Point Loma Criticizes NAIA’s Split Into Two Divisions

Point Loma Nazarene is not happy with the recent decision by the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics to split into two divisions for baseball, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball.

“(The NAIA) already has an identity crisis and, in my estimation, if we had that problem before, wait until we have an NAIA Division II championship,” said PLNC Athletic Director Carroll Land.

Now that the measure has been approved, the membership will wait for the 12-member national executive committee to release the guidelines that will determine whether a school is Division I or II.

Under the guidelines indicated in a mail-in questionnaire, Land said PLNC would be Division II. However, it was noted that a school could move up to Division I.

“All of the schools in the Golden State Athletic Conference could fit into Division II, but we all indicated we would prefer to play in Division I,” said Land, who is the president of the GSAC. “I think we would have to take a look at that again at our May 11 meeting. I think that will be one of our primary agenda items.”

Point Loma Nazarene has signed Jeff Girard, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward from Phoenix Community College in Arizona, to a national basketball letter of intent. Girard averaged 11 points for Phoenix and was an honorable mention all-state player in high school.

The Crusaders also signed middle blocker Jamie Wheat to a volleyball scholarship. Wheat, who played at Torrey Pines High School, will transfer to PLNC as a junior from Palomar Community College. Wheat went to Washington State on a volleyball scholarship out of high school but transferred to Palomar after her freshman year.

The University of San Diego women’s tennis team moved up to No. 13 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Coaches Assn. rankings. It is the first time USD has made the top 15.

The Toreras will play host to the West Coast Athletic Conference championships April 21-23 and are expected to battle Pepperdine for the WCAC title.

The USD men are ranked No. 15 in the nation and the Toreros will play host to No. 19 Cal State Long Beach Thursday in their final home match of the season.

San Diego State outside hitter Mike Schlegel had 24 kills as the eighth-ranked Aztecs upset seventh-ranked Pepperdine in volleyball. He also had eight blocks, 11 digs and two aces. Schlegel is seventh in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. in digs with 2.22 per game and the Aztecs’ Cesar Mata is fifth in aces with 0.3 per game.

Yoram Baron of U.S. International University has been quietly putting together an impressive season as the No. 1 player for the men’s tennis team. Baron, a junior from Tel Aviv has gone from being unranked to No. 57 in the ITCA national rankings.

Several Point Loma Nazarene track athletes are rated No. 1 in the NAIA District 3.

Ranked No. 1 for the men’s team are Mike Maynard in the 1,500 meters (3:58.82), Rick Penman in the steeplechase (9:32.07), Tommy Hederberg in the javelin (215-3), Christian Andreasson in the triple jump (49-11 3/4) and Dan Raatjes in the high jump (7-0).

Leading the women are Sandi Cuevas in the 800 meters (2:28.44), Kris Young in the 100-meter hurdles (15.27) and triple jump (35-10 1/2) and Connie Navarro in the javelin (133-4).