College Roundup : Titans’ Lisa Dolan Excels at NCAA Gymnastics Meet

Cal State Fullerton’s Lisa Dolan won All-American status in two events at the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. women’s gymnastics championships Saturday at Athens, Ga., finishing in the top eight on the vault and balance beam.

Dolan, who was an All-American on beam last year as a freshman, finished in a tie for eighth with a 9.35 on the vault. Dolan finished second on the beam last year, but was eighth Saturday with a 9.15 after falling from the beam.

Fullerton’s Heather Thomas, competing on the uneven bars, failed to earn All-American status after falling from the bars. Her score of 9.15 placed her 16th of 17 gymnasts on the bars, an event Georgia’s Lucy Wener won with a perfect score of 10, unprecedented in the NCAA championships.

Wener led Georgia to the team title Friday, edging top-ranked UCLA. Fullerton finished sixth.

UCLA gymnasts won three events in the individual championships Saturday.

UCLA’s Kim Hamilton tied with Georgia’s Corrinne Wright in the floor exercise with a score of 9.90. Bruin teammate Kim Hamilton won the vault with a score of 9.75, and UCLA’s Jill Andrews tied Oregon State’s Joy Selig on the beam with a 9.80.

Dolan is one of only two juniors on the Fullerton team, which will return intact next year.

“It was real exciting to be All-American on vault,” Dolan said. “I was very surprised. . . . This year I felt a lot more comfortable competing. It felt just like another meet.”

In Big West Conference women’s track and field:

The Anteaters split in a double-dual meet, defeating San Diego State, 88-52, and losing to host Fresno State, 81-63. Irvine won six events and finished 1-2-4 in the 1,500 meters with junior Brigid Stirling (4:25.36) leading the way followed by Beth McGrann (4:26.80) who won the 3,000 meters, and Kelli Lewis (4:34.48).

In Big West Conference men’s track and field:

UC Irvine lost to San Diego State, 94-74, and Fresno State, 101-62, in a double-dual meet at Fresno. Junior Mike Morales’ career-best in the shot put (54-9 1/2) was good enough for first place for the Anteaters (6-7). He also threw the hammer 191-feet 3-inches to place third.

In Big West Conference softball:

Cal State Fullerton 3-3, University of the Pacific 1-0--Pitcher Anjie Bryant doubled in Jill Matyuch with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth to put the fourth-ranked Titans ahead, 2-1. Buffy Sanchez then singled in Bryant.

Sanchez, the designated player, went three for four with a run scored in the third. Bryant (20-4) threw a four-hitter for the win at Fullerton.

In the second game, Ann Van Dortrecht (14-4) pitched a three-hit shutout and struck out eight for the Titans (37-9, 21-5). Fullerton had six hits and Pacific (20-23, 4-17) had three errors, two of which allowed Van Dortrecht to score in the fourth inning after a fielder’s choice.

Fullerton scored its first two runs in the first inning. Carey Hess singled, was sacrificed to second and scored on Missy Coombes’ single. Coombes later scored on a wild pitch.

In nonconference women’s softball:

Southern California College 5-1, University of San Diego 2-4--Cristie George went three for three with two RBIs to lead Southern California College at home. Susie Hopkins (13-13) was the winning pitcher, going seven innings for the Van Guards (15-19).

In the second game, the teams were tied, 1-1, going into the fifth inning before San Diego scored three runs on a triple and a single to break the game open.

Pacific Christian College 3-6, Claremont Mudd Scripps 1-2--Center fielder Sue Beeson had two singles and two RBIs to lead Pacific Christian (10-18) at home. Lisa LeDonne had nine strikeouts through seven innings to get the win.

In the second game, Pacific Christian scored four runs and had five hits, including a double by Cheryl Benton, all in the first inning.

In nonconference women’s tennis:

UC Irvine 9, San Jose State 0--No. 1 Courtney Weichsel defeated Kelly Ryan, 6-3, 6-1 as Irvine (12-13) swept at San Jose Sate (5-10). Kathy Rose and Melissa Vaccaro each won in straight sets and have won six of their last seven singles matches.