ROUNDUP : Miller Leads CSUN Women to Riverside Invitational Victory

Lori Miller’s sixth-place finish led the Cal State Northridge women’s cross-country team to its first NCAA Division I invitational victory Saturday at the Riverside Invitational.

Miller, a junior from Bakersfield, covered the 5-kilometer course at UC Riverside in 18 minutes 54 seconds.

UCLA’s Karen Hecox--the defending NCAA 3,000-meters champion--won the title with a 17:45 clocking.

Coach Don Strametz attributed his team’s showing to team unity and a different strategy.

“I said at the beginning of the season that this was our best women’s team since we went Division I four years ago,” Strametz said.

“Today, I told them not to go out hard the first mile, but to lay back. It seemed to work well for Lori Miller, although we may still have to experiment with different strategies for a few of our people.

“We have a good bond with this group, and I think they will continue to improve.”

The Matadors finished with 81 points, 39 points ahead of second-place USC.

Freshman Jamie Whitmore was 13th in 19:32, senior Jennifer Andrews was 19th in 19:38, senior Cheri Lee-Segal placed 37th in 20:10 and junior Karla Sanford was 42nd in 20:22.

Freshman Andrea Bruins finished 52nd at 20:75 and freshman Andrea Barfield was 57th at 20:46.

The men’s squad placed 13th out of 19 teams with 342 points.

UC Riverside won the men’s invitational with 64 points.

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Nordhoff and Ventura highs were the big winners in the Blue Lagoon Invitational cross-country meet at UC Santa Barbara.

Nordhoff’s Javier Ramirez covered the three-mile course in 15:13 to tie Jaime Carmona’s course record and earn his third consecutive invitational victory. Ventura’s Maggie Dwire ran 20:06 to win the girls’ competition.

Ramirez, who also won the event last year, was followed across the finish line by teammates Will Bernaldo (15:45) and Omar Vega (15:46). Mason Moore of Nordhoff was fifth in 16:29.

Dwire took the lead 200 yards from the finish after teammate Alyson MacIntosh took a wrong turn while leading.

MacIntosh regained her bearings to finish fourth in 20:42. Ventura’s Liz Woodling was second in 20:14.

MEN’S SOCCER

The Master’s 2, Biola 1--Stephen Janhoe blasted a shot past Bryan Price at the 102-minute mark to give the host Mustangs (7-1) an overtime victory.

After a scoreless first half, Bryan Lee of The Master’s scored on a penalty kick in the 67th minute.

Steve Williams’ chip over Mustang goalie Kris Bage at 79 minutes tied the score to force the extra period.

Price made seven saves for Biola (4-4-1). Bage made nine.

Cal Lutheran 6, Whittier 0--Bryan Collins and Jan Hammervold each scored two goals for the Kingsmen (1-6) in an SCIAC opener at Whittier.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Cal Baptist 1, The Master’s 0--Laura Wachsman scored a second-half goal to lift Cal Baptist (3-6) and offset a 24-save performance by Mustang goalkeeper Kariss Steinert in a nonconference match at home.

The Master’s fell to 1-6-1.

HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL

Santa Paula tournament--L.A. Baptist defeated St. Bonaventure, 15-13, to win the tournament championship. The Knights won all 11 games they played, including a 15-3 whipping of Thacher in a semifinal.

Darcie Frazier paced the Knights with 79 kills and was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Tunde Hrotko had 100 assists and, along with Frazier and Shannon Gault, was named to the all-tournament team.

WATER POLO

Buena tournament--Host Buena High emerged as the tournament champion with a 9-5 victory over Agoura at Ventura College.

Buena goalie Curtis Tolmie, the tournament MVP, had five saves. Matt Swartout scored three goals for Buena and Jeff Malas and John Engel each scored twice.

Tolmie, Swartout and Engel were named all-tournament.

Also named all-tournament: Chris Driscoll and Andy Cohen (Agoura); Derek Argel and Brandon Smith (Cabrillo), and Brad Schwarm (Santa Maria).

Buena defeated Santa Maria, 10-4, earlier Saturday to advance to the championship match. Malas scored six goals and Swartout had two. Tolmie had eight saves.

Cabrillo defeated Santa Maria, 14-11, for third place. Argel and Smith each scored four times for Cabrillo.

Westlake 5, Newbury Park 4--David Block scored the winning goal for Westlake (4-2) with seven seconds left in a fourth-round Buena tournament victory.

Newbury Park’s Matt McGerk had tied the score four seconds earlier.

Block took a pass from Scott Bradley and sprinted down the right side to score for the Warriors, who finished 13th.