October 2009 Archives

Several area teams will be playing at home.

In SCIAC play, Pomona-Pitzer (4-2) will be at Redlands (5-1), 7 p.m,.
The Sagehens are much improved but probably don't have enough firepower to hang with the Bulldogs who have feasted off opponent mistakes. And Redlands is at home.

Whittier at La Verne, 1 p.m.
The poor Leopards are still looking for their first win but threw a scare into Occidental last week, falling 14-13. If they can hang with Oxy, they should be able to beat Whittier.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (3-3) at Chapman (2-4), 7 p.m.The Stags will be playing under the lights for the first time. These teams are evenly matched. The Panthers likely win because they're at home but a win by the Stags wouldn't be surprising.

In the JuCo ranks . . .

San Bernardino Valley College (3-4) at Southwestern (3-4), 6 p.m. Lo and behold the Wolverines have an actual win streak - three games. They're still in the hunt for a conference title, but they are just starting the toughest part of the conference sked and the Jaguars are tough at home. Southwestern probably wins this one.

Chaffey (2-5) at Riverside (1-7), 6 p.m.

Both teams are struggling terribly. Both have played tough schedules with RCC's a little tougher. Give them the edge because of that and because they're at home.

San Diego Mesa (1-6) at Victor Valley (3-4), 1 p.m.
The Rams have had some inner team turmoil but they got back on track last week. This is one they should win at home.

It has been a long time since either San Bernardino Valley College or Cal State San Bernardino went into the end of a men's soccer season with much on the line. But the Wolverines and Coyotes are both having outstanding seasons.

With the quality of the area's youth soccer leagues there is really no reason the programs at both can't be successful. Their rosters are full of local products, with a few others complimenting that mix.

The Cal State men, coached by Noah Kooiman, have already clinched a spot in the CCAA Tournament. They are 14-3-1 overall and 10-3-1 in conference play. It's the third-best record in the history of the program dating back to 1984-85 and surpasses the 1993 mark of 13 wins. The all-time mark is 16 set in 1987.

The Coyotes have two regular season matches left, both against local rival Cal Poly Pomona.

At SBVC, Coach Josh Brown's hard work is starting to pay off. The men are 10-5-3, 2-2-1 in the Foothill Conference with three matches to go. The Wolverines will be hard-pressed to finish ahead of Rio Hondo, which has won 100 titles in a row. So It's only nine. But you get the picture.

But the Wolverines could still make the playoffs and that would be huge, especially considering they won just three games last year. Winning at the junior college level is also hard because there is so much turnover. But Brown's team is made up of mostly freshmen, which bodes well for next year too!

The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team is still No. 3 in the AVCA poll released today.

The Coyotes (22-1) had three wins last week and will be on the road this weekend for matches at No. 19 Sonoma State and Humboldt State.

The CCAA had five teams ranked with UC San Diego, which is tied with the Coyotes for first in the conference, checking in at No. 2. The other ranked teams are Sonoma State, No. 21 Cal State Los Angeles and No. 25 Chico State.

Two-time and reigning national champion Concordia-St. Paul (25-0), the only undefeated team in the country, is still No. 1.

There were some very interesting results byu the local college teams on Saturday.

First, San Bernardino Valley College defeated Mt. San Jacinto 28-17. That's three in a row for the Wolverines and it is that much more noteworthy given that SBVC had lost 19 in a row before that mini streak.

Kevin Emerson didn't get hired until August so for him to win three games is impressive. These looked to be the most winnable three games on the schedule, even before the season started. Now come the more difficult games as SBVC is left with Southwestern on the road, Golden West on the road and L.A. Harbor at home. If it can just win just one of those, this would be a hugely successful season because of how far the program has come.

Second, Chaffey lost to Citrus (again) 20-17. Last year the Panthers had a bye week, then laid an egg when they came back against the Owls. Looked like this was a repeat of last year. While it is not surprising Chaffey hasn't been able to go toe-to-toe with the biggies such as El Camino and Mt. SAC, the losses to Citrus are puzzling.

On the four-year front the game of the day was Occidental surviving 14-13 over La Verne. That's a nationally ranked and defending conference champion that barely hung on to beat an 0-6 team. This Oxy team is not nearly as good as the ones the Tigers have had in the past, that is pretty obvious. (They also barely beat 2-4 Chapman the previous week).

Give the Leopards credit. It would be easy for them to come into this game a little down and overwhelmed but they gave the Tigers a battle. Andy Ankeny is a class individual and I hope for good things for his team.

Redlands trounced Claremont-Scripps 53-27. The Bulldogs got 36 points in the second, 29 of those from CMS turnovers. The Stags were up 17-3, but then . . .

Pomona-Pitzer picked up its fourth win, beating Whittier 15-7. Not a great game just by glancing at the boxscore but the Sagehens prevail.

All the local college teams will be in action on Saturday. Here's a look at the matchups . . .

Redlands at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 1 p.m. The Bulldogs have to win to keep what ever playoff hopes they have alive.They have Dan Selway at quarterback and that alone is enough reason to pick the Bulldogs, Redlands alsohas the No. 1 rushing defense in the country which might counter the Stags strong point which is runnning the football. CMS won't win a shootout so it must control the ball. CMS has proven a tough foe but I have to go with Redlands on this one.

La Verne at Occidental, 3 p.m.
The Leopards are still looking for their first win. Maybe they pull the upset if Oxy is looking past them to Cal Lutheran. No, probably not. It's too bad for the Leopards and Andy Ankeny who is a good coach and stand-up guy!

Pomona-Pitzer at Whittier, 3 p.m.
The Sagehens might be the most improved team in the conference. Whittier is coming off a pummeling at the hands of Redlands. Pitzer would seem to be the choice here, if for no other reason that Jacob Caron is at quarterback. But Whittier beat Chapman, a team to whom the Sagehens lost, albeit on a fluke play. Still going with the Sagehens though.

In the JC ranks . . .

Mt. San Jacinto at San Bernardino Valley, 6 p.m.The Wolverines are going for their third in a row. Technically they're still in the mix to win the conference, although the reality is they haven't faced the two top teams yet. MSJ has just one win but most coaches say they are better than their record. I'll go with SBVC in a close one.

Citrus at Chaffey, 6 p.m.

This should be a grudge match as Citrus had a horrendous season in 2008 but beat the Panthers in a huge upset. Coach Carl Beach hasn't forgotten that one. Chaffey has lost three straight, all to top 10 teams. it should get well and get revenge at the same time.

The Cal Poly Pomona volleyball team was going to be hard-pressed to repeat its showing of last season when it went all the way to the West Region final before losing to heavily favored Cal State San Bernardino.

The Broncos started this season with just three players who saw considerable action a year ago and the conference is just too tough to throw rookies into the mix and ask them to deliver.

For Rosie Wegrich it has been more about seeing how far her team can come in a few months. The answer is "a very long way."

Wednesday's match against the Coyotes was evidence. The first time the teams played the Broncos scored just 45 points in a 3-0 sweep. This time around they also lost 3-0 but they had game points in both the second and third sets. They did so in the second despite being down at one point 19-8. That says a lot.

The Broncos, now 8-13 overall, will have virtually everyone back next year. They just need to find a setter to replace the athletically gifted Jasmine Davis. Among those to look for in the future are sophomore rightside Kristin McNeese, freshman middle Taylr Kreutziger, junior outside hitter Courtney Alberi and junior middle-rightside Kellie Hill.

If they keep progressing at that rate there is no reason the Broncos can't be right back up there in the upper tier with the Coyotes, UC San Diego, Cal State LA, Chico State and Sonoma.

Former Rim of the World volleyball standout Sonja Newcombe, a senior outside hitter for the University of Oregon, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week. She earned the award after leading the Ducks to two key conference wins, recording their first sweep of then-No.14 California since 1990 and their first victory against then-No. 5 Stanford since 1989. Newcombe started out the week with a double-double drilling 13 kills out of 22 attacks with only one error, hitting .545 - her second highest mark of the season. She also tallied 10 digs, two aces, one assist and one block in the outing. She continued the week with another impressive double-double, contributing 26 kills, good for a .362 clip, while adding a career-high 24 digs, three assists, two blocks and an ace in a win over Stanford. For the week, Newcombe averaged 4.38 kills, 4.25 digs and 5.50 points per set, while turning in a .412 attack percentage. This is the third time an athlete from Oregon has earned the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week award and marks the second time Newcombe has received the honor, the last coming on Oct. 7, 2008. On the season she has 241 kills, 157 digs, 39 blocks and 15 service aces for the Ducks (14-3). Anyone that saw her in her playing days at Rim isn't surprised at her success on the national front with a prominent Division I program.

The University of Redlands men's water polo team took over the top spot in the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Division III poll after defeating the University of La Verne, 19-8, on Saturday afternoon in La Verne, according to an announcement made today by the CWPA.
 
Redlands has fared well against NCAA Division III institutions this year, boasting a perfect 7-0 record against fellow members of Division III.
 
The Bulldogs held the No. 1 spot in the CWPA Division III poll last year from the preseason rankings through Nov. 12.
 
Tonight, Redlands (9-14, 1-0 SCIAC) hosts Cal Lutheran University. Game time is set for 5 p.m. at the Thompson Aquatic Center.
 
For a complete list of CWPA rankings, visit http://www.collegiatewaterpolo.com/news/2009-10/102109MenVarsityPolls.
 

  Apparently Saturday night's 3-1 volleyball loss to UC San Diego was most costly than just a 19-match win streak for Cal State San Bernardino.
    The American Volleyball Coaches Association demoted the Coyotes from the No. 2 spot in its national top 25 poll to third and upgraded the Tritons to No. 2 behind the only unbeaten team in NCAA Division II -- Concordia-St. Paul (23-0).
    The Tritons are 20-1 while the Coyotes are 19-1 heading into Wednesday night's home match against Cal Poly Pomona in Coussoulis Arena. First serve is at 7 p.m.
    CSUSB had been in the No. 2 slot all season.
    The switch may have been based on strength of schedule since UCSD defeated No. 11 Minnesota-Duluth in the first tournament of the season. Both CSUSB and UCSD have beaten the three other CCAA teams ranked in the top 25 -- No. 20 Sonoma State, No. 22 Cal State L.A. and No. 25 Chico State.
    The Coyotes are ranked No.1 in the NCAA West Regional poll and UCSD is No. 2. This poll determines the seeding for the NCAA regional tournament set for Nov. 19-21 at a site to be determined.
    AVCA DIVISION II TOP 25
    1. Concordia St. Paul (32 1st place votes) -- 23-0
    2. UC San Diego -- 20-1
    3. COYOTES -- 19-1
    4. Central Missouri -- 24-3
    5. Nebraska-Kearney -- 23-1
    6. West Texas A&M -- 22-3
    7. Emporia State -- 22-2
    8. Tampa -- 20-2
    9. Washburn -- 23-3
 10. Minnesota State -- 21-3.
  Also: 11 (tie) -- Indianapolis (26-1) and Minnesota-Duluth (18-4); 13. Lewis (21-3); 14. Saint Leo (20-2); 15. Southwest Minnesota State (18-6); 16. Nebraska-Omaha (17-6); 17. Hawaii-Hilo (20-1); 18. Wayne State (21-4); 19. Truman (18-8); 20. Sonoma State (16-5); 21. Metro State (16-6); 22. Cal State L.A. (15-6); 23. Hillsdale (17-5); 24. Wingate (24-1); 25. Chico State (18-5).

  If the NCAA West Regional soccer tournaments for men and women were held right now, both Cal State San Bernardino teams would be among the participants.

    The latest polls issued by the championships committee for both sports show that the Coyotes men's team is ranked No. 4 and the women's team is No. 5 as of Tuesday.

    However, there are four matches remaining in the regular season for both teams, starting Friday at UC San Diego and continuing Sunday at Cal State East Bay, certainly an out-of-the-ordinary road trip since East Bay is currently considered part of the South Division of the CCAA conference.

    CSUSB women, currently 8-6-2 overall and 7-3-2 in the CCAA, will be tested Friday by a UCSD team that is ranked No. 2 in the West Region and No. 11 in the nation. The Tritons are 12-2 and defeated the Coyotes 2-0 in San Bernardino on Sept. 27. The women's match is set for 4:30 p.m.

    The Coyotes men, now 12-3-1 overall and 8-3-1 in the CCAA, face the Tritons -- 7-5-4 overall and 4-5-3 in the CCAA at 7 p.m. at the La Jolla campus field. CSUSB won the first meeting, 1-0, on Sept. 27.

    Both teams then travel 400-plus miles to Hayward to face the Pioneers on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. CSUSB swept the first meetings with East Bay by scores of 7-0 (men) and 5-0 (women).

    The regular season ends with a home-and-home doubleheader with Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. The Oct. 30 matches will be the final home matches of the season for both Coyotes teams.

                    NCAA WEST REGIONAL POLLS
    MEN -- 1. Cal State L.A. (13-2-1); 2. Sonoma State (11-2-2); 3. Seattle Pacific (10-2-3); 4. COYOTES (12-3-1); 5. Grand Canyon (10-2-1); 6. Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-5-1).

    WOMEN --  1. Seattle Pacific (13-1); 2. UC San Diego (12-2); 3. Cal State L.A. (12-2-2); 4. Chico State (7-3-5); 5. COYOTES (8-6-2); 6. Cal State Dominguez Hills (9-6); 7. San Franciso State (7-6-3); 8. Western Washington (8-4-2); 9. Dixie State (8-3); 10. Humboldt State (7-7-2).

The toughest job for a coach isn't always deciding on a starting lineup and it rarely has anything to do with strategy. It's the mental part of handling the pysche of his or her players, more specifically rallying a team from a devastating loss.

That is the senario this week for University of Redlands football coach Mike Maynard. The Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking 27-24 overtime loss last week to Occidental. While there are plenty more games to go, that game has traditionally had a huge impact on the SCIAC race. And with football three are nine games, so there is little room for error,

The loss was that much more deflating because the Bulldogs dominated for three quarters.

So this week Maynard has to convince his squad it is still playing for something.No doubt he will appeal to his players' competitive spirit and character.

Yes a lot of things can happen. Two years ago the Bulldogs lost to Oxy, then ran the table, with the outcome of other games resulting in them winning the SCIAC. That was just two years ago and there plenty of players left who were part of the team. Maynard has that to fall back on.

Maynard says his team still has a shot of getting in the playoffs, even if it finishes second. That wouldn't seem like a strong possibility since the SCAIC hasn't had a second team make the playoffs in his two decade tenure. But with the current economic climate, the NCAA could take a second team, possibly Redlands, and send it to Oxy for a first round playoff game because the cost would be next to nothing.

Of course the Bulldogs have to run the table to think about that playing out and that would mean beating a Cal Lutheran team, that from what other coaches tell me, is probably better than Occidental.

Next up for Redlands is Saturday's 7 p.m. home game against Whittier. It should be one in which the Bulldogs have no trouble getting back on track.

The Cal State San Bernardino volleyball team will make its annual trek to La Jolla on Saturday to play old rival UC San Diego in a 7 p.m. showdown for CCAA bragging rights.

Barring a major upset of either team on Friday, the battle will be for a share of first place in the CCAA. The Coyotes (18-0, 11-0) are one game up on the Tritons (18-1, 10-1). The teams are No. 2 and 3 in the country as well with the Tritons lone loss coming to the Coyotes when they were manhandled at Coussoulis Arena.

It will be interesting to see if travel has any affect on the Coyotes. Cal State is playing Cal State East Bay on Friday night, then must scurry to the airport in San Francisco in hopes of catching a 10:30 p.m. flight to San Diego. The Coyotes should dispatch the Pioneers in three without coach Kim Cherniss having to use her timeouts!

There is no reason for those two teams to be travel partners. It puts every visiting team at a disadvantage because all of them have those tough back-to-backs. If they have to be travel partners, schools should be given a day in between, much the way basketball lets its teams play Thursday and Saturdays for the tougher road trips.

Granted, that would mean added expense which the Cal State university system doesn't need at the moment.

A win by the Tritons would move then into a first-place tie. A win by the Coyotes puts them in good position to secure their fourth straight conference title and the seventh in nine years.

It was announced earlier today that junior outside hitter Jackie Hamilton (Loma Linda, CA) of the University of Redlands volleyball team was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Female Athlete of the Week for October 5-11.
 
Hamilton led the Bulldogs to an exciting 2-0 week with important conference victories over the University of La Verne (25-21, 21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-11) and Cal Lutheran University (25-19, 25-23, 25-23).  In eight sets played, she posted 4.25 kills per set, which was clearly a team-high, with 34 total kills and a hitting percentage of .232. Serving as the team's go-to hitter, she accumulated 112 attempts, taking an average of 14 swings per set. She also contributed 4.75 digs per set to rank second behind the team's libero. Hamilton also came up with five block assists and one ace.
 
Friday's victory over Cal Lutheran was the first for the Bulldogs in 13 meetings, dating back to Oct. 25, 2006.
 
With the wins, Redlands remains atop the SCIAC standings with a 7-1 mark to go along with a solid 13-3 season record.  As of Tuesday's American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Bulldogs "received votes" but did not break into the top 25.
 
The Bulldogs enjoy a break from SCIAC competition this week and host non-conference foe Chapman University on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Currier Gym.
 
The SCIAC sports information directors nominate and vote on the athletes of the week.  Senior quarterback Scott Saunders from Occidental College received the male award.
 

  Cal State San Bernardino will carry the extra burden of being ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II West Region when it heads to Hayward to play Cal State East Bay in a CCAA conference women's volleyball match Friday night.
            The first poll by the NCAA championships committee was released Thursday and the unbeaten Coyotes (18-0) sit on top while Saturday's opponent - UC San Diego (18-1) is ranked No. 2 in the region.
            The top eight teams in the final poll conducted on Nov. 15 will advance to the West Regional tournament to be played at a site to be determined.
            CSUSB is the defending West Region champion.
            The Coyotes are currently ranked No.2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association national top 25 poll while UCSD is No. 3. CCAA member Chico State is ranked 25th.
                        NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGION POLL (Oct. 15)
1.      Cal State San Bernardino (18-0, 15-0 in region)
2.      UC San Diego (18-1, 12-1 in region)
3.      Sonoma State (14-4, 14-4 in region)
4.      Hawaii Hilo (17-1, 14-1 in region)
5.      Cal State L.A. (12-6, 11-5 in region)
6.      Seattle Pacific (11-7, 11-5 in region)
7.      Alaska Anchorage (13-6, 12-6 in region)
8.      San Francisco State (14-5, 14-5 in region)
9.      Northwest Nazarene (11-7, 11-5 in region)
10.  Chico State (14-5, 14-5 in region).
 

It was the same old song dance.

Again the University of Redlands fell to Occidental, this time 27-24 in overtime. This loss was worse than any of the previous five. This Oxy team is clearly not as talented as most of the past and the Bulldogs still couldn't defeat it.

Redlands dominated for three quarters. Then it got too conservative on offense and Occidental started making plays. Redlands was up 24-10, then missed two scoring chances that probably would have put the Tigers away.

A Dan Selway fumble in the Oxy end squelched a threat that could have made it 31-10. But the Bulldogs defense held.

The offense drove again only to miss a 19-yarder that would have made it 27-10. You can't leave a good teamn inb the game.

When Oxy scored to make it 24-17 you could see the Bulldogs start to tighten up. They had three personel fouls on that drive alone that amounted to 40 yards in penalties.

Occidental was more poised when it mattered. Now the Bulldogs are left to try and make something out of the season.

Total yards favored Redlands467-296. That's a good sized advantage.
First downs - 27-23
Third down conversions- Redlands 8-13, Oxy 4-12.

But turnoves were 4-1 Redlands.

So far so good for the University of Redlands football team.

The No. 22 Bulldogs lead No. 24 Occidental 24-10 at the half at Patterson Field in Eagle Rock.

The Bulldogs and Dan Selway are throwing the ball up and down the field at will. Brendan Barkate, the team's leading receiver coming in, isn't playing because of an injury but that hasn't mattered as Brian Putman and Evan Reuter have picked up the slack. Each has seven catches with Putman's totaling 66 yards and Reuter's going for 100.

Putman has two touchdown receptions and Daylan Swedlow has a 1-yard TD run.

Oxy's only touchdown was the result of a Redlands turnover deep in their own territory.

The Bulldogs are looking to beat the Tigers for the first time in the last five meetings. They have had to play from behind and were victimized by their own mistakes. But this team looks poised and focused.

Redlands has 269 total yards. Oxy just 77.
More later!

Now that the Los Angeles Angels are about to rid themselves of the demon that is the Boston Red Sox, let's hope the University of Redlands can do the same with what has been its kryptonite - the Occidental Tigers.

The two teams square off at Oxy's Patterson Field at 7 p.m., on Saturday. The Bulldogs go in ranked No. 22 by D3football.com while the Tigers are No. 24.

Redlands has lost five straight games to the Tigers. Last year plain old bad luck made a difference as quarterback Dan Selway was out with a broken foot. He threw for more than 400 yards against the Tigers the previous year so his loss was huge.

The Bulldogs will have to play a near perfect game. Not only is Oxy good, it is playing at home and strange things seem to happen there. Two years ago the Bulldogs had 17 penalties for 111 yards while the Tigers were called for just three for 24 yards. One team might traditionally draw more penalties but there should NEVER be that much of a discrepancy in that category.

The Occidental stadium is a disaster too. It's a nice facility, but there is seating on just one side. So yes you have fans from the two teams way too close to each other. There were several near fights the last time the teams played there. It is such a competitive game and there is so much on the line, tempers are going to flare.

Redlands should also bring its own security guard to watch its lockerroom. Two years ago the Bulldog players lost as much as $10,000 in personnel belongings to a thief - latops, cell phones, iPods.

The Bulldogs appear to have the edge in most statistical categories. But sometimes you can want something too bad. If they relax, focus and play their own game and don't get caught up in all the hoopla, they can come away victorious.

The Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team, coming off an appearance in the NCAA national championship game a year ago, is ranked No. 4 in the 2009-10 Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 poll that was released this week.

The ranking comes a day after the Broncos received a No. 9 ranking by The Sporting News.

Cal Poly Pomona, which finished last season 25-8 and played for the national title in Springfield, Mass., earned its first preseason ranking since opening the 2005-06 season No. 15 (NABC) and 13th (Division II Bulletin).

Cal Poly Pomona, tied Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills for the regular-season California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) title last season.

The Broncos are led by first team All-CCAA senior guard Austin Swift and second team All-CCAA junior forward Tobias Jahn.

BYU-Hawaii, which concluded the 2008-09 season with a 27-2 record and return two All-Americans, is ranked No. 1 in the poll. Findlay is No. 2 and is followed by Soutwest Baptist, Cal Poly Pomona and Bellarmine, which rounds out the Top 5.

San Francisco State will be the first CCAA team to get its 2009-10 season underway when it takes part in the Disney Tip-Off West Coast Classic that begins Oct. 30 in Anaheim.

2009-10 Division II Bulletin Preseason Top 25 Poll

1. BYU-Hawaii
2. Findlay
3. Southwest Baptist
4. Cal Poly Pomona
5. Bellarmine
6. Tusculum
7. Merrimack
8. Augusta State
9. Florida Southern
10. Bentley
11. Valdosta State
12. Southwest Minnesota
13. Metro State
14. Central Missouri
15. Winona State
16. Kutztown
17. Central Oklahoma
18. Grand Valley State
19. Philadelphia
20. Northern Kentucky
21. Delta State
22. Rollins
23. J.C. Smith
24. West Virginia State
25. Incarnate Word

Cal State San Bernardino's men's golf team got off to a rocky start to the 2009-10 season Tuesday, finishing in a tie for eighth place out of 18 teams at the Grand Canyon University Fall Invitational.

The Coyotes, the 2009 NCAA Division II runnerup behind Sonoma State, started the final 18 holes in sixth spot, but their final round team total of 306 dropped them two spots into a tie with St. Mary's University of Texas and Northeastern State (Okla).

Oklahoma City University and Western Washington tied for the team title with identical one-under-par totals of 863 on the Estrella Ranch Golf Club course, a track measuring 7,121 yards to a par of 72. Based on WWU's fifth-man score, the Vikings were given the team trophy.

Chico State finished third followed by Colorado-Colorado Springs, the 2009 Central Region champion, and Western New Mexico.

The Coyotes finished 35 shots behind the leaders. Playing without two key players - Kenny Pigman and Josh Lansing - the Coyotes shot 295, 299 and 306 in the two-day, 54-hole tournament. Senior Joe Alldis was the top player for CSUSB, firing a one-under-par 71 over the final 18 holes to finish at even par 216 and in a tie for fifth place. Alldis played the par-3s in even par, was two over on the par-4s.

Senior all-American Gene Webster Jr., shot his second 75 of the tournament to wind up in a tie for 16th at 220 - four over par. Webster tied for second place in birdies made with 12.

Senior Thomas Chu's 77 on the final day put him in a tie for 32nd spot at 225, nine over par. Sophomores Bryan Kim and Nick Kelley had a tough final round, each shooting 83 to finish 72nd and 81st in the field of 89 golfers.

As a team, CSUSB scored the fourth-most birdies in the tournament with 37.
Medalist honors went to Julian Valenciana of Oklahoma City University with a 208 - eight under par on rounds of 67, 72 and 69.

GRAND CANYON FALL INVITATIONAL
            @ Estrella Mountain Ranch GC in Goodyear, Ariz.
TEAM SCORES: 1. (tie) Oklahoma City Univ. and Western Washington (863); 3. Chico State, 866; 4. Colorado-Colo. Springs - 878; 5. Western New Mexico - 884; 6. (tie) Grand Canyon and Texas Wesleyan - 892; 8. (tie) COYOTES, St. Mary's (Tx), and Northeastern State - 900; 11. Fort Lewis College - 910; 12. Wayland Baptist - 916; 13. Grand Canyon JV - 918; 15. Colorado State-Pueblo - 925; 16. Regis - 937; 17. Dominican - 1009; 18. Southwestern Ariz. - 1053
COYOTE CARDS: 5. Joe Alldis - 75-70-71 - 216; 16. Gene Webster Jr. - 70-75-75 - 220; 32. Thomas Chu - 72-76-77 - 225; 72. Bryan Kim - 78-78-83 - 239; 81. Nick Kelley - 79-81-83 - 243.
TOP INDIVIDUALS: 1. Julian Valenciana (Okla. City) - 67-72-69 - 208; 2. Nick Varelia (Western Washington) - 72-71-70 - 213; 3. Brian Barhanovich (Western Washington) - 73-69-72 - 214. 4. Drrew Koonce  (Texas Wesleyan) - 74-71-70 - 215. 5. (tie) Joe Alldis (CSUSB) - 75-70-71 - 216, and Sylvester Gama (Chico State) - 75-70-71 - 216.
 
 

I sat in the office early last week debating which local college football game to cover on Saturday. The first thought was to go to the SCIAC opener between University of La Verne and Redlands at Ted Runner. It was the only game featuring two local teams. The Bulldogs are nationally ranked and it was a conference opener.

Then I had second thoughts. San Bernardino Valley College was also playing at home against San Diego Mesa. It was a legitimate chance for the Wolverines to break the 19-game losing streak that dated back to the midway point of the 07 season.

While the Wolverines did show some improvement in their first four, it wasn't quite enough to get them in the win column. But this was their best shot.

So the decision was made.

And the Wolverines delivered a 14-10 win. Not without a few tense moments.

When you're not used to winning you find new ways to lose. And this one looked like it was headed for heartbreak again. Mesa helped out by missing a 21-yard chip shot field goal with 4:43 to play that would have cut the SBVC lead to 14-13.

That proved critical because SBVC didn't go anywhere when it got the ball back and a 9 yard punt gave Mesa the ball back at the SBVC 32 with 2:43 to go. It got to the 7 where it had a first-and-goal. It would make it as far as the 2 before the defense stiffened with Jim O'Brien, who is seemingly everywhere on the field, making the game-saving fourth-down tackle.

Had Mesa made that field goal earlier, it wouldn't have had to go for the touchdown. It could have won with a field goal.

Good for the Wolverines. It's had to look on the positive side when you're still 0-fer. So improvement was meaning little. Now they have something more than a moral victory!

They are off next week then play at Compton, which is 0-5. So they have a very good shot at win No. 2.

The San Bernardino Valley College football team will host San Diego Mesa at 6 p.m. on Saturday and the Wolverines have a legitimate shot at snapping their 19-game losing streak. I hope they can do it because I almost feel guilty bringing it up every time I write about them.

The Wolverines are 0-4 but those first four games weren't ones they had a realistic shot at winning. Sure they pushed Desert to overtime before losing but they had to play out of their minds to do so.

Coach Kevin Emerson's team has been more competitive and that's a step in the right direction.

If you were to look at SBVC's 2009 schedule before the season even started you could put a check mark next to three, maybe four games, that were possible wins. This is the first of those. SBVC will be idle next week. Then it gets Compton and Mt. San Jacinto, also possible wins.

These players really need something positive to happen. You can preach to them that they are improving but nothing gets through to them more than having the 0 wiped out of the win column.

Other games on Saturday featuring our local teams . . .

Victor Valley (2-2) at Golden West (0-4) (at Orange Coast College), 6 p.m.

Chaffey (2-2) at Cerritos (4-0) , 7 p.m.

University of La Verne (0-2) at University of Redlands (2-0), 7 p.m.

Chapman (1-1) at Pomona-Pitzer (2-0), 7 p.m.

Occidental (1-1) at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-0)

Bronco student-athletes Jersain Torres and Elizabeth Diaz have been named the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Male and Female Athletes of the Month for September at Cal Poly Pomona.

                The awards are voted upon by the student-based Bronco Athletics Association.

                Torres (Anaheim) competes in cross country and has two top-20 honors this season. He finished 5th at the CSU Fullerton race and 20th at UC Riverside. His honors at UCR earned him CCAA Runner of the Week on Sept. 21. He was 29th at the Stanford Invitational.

The Enterprise honor is Torres' second in his career.

                Diaz (Escondido) is the leading player on the Broncos volleyball team. She established a career-high 19 kills against No. 15 Sonoma State on Sept. 25. She leads the Broncos (6-8 overall, 3-4 CCAA) in kills (141) and kills per game (3.00).

                It is her first Enterprise career honor.

The University of La Verne has been the juggernaut atop the SCIAC volleyball standings for the last decade. The real race was always for second place and Cal Lutheran seemed to be the team that was always finishing there.

But the race is as wide open this season as ever. Even before SCIAC play started the Leopards looked vulnerable. They played the same tough schedule they have always played, but unlike in years past, they weren't even competitive.

Then they lost to Cal Lutheran so the Regals looked ike the favorite. Then Pomona-Pitzer took out Cal Lutheran.So who knows what is going to happen the rest of the way.

Right now there is three-way tie - La Verne, Cal Lutheran and Redlands, all with one loss. But there is a long way to go.

This will also be the first year the SCIAC has held a four-team tournament to decide the automatic bid. It has done so in soccer, basketball and softball the past few years. By then each team should be peaking. So that four-team event will really be something to see.

The University of Redlands and Cal State San Bernardino softball programs are teaming up to host an all-skills clinic for girls ages 8-18 on Saturday, October 24.  The clinic will take place at the University of Redlands Softball "Field of Dreams" from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and costs $60 per participant.  It offers a wide variety of drills and instruction for fielding, hitting, throwing and base-running. 
 
Leading the clinic are Head Coyote Softball Coach Tacy Duncan and Head Bulldog Softball Coach Laurie Nevarez.  Duncan offers a variety of experience, having coached or competed at virtually every level of softball. Now entering her fifth season with the Coyotes, she was the 2008 CCAA coach of the year in recognition of her team's first-ever NCAA West Regional appearance and runner-up finish in the CCAA tournament.
 
Nevarez also brings a storied résumé of experience to the clinic.  She became the first Redlands softball coach to earn five straight conference crowns with outstanding showings in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.  In only five years at the helm of the Bulldogs, Nevarez has recorded an .843 winning percentage against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) opponents.  Under her tutelage, Redlands became the first softball team in conference history to record a perfect 18-0 season during the 2005 campaign.
 
Besides Nevarez and Duncan, various members of the respective softball teams will provide assistance throughout the clinic.
 
For $10, coaches and parents can follow the clinic directors through each station, ask unlimited questions, and hear first-hand skill instruction.
 
Coyote-Bulldog camp T-shirts will be available onsite for only $15.  Redlands and CSUSB merchandise, snacks and drinks may be purchased during the clinic as well.
 
To register, please email Redlands' Assistant Softball Coach Sherina Galvan at Sherina_Galvan@redlands.edu or call (909) 748-8436.  Please include participant's name, age, and parental contact information.  Participants may also download and complete the online form at www.goredlands.com by choosing Fan Central and then Camps & Clinics.
 

The University of Redlands cross country and track & field programs and the City of Redlands will host the second-annual Redlands Bulldog Triathlon and 5K Run, Walk & Roll on Sunday, Oct. 25.
 
The courses run through the scenic University of Redlands campus and the City of Redlands, and the triathlon finishes with a swim at the university's Thompson Aquatic Center.
 
Spanning a distance of roughly 14.2 miles, the triathlon includes a 3.1-mile run, an 11-mile bike and a 150-yard swim. The run, walk & roll course is five kilometers long and is mostly flat.
 
A hard-shell bicycle helmet is required during the bicycle portion of the triathlon, and drafting is strictly prohibited.
 
There will be separate results tabulated for individuals, relays and the physically challenged.
 
Early-bird registration runs from now until Saturday, normal registration occurs from Oct. 4-18, and the option of late and same-day registration is available from Oct. 19 to the start of the race. The early-bird fee is $55 for triathletes and $25 for runners, the normal registration fee is $60 for triathletes and $30 for runners and the late and same-day registration is $65 for triathletes and $35 for runners.
 
Students with a school identification card and the physically challenged are required to only pay $35 for the triathlon and $20 for the run, walk & roll.
 
Both the triathlon and the 5K run, walk & roll are scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. at Ted Runner Stadium.
 
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Redlands cross country and track & field programs as well as the City of Redlands Recreation Department.
 
For a course map, a complete list of rules and registration information, please visit www.redlandsbulldogtriathlonand5k.org.
 

The Cal Poly Pomona men's cross country team improved its national ranking by one spot this week and check in at No. 18 in the U.S. Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll.
 
The Broncos reached the national top 20 last week for the first time in three seasons. They finished ninth at last week's prestigious Stanford Invitational and were the second-best Division II team in the Division I-laden event. The host school won with a perfect 15 team score.
 
To reach the NCAA Championships, held Nov. 21 at Evansville, Ind., the Broncos must finish in the top three at the NCAA West Region event to be held at Nov. 7 at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
 
CPP men and women compete at the Pomona Pitzer Invitational on Saturday.