Coach Abruptly Leaves for Marines

Sean Nixon had just settled into his position as cross-country coach at Redlands after landing the job in August. It is now apparent that his ties to his country are much stronger.

Nixon resigned his position Monday after learning that his application to train as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps had been accepted. He was to leave for Michigan to visit his parents for a few days before heading to Virginia to begin training.

“No doubt, it caught us off guard,” Redlands Athletic Director Jeff Martinez said.

Mary Hardester, 23, is the new coach after serving as a graduate assistant. She ran for the Bulldogs from 1996-99.

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Surprise, surprise: Claremont-Mudd-Scripps has shown why it was expected to be one of the most-improved football teams in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by winning its first two games.

The Stags take on an equally improved Lewis & Clark (Ore.) in a nonconference game Saturday. The Pioneers, who won three games last year and six in the last three seasons, easily defeated Pomona-Pitzer, 49-27, in Portland last week.

“It’s not a league game, but it’s a pivotal game in that we want to keep this thing going,” Claremont Coach Rick Candaele said.

Claremont, 4-5 last season, is off to a fast start behind All-SCIAC running back Ryan Gocong. The junior ran for 151 yards and two touchdowns in the Stags’ 21-3 victory last week over La Verne.

For the season, Gocong has 304 yards and five touchdowns in 55 carries. But the game may rest on the play of the Stags’ stingy defense against quarterback Trent Thompson, who burned Pomona-Pitzer for 246 yards and four touchdowns.

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Revenge factor: In preparing for this week’s game at Azusa Pacific, Cal Lutheran’s players will no doubt have last year’s meeting on their minds. The Kingsmen suffered one of their toughest losses when Azusa rallied from a 27-0 first-quarter deficit to win, 54-51, when Luke Winslow hit Kevin Carlsen with a nine-yard touchdown pass as time expired.

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Coyotes crumble: Cal State San Bernardino, ranked No. 2 in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn., suffered its first loss this season, falling to No. 16 Cal State Bakersfield, 19-30, 30-24, 31-29, 30-24, Saturday in Bakersfield.

The Coyotes (13-1, 5-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.) were led by hitter Kim Morohunfola’s 19 kills, but Bakersfield (7-2, 4-0), with only two upperclassmen on its roster, gradually took control. Jessica Slayton finished with 18 kills and 13 digs.

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Sale honored: Cal State Los Angeles senior middle blocker Caryn Sale was named CCAA volleyball player of the week for the second consecutive time.

She had 18 kills and a .437 hitting percentage in a five-game loss at UC San Diego and a career-high 28 kills and three aces in a five-game victory at Grand Canyon.