Titans’ Thompson Learning American Way

After nearly two months, Dan Thompson is getting comfortable with this living-in-America thing.

Thompson, a freshman basketball player at Cal State Fullerton, is from Australia, but he says he has adjusted quickly to the new setting.

“I had my first attempt driving on the right side of the highway the other day,” Thompson said, smiling. “I was a bit afraid at first, but it went all right. It’s just different.”

The last couple of weeks also have given him time to figure out the American custom of Halloween. “We didn’t have anything like that in Australia, where people dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat,” Thompson said.

Thompson, a 6-foot-6 forward, has made an equally quick transition on the basketball court.

“He’s shown he’s a solid all-around player,” Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said.

Titan standout Ike Harmon agrees.

“He can do a lot of different things well,” Harmon said. “I’ve been impressed by that.”

Thompson appears to have worked his way into the mix for playing time this season. The Titans open their season in Canada Nov. 19 against Simon Fraser of Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver.

“He’s versatile, and we can use him at either of the two forward spots,” Hawking said. “It adds to his options.”

Thompson graduated from high school in Adelaide, Australia, then played for one year at the Australian Institute of Sport, which is a training ground for athletes regarded as potential members of that country’s national teams.

Thompson played for Australia’s under-20 national team during its tour of Europe this year, and also led his high school team to an eighth-place finish in the national high school tournament the year before.

Hawking said Thompson was recommended to him by coaching contacts he has in Australia. Thompson said Fullerton and Pacific were the only NCAA Division I schools that showed interest in him.

“I knew it would be really good for me to play in the U.S.,” Thompson said. “In Australia, it’s a big thing to be able to play on a college team in America, so I’m happy to have the opportunity.”

Thompson said he hopes to eventually play professionally in the U.S., Europe or Australia.

“Everyone wants to play in the NBA, but that might be just a dream for me,” he said. “I’d be happy playing in our National League in Australia. They pay some good money there, although it’s not like the NBA.”

A LONGER ROAD

For several years, the winner of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation was assured an automatic bid to the NCAA men’s soccer playoffs.

But that changed this season after the power ratings of the various conferences were recalculated. Now the MPSF champion will have to go into a play-in match against the winner of the Mid-Continent Conference, Cal State Fullerton Coach Al Mistri said.

“It’s disappointing to not have an automatic bid when we have so many good programs in the conference,” Mistri said.

Eighth-ranked Fullerton and third-ranked UCLA play Sunday at UCLA for the right to advance to the MPSF title game on Nov. 10 against the Mountain Division winner. The winner of that game will move on to the NCAA play-in round.

Mistri, however, said he thinks his team has a good chance to be selected for an at-large berth in the 32-team tournament field.

“That’s as good a record as we’ve ever had after 18 games,” Mistri said. “There are only a handful of teams that have won 14 games.”

MARATHON MEN

The UC Irvine women’s cross-country team winning the Big West Conference Saturday was a highlight, but not the only one for Coach Vince O’Boyle.

Equally impressive were the Anteater men, who finished second to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. This was the same team that finished seventh a year ago.

“If someone would have told me at the beginning of the season we’d be second, I would have said they were crazy,” O’Boyle said. “I rode them hard in the last year. They took it and responded. They put in their time.”

The result was Jon Doroski finishing seventh, Chris Evans ninth and Mike Murray 10th.

While Courtney Baird’s second- place finish keyed the women’s title run, it was senior Jamie Blair who came up with the big race, finishing third.

Blair was one of the team’s top runners, and has always had her best days at important meets. A redshirt last year, she finished sixth in the conference meet two years ago and 10th three years ago.

“Courtney did a great job, but Jamie came up huge,” O’Boyle said. “She was flying past people at the end.”

FINAL FLING

The Irvine women’s soccer team literally battled to the end to earn a 1-1 tie with St. Mary’s Friday night, getting the tying goal with two seconds left.

Trailing 1-0 with 10 seconds left, the Anteaters’ Melody Mangrello set up quickly on a corner kick and . . .

“The whole crowd was counting down and all of us on the bench stood up just to give a last little encouragement,” said junior forward Katie Sheppard, who normally would have been in the middle of the play, but is out for the season after breaking her collarbone. “Mo kicked the ball and their goalie got her hands on it, then bobbled it. Three of our players jumped at it.

“I still don’t know who scored the goal. All I know is I thought I broke my collarbone again when I jumped off the bench and raised both arms.”

After a postgame investigation, the goal was officially awarded to Sara Henderson.

“Actually, I think Sara and Brittny Zimmerman both got a head on it,” Coach Marine Cano said. “The night didn’t start too well. It was senior night and Heidi Reinhard is our only senior. She was very, very, very sick. She came with her parents and we held a ceremony for her, then she went home. That’s the kind of luck we have had this year. But we never stopped playing hard.”

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Staff writer Chris Foster contributed to this story.