OTHER SPORTS : Cal State Northridge Reshapes Its Focus for Football Recruits From JCs Back to High Schools

After the 1985 football season, Cal State Northridge signed 19 community college transfers and 10 high school players.

This year, Coach Bob Burt hopes to turn the ratio around.

Burt wants to sign a maximum of six JC players and a dozen or more high school players.

“To have consistency in your program it’s best to have players with you for four or five years as opposed to two,” Burt said. “Academically, you have a better shot of weaning them into the university system and there is a huge loyalty factor. There is also a tradition factor. Our freshman this year have experienced only one thing--winning. Sometimes it takes JC players a year to adjust, then they only have one year left.”

Burt said Northridge’s priorities this year for JC recruits are quarterback, punter and the defensive line.

Karen Lontka, Sue Darcey and Angela Brinton of the Northridge volleyball team were selected first team All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. by the conference’s coaches. Anna Garcia was a second-team pick. Coach Walt Ker was Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive season.

Joey Kirk was Co-Most Valuable Player in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn., but two of his teammates have been selected ahead of him to the first-team All-Division II soccer team in the West Region.

John Tronson and Thor Lee made the all-regional team and Kirk was a second-team selection. Lee was also first-team All-CCAA. Tronson was a second-team all-conference selection.

Kirk, a junior, led Northridge in scoring this season with 13 goals and 12 assists. Tronson holds the school record for career points. He had 43 goals and 23 assists in four years.

Mike McAndrew was first-team all-conference and second-team all-region. Rodney Batt was second-team in the CCAA and region. Mike Harvey was first-team all-conference, but was not included on the regional team. Steve Lazarus and goalie Mike Caputo were both second-team all-conference.

The Northridge women’s gymnastics team opens its season by playing host to Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Friday at the campus gym. Northridge finished second in the Division II regionals last season.

Among the top gymnasts returning to the team is junior co-captain Laura Bertussi, a fourth-place finisher in the vault and balance beam at last season’s regional.

Jill Koscinski, a middle hitter for Cal Lutheran’s women’s volleyball team, has been named to the NAIA coaches’ All-American team. She was a second-team selection.

Nine Valley College football players have been named to the All-Southern California Conference team.

Named to the first-team offense were running back Dondre Bausley, tight end Randy Bohn, linemen Ricky Rosales and Dean Ratliff and punter Tony Scarlata. On the first-team defense were defensive back Matt Byrne, lineback Ian Comes and linemen Aaron White and Danny Duffy.

Valley players named to the second team were running back Victor Bowlay-Williams, receiver John Jake, linemen Brian Adams and Jonathan Newman and return specialist John Diggs, on offense and defensive back Jerry Foster, linebackers Joe Zacharia and Casey Martinez and lineman Ed McFarland on defense.