It’s No Act When CSUN Women Soccer Players Take a Dive

So you’re afraid of water and don’t care for heights? Better rethink your decision to try out for the Cal State Northridge women’s soccer team.

Last weekend, 24 players on the Matadors’ first-year team, including several who could barely swim, went through a two-hour workout in the pool under the direction of Coach Brian Wiesner.

Wiesner, who coached at Cal Poly Pomona from 1983-94, has used the lighthearted sessions to cross-train his teams for several years and promises to have the Matadors in suits and goggles on a regular basis.

Sunday, the players competed in relay races, treaded water and performed aqua aerobics to a Wiesner-compiled soundtrack that included selections from John Lee Hooker, U2, Jane’s Addiction and Social Distortion.

The real challenge came late, when Wiesner informed his players they were required to dive into the pool from the three-meter board. Several team members were less than enthusiastic.

“There were some girls who didn’t want to go,” said midfielder Rachel Gagliano, a veteran cliff diver who attempted a somersault but over-rotated and belly-flopped instead. “They’d walk to the end of the board and then go back, but we couldn’t leave until they went.”

Through a mixture of encouragement and coercion, everyone took the plunge.

“[The pool workouts] are our own little outward-bound program,” Wiesner said. “The players who didn’t want to dive in went because the whole team was doing it. There will be a lot of times this season when we’ll have to convince them to stick together to get things done.”

The story man: To make a point to his layers, Cal State Northridge first-year football Coach Dave Baldwin told them a story from his days as a San Jose State assistant.

It was about a walk-on who Baldwin and Coach Jack Elway wanted to play at running back. The kid insisted he was a defensive back, but the coaches wouldn’t budge. Finally, though, Elway relented.

The player was Gill Byrd, who ended up being drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the first round in 1983 and became an All-Pro defensive back.

“I told the kids that story to relate to them that as coaches we are going to make mistakes,” Baldwin said, “but if you stay positive and you keep working your athletic ability will show up and you will play.”

Time to reconsider: The joke around the Northridge athletic department is that Baldwin, who says he drinks at least 15 Diet Cokes a day, ought to switch to Diet Pepsi.

The stadium’s new, state-of-the-art scoreboard is sponsored by PepsiCo.

Callister connection: Quarterback Jeremy Callister of Glendale High, who passed for 688 yards as a junior, has a new target: twin Jared, the Dynamiters’ new tight end.

The twins have played together on teams throughout their youth. But Jared had played only linebacker until this season.

“Jared’s been more of a defensive player,” first-year Coach Steve Pinkston said. “This year, I brought him over to this side of the ball.”

Pinkston, 28, is a former assistant at Simi Valley High, Hoover High and Glendale College.

Brawny and brainy: Smashing the stereotype of the dumb lineman is a group from Buena High which blends outstanding strength with exemplary academics.

Shane Graves (6 feet 7, 270 pounds) scored 1,334 on the Scholastic Assessment Test, Mike Cassiadoria (6-1, 280) scored 1,230 and Robert Gerner (5-10, 245) scored 1,202.

The threesome also win accolades for strength, sweeping to the Ventura County summer weightlifting championship. Nine Bulldogs bench press more than 300 pounds and four press more than 340.

“We’re strong and we’re smart,” Coach Rick Scott said. “If that wins football games, we’ll be OK.”

Even the backfield gets into the academic act: Brady Phelps has a 4.0 grade-point average and Eddie Loya carries a 3.8 GPA.

Stats

The Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team played only six home matches while compiling a 23-8 record in 1994 and this year’s schedule isn’t much better in that regard.

The Matadors will play 22 of 31 matches on the road, including their first nine and 16 of their first 18.

Northridge’s home opener is Sept. 12 against San Diego State and the Matadors will not play consecutive matches at home until Oct. 6-7 contests against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Sacramento.

Quotebook

“That’s a trouper of a wife, right there.”

--Moorpark High football Coach Rob Dearborn on his wife, Denise, after she postponed inducement of labor for their third child so delivery would not conflict with the Musketeers’ team picture day.

Things to Do

The Cal State Northridge football team will see its first game-condition action under Baldwin in a scrimmage Saturday at 10 a.m. at North Campus Stadium.

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Compiled by Fernando Dominguez. Contributing: Jeff Fletcher, Steve Henson, Vince Kowalick, John Ortega, Tris Wykes.