PLNC Women Capture NAIA District 3 Title

The Point Loma Nazarene women won the NAIA District 3 track and field championships Saturday at Azusa Pacific, overtaking defending champion Azusa, 166-147.

The PLNC men finished second to Azusa, 199-182.

PLNC sophomore Goshu Tadese, a Crawford High graduate, won a difficult triple, taking the 5,000 meters (14:53.88), 1,500 (3:54.38) and 10,000 (31:23.39). Other second-day winners were defending NAIA national champion Dan Raatjes in the high jump (7-2 1/2), triple jumper Christian Andreasson (47-3 3/4), and Rick Penman in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:23.7).

For the women, Alicia Harasty won the women’s heptathlon, Anette Ronnerman won the 800 (2:17.71), and Vanessa Couch won the 1,500 (4:40.53).

UNLV beat San Diego State, 146-135, to win the women’s the Big West championship, but heptathlon winner Gaylen Ames of San Diego State (5,150 points) was named the meet’s outstanding female athlete. She also took second in the triple jump (42-0 1/2), and fourth in the 100 hurdles (14.99) and high jump (5-0).

Christine Royal won the 800 meters (2:14.21) and Jennifer Nanista took second (2:15.59). Darla Vaughn won the 200 (24.63) and took second in the 100 hurdles (14.32). Carolyn Peters won the shot put (45-3 1/2).

BASEBALL

San Diego State (42-20, 20-7) kept alive its bid to win the Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship, sweeping a doubleheader from Air Force, 4-0 and 9-2. Eric Christopherson hit a three-run homer and Erik Plantenberg and Brian Holliday combined on a four-hitter in the opener.

Tony Moeder’s home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the game, and Jim Alexander scored with two out in the bottom of the 12th after the third strike got past the catcher, giving the University of San Diego an 8-7 West Coast Conference victory over Pepperdine (35-21, 22-11). USD lost the first game, 12-0. The Toreros ended the season 24-32, 16-17.

Ex-Santana player Kyle Sebach homered and singled in a run as U.S. International (15-41-1) beat Cal State Sacramento, 2-1.

Riverside City had just three hits off Sean Tucker and Jeff Dunn, but still took at 2-0 victory over San Diego City (15-21) in the community college Southern California Regional series at Morley Field.

SOCCER

The San Diego Nomads won their Western League home opener, 2-1, over the expansion Salt Lake Sting in front of 3,108 at Southwestern College’s Devore Stadium.

SOFTBALL

San Diego State (21-38, 11-24) won the opener, 1-0, behind a three-hitter by Michelle Wesson (17-20), but lost the second game of its Big West Conference doubleheader to UC Santa Barbara, 2-0. UCSB pitcher Kelli Schott (11-12), a Vista High graduate, pitched a one-hitter.