COLLEGES / ALAN DROOZ : Chicago Is Schaefer’s Kind of Town

There’s no Chip on the old Loyola Marymount block as of this weekend.

Robert (Chip) Schaefer, the chief Loyola athletic trainer for the past three years, accepted a similar position with the Chicago Bulls, where his assignments will include the physical well-being of Michael Jordan.

Schaefer, 29, has been a Loyola basketball fixture for three seasons, as much a part of the scene as the players and coaches. Along with taping ankles and taking care of the numerous bumps and bruises that are a part of the physically demanding Paul Westhead-style of play, Schaefer also oversaw the athletic department’s weight training program and took care of day-to-day travel arrangements, expense money dispersal and numerous other organizational functions.

Unhappily, one of the last memories of Schaefer’s tenure at Loyola was his being at the side of Hank Gathers, trying to revive the Lion basketball standout after he collapsed during a game on March 4. Gathers died later that night and Schaefer remains among those named in the Gathers’ family wrongful death suit against Loyola.

Schaefer, who said he was “getting sentimental just cleaning out my desk” Thursday, said the Gathers tragedy was not a factor in his leaving. “That had nothing to do with it, not at all,” he said. “If anything, that might have made me want to stay, with that hanging over me.”

Schaefer is a Chicago native. The money the Bulls offered and lure to work for a team he cheered for as a child made it an easy decision. He said with two children to support, “it was a non-issue whether to apply.”

Schaefer heard about the Bulls’ opening through Laker trainer Gary Vitti. “I grew up in suburban north Chicago, I was a Bulls fan, Cubs fan, Bears fan, Blackhawks fan,” he said. “I rooted for the Big 10 teams. It’s going home.”

Schaefer’s hiring received substantially different handling from the city’s two major papers, the Tribune and the Sun-Times. The Tribune, the larger circulation paper, ran a story announcing the hiring and gave a biographical background of Schaefer. The Sun-Times, a popular tabloid, headlined Schaefer as “Gathers Trainer.”

“It was an interesting contrast to see how they handled my hiring,” Schaefer said. “It wasn’t a big story, but there’s a lot of sports interest in Chicago, and the one played it like the (sensationalistic) National Enquirer.”

Schaefer was given an informal send-off by the Loyola athletic department on Wednesday and will leave town today. Athletic Director Brian Quinn has been interviewing prospective replacements.

“I really loved my three years at Loyola,” he said. “I’ll miss everyone here.”

A women’s softball team with several current or former Cal State Dominguez Hills players won an Amateur Softball Assn. national title last weekend in Midland, Tex.

The Mavericks swept a five-game series and never trailed in winning the ASA Division B title, defeating the Alta Loma Travellers, 4-2, in the final. Shortstop Lety Carannza, a Dominguez Hills transfer from Valley College, hit .445 with five doubles to earn tournament most-valuable-player honors.

Nicole Stelter, a junior third baseman who was a District 8 Academic All-American for the Lady Toros last season, was a first-team selection in the tournament along with outfielder Tina Baca, a transfer from Pasadena City College.

Lady Toros catcher Marni Wallace was a second-team selection and former Toro outfielder Deb Cohen received third-team honors.

In reaching the title game, the Mavericks defeated teams from West Virginia, St. Paul, Minn., and Phoenix. They also defeated the team from Alta Loma in the opening round.

The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team, which will be seeking its fifth consecutive NCAA tournament berth and fourth consecutive West Coast Conference title, will have a distinct South Bay flavor when it opens the season Sept. 4 at 12th-ranked USC.

The Waves return four starters led by junior setter-outside hitter Carolyn Hueth from West Torrance High. Hueth, a two-year starter, earned All-WCC first-team honors last year.

A strong freshman class includes outside hitters Rainy Chrisman and Erika Lawson, members of Mira Costa High’s 1989 state championship team.