Bronco Cagers on All-America Team

After finishing second in the nation last week, Cal Poly Pomona has placed two players on the Kodak NCAA Division II Women’s All-America Basketball Team.

Point guard Cathy Gooden and center Niki Bracken were named to the 10-player team selected by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Assn.

For Gooden, a 5-5 senior from Compton, it is the second consecutive year that she has been named to the team. Gooden was the team’s second-leading scorer, with an average of 16.2 points, and also averaged a team-high 5.5 assists and 3.4 steals.

As a junior, she was the team’s leader in scoring at 18.7 and assists at 5.1. A two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Assn. first-team member, Gooden was earlier selected the conference’s most valuable player.

It is the first appearance on the All-America team for Bracken, a 6-2 junior from Compton, although two years ago she was selected to the Division II freshman All-America team.

In leading Pomona to a 28-6 record and its fourth appearance in the last five years in the Division II Final Four Tournament, Bracken averaged a team-high 20 points and 8.7 rebounds. She averaged 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds as a freshman and 17.1 points and 7.2 rebounds last season.

The Broncos lost to Delta State of Mississippi, 88-58, in the title game last week despite 28 points from Gooden and 24 from Bracken.

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s softball team, which struggled last week in the Pony Tournament against many of the top squads in the nation, returns to Big West Conference play in double-headers Friday and Saturday.

Pomona visits San Diego State at 1:30 p.m. Friday and Cal State Fullerton at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Broncos, ranked No. 7 in NCAA Division I with a 21-8 record, lost three of five games in the Pony Tournament but have been considerably more successful in conference play at 9-1.

Pomona should receive its strongest test Saturday against Fullerton, which is ranked No. 5 and entered the week at 7-1 in the Big West and 23-5 overall. The Titans were 4-1 in the Pony Tournament last week.

San Diego State began the week at 13-15-1 overall and 7-7 in the Big West. The Aztecs are led offensively by second baseman Robin Long, who has a .325 batting average. They also have an excellent pitcher in Lisa Perettie, who has a 5-3 record and 1.04 earned-run average.

The Broncos have been paced by outfielder Nikki Busch, who has a team-leading .300 batting average and 13 runs batted in, and catcher Denise Correa, who is hitting .271 with six doubles and three triples.

Pomona also has a solid one-two pitching combination headed by senior Lori Thompson, who is 10-2 with a 0.62 ERA. Sophomore Nicky Luce is 10-5 with a 1.07 ERA.

It will be a match-up of pitching against hitting when Azusa Pacific University plays host to Cal Lutheran in a Golden State Athletic Conference baseball double-header at noon Saturday.

It is also a battle of the top two teams in the conference. Cal Lutheran is 8-1 in the GSAC and 18-7 overall, and Azusa Pacific is 6-2 in the conference and 14-11 overall.

But the teams have been winning for opposite reasons. Azusa Pacific entered the week with the top batting average in the conference, .337, while Cal Lutheran was first in pitching with a 3.61 earned-run average.

Azusa Pacific has three of the top six hitters in the conference, led by senior catcher Ruben Campas at .411 with three home runs and 29 runs batted in. Senior utility player Dan Hornbuckle is batting .402 with six homers and 24 RBIs, and junior outfielder Tim Norman is hitting .394.

The Cougars have seven players batting .300 or higher.

Cal Lutheran will counter with five of the top 12 pitchers in the conference. The leaders are juniors Dean Martinez and Kevin O’Niell. Martinez is 1-1 with a 1.31 ERA and O’Niell is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA.

Two players from the San Gabriel Valley have been added to the South roster for the 38th annual Shrine All-Star Football Classic on July 29 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Offensive lineman Len Gorecki of Damien High in La Verne and defensive lineman Terry McDaniels of Pasadena were chosen.