Murphy Named Regional Soccer Coach of Year

Chapman soccer Coach Gregg Murphy, who led the Panther men’s and women’s teams to their most successful seasons, has been named NCAA Division III West Region coach of the year by the National Soccer Coaches Assn.

The award, to honor his work with the men’s team, makes Murphy eligible to be considered for Umbro national coach of the year, which will be announced in January.

“It’s kind of neat,” Murphy said. “The season is still kind of trickling on. But if it wasn’t for what the guys had done on the field, it wouldn’t have been remotely possible. It’s just kind of a spinoff of their success.”

The Panther men’s team advanced to the Division III final four, losing to Methodist (N.C.), 3-0, in the semifinals. Chapman finished 17-4-1. The women’s team was 13-5, setting its fourth consecutive school record for winning percentage.

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More honors: Craig Bennett, Chapman’s senior goalkeeper, was selected to play in the inaugural Umbro Select College All-Star Classic March 1 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Bennett, a two-time All-West Region selection, will play for the West team made up of Division II, Division III and NAIA players against a team from the East.

Cindy LeClair, Mary Folino and Kim Wyer, members of the Chapman women’s team, were each named Division III All-West Region. LeClair, a senior, also was an all-region selection last season.

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Rebounding well: After losing its first two games of the season--consecutively to Concordia and Cal Lutheran--the Chapman men’s basketball team beat Claremont-Mudd, 84-69, Saturday.

Coach Mike Bokosky, who said he had failed to properly prepare his team before the Cal Lutheran game (an 87-71 loss), was pleased by what he saw.

“We came out ready to play again,” Bokosky said. “It was a reversal of roles of what we saw against Cal Lutheran.”

Cal Lutheran made seven of 10 three-point shots in the first half and led by 11. Against Claremont, Chapman made six of 10 three-pointers and led by 15 at the half.

Chapman shot 66.7% from the field in the second half. Junior guard Pete Sverkos made seven three-pointers and finished with 25 points and six assists.

Saturday, the Panthers (6-2) will play at Cal Baptist in Riverside.

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After losing the first four games of its season, the Southern California College men’s basketball team has won four in a row, moving Coach Bill Reynolds within two victories of 300 in his 15-year career at the school.

But Reynolds, who is 298-150 as SCC coach, isn’t counting anything down. “Quite frankly, I’m just hoping that we get two more wins for the sake of two more wins,” he said. “I don’t know how long it’s going to take us to get there.”

Saturday, the Vanguards play at Pomona-Pitzer, one of the tougher teams in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Monday, they will be in El Cajon to play Christian Heritage, a team that beat them by 23 points this season in Costa Mesa.

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Football update: Darnell Morgan, Chapman’s junior running back, apparently set an NCAA Division III record this season. Morgan gained 1,602 all-purpose yards in 134 rushes, receptions and kick returns, an average of 11.96 yards. The NCAA record book lists Billy Johnson of Widener College as the all-time leader with a 10.2 average.

Chapman has submitted Morgan’s statistics for consideration by the NCAA.

Defensive lineman Efriam Miranda, a senior who played at Tustin High and Orange Coast College, was named honorable mention Division III All-American by Football Gazette magazine.

Notes

Peter Schumerth, a junior midfielder for the SCC men’s soccer team, was an honorable mention NAIA All-American selection. Schumerth, a three-year starter who played at Esperanza High, had 10 goals and four assists this season. . . . SCC women’s volleyball players Karajean Stephenson, a junior setter, and Angela Tonavanik, a senior outside hitter, were each named NAIA All-American /scholar-athletes. Stephenson, a math major, has a 3.96 grade-point average. Tonavanik, a math/business major, has a 3.65 GPA. . . . Former SCC men’s basketball player Danin Bryant is playing in the International Basketball League. Bryant, an All-Golden State Athletic Conference pick in 1993 and ‘94, is playing for the Bismarck (N.D.) Wizards.