COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : CLU Track Star Bernard Challenging Different Type of Barrier

Darren Bernard, a Cal Lutheran track standout, always has been good at getting out of the blocks quickly. Now he is trying to uncover the building blocks of life.

Bernard is one of two students working closely with Dennis Revie, an assistant professor of biology, on a study of thermoplasma acidophila, a type of bacteria found in extremely hot and acidic environments. The bacteria is so primitive, it takes the researchers back in evolutionary time.

Bernard, a senior biology major, spent the summer in the laboratory and still spends three to four hours a day there in the hope he will make a discovery that will lead to a publishable paper.

“Basically, maybe a couple of students a year here do this sort of thing,” Revie said. “He’s one of our best students.”

Bernard said he believes the Revie team is one of only a handful in the world studying this bacteria. Although Bernard hopes to produce a publishable work before he graduates, he also plans to run track in the spring.

He finished fifth in the NAIA national championships in the 400 meters as a freshman and has qualified for the outdoor nationals three times.

Arts and sciences: Bernard is not the only Cal Lutheran athlete who has opted not to restrict his talent to the playing field.

The spring 1990 edition of Morning Glory, the school’s literary magazine, includes a photo by sophomore defensive lineman Tom Pellegrino and a serigraph by former baseball and football player Darnell Mitchell.

Francine Byrne, a former member of the cross-country and track teams, was on the magazine’s selection committee.

Tackling teammates: The tackle that Moorpark defensive back John Corcoran made on a punt return last weekend against Bakersfield was not a touchdown-saver, but it might have been a lifesaver.

Corcoran was the up man on Moorpark’s punt-return team when deep man Johnel Turner called for a fair catch. However, Turner fumbled the ball, then simply stood still after picking it up, not realizing he was an eligible target for the wall of Bakersfield defenders bearing down on him.

The quick-thinking Corcoran grabbed Turner and threw him to the ground before the great Johnel turned into the late Johnel.

Statwatch: The Cal State Northridge football team has allowed only three first-quarter points while scoring 27 points in opening periods this season. . . .

Northridge, ranked 13th in Division II, has a 5-1 record but has outscored opponents by only three points, 111-108, overall. CSUN has been outgained, 1,797 yards to 1,688, but has forced 21 turnovers while committing only 14. . . .

Cal Lutheran’s Jay Weber broke a school single-game record with 32 rushing attempts last week against Claremont-Mudd. The previous record of 30 was held by Joe Stouch (1969) and Gene Uebelhardt (1972). Weber finished with 126 yards, the most by a CLU back this season, but 57 yards short of the single-game mark. . . .

Jeff Barrett of Santa Monica has thrown for more than 200 yards and at least two touchdowns in every game this season. Barrett, a 1988 graduate of Burroughs High, has completed 86 of 130 passes for 1,434 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Corsairs (4-1). He has been intercepted seven times. . . .

Glendale tailback Bobby Webster has been the Vaqueros’ workhorse in the past three games, gaining 499 yards in 97 carries and scoring eight touchdowns. . . .

Antelope Valley cornerback John Johnson intercepted two passes against East L. A. on Saturday night to raise his season total to five and Antelope Valley’s total to 12. . . .

Anthony Nicholson rushed for 136 yards in 19 carries in his first start at fullback for Northridge. In the previous five games, Nicholson had carried only five times for five yards. He is now No. 2 on the CSUN rushing list behind Albert Fann, the Matadors’ All-American tailback. . . .

Ms. Consistent: Darcy Arreola has not won a cross-country race this season, but the Cal State Northridge senior has been consistent in four invitational appearances, finishing second, third (twice) and fourth.

Arreola, the 1989 NCAA Division II cross-country champion, posted consecutive third-place finishes at the Stanford Invitational, Oct. 6, and the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Invitational on Saturday.

Although Arreola finished 29 seconds behind winner Suzy Favor (16 minutes 27 seconds) of Wisconsin in the 5,000-meter race at Stanford, her performance bodes well for a top-15 finish at next month’s Division I championships in Knoxville, Tenn.

Favor, the Division I champion in the 1,500 meters from 1987-90, is regarded as one of the favorites for this year’s cross-country title.

Passing off: Darren Del’Andrae, a finalist a year ago for the Harlon Hill Trophy, symbolic of Division II football’s top player, has been benched at Portland State.

Del’Andrae’s problems started three weeks ago when he was unable to play in Portland State’s 41-24 win over Cal State Sacramento, only one week after he threw three interceptions in a loss to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Don Bailey, Portland State’s other quarterback, started against Sacramento and completed 16 of 24 passes for 296 yards and three touchdowns. The following week against Northridge, Del’Andrae returned to the lineup, again throwing three interceptions in another Portland State loss.

So Del’Andrae, a senior from Calabasas High, was back on the sideline Saturday when Bailey completed 29 of 49 passes for 332 yards in a loss to Santa Clara.

How is Del’Andrae taking the demotion?

“He’s not talking,” said Larry Sellers, a school spokesman. “Pokey (Allen, Portland State coach) says he’s taking it hard, but better than a lot of people would. He’s staying ready.”

Del’Andrae passed for 3,500 yards last season and was first-team All-America.

On the run: Jeff Gilkey, the No. 3 runner on last year’s Northridge men’s cross-country team, is competing for Cal Poly Pomona this season.

Gilkey, who placed 38th for Northridge in last year’s Division II cross-country championships, did not run track for the Matadors in 1990 after a falling out with Coach Don Strametz.

He was Pomona’s fourth runner at the Stanford Invitational on Oct. 6, finishing 71st with a time of 25:43 over the five-mile course.

DYNAMIC DUO

Steve Miller and Tony Simmons, Antelope Valley’s talented tailback tandem, are the Nos. 1- and 2-ranked rushers in the Foothill Conference. Here is a game-by-game breakdown of their performances this season.

MILLER SIMMONS Opponent Att Yds TD Att Yds TD S. Diego Cty 19 105 0 13 57 0 Kings River 10 75 2 9 31 0 Victor Valley 15 26 0 9 35 0 Chaffey 13 28 1 14 51 0 Rio Hondo 18 77 0 14 228 4 East L.A. 17 223 2 4 56 1 Totals 92 534 5 63 458 5

Staff writers Brendan Healey, John Ortega and Mike Hiserman contributed to this notebook.