JUNIOR COLLEGES / FALL PREVIEW : For Most Area Teams, a Positive Outlook

Some hope to repeat their success of last season and others will try to redeem themselves. Some will find budding stars within their ranks and others who were supposed to shine won’t show much luster after all.

But there should be plenty of excitement when the area junior colleges start their conference seasons in several sports the next few days.

Here’s a rundown of how the teams shape up:

CROSS-COUNTRY

Glendale, which finished fourth in the 1993 State championships, is expected to be the top men’s team in the area. The Vaqueros are shooting for their sixth Western State Conference title in the last eight years.

However, the top individual honors could go to three runners who did not compete last season.

Jeff Wilson of Moorpark was the runner-up in the 1991 Kinney national cross-country championships for Newbury Park High before running for Brigham Young during the 1992-93 school year. He was scheduled to begin his two-year mission last fall, but by the time he decided not to, Brigham Young had exhausted its scholarship money for the 1993-94 school year.

Wilson returned home and enrolled at Moorpark last spring. He will run for the Raiders before starting his mission in January.

He says he has “no idea” what he wants to accomplish this season, but Moorpark Coach Manny Trevino said that a top-10 finish in the State championships is a reasonable goal.

Jacques Salsberg of Glendale and Manuel Perales of Antelope Valley also could reach that milestone.

Salsberg won the 1992 WSC title, but transferred to Pasadena City in the spring of 1993 and briefly attended Butler County (Kan.) College last fall before returning to Glendale for the spring semester.

He finished second behind Wilson in last week’s Santa Monica Invitational and the two will renew their rivalry today in the first of three WSC meets this season.

Perales was academically ineligible last fall and was slowed by injuries during track season, but he opened the season with a second-place finish in the Fresno Invitational on Sept. 10.

“If he stays healthy, he can finish among the top 15 at the State meet,” Antelope Valley Coach Mark Covert said. “If he runs great, he can finish in the top 10.”

The Glendale women’s team finished third in last year’s State meet, but a similar finish is unlikely. Only two of the top seven runners have returned.

Auria Roberto (12th in the State championships), Louise Lakier (55th) and Tina Santana (135th) were freshmen last season, but they did not return after Gretchen Lohr was not rehired as coach.

Marilyn Davis, a two-time NCAA All-American at California in the mid-1980s, has replaced Lohr.

With Glendale down, Antelope Valley might be the top team in the area.

The Marauders have only one returning runner--Melissa Tibbs--from last year’s team that finished 18th in the State championships. But sophomore Joanna Potillo--a transfer from Glendale--and freshman Nicole Martin should give them a decent chance at winning their third consecutive Foothill Conference title.

WOMEN’S GOLF

For the first time, women’s golf will be part of junior college athletics in California. Until now, women played on men’s teams--and shot from the men’s tees. But no longer.

Not all schools are fielding teams this season, but Mission College is.

The Free Spirit, coached by Terry Bommer, will play in the South Coast Conference and use Braemar Country Club in Tarzana as its home course. The six-woman team--five play in each match and the best four scores count toward the team total--won a five-team tournament in Palm Springs this month and won a four-team tournament in Walnut on Monday. Kumiko Iijima won the individual title at Walnut and finished second at Palm Springs. Her teammates are Cathy Gallegos-Kehoe, Creela Harris, Jill Blurton-Jones, Layne Burr and Mikel Alpert.

Bommer, who has coached the men’s team at Mission for 11 seasons and won the state championship in 1984, said the women’s team could be a strong contender for the state title.

“I keep telling them they could make history by being the first women’s (golf) state champions,” Bommer said.

MEN’S SOCCER

Glendale, Mission, Moorpark and Oxnard will start play Oct. 11 in the six-team Western State Conference. Moorpark and Glendale probably have the best shot at challenging defending champion and preseason favorite Santa Barbara for the title.

Moorpark, 8-4-5 overall and 6-2-2 in the WSC last year, features several outstanding freshmen, but has lost two top sophomores because of injuries in nonconference matches. Sixth-year Coach Frank Parodi is not discouraged.

“Once we get rolling, we’ll definitely be in the (conference) race,” he said.

To do that, Parodi must find suitable replacements for strikers John Steinkemp and Kevin Nelson, both sidelined because of ankle injuries. Steinkemp, who played at Chaminade High and transferred from San Francisco State, had surgery to repair torn ligaments and is out for the season. Nelson is questionable because of a severe sprain.

Parodi will rely on freshmen Paul Dojo, Kenny Hickman and Curtis Silverest along with goalkeeper Sean Scanlon, who played for the Raiders in 1989. Dojo, a midfielder, helped Moorpark High to the Southern Section Division V co-championship with Calabasas High last season. Hickman, a sweeper from Simi Valley High, was the Marmonte League player of the year in 1993. Silverest is a center-forward from Moorpark High.

About 80 players tried out for Glendale’s team, which is coached by Joe Agoston. The Vaqueros were 6-8-4 overall and 4-5-1 in the WSC in 1993 after winning the conference the previous year.

“We do have a lot of depth. It looks very promising,” Agoston said. “But we have a long way to go. We have a lot of individual talent. Now we have to put that into a team concept.”

Goalkeeper Eric Alvarado, sweeper Sal Rizzo, defender Edwin Sinecio and forward Simon Castro were ineligible last season, but they are now the team’s backbone.

Several sophomores return to anchor Mission under second-year Coach Ali Moshirifard.

The Free Spirit was 4-8-1 overall and 3-6-1 in WSC play last season.

“The team is looking much better,” he said. “Last year, we had a lot of first-time players who were recreational players. This year, we have a much better group to start with.”

Goalie Chris Askew was all-conference last season. Forward Chris Swanson and midfielder Oscar Hernandez are other players Moshirifard is counting on.

At Oxnard, second-year Coach Jorge Brescia is working to improve a team that won only one of 16 matches and finished last in the WSC with a 0-9-1 record.

But with only three returners among 21 players, that will be difficult.

“I have to build the team from zero again,” Brescia said.

Brescia said some of the key freshmen include midfielder Victor Sanchez from Buena High and defenders Calvin Craig from Santa Clara High and David Smith from Oxnard High.

Sophomore sweeper Juan Luna, who played at Oxnard in 1992 but sat out last season, provides experience.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

New Moorpark Coach Ken Dale, an assistant with the Pepperdine women’s team last season and the boys’ coach at Simi Valley High, is hoping that the veteran Raider players will solidify the squad.

Moorpark and Oxnard played in the South Coast Conference in 1993, but both join the newly formed Western State Conference this season.

“A lot of our returners learned some valuable lessons last year,” Dale said. “I think we should have a much more successful season. All the players are very intelligent.”

Dale said two newcomers, defender Kristi Hufford from Royal High and forward Vanessa Macen from Santa Clara High, are among the top players.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Antelope Valley lost every player from last year’s team that went undefeated (18-0) in the Foothill Conference. The Marauders made it to the second round of the playoffs and finished with a 19-1 record.

“That’s pretty unusual that they’re all gone,” Coach Jane Cwayna said. “We’re very young and inexperienced.”

The team’s only sophomore is outside hitter Kerri Puckett, a transfer from Glendale College. Cheaza Figueroa will be one of the Marauders’ top hitters, Cwayna said. Figueroa, the state high school triple-jump champion at Quartz Hill last year, began playing volleyball in February.

Left-hander Balecha Fletcher, also a Quartz Hill graduate, will play at outside hitter and Kari Siotta will start at setter. Stephanie Eubanks and Christina Love will split time at middle blocker.

The team’s top back-row specialists are Jessie Noche, Pam Tusalem and Darci McKee.

At Glendale, the Vaqueros have a new coach, Alicia McKinnon, and only two returning players--Elizabeth Hook and Vanessa Oliva--from a team that was 2-16 last season.

Freshman Lisa Sartoris, a Burroughs High graduate, figures to be the team’s best hitter.

Freshman Katie Bomar is the team’s top back-row player and server. Freshman Tara Pfaff is a solid all-around player.

“We’re very short and very young,” McKinnon said.

Moorpark probably will have one of the state’s top setters in Gretchen Gulbranson, a transfer from Cal State Northridge who started for the Matadors last year.

Right-side hitter Tammy Vaillancourt is the only returning player from a team that finished 11-7 in 1993. Freshman Kelly Farner, a Camarillo High graduate, will play at middle blocker along with sophomore Dina Jacobellis, a transfer from Pierce.

Erica Mertes, All-City at Chatsworth High in 1993, will start at outside hitter. Dawn Smith, an L.A. Baptist graduate, also will play that position.

“We have some weapons,” Moorpark Coach Steve Burkhart said. “It’s going to come down to how well we can play defense.”

Pierce has no home court because the school gym was condemned after the Jan. 17 earthquake. The team conducted preseason practice on one of the school’s grass fields and now trains at Taft High.

“Even now we only get the Taft gym four times a week so we have to practice on the grass once a week,” said first-year Coach Turhan Douglas, who was a men’s assistant at Santa Monica College last year.

“It’s been tough, and practicing on grass has not been good for the girls.”

Opposite hitter Thuy-Van Le is the only player back from last year’s team, which finished 11-8. Freshman Valery Vargas from Birmingham High will start at setter.

Michele Diana (Cleveland High) figures to be one of the Brahmas’ top hitters.

A new coach, Miki McFadden, takes over at Ventura with a predominantly freshman team. Only two sophomores, middle blocker Sasha Wood and outside hitter Tobi Clarke, return for the Pirates.

The Pirates were the WSC champion in 1990 and ‘91, and finished third last year under Sharon McAlexander, who resigned.

Canyons has two returning players from last year’s 6-12 team. Sophomore Hollie Christina will start at middle blocker, Nicole Johnson at outside hitter.

Setter Laura Wagoner was All-Southern Section last year at Saugus High.

“We’re very inexperienced but we have real good chemistry,” said first-year Coach Fred De La Vega, an assistant for the past five seasons.

WATER POLO

Last season, Ventura finished ninth in the state after going 23-11-1 overall and 6-2 in the WSC, two games behind champion Cuesta.

Third-year Coach Larry Baratte is expecting even bigger things from the Pirates this season.

“I think we have the most-talented team with the greatest depth in the history of Ventura College,” Baratte said. “The type of players it takes to succeed at this level are here.”

That includes Brazilian two-meter man Pedro DeLima, who led the state in scoring last season with a school-record 162 goals and was named All-American.

Another Brazilian, driver Alexandre Martins, leads the freshman class that also features Janko Gogolja--a Croatian-born driver who was an All-American at Dos Pueblos High and had offers to play professionally in Italy--and Andy Bruininga, an All-American driver at Royal High and the Marmonte League player of the year in 1993.

At Valley, Coach Bill Krauss starts his 22nd season with an inexperienced team that might not do much better than the 1993 squad that finished 4-14 overall and 2-6 in the WSC.

“The prospects for next year are better,” said Krauss, who has 15 freshmen on the 19-man roster. “I guess you could call it a rebuilding year.”

Sophomores Erin Fish, a driver from Agoura High, and Juan Flores, a two-meter man from Marshall High, return. The top newcomers include Oscar Villagomez, a driver from Burroughs High; Mark Stenpiak, a Polish-born driver from Glendale High, and Sergick Amiryan, a goalie from Hoover High.

WRESTLING

After winning four consecutive WSC championships, Moorpark slipped to second place last season behind Cuesta.

But Coach John Keever has another strong squad that will help the Raiders make a run at another title.

The Raiders, state champions in 1990 and ‘91, feature 13 returners and several talented newcomers.

The sophomores include John Jimenez in the 126-pound class and Dan Burdis in the 177-pound division.

Jimenez was 23-13 last season and placed fourth in the state tournament. Burdis was 18-18 and finished sixth.

Also back are Kyle Plummer (17-17) in the 150-pound class, heavyweight Gabriel Godinez (19-18) and redshirt freshman Norman Toy from Westlake High in the 118-pound division.

Among the freshmen are Tim Bonebright from Thousand Oaks High, fifth in the state at 145 pounds; Jose Brizuela, a City Section champion at 140 pounds from Monroe High; Jeremy Pratt, third place in the Southern Section at 145 pounds in 1992 from Newbury Park, and Richard Preciado, a Southern Section champion at 140 pounds from Fillmore High.

Under Keever, Moorpark has won 16 WSC titles in 26 seasons.