THE YEAR IN REVIEW : A Look Ahead, Behind : Many Struggled Through ‘88, but Near Year Offers Hope : SMALL COLLEGES

The six biggest happenings at local small colleges:

1. Rob Rittgers’ night at the free throw line.

Rittgers set three NCAA Division III free throw records and tied another against Menlo College Jan. 16.

Rittgers made 30 of 30 attempts, including 24 in a row, when 12 technical fouls were called against Menlo after a bench-clearing fight.

Menlo’s players left their bench, violating NCAA rules, and received the technicals. One UCSD player left the bench when the teams’ centers started fighting. Both were ejected.

Rittgers, a junior transfer from Grossmont Community College, set individual marks for free throws made, consecutive free throws made in a game and free throws attempted, and he tied the record for free-throw percentage in a game. UCSD set the Division III team record for free throws made, making 53 of 59 attempts.

Rittgers’ 30 consecutive free throws also was better than the records for Division I (24) and Division II (23). His 30 free throws in a game tied the Division I record held by Pete Maravich.

2. U.S. International drops hockey.

After 10 years, USIU dropped the only NCAA Division I ice hockey program west of Denver in the continental U.S. on April 22. Athletic Director Al Palmiotto cited the inability to form a conference consisting of Western teams and the costs associated with travel as the primary factors.

The Gulls, under Coach Brad Buetow, had the finest season in school history (23-13) and were thought to be the favorite to get the independent-school berth in the NCAA championship tournament. But that spot went to Merrimack College, which USIU defeated twice during the regular season.

3. Two national titles for UC San Diego in 1 day.

For UCSD to win a Division III national championship is nothing new; the school had six titles entering the fall season. But the Tritons managed a new twist on Nov. 19.

The men’s soccer team won the school’s first men’s national title by defeating Rochester Tech, 3-0, in New York. The women’s volleyball team followed with its third consecutive title, defeating Illinois-Benedictine, 14-16, 15-6, 6-15, 15-10, 15-2, at home on the same day.

4. Point Loma Nazarene’s Susanne Johansson wins NAIA hurdles.

Johansson broke the Azusa Pacific Stadium record in the 400-meter hurdles three times on the way to winning the NAIA title.

Johansson set the stadium mark at 1:00.60 in the preliminaries and then broke her record in the semifinals (1:00.40). Johansson, from Sweden, then ran 59.25 in winning the national title on May 28 and was named an NAIA-All American.

5. Christian Heritage College upsets No. 3 Biola in basketball.

Christian Heritage, playing only its second season of college men’s basketball, defeated Biola, ranked No. 3 in the nation among NAIA schools, 92-89, in overtime on Feb. 2. Christian Heritage finished the regular season 14-13 and advanced to the NAIA District III tournament where it lost in the first round, 93-91, to Southern California College.

6. Grossmont Community College brings first state volleyball title to San Diego.

With a roster consisting of players primarily from East San Diego County high schools, Grossmont College was a surprising winner in the state tournament. The power in high school and community college women’s volleyball has always been in Orange County, but the San Diegans and Coach Colleen Suwara took home the title.