LOOKING BACK:
This is the first of eight consecutive editions in which the News-Press looks back at the area’s 2008-09 seasons, school by school, before looking ahead at the year to come.
The Glendale Community College 2008-09 sports season didn’t feature any state championships like the previous one. However, there turned out to be quite a few milestones with respect to the Vaquero teams and individuals turning in quality efforts in state events.
Several teams vied for state glory with the powerful women’s cross-country team finishing second at the state meet after winning the crown in 2007. Both cross-country teams won Western State Conference championships. Members of the college’s track and field team and men’s tennis team advanced to state events. A couple of athletes achieved all-state accolades, as well.
Here’s a recap of those events and some others that involved Glendale college sports from the past year:
Aug. 29, 2008 — The women’s volleyball team tips off its season with a 25-17, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22 nonconference home victory against Antelope Valley College. Outside hitter Aya Nakano has 12 kills and 18 digs and setter Nicole Diller contributes 42 assists for the Vaqueros, who go on to finish at 9-13 and 4-8 in the Western State Conference.
Sept. 6, 2008 — Under the direction of first-year Coach John Rome, the Glendale college football team opens its season with a 20-13 nonconference road loss to West Los Angeles College. Glendale college quarterback Dylan Martinez finishes the game 11 for 18 for 118 yards and one touchdown.
Sept. 8, 2008 — The Glendale college women’s golf team shoots a 350 to finish fifth in a Western State Conference match at El Cariso Golf Course in Sylmar. The Vaqueros go 12-28 on the year and finish fifth in conference. Brittney Gonzales of Glendale college goes on to miss qualifying for the State Tournament by one stroke after shooting a two-round score of 182 at the Southern California Regionals in Desert Hot Springs in November.
Sept. 20, 2008 — Behind a strong defensive effort, the Vaqueros get a convincing 20-7 nonconference road victory against Riverside City College, which enters the game ranked 12th in Southern California and 20th in the state. Josh Stangby catches one pass for a touchdown and scores another on a punt return to lead the Vaqueros.
Oct. 17, 2008 — The women’s soccer team is handed a 2-0 home loss by L.A. Pierce College in a Western State Conference match. The Vaqueros finish at 8-9-5 and 5-6-3 in conference.
The men’s soccer team gets two goals and one assist from Paco Bustillos to earn a 3-0 Western State Conference home win against Citrus College. Glendale college goes on to finish at 10-10-3 and 7-5-2 in conference.
Oct. 28, 2008 — Both Glendale college cross-country teams capture Western State Conference championships at Waller Park in Santa Maria. The women’s team receives a first-place finish from freshman Katie Dunn, who clocks 19 minutes 14 seconds and a second-place effort from Justina Sadauskaite (19:24) to help the Vaqueros best Cuesta College, 22-132, and win their third conference championship in a row.
In the men’s portion of the meet, Crescenta Valley High graduate Nathan Sellers clocks 21:25 to finish second and helps Glendale college best College of the Canyons, 47-87. Francisco Quijada takes ninth overall in 22:10 for the Vaqueros, who win the conference crown for the 18th time in 22 years.
Nov. 7, 2008 — The women’s cross-country team finishes first for the third year in a row at the Southern California Championships at Kern County Soccer Park in Bakersfield. Glendale college holds off rival Southwestern College of San Diego, 68-77. Dunn clocks 18:03 on the 5K course to take fourth.
The men’s squad places 10th in the event, as Sellers picks up a mark of 20:06. The Vaqueros get 268 points.
The men’s basketball teams tips off its season with an 82-80 loss to Miramar College at the buzzer in a Vaquero Tip-Off Classic game.
Nov. 15, 2008 — Glendale college’s football team ends its season on a five-game losing skid, capped by a 31-14 loss to host Pasadena City College in a Northern Conference National Division contest. The Vaqueros wrap up the season 3-7 and 1-5 in the division.
Nov. 22, 2008 — Glendale college’s women’s cross-country team sees its bid to win a second straight state championship fall short after earning a second-place finish behind Orange Coast Community College at Fresno’s Woodward Park.
“I think it’s probably the most exciting race I’ve seen in my 22 years of cross-country,” says Coach Eddie Lopez after his Lady Vaqueros are edged, 84-86. “We were three points away from being champions again. We ran very well.
“Our tradition is very strong.”
Dunn places fifth in 18:15 in the 5K race.
The Vaqueros placed seventh in the men’s competition. Sellers is ninth in 20:31 in the 6K race.
Jan. 10 — Paola Gupilan finishes with 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Glendale college women’s basketball team gets a 74-58 victory against L.A. Valley College in a Western State Conference Southern Division contest. Glendale college concludes its season at 15-15 and 7-7 in the division.
Jan. 21 — Glendale college’s men’s basketball team fall to Citrus College, 94-73, in a Western State Conference Southern Division contest. The Vaqueros finish their season at 12-17 and 5-7 in the division. Sophomore guard Markus Monroe goes on to become the program’s eighth player to earn All-State honors after he averages 22.2 points and finishes his career as the program’s fourth all-time leading point scorer. He also averages 6.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 3.7 assists per game.
Jan. 27 — The men’s tennis team begins its season with a 7-2 nonconference home win against Occidental College.
Feb. 3 — First baseman Krista Smith hits a grand slam to propel the softball program to a 9-0 nonconference victory against Rio Hondo College at the Glendale Sports Complex. The Vaqueros finish 10-30 and 4-19 in the Western State Conference.
March 21 — The eighth annual Glendale College Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony features former distance running great Jeff Nelson, football standouts George McGowan and Steve Moore, longtime former trainer Tony Spino, Dr. John Davitt and the 1978 women’s volleyball team as honorees.
“Glendale college is a family that together has accomplished a lot,” says Davitt, who retired in 2006 following a 21-year stint as superintendent and president of the college. “It’s not winning and losing that’s most important. It’s the lesson that we gave for life and how well our students were prepared for life when they left.”
March 24 — The women’s tennis team picks up an easy 8-1 home win against Allan Hancock College in a Western State Conference match. The Vaqueros finish their season at 7-8 and 5-5 in conference.
March 30 — The Glendale college men’s golf team finishes in eighth place in a Western State Conference match at Brookside Golf Course No. 1 in Pasadena. Zack Rispin leads the Vaqueros with a seven-over-par 79. Glendale college finishes its season at 2-75 and in last place in conference.
April 14 — The Glendale college baseball team rallies for a 10-8 victory against Citrus College in a Western State Conference Southern Division home game at Stengel Field. The Vaqueros finish 24-19 and 14-14 in the division. Second baseman Michael Mendoza bats .387 (70 for 181) with a team-high nine home runs and 38 runs batted in to secure all-conference and is named to the Southern California section of the all-state team.
The men’s tennis team finishes its season at 14-7 and 8-2 in conference following a 5-0 road loss to top-seeded College of the Desert in an opening round match of the Southern California Regionals. After he leads the team to a second-place finish in the competitive Western State Conference, sophomore Rony Yeghnazary is named the conference’s co-player of the year along with Ventura College’s Zach Taylor.
April 25 — The women’s track and field team wins its first Western State Conference championship since 1981, accumulating 202 points to best West Los Angeles College at Bakersfield College. Katie Dunn wins the 10K in 38 minutes 51.14 seconds and teammate Zitlalic Ley is second in 39:38.89. The Vaqueros immediately added 24 more points when Ley (11:33.36), Angelina Gonzalez (11:58.57) and Brigette Fernandez (12:01.87) take the top three spots, respectively, in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Glendale college’s men’s team places fourth with 76.33 points. Nathan Sellers wins the 10K in 31:37.36 and also the 5,000 in 15:06.01. Adrian Anderson captures the 800 for Glendale college in 1:54.88 and Jonathan Alpizar (9:52.41) and Francisco Quijada (9:55.64) place first and second, respectively, in the 3,000 steeplechase. Christopher Santoyo is second in the pole vault, clearing 14-1.
May 1 — Yeghnazary advances to the state tournament following a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Alexander Piccin of Ventura College in a round-of-16 match in the Southern California Regional Individuals Tournament at Long Beach City College.
Glendale college’s women’s doubles team of Meldia Hacobian and Monique Palmera falls, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2, in its round-of-16 match against a top-seeded team from Riverside Community College at Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa.
May 8 — Yeghnazary suffers a 7-5, 6-3 loss to top-seeded Joao Noguiera of Fresno City College in a first-round match of the Community College State Playoffs at Natomas Racquet Club in Sacramento.
May 16 — Ten Glendale College track and field athletes head to San Mateo seeking to win state championships in their respective events. None comes back to Glendale with a medal in hand following competing at the California Community College Athletic Assn. Track and Field Championships at College of San Mateo.
Ley has the best finish for the Vaqueros. She clocks 11 minutes 19.41 seconds to place second in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. Angelina Gonzalez of Glendale college places sixth in the steeplechase with a mark of 12:03.37. Freshman sprinter Samantha Bogatz, a Glendale High graduate, takes third in the 100- and 200-meter events after winning both races at the Southern California Championships at Mount San Antonio College. Bogatz clocks 12.07 seconds in the 100 and 24.34 in the 200. Bogatz works with Crescenta Valley High graduate Ashley Baucham, Janette Morfin and Melani Artoun-Livaskan to take fifth in the 4x100 relay with a school-record mark of 47.70. Dunn takes ninth in the 1,500 in 5:12.82.
The Vaqueros place 10th with 27 points.
Glendale college’s men team finishes 16th with 22 points. The Vaqueros get third-place finishes from Sellers in the 5,000 (15:21.79) and Alpizar in the 3,000 steeplechase (9:49.76). Quijada clocks 9:56.72 to take fifth in the steeplechase. Sellers earlier posts a mark of 31:39.87 and places third in the 10,000.
June 1 — Terry Coblentz resigns as women’s tennis coach after holding the position since 1983 to concentrate more on her responsibilities as the college’s women’s athletic director. She is replaced by Bob Donaghy, who coached the men’s program for 25 years.
