COLLEGES : UCLA’s Herrera Gets Off to a Running Start

UCLA distance runner Eliazar Herrera put to rest the doubts he had about his lack of training by winning his season-opening cross-country race.

The junior, who had been restricted to only three days of running a week and a cross-training program mainly consisting of biking, won the 8-K men’s division of the UC Irvine invitational Saturday in 25 minutes 30 seconds.

In the days before the race, Herrera approached Bruin coach Bob Larsen several times with his skepticism about whether he was getting sufficient race preparation.

“He kept asking, ‘Am I doing enough? Am I doing enough?’ ” Larsen said. “I think it was a question of him getting the confidence in being competitive and knowing he can win with a minimum of running. And I think he has that now.”

Larsen was pleased with the performance of the men’s team, which finished second to New Mexico and ahead of Weber State and Northern Arizona. Freshman Daniel Niednagel finished 13th in 26:20, senior Bryon DeVore was 17th in 26:29, sophomore Creighton Harris was 20th in 26:38 and junior Troy Rowtham was 22nd in 26:46.

The women’s team, which Larsen is coaching for the first time since guiding the men’s program for 13 seasons, finished fourth in its division behind Arkansas, Northern Arizona and UC Irvine. Sophomore Karen Hecox finished 10th in the 5-K race in 18:13. Junior Beth Bartholomew and senior Kira Jorgensen were 22nd and 23rd in 18:53 and 18:54, respectively.

The women’s team and some members of the men’s squad will compete Saturday at the UC Riverside invitational. The women’s 5-K race is at 9 a.m. and the men’s 5-mile event starts at 9:30.

Last year’s third-place finish in the NCAA championships for the Pepperdine water polo team might be a prelude to better things this season.

The Waves won the UC Irvine tournament last weekend, defeating USC in the final, 6-5, in overtime.

Pepperdine (4-2), ranked second in the nation, started the tournament by defeating No. 4 Stanford, 6-5. After a 10-7 loss to No. 1 California, the Waves defeated UC Riverside, 9-4, and No. 6 UCLA, 9-5. In the final, Pepperdine senior Alex Asta scored with one second to play to send the game into overtime and then scored the game-winning goal.

This weekend Pepperdine will play host to Pacific on Saturday and No. 11 Fresno State on Sunday. Both games will begin at noon.

Pacific, ranked No. 10, has eight freshmen on the team. The returning veterans include sophomore driver Kevin Regan of Santa Monica High.

Andy Banachowski, coach of the two-time defending NCAA champion UCLA women’s volleyball team, is trying to keep his players from thinking about winning an unprecedented third title.

“We know that possibility is there, but that’s a long ways off,” Banachowski said. “Right now, we’re trying to focus on just getting better.”

That idea has been successful so far. The Bruins (7-0, 2-0 in the Pacific 10) are ranked No. 1 have only lost one game in seven matches.

Senior outside hitter Natalie Williams leads the Bruins in kills (120) and service aces (eight) and is second in hitting percentage (.438), digs (55) and blocks (23).

UCLA will play its season opener Friday against No. 21 Washington (5-1). The Huskies are off to their best start ever with a team that returns five starters and includes reserve freshman quick hitter Sara Simmons, a former Brentwood School standout.

On Saturday the Bruins play No. 24 Washington State (9-1). The Cougars have their best team in school history, according to Banachowski. Last year’s squad qualified for the NCAA tournament.

Both matches will be at the John Wooden Center at 7 p.m. Although the Bruins prefer to play in Pauley Pavilion, where the team will play half of its home matches, Banachowski has developed a great appreciation for the more intimate confines of the Wooden Center, where the team has lost only three times in nine years.

The second-ranked UCLA soccer team (6-0-0) travels to Norfolk, Va., for a tournament this weekend. On Friday the Bruins play William and Mary (4-3-0) and on Sunday meet Old Dominion (2-1-1). San Diego State (4-1-1) will also compete in the tournament.

Old Dominion Coach Ralph Perez is not underestimating UCLA.

“They have three of the premier players in the country,” Perez said. “No question they have the best goalkeeper in college soccer in Brad Friedel. Joe-Max Moore is probably the best scoring midfielder in the country. And Zak Ibsen is one of the top forwards.”

Notes

Among the former UCLA track athletes who won gold medals at the Barcelona Olympics, sprinter Mike Marsh and hurdler Kevin Young were initially non-scholarship, walk-on athletes as freshmen. . . The women’s 100-meters in the past three Olympic Games were won by Evelyn Ashford in Los Angeles, Florence Griffith Joyner in Seoul and Gail Devers in Barcelona. All were from UCLA.

The Pepperdine women’s volleyball team (1-3 and ranked 23rd in the nation) travels to San Luis Obispo on Saturday for two matches. The Waves meet No. 15 Texas Tech at 1 p.m. and Cal Poly SLO at 7:30 p.m. Senior outside hitter Blair Noonan and senior middle blocker Julie Whalen were named to the all-tournament team at last weekend’s Brigham Young-Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah. . . The No. 6 UCLA water polo team (4-2) will travel to play No. 20 Riverside on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Highlanders rely on junior Adam Blakis of Santa Monica for scoring and consider junior goalie Martin Wagmeister to be one of the best in their conference, according to first-year Coach Fred Furry. For UCLA, junior hole man Chris Kellerman leads the team in scoring with 11 goals and four assists. Junior Marc Heenan leads in assists with nine. Junior goalie Kevin Dillenbeck has 59 saves in 5 1/2 games.

The Pepperdine men’s and women’s cross-country teams will compete at the UC Riverside invitational Saturday. . . The UCLA men’s golf team opens its season this weekend at the 38th annual 54-hole William H. Tucker intercollegiate at the University of New Mexico. Junior Kevin Claborn and senior Ted Gleason lead the Bruins. Both golfers competed in the U.S. Amateur this summer. . . UCLA is ranked fifth in the men’s and women’s Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. preseason polls. . . Pepperdine is fourth in the men’s poll and tied for ninth in the women’s poll.

Staff writer Steven Herbert contributed to this story.