CSU Trustees Hear Both Sides

Three against cutting men’s sports at Cal State Northridge; two in favor.

That was the extent of the speakers commenting on the topic Wednesday at the Cal State University Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach.

Northridge students Jason Roberts and Tadio Garcia defended Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson’s decision to cut baseball, volleyball, soccer and swimming on June 11.

Soccer and swimming will continue for another season through private funding, and baseball and volleyball are expected to be reinstated by a $586,000 bailout written into the state budget.

Duke Russell, Paul Coffman and Edward Lapporte spoke in favor of reinstating the sports. Russell, 71, said he was interrupted by Chancellor Barry Munitz after reading the first page of a two-page letter drafted by a group of about 20 baseball supporters Russell organized.

The group, which includes sports agent Dennis Gilbert and several college coaches, planned to address the trustees, but held off after the chancellor’s office requested Friday that they wait until the trustees’ next meeting in September.

Russell arrived at 10:30 a.m., as instructed by a letter from the chancellor’s office, but discovered the meeting started at 9:30 and that his name was called earlier.

He walked to the microphone anyway before he was stopped.

GOLF

Defending champion Tim Hogarth of Chatsworth was among 32 winners Wednesday in the opening round of the U.S. Public Links championship in Lexington, Ky.

Hogarth never trailed in defeating Justin Johnson of Corvallis, Ore., 3 and 2.

Steve Scott of Coral Springs, Fla., who lost to Tiger Woods in the final of the U.S. Amateur last year, defeated Kyle Gallo of Kensington, Conn., 5 and 4.

Medalist Trip Kuehne of Dallas, second to Woods in the U.S. Amateur in 1994, beat Timothy Tunstall of Wales, Mass., on the 19th hole.

COMMITMENTS

Lisa Payfer of Royal High has committed to Ohio Wesleyan, where she plans to play soccer.

Westlake linebacker Kenny Pickard also committed to Ohio Wesleyan. He was an All-Marmonte League selection.

Brad Hegemier of L.A. Baptist, who won the 1,600 meters in the Southern Section Division IV track and field championships, will attend Cal State Northridge.

BASEBALL

Team USA, which includes David Howard of Westlake High and Jesse Kozlowski of Simi Valley, is 4-1 after pool play in the International Baseball Assn. AA Youth World Championships in Hsin-Chu City, Taiwan.

Howard has three hits in 12 at-bats, including a double.

Kozlowski allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts in three innings Sunday against Italy.

FOOTBALL

Former Royal High quarterback Ryan Fien has returned to the Highlanders as a quarterback coach for the freshman team.

Fien, who played at Idaho last season after transferring from UCLA, participated in a mini-camp with the Oakland Raiders earlier this year but was not invited to training camp.

WATER POLO

La Canada’s 17-and-under boys’ “A” team placed sixth in the Villa Park 18-and-under tournament. La Canada defeated Riverside Poly, 8-5, in its first-round match, and edged Los Alamitos, 8-7, in the second round, but lost in the semifinals and in the fifth-place game.