Women Gymnasts Targeting NCAA Meet

The Cal State Fullerton women’s gymnastics team has failed to qualify for the NCAA regional only once in 21 years under Coach Lynn Rogers.

But to be assured of making it this year, the Titans probably will need a strong performance Saturday night when they host the Big West Conference meet in Titan Gym.

Seven teams will qualify for the West Regional April 5 at Boise State. The Titans are seventh in the regional point standings and on the bubble.

“Hopefully, being at home will make a difference for us,” Rogers said. “We typically do well in our gym. Competing in front of our fans really helps, and we hope it will give us some momentum.”

Fullerton enters the meet rated third in the conference behind Boise State and Utah State.

“On paper, that’s probably where we should finish, but we don’t know the physical condition of the other teams at this point,” Rogers said. “We know we’re about as healthy as we expected to be at this point.”

Alexis Lott is back competing on a limited basis. She won the uneven bars and finished second in the all-around in the conference meet two years ago, but torn knee ligaments forced her to miss the 1996 season. Her comeback this season was slowed when she re-injured the knee in early February.

“We pulled back after that because we didn’t want to put her at greater risk,” Rogers said. “But she’s healthy again now, and we think she should be fine in the events she’ll compete in.”

Lott, a junior, is scheduled to compete in only the bars and the beam. “I know she’s probably unhappy with me because I won’t let her compete in the other two events [floor exercise and vault], and it’s been disappointing to her. But she’s handled it well. She sometimes sets unrealistic expectations for herself, but I feel those two events are too great a risk for her right now.”

Lott missed two meets in February but came back to score a season-high 9.625 on the bars last weekend at UC Santa Barbara. Her performance on the beam was only slightly below her best effort of the season.

“It’s a matter now of her gaining a little more confidence,” Rogers said. “But her effort has been stellar.”

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Sophomore Katy Maty continues to perform well in all four events and should be a contender for the conference all-around title. She had her best performance of the season two weeks ago in the meet at UCLA where she scored 38.875 points.

“She’s having a terrific year,” Rogers said.

Associate head coach Julie Knight says Maty has made a big improvement in the vault.

“That’s been the key for her,” Knight said. “I think her chances are excellent in the all-around now that she’s improved there. She’s learned a more difficult vault this year and that’s improved her opportunity to score higher. Her old vault used to start at 9.6, but the new one starts at 9.8.”

Knight says Maty also has improved in the other three events. “She’s performing very well now, and she should rank among the top three in the all-around going into the meet,” Knight said.

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The Titans have four athletes in the NCAA individual competition this week.

Orlando deCastroverde (118 pounds) and Steve Duran (158 pounds) will compete in wrestling beginning today at Northern Iowa.

Renato Gates (foil) and Brian Clawson (epee) are in the fencing competition at Air Force Academy, also beginning today.

Titan Notes

Former Titan catcher Jason Moler has ended his baseball playing career and is an assistant strength coach at Texas for Augie Garrido. Moler played for Garrido at Illinois, then returned with him to Fullerton. He played four seasons in the minor leagues with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. . . . Former Titan Phil Nevin, who made it back to the major leagues last season with the Detroit Tigers, has a wrist injury and could be out several weeks. . . . Pete Fukuhara, a junior outfielder, was named Big West player of the week. He had eight hits in 18 at-bats, including a seven-for-14 performance in last weekend’s three-game sweep of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Fukuhara scored seven runs, drove in six, had a double, triple and two home runs. . . . Sarah MacDougall was the only Titan event winner in the Long Beach State Track and Field Classic Saturday. She had a winning time of 10:00.16 in the 3,000 meters. . . . The women’s tennis team lost all three of its matches against Idaho State, Portland and Nebraska in last week’s Titan Invitational. Debbie Vonusa and Poornima Swaminathain posted the team’s only singles victories, both against Idaho State.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key games this week for Cal State Fullerton:

* Women’s gymnastics, Big West Conference meet, 7 p.m. Saturday in Titan Gym.

* Softball, PONY Invitational tournament, today through Sunday, at Titan Softball Complex. Fullerton plays Southwest Louisiana at 5:45 p.m. today.

* Baseball, at UC Santa Barbara, at 2:30 p.m. Friday, and at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.