CROSS-COUNTRY

The Concordia women’s cross-country team, ranked No. 5 in the NAIA, will try to win its first Golden State Athletic Conference championship when the conference final begins at 4 p.m. Saturday in La Mirada.

It has been a remarkable turnaround for the women’s and men’s teams, and playing a large part in that success has been Coach Joan Hansen-Lester.

Before the arrival of Hansen-Lester, a 1984 U.S. Olympian, at the school three years ago, neither team had finished higher than fifth in a conference final. This year, the women’s team is 4-2 and has achieved the highest national ranking of any sport in Concordia’s history.

The women’s team, led by sophomores Tricia Mattson and Rachel Lafady, is favored Saturday. The men’s team, which earned its first national ranking this season but dropped out of the top 25 last week, is paced by freshman Chris Deulen.

Next up for the Eagle women is the NAIA championships Nov. 21 in Kenosha, Wis. A strong showing Saturday by the Eagle men could earn them a trip to the Midwest too.

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Men’s basketball: Concordia and Southern California College were each picked to finish fourth in the eight-team GSAC in a coaches’ preseason poll. Concordia returns three starters from last season’s team that finished 13-19, 4-10 in conference.

Greg Marshall, beginning his ninth season as coach, welcomes sophomore guard Jeff Postlmayr, who played at Capistrano Valley Christian High and SCC before transferring last summer, and the lone incoming freshman, guard Garid Beeler from Ocean View High.

The new coach at SCC is former UCLA player and UC Irvine assistant Cameron Dollar, who replaces longtime coach Bill Reynolds, who retired after last season.

Concordia opens its season Nov. 10 with a 7:30 p.m. home game against La Sierra, and SCC begins Nov. 13-14 at The Masters College tournament.

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Women’s basketball: Concordia Coach Greg Dinneen returns for his second season with the Eagles, who last year finished 24-9 and reached the GSAC title game. The Eagles’ open at Cal Poly Pomona at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 13.

Senior guard Allison Fortner is the only returning starter, but the team is laden with county talent, including junior transfer Kristen Kopp (El Toro High/Irvine Valley College), who has the early edge at starting point guard, senior guard Dinah Shah (Troy), freshman guard Taryn Commins (San Clemente) and freshman forward Melissa Van Natta (El Dorado).