills on an impressive hitting percentage of .486. It is even more noteworthy given the quality of the opposition.

Yucaipa High graduate Sara Rice had nine kills. Sara Hoffman had 40 assists and senior libero Meghan Haas anchored the defense with 14 digs.

Next up is a 7:30 p.m. match Friday against Shippensburg (Penn.). It will be the last of four matches on the day.

Should the Coyotes win all three matches this weekend they should move up to the top spot in the next poll early next week.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

 

When opportunity knocked, both Sara Rice and Ashtin Hall answered the door. Now the two former Yucaipa High School standouts are starters for a Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team expected to contend for the Division II national championship.

The Coyotes, 27-3 a year ago, open the 2008 campaign this week, hosting a six-team tournament that starts tonight at Coussoulis Arena. The No. 4 Coyotes open against reigning national champion and current No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) at 7:30 p.m.

"We're very excited about our potential," Coach Kim Cherniss says. "We have high expectations. We have a great core of returning players and we have some talented freshmen. Maybe the best class we have had since I've been here."

The veteran cast is bolstered by the two former Citrus Belt League standouts.

Rice, a 6-foot senior middle blocker, arrived in 2005. She had planned to attend Golden West Community College but when Portala George went down with a knee injury, Cherniss needed another backup.

Rice was going to redshirt but when a second middle blocker also sustained a knee injury, that plan changed. She ended up playing a handful of matches which set the stage for a stellar sophomore campaign and second-team All-Conference honors.

Then came an even better junior season in which she earned first-team All-Conference and Pacific West Region honorable mention honors. She was fourth on the team in kills (190) but boasted an impressive attack percentage of .384 as well as a team-high 75 blocks.

"My confidence has just grown each season," said Rice, a 21-year-old business major. "When I played some as a freshman it made me realize I could compete at that level."
A key injury also paved the way for Hall, whose opportunity could not have come in a more pressure-packed situation.

The 5-11 junior outside hitter committed to the Coyotes in November of her senior year of high school. She also considered Division I UC Riverside and NAIA Point Loma but opted for Cal State after touring all three schools and considering the facilities and level of play at each.

She didn't choose Cal State because her former high school teammate was there, but called it an "added bonus."

Hall played little during her true freshman season in 2006. The time she did see came against lesser foes.

Then Lisa Dogonyaro, the lone senior on the squad, sustained a knee injury in the regular season finale at Cal State Los Angeles. Hall went from being a seldom-used sub to a starter on a team with national championship aspirations.

"I remember that match when she got hurt. My whole frame of mind changed," said Hall, 20. "It was definitely very stressful but I tried to take it as a chance to prove myself."

Other teams went right at the untested rookie but Hall was up for the challenge.

"You never know what is going to happen," Cherniss said. "You have to be prepared for that situation and that comes with working hard in practice. It's my job as a coach to see that my players are ready when they're called on."

Hall started 29 of 30 matches as a sophomore and recorded 235 kills, including a career-high 17 in the Pacific Region final against Western Washington. She was rewarded with a spot on the all-conference second team.

The Coyotes will be looking for their sixth conference title in eight years and have advanced to the regional championship match nine straight years. Last year's loss was one of the most disappointing because it came in three straight games on their home floor to a team it had already beaten during the season.

Both players say the Coyotes didn't go into that matchup with the same intensity they would have had the opponent been long-time nemsis UC San Diego, which lost to Western Washington in the semifinal.

"It was a humbling experience," Rice said. "They took advantage of our weaknesses in a way no other team did."

Added Hall: "We have to try and put it aside but at the same time learn from it so we don't make the same mistake again if we're in that position."

Seniors Vanessa Williams (Riverside) and Anne-Marie Hofmans (Glendora) were the catalysts Thursday night for Cal Poly Pomona, which defeated Chaminade 3-0 in the 2008 season opener for the Broncos.

 

            Williams led the Broncos with 11 kills (11-3-18) and had a .444 attack percentage in the 25-19, 28-26, 25-16 victory, while Hofmans added eight kills (8-1-15) with a .467 attack percentage and a team-high 11 digs.

 

            "Annie played the type of match that we've been waiting for in her career,'' Bronco coach Rosie Wegrich said. "She had a sound all-round match and really played a big role in helping us earn a season-opening victory. It was a solid performance all the way around.''

 

            The Broncos fired on all cylinders in the match as they earned a .281 attack percentage (41 kills, 14 errors and 96 total attacks). Seniors Allie Newman (Redlands) and Jenna Young (Arcadia) each had six kills and Young led the Broncos in service aces with three. Senior Rocio Vargas (Baldwin Park) led the Broncos on the block with two solos and four assists. She also had four kills.

 

            The Broncos return to the court this afternoon with a 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) match against No. 14 Nebraska-Kearney, and then face host Brigham Young-Hawaii at 10:30 p.m. On Saturday, they play against Hawaii Pacific to round out the trip to nation's 50^th state.

 

            Courtney Lorusso led the Silverswords with 10 kills.

It may be early in fall practice but veteran head coach Rick Candaele has reason to be optimistic. He has 83 players out - the most he has had in his 14 years at the helm.

The Stags are coming off a 3-6 season which may not look like much. But CMS proved a formidable foe much of the way. It lost to then-defending SCIAC champion Occidental 28-27. If it weren't for a couple of glitches in the kicking game, the Stags win it and send shockwaves throughout the country since Oxy was nationally ranked at the time.

The team also had a rash of injuries at the end of last season that no team could have overcome.

CMS was young last season, particularly in the skill positions. Those players are all back, a year older, wiser and stronger.

It should make for a good conference battle, with Pomona-Pitzer also bringing back much of what was a young team. La Verne should also be better with coach Andy Ankeney having his first year under his belt.

Of course conference juggernauts Oxy and Redlands remain the teams to beat. And Cal Lutheran returns some key players. It should make for an interesting season.

The University of Redlands men's water polo team received its second ranking in a week's time with a sixth-place ranking in the Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) preseason coaches' poll with a point total of 109, according to a release yesterday by the WWPA. No Division III institution received a better 2008 preseason ranking in the WWPA.

 

Loyola Marymount University earned the top spot with 168 points, including 11 first-place votes. UC San Diego trailed closely behind with the second-highest point total of 150.

 

Other Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) schools in the WWPA, all of which were represented on the preseason poll, include Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (seventh), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges (eighth), Cal Lutheran University (ninth), Occidental College (11^th), Whittier College (12^th) and the University of La Verne (14^th).

 

Last week, Redlands received the No. 1 national ranking among Division III men's water polo programs, according to the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA).

 

Compiling a 2007 overall record of 22-14 and a 9-1 SCIAC tally, the Bulldogs finished No. 1 in the nation among Division III institutions. Redlands finished sixth in the WWPA tournament, defeating Pomona-Pitzer Colleges but falling at the hands of eventual champion Loyola Marymount University and UC San Diego.

 

The Bulldogs travel to San Diego in September to start the 2008 season where they will compete in the UC San Diego Triton Invitational. Redlands squares off against Long Beach State at 10:30 a.m. and UC San Diego at 1:30 p.m. to open the invitational on Sept. 6.

 

Cal Poly Pomona volleyball standout Allie Newman admits being happy that she wasn't given much of a warning when called on in a critical match late last season. She had just finished warmups and thought she would be taking a seat at the end of the bench like she had for the duration of the season. But then-assistant coach Vinh Nyugen informed her she would be starting.

"I'm glad they didn't tell me before or I would have had way too much time to get nervous," Newman said. "It was better I didn't have time to think about it."

The 5-foot-11 middle blocker delivered 13 kills and 11 block assists, helping the Broncos to a school-record 40 block assists in a five-game upset of nationally ranked UC San Diego.
She also tallied eight kills and 10 block assists in a Pacific Regional semifinal loss to Cal State Los Angeles.

Her showing at the end of the season has set her up for more significant playing time this year, especially with the departure of two other middle blockers -- most notably All-American Antoinette Kathol.

The Broncos open the new season with four matches in Hawaii, the first coming Thursday against Chaminade.

The court time has been a long time coming for the former Redlands East Valley High School and San Bernardino Valley College standout.

"We always knew she could play," veteran Broncos coach Rosie Wegrich said. "It was just a matter of when she would get that chance. She had worked very hard in practice and deserved that opportunity. We're looking forward to bigger things from her this season."

Newman, now 22, has been a later bloomer. She didn't play until her sophomore season in high school after her family moved to Southern California from Pullman, Wash.

"It was my mom and dad that encouraged me to play," she recalled. "We had just moved and they thought it would be a good way to make friends because all the girls on the team seemed nice."

She spent her sophomore year on the junior varsity just learning the basics. She followed that up with two years on the varsity. The idea of playing for a four-year school was appealing but she wasn't quite ready. So she opted for SBVC, then coached by current athletic director Dave Rubio.

Newman was a quick study, earning All-Foothill Conference honors both years there, highlighted by a Most Valuable Player selection in 2004.

"She has a great work ethic and she has athletic ability," Rubio said. "She just needs time to develop. It was the experience and technique, especially her footwork, that were lacking."

The decision on a four-year school was even more of a challenge. The most obvious choice would have been Cal State San Bernardino, Cal Poly's conference rival. Not only does it boast great tradition in the sport but her father, Eric, is a marketing instructor there.

But that's exactly why she chose not to go there.

"I wanted to make my own name somewhere else," she said.
Newman actually recruited the Broncos more than they recruited her. She sent Wegrich a letter and the veteran coach invited her to a tryout which several of Newman's SBVC teammates also attended.

But it hasn't been easy. Newman redshirted her first season because of an elbow injury that later healed without surgery. It turned out being a blessing in disguise.

"I learned a lot by watching," she said. "I don't think I would be playing today if I didn't have that year to watch and learn. And I appreciate playing a lot more now."

She played in 16 matches (39 games total), including the two pivotal ones at the end of the season, totaling 48 kills and 30 total blocks.

She has lofty goals for her final go-round including winning a conference title and dethroning the juggernaut that is Cal State.

"This is it. I want to make it a great year," said Newman, who would like to go into sports marketing. "We have some great new players that have fit right in so I think we can do it."

College football season is fast approaching. While much of the attention is focused on the Division I programs such as USC and UCLA, area coaches are also putting their teams through the paces.

The junior college season will have a competely different feel to it, thanks to a new conference alignment and playoff structure. Area coaches like the new structure. The unfortunate thing is it also means a temporary end to the rivalry between Chaffey and San Bernardino Valley College.

The two had long been rivals in the Foothill Conference. Players from the teams know each other from their high school days. The coaches are friends - SBVC's Pat Meech has coached with Chaffey's Carl Beach.

The fact that they won't be playing each other is a shame, especially because they are only 20 or so minutes apart. SBVC, now competing in the Mountain Conference of the American Division, will play non-conference games against Riverside, College of the Desert and Saddleback.

Chaffey, now in the tougher Central Conference of the National Division, plays non-conference contests against Grossmont, Mt. San Jacinto, Southwestern and Antelope Valley - all significantly longer trips.

The new alignment was supposed to address geography and natural rivals but that certainly doesn't appear to be the case here.

Schools were allowed to submit a list of three teams it wanted to keep on its schedule. Meech listed Chaffey first and Beach listed SBVC first. So why that game wasn't kept is a mystery to both Beach and Meech.

We can only hope that when the new structure is examined again in two years the powers that be see fit to put that game back on the schedule. It's nice that SBVC will play Riverside but the absence of a game against Chaffey still leaves a void.

The Victor Valley College women's soccer team is the first fall sports team to begin its season. The Rams, defending champion in the Foothill Conference, will play a 4 p.m. match at San Diego Miramar Tuesday.

Then comes a three-game set at Yuba against Northern California foes. Coach Mike Bradbury's team makes its home debut Sept. 6-7 in its six-team tournament, including defending state champion Cerritos and Grossmont.

Victor Valley graduated its three leading scorers so it will rely more heavily on defense.

"We're definitely big and strong in the middle," said Bradbury, who will also be coaching the school's men's team. "It will be a little bit different look than we have had in the past but that's junior college. You're always going to have a lot of turnover."

Area college football fans can get their first look at the 2008 Chaffey Panthers this week. Coach Carl Beach's team will play an exhibition scrimmage at 11 a.m. Friday at Grigsby Field against Palomar College.

Beach said he has played that foe the last several years in a practice game.

"They're usually a very good team with some size," he said. "You always want to play someone that is pretty competitive so you can see how you stack up. And it's a not a team in our conference or one that we're going to see during the season. It just seems to work for both of us so why change it."

There will be no admission charge.

Cal State San Bernardino men's basketball coach Jeff Oliver has a tough time getting non-conference games. That's what happens when you're good. And he REALLY has a problem getting teams to come and play the Coyotes here at Coussoulis Arena.

So he got a bit lucky when he was able to schedule a game with Alaska-Fairbanks, a Division II team that plays out of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Fairbanks traditionally played in the Great Alaska Shootout but that event was canceled, leaving Fairbanks scrambling to fill its last few dates.

So Fairbanks was looking for games, any games. It will trek to Southern California for back-to-back games, the first coming Saturday, Nov. 15th at Dominguez Hills and then the next day against the Coyotes.

It will be good scheduling for the Coyotes who are a tough opponent, especially on the second part of a back-to-back. The other bonus is that the game will count toward the Coyotes always-important in-region ranking.

California Baptist University made two first-half goals stand up for a 2-0 women's soccer exhibition victory over Cal State San Bernardino Thursday at the Lancers' field.

    Fabiola DaSilva assisted on both goals for the Lancers as Jacquelyn Witz put CBU up 1-0 in the 16th minute with a shot inside the near post. Lizzy Bendrick converted DaSilva's corner kick into a goal in the 37th minute.

    The Coyotes had just two shots on goal, both in the second half. Scoring attempts by freshman Casey Hirsch and junior Ashley Salas were stopped by CBU keeper Brittany Buchanan. Overall, CBU outshot the Coyotes 14-8.

    Redshirt freshman Tiffany Mallick and senior Shawna-Rei Kam split time in goal for the Coyotes, each making one save. Only four of CBU's 14 shots were on goal.

    CSUSB Head Coach Diego Bocanegra was not disappointed by the score. "The match gave us an opportunity to look at everybody on the team," he said. Twenty Coyotes saw playing time in the match.

    The Coyotes complete their pre-season exhibition play on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Coyote Premier Field against Biola University, a 1-0 winner in its season opener earlier this week.

    CAL BAPTIST 2, CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 0
CSUSB goalie saves: Tiffany Mallick (1); Shawna-Rei Kam (1).
CBU goals: Jacquelyn Witz, Llizzy Bendrick. Assists: Fabiola DaSilva (2). Goalie saves: Brittany Buchanan (2).

    
    

California Baptist finds itself in a familiar place once again as the Lancers are No. 2 in the preseason NAIA Volleyball Ratings just behind defending national champion Fresno Pacific.

CBU, who finished 2007 at 32-5, went to its third championship game in four years and became the only team to reach the semifinals of the national tournament in each of the last four years.

The Lancers earned 692 points in the poll just behind the Sunbirds who have 715 and captured all 25 first-place votes.

Fellow Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) members Concordia, Biola and Azusa Pacific round out the top five. Point Loma Nazarene is inside the top 10 at No. 8 while Vanguard sits at No. 21. Westmont also received votes in the poll.

California Baptist kicks off its 2008 campaign Friday and Saturday in Azusa, Calif., at the Cougar Classic. The Lancers play at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. both days.

The Lancers will also be playing local Division II powers Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino.

 

Well the American Volleyball Coaches Association came out with it's top 25 Division II preseason poll and there really are no surprises. The usual suspects top the list. Concordia-St. Paul heads it at No. 1, not a surprise since it is the regining national champion. Count me among those that think a team should remain there until it loses.

Cal State San Bernardino checks in at No. 4. The Coyotes, 27-3 in 2007, graduated just two players and have a talented freshman class to fill the few voids. They have advanced to the regional final nine straight years but have gotten over the hump to the Elite Elight only twice- 2003 and 2004.

In between Concordia and Cal State are No. 2 Washburn and No. 3 Truman. Washburn made it to the national semifinal last year and Truman returns all but one starter from a team that made its regional final.

The CCAA also has UC San Diego at No. 22 and Chico State at 25 with both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Los Angeles receiving votes. The Broncos could break into the rankings if some talented newcomers adapt to the high level of play in the conference.

Both locals will be tested early as the No. 1 team rolls into Coussoulis Arena on Aug. 28 to play the Coyotes. What a way to start the season.

Cal Poly will travel to Hawaii where it will play No. 14 Nebraska-Kearney, as well as three other foes.

The University of La Verne volleyball team starts the season ranked No. 5 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

Traditional title contender Juniata is ranked first with reigning national champion Washington University-St. Louis at No. 2. Emory (Ga.) is third and Wittenberg fourth.

The only other SCIAC school mentioned is Cal Lutheran which checks in at No. 24.

Coach Don Flora returns four starters and 11 letter winners, including senior outside hitter Brianna Gonzales, an AVCA first-team All-America selection in 2007. Also providing La Verne firepower will be 2006 AVCA honorable mention All-American, outside hitter Crista Jones and all-conference athlete Karli Fowlkes, a middle blocker.

 

   Cal State San Bernardino, with six of its top eight players returning to the fold, finds itself ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II women's volleyball in a pre-season poll conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

 

            The top 25 poll, released today by AVCA, contains four West Coast teams with defending NCAA Pacific Region champion Western Washington listed at No. 10, UC San Diego at No. 22 and Chico State at No. 25.

            Concordia University of St. Paul, Minn., the 2007 NCAA Division II champion, is No. 1 in the pre-season poll and will face off against the Coyotes at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 in Coussoulis Arena on the CSUSB campus in the 2008 season opening Coyote Classic tournament.

            The Coyotes volleyball program has been placed in the top 25 pre-season poll virtually every season since the year 2000 and they usually wind up in or near the top 10 at the end of the season. CSUSB (27-3) wound up No. 9 in the final 2007 season poll.

            "It's great to know that we've reached a point where people expect us to be good," said Head Coach Kim Cherniss, starting her 18^th season at the helm of the five-time California Collegiate Athletic Association champions.

            "However, it's not something that will change what we do to prepare for the season or reset our goals," she added. Those goals are to win the conference first, then win the regional and then the national championship.

            One of the Coyotes' other opponents in its Coyote Classic that runs Aug. 28-30 is Lewis University, ranked No. 15 in the pre-season AVCA poll.

            The first official poll is due out Sept. 1.

 

            CBS College Sports/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll

Rank   School (1^st place votes)          Points              2007 record    07 Final Rank

1.         Concordia-St. Paul (35)           897                  36-4                 1

2.         Washburn                                 830                  38-4                 3

3.         Truman                                     780                  36-6                 8

4.         COYOTES                              762                  27-3                 9

5.         West Texas A&M                    736                  36-8                 6

6.         Grand Valley State                   716                  33-4                 7

7.         Tampa                                      693                  31-3                 4

8.         Minnesota Duluth                      630                  29-2                 5

9.         Florida Southern                       581                  26-9                 13

10.       Western Washington (1)           555                  26-5                 2

11        .Emporia State                          498                  27-9                 15

12        S'West Minnesota State           474                  26-8                 12

13        Central Missouri                       443                  31-7                 10

14.       Nebraska-Kearney                   416                  33-5                 19

15.       Lewis                                       372                  32-4                 11

16.       Indianapolis                              339                  33-4                 17

17.       Pittsburg State                          320                  28-9                 18

18.       Hillsdale                                   298                  26-8                 16

19        Minnesota State                        248                  19-9                 21

20        Augustana (SD)                        194                  19-11               24

21.       Ashland                                    178                  25-6                 20

22        .UC San Diego                         158                  20-8                 22

23.       West Florida                            99                    26-4                 NR

24.       Nova Southeastern                   81                    28-10               NR

25.       Chico State                              63                    16-13               NR

Others receiving votes included: Hawaii Pacific, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State L.A., Hawaii-Hilo, Northwest Nazarene.

           

Two-time defending conference champion Cal State San Bernardino enters the 2008 season as the favorite to win the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's volleyball championship, according to a preseason poll of the league's head coaches.  

The Coyotes posted a 17-1 CCAA record and advanced to the NCAA Pacific Regional final before finishing the 2007 campaign with a 27-3 overall mark. Cal State San Bernardino received eight of the 11 first-place votes and totaled 96 points.

 

UC San Diego, which tied for second in the CCAA a year ago with a 13-5 conference mark, was picked to finish second after totaling 83 points and one first-place vote. Cal State L.A. garnered 77 points to finish third, while Chico State, which received two-first place votes, was fourth with 76 points. Cal Poly Pomona rounded out the top five after totaling 74 points.

 

Sonoma State (57) was sixth in the voting and was followed by Cal State Monterey Bay (42), Humboldt State (40), Cal State Stanislaus (23), Cal State Dominguez Hills (19) and San Francisco State (18).

 

The 2008 season will mark the first for San Francisco State, which is beginning its inaugural year sponsoring women's volleyball.

 

The 2008 campaign is slated to begin the weekend of August 28 with teams competing in tournaments. CCAA play is scheduled to begin Sept. 12-13.

  2008 CCAA Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll  

Rank -- Team (First place votes) -- Points   1. Cal State San Bernardino (8) - 96 2. UC San Diego (1) - 83 3. Cal State L.A. - 77 4. Chico State (2) - 76 5. Cal Poly Pomona - 74 6. Sonoma State - 57 7. Cal State Monterey Bay - 42 8. Humboldt State - 40 9. Cal State Stanislaus - 23 10. Cal State Dominguez Hills - 19 11. San Francisco State - 18

Interim Director of Athletics Julie Kline has announced the hiring of Joe Skovron as new head golf coach.  A 2004 graduate of La Verne, Skovron returns to his alma mater and succeeds longtime coach and La Verne Hall of Famer Rex Huigens, who retired at the conclusion of the 2008 campaign.

One of the most accomplished players in Leopard history, Skovron played four seasons under Huigens, twice earning All-America honors (2001, 2004) along with being named SCIAC Player of the Year in 2001.  He also was a member of the Leopards' 2004 SCIAC Championship team which also finished 6th at the NCAA Division III Championships.

Skovron also was a two-time Academic All-America (2003, 2004) and earned La Verne Male Scholar-Athlete Honors in 2004.  He turned professional in June 2004 and played on the U.S. Pro, Spanos, Gateway and Canadian Tours.

The 2008 Citrus College softball program, coming off its third straight Southern California Playoff appearance, is continuing to add to its reputation as one of the best community college programs around. Four sophomores from the 2008 team have accepted offers to continue playing at the four-year level.

2008 1st team All-WSC selection Melanie Hansen became the first Lady Owls to sign following the conclusion of the season. Hansen, who hit .349 and drove in a team high 26 RBI's this past season, has accepted a scholarship offer from Concordia University (Irvine, CA) of the NAIA.

"Concordia is getting a solid individual in Melanie, she left a great mark here at Citrus and I know she will be an impact player at Concordia," said Head Citrus College Softball Coach Jackie Boxley. "Melanie's intangibles make her a great fit at a great university, and I know she wants to bring a championship to Concordia."

Following Hansen into the NAIA will be 2nd team All-WSC honoree and 2008 Citrus College Female Athlete of the Year Denise Hernandez. Hernandez also played two solid seasons for Citrus, hitting .297 and including a team high 5 doubles during the 2008 season. Hernandez will be joining the Swedes of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, where she will also play soccer as well as softball.

"Bethany is allowing me the opportunity to play both soccer and softball and is that something that appealed to me," Hernandez said. "Coach Boxley has played a big role in helping me to achieve my goal of continuing my athletic career and education. It has been a dream of mine to move on to the four-year level, and Citrus played a huge part in that."

"Bethany is getting a great all around athlete. The softball and soccer programs are going to get one of the most determined individuals that I have ever met," Coach Boxley said. "Denise will rise to whatever challenge is placed in front of her and not stop until she has succeeded. Her work ethic is like no other and she knows what it takes to be a champion."

Also accepting a scholarship offer is Jennifer Anaya. Anaya hit .250 and recorded 16 runs during the 2008 season, and will continue her athletic career at NCAA Division II Cal State Monterrey Bay.

"Cal State Monterrey Bay has a great softball program, and it fit my needs as far as staying in the state of California," Anaya said. "Citrus played a tremendous role in helping me move on. The coaching staff helped me improve, and made me a %100 better then what I was before."

"Jennifer always plays hard. Without a doubt Monterey Bay is getting one of the hardest workers that have been through our program," Boxley said. "She has a fighter's spirit and will work as hard as she has to, to be successful and earn a spot with Cal State Monterrey Bay."

Joining Anaya at the NCAA Division II level will former Lady Owl Alex Arguelles, who has accepted an offer to walk-on at Cal State San Bernardino. Arguelles spent most of last season in the circle, making nine appearances and leading Citrus with a 1.04 ERA.

"I originally wanted to attend Cal State San Bernardino strictly on an academic basis, but half way through the season I can began to realize that I could probably play too," Arguelles said. "I'm excited about this opportunity because they are a team on the rise, and I really like their coach."

"Citrus helped make this a reality in a lot of ways," Arguelles said. "Coming out of a small school and straight into college was a whole new competitive level. Coach Boxley has given me the confidence over the last two years to know that I can do anything that they put in front of me."

"Alex is a quiet player that just flat out gets it done. She is the ultimate team player and will accept whatever role is needed of her," Boxley said. "She showed amazing character and strength this year when she stepped up and into a starting pitchers role without any warning. Every team needs an athlete like Alex."

Cal Poly Pomona head women's soccer coach Isabelle Harvey has named Erin Reinke as Broncos' assistant coach.

"I'm thrilled to be a part of Cal Poly Pomona's women's soccer program,'' Reinke said. "My playing career has reached its end and this is the next challenge. I look forward to doing all I can to help Isabelle build this program to be at its best with quality student-athletes.''

Reinke brings a wealth of playing experiences - both as an amateur and as a professional goalkeeper - into her first season.

She spent 2005 through 2007 playing as an amateur and professional in the Elite Division for women in Denmark. In that three-year span, she played for four teams including one full season with Fortuna Hjorring - one of the top women's teams in the world. She completed her playing career this past summer with the Ottawa Fury, a member of the USL W-League, who reached the league finals against FC Indiana.

She and Harvey played against each other in college and were teammates on the semipro team Ajax in Southern California, which won national championships from 2001-2004.

Reinke's coaching experience includes a one-year stint as a volunteer coach at Long Beach State. She also coached club soccer in Palos Verdes for three years.

Reinke was the first-ever in-state recruit for Arizona State University and went on to start four seasons for the Sun Devils. In her senior year, Reinke was a member of the 2000 Sun Devils' NCAA postseason team, which lost in the second round to eventual semifinalist Portland. She remains the career leader in saves and shutouts for ASU.

Reinke, a Mesa, Ariz., native, was a member of ASU's Maroon and Gold Scholars twice in her career. She earned her bachelor's of science degree in Sociology from ASU in 2000.

The Bulldog men's soccer team earned a No. 8 ranking on the 2008 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Preseason Division III Top-25 poll, according to an announcement released today by the NSCAA.

 

Every week during the season, the NSCAA ranks the top 25 programs for both men's and women's soccer. Each of the nation's eight regions designated by the NSCAA has a member on the ranking committee with an additional ninth committee member that serves as the national chair.

 

The University of Redlands comes off of a season where it compiled a 20-4 overall record and won its seventh-straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship with a 12-2 in-conference tally. Led by a team with two All-Americans, the Bulldogs reached the Elite 8 in the NCAA playoffs and obtained a No. 8 ranking at the season's end.

 

Head Coach Ralph Perez enters his third season as the Bulldogs' mentor with a remarkable 40-6 record at Redlands and returns three All-SCIAC First Team selections, two of whom garnered All-American honors. Of his 11 starters from last season, six are returning for the 2008 campaign.

 

The men's soccer team opens its season on Aug. 28 against No. 17 Stevens Institute of Technology followed by an Aug. 29 match against The College of New Jersey.

Congratulations go out to University of Redlands sports information director Rachel Roche and husband Geoff who are proud new parents.

Rachel gave berth to the couple's first child on July 31 - a baby girl named Kenzie Michelle.
She weighed eight pounds and six ounces and was 21 and a quarter inches, arriving at 12:46 a.m.

Mother and baby are doing well.

Congratulations go out to Unievrsity of Redlands sports information director and senior women's administrator Rachel Roche who gave berth to an eight-pound, six-ounce baby girl on July 31.

It is the first for Rachel and husband Geoff, the school's men' tennis coach.

Kenzie Michelle arrived at 12:46 a.m. She was 21 and a quarter inches long.

Mother and baby are both doing well.

 

 

 

Riverside men's track coach Jim McCarron announced today that two members of the District's State Championship Track and Field Team have signed Division I scholarships.

Dylan Nielson, who ran the lead-off on the state-champion 4x100 relay team and also competed in the high hurdles, signed a full scholarship with Utah State. Meanwhile, teammate Lance Gonzales, who competed in the decathlon, javelin and long jump, has decided to continue his education and athletic career at Cal State Northridge on a full scholarship.

Both of these young men were clutch performers this year," said McCarron. "They were big factors in the our state championship run, and I know will have an immediate impact at the conference and national level at their universities."

Gonzales, who finished second in the decathlon and third in the javelin and seventh in the long jump at the state meet, is making a run for the 2012 Olympic Team in London. He concluded his career at Riverside as the record-holder in the decathlon, a student of distinction and a holder of a 3.4 GPA.

"I'm going to Northridge to focus specifically on the decathlon and possibly a shot at making the 2012 Olympic Team," said Gonzales, who is majoring in Physical Education and plans to become a teacher and a coach.

Nielson, a graduate of Palm Desert High School, said "Utah is a place where I can get that business degree, continue to develop as a hurdler and possibly, too, make the 2012 Olympic Team."

Gene Webster Jr., a junior this fall at Cal State San Bernardino, was simultaneously happy and disappointed about playing one of his best rounds of the year in Monday's 36-hole sectional qualifer for the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship at Glendora Country Club.

    Webster, an NCAA all-West Region and all-CCAA conference player this past season for CSUSB, shot a 68 over his final 18 holes after a morning round of 74 to finish at 142 and wound up as the No. 2 alternate out of the sectional.

    In order for him to advance to the tournament at Pinehurst, N.C. on Aug. 18-24, both of the two sectional qualifiers who finished four shots ahead of Webster and the No. 1 alternate (Andrew Roque of Fontana) would have to decline the trip.

    Chances of that happening, Webster said, were "very unlikely."

    "I didn't play well in the morning. I didn't putt very good, but I had it going in the second round," Webster said by phone Wednesday. The San Bernardino resident and Arroyo Valley High School graduate was three under par with three holes remaining.  "I felt I had to shoot 66 to have a shot at it. At No. 16 I missed a 12-foot putt for birdie. I birdied No. 17. And, at 18, I had a 10-foot putt that looked like it was good but it did a slow lip-out. That kind of summed up my day."

    Summer play has not been kind to Webster. He lost in the first round at the City of Long Beach Match Play tournament and missed the cut in the Long Beach City Amateur.

    Next on his agenda is the California State Fair Amateur Tournament in Sacramento over Labor Day weekend. He hopes to qualify for the California State Open at the end of September.  

    Webster averaged a team-low 73.5 strokes for 34 rounds of golf for CSUSB this past season, helping them finish second in the CCAA conference, fourth in the NCAA West Regional and advance to the NCAA national championship for the third straight year. The Coyotes wound up a disappointing 18th at nationals.

UC Riverside Head Men's Basketball Coach Jim Wooldridge announced today that former Gonzaga Forward Larry Gurganious has transferred to UC Riverside and enrolled in classes this summer.

"Larry is a great addition to our program," said Wooldridge. "He brings major Division I college experience along with a tremendous amount of athletic ability both of which should help us reach our goal of providing UC Riverside with a championship caliber basketball program."

Gurganious, a Berkeley, CA native, played two seasons for the Bulldogs. As a sophomore last year, he saw action in 26 games, picking up two starts, and averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while connecting on 50.0 percent of his field goal attempts. The 6-5 forward sat out the 2006-07 season with a back injury that did not require surgery. As a freshman, he played in 31 of 33 games averaging 7.6 minutes per game while averaging 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

The 21-year-old Gurganious attended St. Mary's High School in Berkeley where he played for head coach Manny Nodar. As a senior, he averaged 22.5 points and 11.0 rebounds as the Panthers went 29-5 before losing to Campbell Hall in the CIF Division IV State Championships title game. Gurganious scored 21 points and grabbed eight boards in the title-game loss.