Pt. Loma Nazarene Wins Track Titles

After finishing second eight of the past 13 years, Point Loma Nazarene College won its first NAIA District 3 men’s track and field championship since 1978 by outscoring Azusa Pacific, 299-265, Saturday at PLNC.

The women made it a sweep, winning their third consecutive title by a 247-159 margin over Azusa Pacific.

PLNC’s men entered the meet as heavy underdogs to a program that has won the last 10 district titles and 10 of the past 11 national championships, but when it ended, Coach Jim Crakes was tossed into the steeplechase pit. Crakes has been with the program since 1972; this was his second men’s title.

Among the winners for the men were Robert Keter in the 1,500 meters (3:54.08) and 800 (1:51.04), Kostas Koutalas in the 400 hurdles (53.93), Christian Andreasson in the triple jump (50 feet 3 1/4 inches), Per Karlsson in the hammer (227-0), David Reidhav in the decathlon (6,636 points) and Ken Hall in the 10,000 (31:47.38). PLNC took four of the top five spots in the 10,000.

Among the PLNC winners in the women’s meet was Anna Mark in the long jump (18-3 3/4, meet record) and 100 hurdles (14.82), Alicia Harasty in the heptathlon (4303 points), Aminda Sloan in the 400 (58.19), Dzifa Mac-Kwashie in the 200 (24.90), Maddie Liseblad in the 400 hurdles (1:06.17) and Vanessa Couch in the 3,000 (10:10.70, meet record). The 4x100 relay team (48.83) also set a meet record, one of eight.

BASEBALL

San Diego State appeared poised for a late rally when rain forced the cancellation of the remainder of its Western Athletic Conference game at Wyoming. After a 32-minute delay, Wyoming won, 11-6, and the second game of a scheduled doubleheader was scrapped.

The Aztecs made it 11-8, in the top of the seventh and had runners on first and second with no outs when the game was delayed because of rain. After it was canceled, the two Aztec runs and all statistics from the seventh inning were wiped out.

Too bad for SDSU outfielder Brad Gennaro. After hitting a two-run home run in the first inning, Gennaro led off the seventh with his ninth homer of the season. Greg Quam, Marcellino Garcia and Brent Ferguson followed with singles--Quam scoring on Ferguson’s hit--but it was all for naught.

Despite having his homer erased, Gennaro was three for three with two runs and two RBIs.

SDSU starter Benji Grigsby had his worst outing of the season. Grigsby entered with a 9-1 mark and was among the NCAA’s best in strikeouts per nine innings, but he allowed 11 hits and 11 earned runs in five innings. He struck out only three.

SDSU, ranked 29th by Collegiate Baseball, entered with a half-game lead over Hawaii in the WAC standings. Barring weather, SDSU (37-15, 17-7) and Wyoming will conclude their WAC schedules today with a doubleheader.

The University of San Diego and Santa Clara split a pair of one-run West Coast Conference games as the Toreros ended their season 28-24, their first winning record since 1987. USD also finished 14-13 in the WCC, good for second behind Pepperdine. USD had never placed higher than fourth.

USD won the first game, 2-1, as starter Pat Crema (6-5) pitched eight innings and Kevin Herde earned his fifth save. Josh Stepner drove in Chad Boyd with the winning run on a fly ball to right in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Santa Clara took the nightcap, 8-7, getting three home runs. The Broncos are 20-32, 12-18.

MEN’S TENNIS

California Baptist won the NAIA District 3 title with 18 points, four more than runner-up Point Loma Nazarene. Cal Baptist’s Frank Ofori and Emmanuel Paddi defeated PLNC’s Mattias Rendefors and John Norton, 6-2, 6-2, to claim the doubles title.

Ofori won the singles title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over teammate Carlos Vazquez.