Busy Schedule Takes Toll on SCC’s Pearson

Southern California College tennis Coach Rob Pearson is stepping down after the most successful tennis season in the college’s history.

Pearson, in his third season as men’s coach and second as women’s, said he told acting Athletic Director Terry Zeigler Wednesday he is resigning from his part-time position.

“It’s almost volunteer work,” Pearson said. “It takes up so much of my time that it hurts my other jobs.”

Pearson, who also gives private tennis lessons and recently took a job as a researcher for a commercial real estate company, also quit last summer but agreed to return as co-coach with then-Athletic Director Ron Prettyman.

Prettyman became athletic director at Cal State Dominguez Hills last month, leaving Pearson to go it alone again.

Pearson said he enjoys the job, but it isn’t financially feasible.

After winning only two Golden State Athletic Conference matches since 1988, the Vanguard men’s team was 9-1 and won the conference title this season. Last week, SCC won the conference’s postseason tournament and advanced to the NAIA national tournament in Tulsa, Okla.

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Two players on Pearson’s women’s team have strong chances of advancing to the NAIA national tournament May 22-27 by winning at the NAIA Far West Regional this week.

Senior Quynh Le is the top-seeded singles player. She joins junior Wendy Andel on the top-seeded doubles team. Andel is seeded fifth in singles. SCC’s other players are senior Cathi Smith, juniors Cathy Binnquist and Becci George and sophomore Holly Carlson.

The tournament begins at 8 a.m. today at the Costa Mesa Tennis Club. Play continues Friday at 9 a.m. with the singles final scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday.

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The Southern California College softball team is also playing host to the NAIA Far West Regional this week.

The second-seeded Vanguards (39-18) open the double-elimination tournament at 9 a.m. today against No. 3 Azusa Pacific (33-17). The second game, at 11:30 a.m., matches top-seeded Hawaii Pacific (24-8-1) and No. 4 Cal Baptist (27-17). The losers play at 2 p.m., the winners at 4:30 p.m. Two more games are scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. with a final game at 11 a.m. Saturday if necessary.

Because SCC is ranked No. 5 in the NAIA national poll and Hawaii Pacific is ranked No. 3, they are expected to receive at-large bids to the national tournament in Columbia, Mo., May 17-20 even if they don’t win the regional tournament.

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Yasu Tanaka, a senior on the Chapman golf team, has received an invitation to play in the NCAA Division III championship next week in Terre Haute, Ind.

Tanaka, from Kobe, Japan, was the only Chapman player selected.

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Softball honors: SCC pitcher Shannon Saylor was named the Golden State Athletic Conference pitcher of the year. Saylor, a senior from Diamond Bar, is 26-7 with an 0.95 earned-run average. She had 180 strikeouts, 54 more than her nearest conference rival.

Amy Lewis, a senior catcher from Villa Park High and Rancho Santiago College; Shannon O’Rourke, a senior infielder from Midway City, and Angela Wolf, a junior outfielder from Irvine, also were named to the first team. Senior infielders Shannon Moreno and Carrie Nelson and junior outfielder Angie Vega were second-team picks for the Vanguards.

Senior catcher LaSondra Kellum and sophomore infielder Geodi Sunabe were second-team picks for Concordia.

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Baseball honors: Ryan Seidel, an outfielder on the Southern California College baseball team, was named Golden State Athletic Conference player of the year. Seidel, a senior from Westlake Village, batted .376 with 13 home runs and 39 runs batted in and stole 33 bases for the Vanguards.

Seidel was the only SCC player named to the first team. Jeff Beckley, a senior pitcher from Trabuco Hills High, was a second-team selection.

Concordia’s Derrick Bly, a junior first baseman, was a first-team pick. Senior catcher Brandon Sparks and junior outfielder Brett Waslefsky were second-team selections for Concordia.