UCI 2nd in Big West Women’s Cross-Country

Christy Villa won the women’s individual title at the Big West Conference Championships Saturday in Denton, Texas, to help UC Irvine finish second in the team competition behind Utah State.

Villa finished the 5,000 meters at the Eagle Point Golf Course in 17 minutes 14 seconds. Villa is the 11th individual champion for Irvine since 1983. Jo-Jo Yaba won Irvine’s last individual title in 1995, when Irvine last won the team title.

Jamie Vaicaro finished seventh in 18:11 and Kareen Nilsson was 11th in 18:21 for the Anteaters, who finished with 80 points. Utah State won with 52 points and Idaho was third with 90.

Teresa Vega finished 14th in 18:26 to lead Cal State Fullerton, which finished seventh with 178 points.

In the men’s race:

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo wins--The Broncos’ five scoring runners finished fourth through eighth to win the title with 30 points. Travis Armstrong of Boise State won the 8,000-meter race in 24:52.

Joshua Slater finished ninth in 26:00 to help Cal State Fullerton finish sixth with 168 points. UC Irvine’s top finisher was Mike Murray, who was 21st in 26:34. The Anteaters were seventh with 178 points.

In Golden State Athletic Conference men’s soccer:

Biola 4, Concordia 1--Cedric Ernst scored his 10th and 11th goals and Eddie McRae had a goal and an assist for host Biola (13-7, 7-3), which outshot Concordia, 24-8. Josh Egan scored and Tom Pfotenhauer had nine saves for Concordia (1-18-1, 0-10).

In nonconference women’s soccer:

Concordia 3, Hope International 1--Junior defender Kelly Wilkins (Marina High) scored the first goal and assisted on another for host Concordia, which outshot Hope International, 17-3. Cindy Toms and Darby Vandenburgh also scored goals for Concordia (4-11-1).

Jamie Fraley scored a second-half goal for Hope International (0-12-1).

In Big West Conference women’s volleyball:

Long Beach State 3, Cal State Fullerton 0--Benishe Dillard had 12 kills, six blocks and 10 digs to lead the visiting 49ers to a 15-3, 15-3, 15-5 victory. Tayyiba Haneef (Laguna Hills) had 11 kills and Misty May (Newport Harbor) had 31 assists for top-ranked Long Beach (22-0, 12-0).

Fullerton (7-16, 1-11) had 16 kills and 19 hitting errors.

Pacific 3, UC Irvine 0--Tandie Wade and Brooke Witt each had 10 kills, but the Anteaters (8-19, 3-9) lost at home, 15-4, 15-2, 15-13. Elsa Stegemann had 15 kills for 10th-ranked Pacific (19-4, 10-2).

In Golden State Athletic Conference women’s volleyball:

Southern California College 3, Azusa Pacific 1--Megan Godfrey had 14 kills and 12 digs and Noelle Sturgill had seven blocks for the host Vanguards (9-13, 4-9), who won, 15-5, 15-8, 4-15, 15-10.

In nonconference men’s water polo:

UC Irvine 11, Air Force 4--Senior Ryan Bailey scored five goals, and senior Jason Gabarra added four to lead host Irvine (13-5), ranked third in the nation.

Sophomore Brent Reimer (Brea Olinda High) scored two goals for 12th-ranked Air Force (11-9).