UCSD Golf Eagerly Awaits CS Stanislaus’ Move Up

Nobody is going to be happier than Mike Wydra, the UC San Diego men’s golf coach, when Cal State Stanislaus leaves NCAA Division III for Division II next year.

Wydra has been coaching men’s golf at UCSD for 10 years and has led the Tritons to the national tournament in each of them. And three of the past four years, UCSD has finished second.

It’s not hard to guess who won. Stanislaus has had a hold on Division III men’s golf, winning 11 titles in the 14 years there has been a national champion.

It’s no different this year. Stanislaus leads by five shots over Methodist of North Carolina after two rounds of the national tournament at the Panorama Golf Course in Panora, Iowa. Several teams are battling for No. 2, but after next season, Wydra and the rest of the Division III coaches figure they’ll be battling for No. 1.

“Everyone’s looking forward to (Stanislaus leaving),” Wydra said. “It would really open things up.”

UCSD entered the tournament ranked No. 9 in the country and was in 11th place with two rounds remaining. The closest UCSD has been to a title was in 1985, when it finished two shots behind Stanislaus.

Wydra is already looking forward to next year after signing five recruits; the Tritons will lose two players. Wydra said he has a blue-chip prospect in Dale Abraham, who turned down scholarships to Division I schools. Wydra, from Norcal, also expects a lot from Escondido’s John Lovette, who transferred to UCSD from Cal State Long Beach.

UCSD is the only local golf team to advance to its national tournaments, but several individuals earned berths.

Paul McGinley of U.S. International and San Diego State freshman Tim Todd advanced to the NCAA Division I men’s West Regional at Texas El Paso, starting today. Sixteen teams and five individuals advanced to the regional; nine teams and one individual will move on to the national tournament.

McGinley, a senior from Ireland, competed in 10 tournaments this season, finished no worse than 10th and won twice. He averaged 73.0 and has finished no lower than fourth in his past five tournaments.

Allison Shapcott will be competing on a familiar course for the NCAA Division I women’s championship tournament that started Wednesday at the Stanford University Golf Course. Shapcott won the California Intercollegiate tournament three weeks ago, missing the tournament record by one shot with a three-round total 212 on the par-74 Stanford course.

High jumper Dan Raatjes leads a contingent of 17 Point Loma Nazarene College athletes into the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletes national championships at Azusa Pacific today through Saturday.

Raatjes jumped a national-best 7-feet-2 3/4 at the District 3 championships at Point Loma two weeks ago. Connie Navarro, who scored 50 points in eight events at the district meet, will limit her participation in the nationals to the heptathlon, javelin and 400-meter relay. Tommy Anderberg, rated No. 2 in the nation in the javelin with a throw of 220-3, and Anette Ronnerman, No. 3 in the 800 at 2:11.33, are also expected to do well for the Crusaders.

The top seven finishers in each event will be named NAIA All-Americans. Navarro, who also is an academic All-American, already has been named an NAIA All-American in volleyball.

San Diego State will be represented by hammer thrower Pat Thiss, Karl Von Mohr in the discus and Jim Cody in the high jump at the NCAA Division I track and field championships at Brigham Young beginning next Wednesday.

Four other Aztecs will try to qualify for the meet this weekend. Osmond Swanegan has a best of 51.19 in the 400-meter hurdles and needs 50.85 to qualify. Floyd Barco (46.80) needs a 46.20 in the 400 meters, and Will Foster (51-10 1/2) needs a triple jump of 52-10. Marla Runyon is two inches shy of the 6-0 qualifier in the women’s high jump.

Mark Stanforth, the UC San Diego track and field coach, is making headway in his attempt to build a program. UCSD is sending six athletes, the most in school history, to the Division III national championships starting today at Naperville, Ill.

Leading the Tritons is sophomore Shannon Quigley, who is expected to finish in the top three in both the shot put and discus. Also representing UCSD will be sophomore Rachel Beerman in the discus, sophomore Andrea Kouremetis in the 100 and 200 meters and freshman Michelle Conlay in the 10,000.

Scott Sargeant, a freshman, will compete in the hammer, and senior Mark Lawler will participate in the pole vault.

Four San Diego County athletes won titles at the state community college track and field championships in Fresno last weekend, including three from San Diego Mesa.

Mesa’s Jackie Anderson (Mt. Miguel High) won the triple jump with 41-6 1/2 and was fourth in the long jump at 18-7. Also winning events for Mesa were was Mary Akins (Kearny) with a 17:00.81 in the 5,000 meters (winning by more than 55 seconds) and Larry Todd (Mt. Miguel) with a leap of 25-4 1/2 in the long jump. Sean O’Hara (Madison) was second for Mesa in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (9:23.85). Starla Ahu of MiraCosta won the women’s shot with a throw of 46-6 1/2. Mesa was fourth in the women’s team championships, and the men were sixth.

Anderson has said she will attend San Diego State next year. Akins is planning to attend Cal State Los Angeles, and O’Hara will compete at the College of Notre Dame in Northern California.