Small Colleges / Alan Drooz : Pressure Taking Its Toll in CCAA

Small college or not, pressure to produce in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. has already claimed two basketball coaching jobs this month.

Jim Parks announced his resignation at as the men’s coach at Cal State Bakersfield at season’s end, and George Fisher resigned as Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s coach a week later.

Cal State Los Angeles told Coach Jim Newman he would not be rehired last fall, but the job is still in limbo, pending a hearing by a state arbitrator on Newman’s charge of racial bias. And one other opening may be announced, meaning there could be a 50% turnover among the eight men’s basketball programs.

Parks, who had a 76-35 record in his four years at Bakersfield, cited only “personal reasons” for leaving.

In 1983, Parks replaced Bobby Dye, who had taken the Roadrunners to two straight appearances in the Division II final four. Parks led Bakersfield into the West regional in his first season there. His team was tabbed the favorite to win the CCAA this season and got off to a good start but went 5-9 in conference games and finished sixth. The team was 16-11 overall.

“After evaluating the program and discussing the situation with the staff, my family and Athletic Director Rudy Carvajal, I felt it was best that I resign,” Parks said.

Fisher, who spent three years at Pomona, had a 10-16 mark this season and 31-51 overall. Fisher had expected to do better after going 14-13 last season. In a press release, he said: “While we have made much progress in only three years, I feel that it is in the best interest of the program that I move on.”

Fisher’s team often played second fiddle to the highly ranked women’s team, sometimes opening doubleheaders for the women or playing in the school’s smaller gym while the women played in the bigger one. The men have not won more than 14 games since 1981.

Playoff wrap-up: Injuries and a hot New Haven team kept Cal Poly Pomona from winning its third straight women’s Division II basketball title, and lack of depth left Claremont-Mudd’s swimmers in fifth place in the men’s Division III swim meet.

Pomona lost to New Haven last Saturday in the women’s final, 77-75. New Haven, which won its last 28 games, finished 29-2.

Pomona, which finished with one of its best records at 29-3, made only 7 of 16 free throws in the championship game. The Broncos were also hurt by an ankle injury to forward Debra Larsen, who played hurt and was slowed noticeably throughout the playoffs. Guard Paula Tezak separated a shoulder with five minutes left against New Haven.

Coach Darlene May saw some good things for the future, though, including the play of freshman center Niki Bracken, who had 28 points and 13 rebounds against New Haven, and 21 points and 9 rebounds in the semifinal victory over Pittsburgh Johnstown. Bracken and guard Michele McCoy were named to the all-tournament team. Tezak, who will also be back, had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the semifinal.

Claremont-Mudd’s trio of Todd McKenzie, Don Kuhn and David Lewis placed in seven events and set five conference records in the Division III swimming finals held last weekend in Canton, Ohio. But the Stags, after finishing in second place each of the last four years, fell to fifth because of a lack of depth as Kenyon College won its eighth straight title.

Denison College finished second, with UC San Diego third.

UC San Diego’s Bill Kazmierowicz set a Division III record in the 200 individual medley. Pomona-Pitzer had the Southland’s other national champ, as Steve Smith won the 100 backstroke.

What started out as a casual alumni track meet has burgeoned into a unique world-class meet Saturday in what Azusa Pacific is billing as the Track Meet of Champions.

Alumnus Innocent Egbunike, the world’s second-ranked 400-meter runner, got things rolling by inviting some friends to compete in “off” events.

As a result, there will be such unusual matchups as Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson and top-rated high hurdler Greg Foster running against Egbunike and long jumper Larry Myricks in the 100-meter dash, and top-ranked 400-meter man Gabriel Tiacoh and sprinter Chidi Imoh running against hurdler Andre Phillips in the 300-meter run.

The field will also include world-class hurdler Tonie Campbell, 300-meter world record-holder Billy Konchella, and Azusa Pacific stars Dave Johnson, the U.S. decathlon champ in 1986, javelin specialist Mike Barnett and football star Christian Okoye, billed by track Coach Terry Franson as “the biggest, strongest, fastest man in the universe.” Franson says the lineup will feature the fastest sprint field in the United States this year.

The meet will be held in the campus stadium, with field events beginning at 9:30 a.m. Sprints start at 12:20. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for students.

Small College Notes Wrestler Darryl Pope of Cal State Bakersfield reached the Division I final, losing a 5-2 decision to Rico Chiapparelli of Iowa at 177 pounds. Teammate Eric Mittlestead placed seventh at 190 pounds. . . . Triple jumper Stan Oporski of Cal State Los Angeles claimed a national indoor title and meet record with an effort of 51-4 1/2. That’s 2 1/2 feet below his school outdoor record but, said Coach John Tansley, “You jump to win and that’s what he did.” . . . Hammer thrower Jeff Needham of Cal Poly Pomona set a school record with a throw of 181-3. . . . Pomona first baseman Tom Weeks hit his seventh home run of the season last week, setting a school record for homers in a career with 29. . . . Junior Jim Lynch became the fifth player in Cal State Los Angeles history to get five hits in a game, going 5 for 5 against Dominguez Hills. . . . Outfielder Jon Bratta of Cal Baptist had a 5-for-5 day against Claremont-Mudd and six straight hits over two games including a homer and triple. . . . Occidental’s softball team broke a 10-game losing streak with an 8-7 victory over La Verne. The Tigers scored all eight runs in the second inning, highlighted by shortstop Barbara Perry’s grand slam. . . . Claremont-Mudd tennis Coach Hank Krieger has been named U.S. men’s coach for the Pan American Maccabiah Games starting July 19 in Caracas. . . . Cal Lutheran has named former star receiver Steve Hagen an assistant football coach. Hagen was an NAIA All-American in 1982.