July marks the start of the new NCAA calendar year, but before moving forward, it is time to look back on the past 12 months in 49er athletics.
Women rule
While traditional men’s powers like baseball and volleyball struggled, four women’s teams — soccer, volleyball, tennis and golf — captured Big West Conference crowns. Throw in softball’s at-large bid and that adds up to five women’s teams carrying the black and gold banner into NCAA tournament play.
Been there, done that
The 49er women’s volleyball team won its first Big West title since 2001 and extended head coach Brian Gimmillaro’s streak of NCAA appearances to 22. LBSU celebrated the 1998 team’s undefeated season with a 3-0 win over UC Davis on Reunion Night with Olympic medalists Misty May-Treanor and Tayyiba Haneef-Park in attendance. Gimmillaro also was inducted into the America Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Although not as well-known as its volleyball counterpart, the women’s tennis team has quietly established itself as the most dominant team on campus. LBSU grabbed its sixth consecutive conference title, going undefeated in Big West play along the way. Jenny Hilt-Costello claimed her sixth conference Coach of the Year honor.
Beach softball, another tournament mainstay, etched its 19th NCAA appearance. Head coach Kim Sowder reached the 100-win mark in just her third season at the helm. The 49ers’ victories included a 2-1 upset over UCLA at Mayfair Park and a 3-1 win over former LBSU skipper Pete Manarino’s UNLV team in a 13-inning NCAA Regional showdown.
Up-and-coming
It was business as usual for the perennial powerhouses, but 2008-09 proved to be a breakthrough year for two other women’s teams.
After three seasons of heartbreak, the 11 seniors on the 49er women’s soccer team nabbed the program its first NCAA bid — and head coach Mauricio Ingrassia his first Coach of the Year award. The 49ers tied a school record with 14 victories after an unbeaten (7-0-1) march through the Big West.
Women’s golf reached a new plateau after bagging the program’s first conference title. Head coach Sue Ewart stepped down to become an assistant for the men’s and women’s programs, but not before winning Big West Coach of the Year.
Revival at the Pyramid
A trio of Big West All-Freshman team members in T.J. Robinson, Larry Anderson and Casper Ware lifted 49er men’s basketball to second place in the conference.
Picked to finish eighth in the Big West, the 49ers pulled off noteworthy wins that included a torrid 23-point comeback to beat Weber State, 73-69, in overtime on Homecoming Night. LBSU also upset NCAA Tournament team Temple, 76-71, in December. A crowd of 4,263 packed the Pyramid to watch LBSU battle rival Cal State Fullerton in January.
Major League Dreamin’
The Dirtbags’ struggles could be an indicator that the team has become a victim of its own success.
After losing 11 players to 2008’s MLB Draft, LBSU fought through a rebuilding season that had ups and downs both on and off the field. The cupboard could be even less stocked next year as four pitchers — Charlie Ruiz, Adam Wilk, David Born and Tyler Topp — were snagged by Major League organizations.
49er All-Americans
Dean Bittner (men’s volleyball): Finished third in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in both total kills (606) and service aces (42).
Brent Gray (track and field): Placed sixth in the men’s 200-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 20.90. He holds four school individual records.
Naomi Washington (women’s volleyball): The middle blocker’s team-leading .351 hitting percentage and 115 blocks garnered an honorable mention.
Dustin Watten (men’s volleyball): His trademark moustache might be gone, but not his production. The second-teamer was second in the MPSF with 360 digs.
Four ‘Niners win Big West Player of the Year
Lindsay Bullock (women’s soccer): Started in all 23 games and netted a team-high 10 goals to win Big West Midfielder of the Year.
Hannah Grady (women’s tennis): Became the first four-time winner of the award in Big West history after steamrolling to a 41-1 career record in conference singles matches.
Jennifer Griffin (softball): Big West Field Player of the Year batted .314 with 40 RBIs and eight home runs. The third baseman led the conference with 50 walks.
Liz Ramos (women’s soccer): Big West Goalkeeper of the Year posted a 0.66 goals against average and eight clean sheets in 19 starts.
Five earn Freshman of the Year honors
Larry Anderson (men’s basketball): Earned a spot on the Big West First Team after averaging 10.8 points, 4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game on 54.6 percent shooting from the field.
Caitlin Ledoux (women’s volleyball): Posted a team-high 389 kills. The outside hitter was recently invited to the U.S. U-21 Beach Training Team, along with teammates Ashley Lee and Jocelyn Neely.
Kevin Lim (men’s golf): Produced four Top-20 finishes, with a season-best second place finish coming at a dual meet against Cal Baptist.
Lee Lopez (women’s golf): Recorded eight Top-10 finishes, including a second place showing at the Big West Championships.
Taylor Petty (softball): Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year compiled a 15-4 mark and fanned 134. Conference-leading 1.39 ERA is second best in the nation among freshmen.
Students reject BLR
One cannot talk about the year for 49er athletics without mentioning the Beach Legacy Referendum. The BLR, which would have increased student fees to help fund the athletic department, was defeated by a 3,912-2,615 vote.
Comings and goings
Men’s water polo head coach Gavin Arroyo doubled up as head of the women’s team. Women’s basketball hired Jody Wynn as head coach to replace Mary Hegarty. Andy Read was handed the keys to the men’s volleyball program, while Alan Knipe takes three years off to lead the U.S. men’s national team into the 2012 Olympics.
Women’s volleyball bid farewell to assistant coaches Debbie Green, who retired after 23 years, and Melissa Ohta, who was a four-year player at LBSU. Erika Chidester and Matt Ulmer were selected as the new assistants.
Cross-Country
Big West Finish:
|
Men’s Water Polo
MPSF Finish: 7th Place
|
Indoor Track & Field
MPSF Finish:
|
Softball
Big West Finish: 3rd place
|
|
Men’s Volleyball
MPSF Finish: 7th place
|
Women’s Soccer
Big West Finish: 1st place
|
Women’s Basketball
Big West Finish: T-7th placeRecord: 8-21, 4-12 Big West |
Baseball
Big West Finish: T-5th placeRecord: 25-29,11-13 Big West |
|
Women’s Tennis
Big West Finish: 1st place
|
Women’s Water Polo Big West Finish: T-4th place
|
Women’s Volleyball
Big West Finish: 1st place
|
Men’s Basketball
Big West Finish: T-2nd place
|
|
Women’s golf
Big West Finish: 1st placePost-Season: NCAA Regional 17th place |
Outdoor Track and Field
Big West Finish: Men: 4th; Women: 8th
NCAA Championships: Kenneth Medwood, 400m hurdle prelims |
Men’s Golf
Big West Finish: 5th place |
E-mail addresses are used only to notify you of replies and are not displayed
Comments powered by Disqus