Coach Retires With No Regrets

UCLA’s 20th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional women’s golf tournament last weekend at Houston ended the Bruins’ season. It also ended the 22-year Hall-of-Fame career of Coach Jackie Tobian-Steinmann.

Tobian-Steinmann led the Bruins to 43 tournament victories and a national championship in 1991. She was the National Golf Coaches Assn. coach of the year in 1996 and LPGA coach of the year in 1989.

But, she admits, she is ready for a change.

“I had a lot of mixed emotions when I first decided to [retire],” Tobian-Steinmann said. “As the year’s gone on, my career’s been celebrated at every tournament. The awards are great.

“But I know it’s time to stop.”

That does not mean she won’t be busy. What with writing a book on coaching, a career on the lecture circuit already in full swing and a planned increase of seminars and clinics for other golf coaches, Tobian-Steinmann may find it difficult to relax and actually enjoy her retirement.

“I’m going to be busier than I was when I was coaching,” she joked.

Tobian-Steinmann wants to become an ambassador for college golf.

“I just want to help other coaches,” she said. “When I first started, I had no one to talk to, no one to ask questions from, and I really missed that.”

She sees the biggest need for coaching at the high school level, where she thinks her seminars can be the biggest help.

One thing she won’t be doing soon is traveling.

“I traveled a lot in my time here,” Tobian-Steinmann said. “So I don’t think I want to do much traveling.”

On her final trip with UCLA, Tobian-Steinmann’s team struggled at a long course at Pine Forest Country Club.

The Bruins were 97 over par with their 961, 82 strokes behind winning USC.

The Trojans were led by Jennifer Rosales, the top-ranked college golfer and defending national champion who finished fourth with 217, one over. Tied for fifth were her teammates, Leila Chartrand and Nicole Dalkasz.

The top 11 teams at the regional advanced to the NCAA tournament at Tulsa on May 19-22, which meant sixth-place Pepperdine advanced as well.

The Waves were led by Lisa Chang’s six-over 222, which tied her for 10th.

The Waves’ men’s team also had some good news last weekend as Michael Beard shot a seven-under 206 and defeated Stanford’s Joel Kribel in a playoff to win the U.S. Intercollegiate men’s tournament at Stanford. The Waves finished fifth with an 870 total, 18 shots behind winner Brigham Young.

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One of the reasons USC’s men’s track team nearly defeated UCLA in their dual meet earlier this month was the success of Jeff Trepagnier in the high jump. Trepagnier, a sophomore forward on the basketball team, won the event with a jump of 6 feet 9 3/4 inches in his first track and field meet at any level.

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The UCLA, USC and Pepperdine men’s and women’s tennis teams were all selected for the NCAA tournament, beginning this weekend.

The top-ranked Bruin men host Western Michigan at the L.A. Tennis Center on Friday, the winner facing either Tulsa or San Diego State on Saturday. The seventh-ranked Bruin women will also host Western Michigan on Saturday, the winner facing the South Alabama-Colorado winner Sunday.

Pepperdine’s eighth-ranked women will host Boston University at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on Saturday, the winner playing the winner of the Louisiana State-Ohio State match Sunday. The 18th-ranked men travel to Tempe, Ariz., to face New Mexico on Friday. Arizona State plays Hofstra, with the second round Saturday.

The No. 10 Trojan women host Drake, and the University of San Diego will play Minnesota, Saturday at Marks Tennis Stadium. The second round is set for Sunday. The 15th-ranked USC men travel to Fresno to play Missouri Kansas City on Friday, the winner playing the winner of Saturday’s match between Fresno State and UNLV on Sunday.

Twelve individuals and seven doubles teams from area schools were also chosen to compete. UCLA has four individuals and three doubles teams, USC four individuals and two doubles teams, Pepperdine has three individuals and two doubles teams, and UC Santa Barbara has one individual.

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The No. 1 UCLA softball team won three of four games in Arizona last weekend, sweeping No. 13 Arizona State and splitting with No. 3 Arizona.

Sophomore Stacey Nuvemann leads the nation with 27 home runs and 80 RBIs, and pitcher Amanda Freed was named Pacific 10 pitcher of the week after shutting out Arizona, 8-0, then Arizona State, 4-0. She gave up three hits in the two games.

Long Beach State took two of three from Pacific last weekend at Stockton to take a half-game lead in the Big West with one weekend remaining in the regular season. The 49ers (29-19, 13-7 Big West) host Sacramento State in three games next weekend.

Loyola Marymount ended its season by winning the Western Intercollegiate Softball League tournament championship. The Lions (43-28) defeated San Diego, 4-2, in the title game at San Diego.