McElwee Makes a Transformation

Heath McElwee paid his dues at Cal State Northridge last season, raking the field, chasing foul balls, and working hard at practice. He had three hits in 18 at-bats and logged a handful of innings in the outfield for the Matadors.

This year, he’s finally in the lineup--for The Master’s College.

McElwee, a senior from Granada Hills High, transferred last summer and is one of the Mustangs’ most dependable players. He is batting .267 with 10 doubles and three home runs, and has resurrected his pitching career.

McElwee (6-4) with a 4.34 earned-run average has bolstered a staff that has an ERA of 5.85.

Whirlwind: Freshman Cheree Hicks of Cal State Northridge set her third school record in four weeks in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays on Sunday when she placed seventh in the women’s discus with a throw of 178 feet 4 inches.

The effort topped her record of 178-1 set in a four-team meet at UCLA on April 12. It also came two days after she moved to second on the all-time Matador list in the shotput with a winning toss of 50-6 1/4 in the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.

The 1,600 relay team of Derek Favorite, Jeff Nasternak, Chris Brown and Clinton Lane moved into third on Northridge’s all-time list with a time of 3:10.24 seconds to place second at Mt. SAC.

Sophomore Nancy James moved to eighth in the women’s 1,500 when she ran 4:26.83 to place sixth in her university-open heat.

Going the distance: Moorpark College distance runners Eleazar Hernandez, Uzziel Gray, Jesus Villavicencio and Pancho Pelayo plan to do everything they can to help the Raiders win the Western State Conference track and field championships at College of the Canyons on Saturday.

The foursome placed second, third, fourth and eighth in the final of the 10,000 meters last Saturday to total 20 points in a meet that awards points to the top eight finishers in each event on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.

Saturday, each is entered in the 3,000 steeplechase and the 5,000.

“It was their idea to [run in all three events],” Moorpark Coach Manny Trevino said. “They really want us to win the conference title.”

Moorpark, the WSC dual-meet champion, is trying to dethrone three-time defending champion Bakersfield and win its first overall conference title since 1993.