Small Colleges : Twice as Much Confusion Now in the SCIAC

A year ago, because of the lack of nonconference Division III schools in the Southland, the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference went to a format by which a team plays two conference opponents twice. Those games count as a half-game in the standings, and since most end up in splits they negate each other. In theory, teams that win the first game can play for a tie in the second and get a win in the standings. There can be even more confusing predicaments when you factor in point differentials.

“It’s a confusing system. I get confused, too,” said Grayle Howlett, league publicist. “I think four times I’ve listed the standings wrong. I argued against it last year, purely for public relations--you confuse people, and some computers won’t even go for it (standings).”

Most league coaches would prefer not to play some opponents twice and there were some discussions to abandon the plan. With Menlo and UC Santa Barbara rejoining the football scene, there may be enough nonleague competition soon, but the coaches stayed with the current rotation for next season. Most of the SCIAC teams play the University of San Diego and Azusa Pacific in nonleague games.

“It’s kind of a funny deal,” Occidental Coach Dale Widolff said. “At the national level it kind of hurts our conference at playoffs--they look at our records and don’t stop to think it’s hard to beat a team twice in a season--even the pros have trouble. It’s hard to do at any level. I’m not very fond if it, but I understand the principle behind it.”

Redlands Coach Ken Miller said: “If we had our druthers, we’d rather not play people twice. The coaches have discussed counting each game as one (instead of a half) but we didn’t get around to it. It amounts to about the same, it just looks funny in the standings and it’s hard to explain.”

Last year only two teams managed to sweep. “If you win the first game you don’t know what to expect,” Miller said.

Howlett said: “I’ve heard both sides from coaches. What the heck, they do it in basketball.”

Occidental is favored to win the men’s and women’s cross-country titles in the SCIAC championships Saturday at La Mirada Park in Whittier. The teams have dominated the conference since Coach Bill Harvey took over in 1980. The men’s team hasn’t lost a conference meet since 1982 and is 31-3 under Harvey, including two straight conference titles and two Division III Western Regional crowns. The women’s team has a 35-race win streak in SCIAC dual meets and hasn’t lost since 1980, adding three straight conference titles and three Western Regionals.

Harvey says his men’s team is his best ever, with depth through 10 runners. The women, he said, have surprised him, running better times than he expected, while the competition has been weaker than anticipated.

Seniors Brian Butterfield and Marc Ziblatt and junior Peter Quint are the top men’s performers. Freshman Chris Tregillis has been a consistent No. 4. Freshman Michele Trimble and sophomores Amy Cathcart, Laura Gomez and Andrea Alarcon are the top women. Harvey is especially pleased with Trimble, who was Nevada state half-mile and mile champion last spring.

“I knew she’d be very, very good,” Harvey said. “And she’s better than I thought. I don’t usually play up my runners like this, but she’s gonna be something--and cross-country is a mild preview to what she’ll do in track. She’s a ferocious competitor.”

Harvey’s coaching methods include “alternative training,” which is having the teams bicycle or swim twice a week instead of running every day. “Most coaches talk about alternative training for an injury. We think they train better this way because they don’t get hurt.” The teams also weight-train twice a week.

Cal Poly Pomona and Claremont-Mudd are expected to provide the top competition in both races, though the Oxy men are heavily favored. The women, Harvey said, are favored but could have a tough time.

Chapman will play at Cal State Northridge Saturday night in a game that should determine the soccer title in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Northridge, ranked first on the West Coast, is defending champion and a perennial playoff qualifier, but Chapman is on a roll. The Panthers are 6-1-1 in the CCAA after getting off to a 3-5 start, and their “No Goal Patrol” has produced five straight shutouts at home, with Craig Elliott and Ken Taylor rotating in goal.

Chapman is ranked third in the West but has beaten the two teams ranked ahead of it--Northridge and Chico State. Northridge is 6-2 in conference, 13-3 overall.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps extended its Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win streak in water polo to 31 last week, opening conference play with an 18-9 victory over Occidental. The Stags are shooting for 40 straight, which would give them another perfect SCIAC record. The season culminates in the SCIAC East and West playoffs on Nov. 9 with the top teams advancing to the league championships Nov. 16 and 17.

College Notes

Cal State Northridge volleyball star Shelli Mosby was named most valuable player in leading the Matadors to the title in the Air Force Premier Division II Tournament. The second-ranked Matadors defeated No. 3 Sacramento State, No. 6 UC Riverside, No. 7 Central Missouri and No. 9 Nebraska-Omaha. . . . Cal State Bakersfield distance running star Mandla Kunene has won three cross-country meets, most recently the five-mile Biola Invitational. His time of 25:21.2 was the third-best ever at Bakersfield. . . . Cal Poly San Luis Obispo cornerback Keenan Stanley now ranks second in school career interceptions with 15. He needs two to catch leader Mark Davis, whose record has stood for 10 years. . . . In latest NAIA national statistics Biola volleyball player Becky Miller ranks third in both kills per game (5.07) and blocks per game (3.86). The 18-4 Lady Eagles rank second in blocks per game at 13.8.