Cal Poly Pomona Has A Year To Remember
Broncos bring home 13th national title; add seven All-America honors

POMONA—Another national championship for the women’s basketball team and a large number of individual accolades highlighted a tremendous athletic year for Cal Poly Pomona.

The Broncos won their second straight national championship – and fifth overall - in women’s basketball, Lauri McIntosh was the NCAA Division II Player of the Year and Paul Thomas was the Division II Coach of the Year. McIntosh was one of six athletes to earn seven All-America awards this year and one of two athletes to earn CCAA Player of the Year honors. Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis of women’s tennis was the other.

McIntosh was named Cal Poly Pomona’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year by the Cal Poly Associates, while Lutz Braun from cross country/track and field was named the Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
A recap of the 2001-02 season follows:

FALL SPORTS:
Women’s Soccer
2001 Overall Record: 16-4-2. CCAA Record: 10-2-2 (South Division, 2nd place)
2001 National Ranking: T9
All-America: Tara Chance (D), Third team
All-West Region: Katie Kreps (GK), 1st team; Tara Chance (D), 1st team; Lisa Hermen (MF), 1st team; Michelle McConnell (F), 1st team
All-CCAA: Katie Kreps (GK), 1st team; Tara Chance (D), 1st team; Lisa Hermen (MF), 1st team; Michelle McConnell (F), 1st team; Jen Mercurio (D), 2nd team; Kim Akman (D), Honorable mention; Tia Rudolph (MF), Honorable mention; Deirdre Sweeney (MF), Honorable mention; Lisa Araujo (F), Honorable mention
CCAA Freshman of the Year: Lisa Araujo
Verizon Academic All-America All-District VIII Team: Tara Chance, Lisa Hermen
Recap: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s soccer team set several team defensive records while recording one of the most successful seasons in school history. The Broncos allowed only 13 goals in 22 games, which was a new standard. Junior Katie Kreps recorded 11 shutouts and had a goals against average of just 0.57, which was a new single-season record. The team’s 0.56 goals against average is also a new mark. The Broncos finished second in the CCAA South Division and wound up second in the CCAA Postseason Tournament. The Broncos beat Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2-1, in an NCAA Division II first-round playoff match on Kellogg Field and lost to eventual national champion UC San Diego, 1-0, in a second-round match in La Jolla. Sophomore Michelle McConnell led the team with 11 goals and 26 total points.

Men’s Soccer
2001 Overall Record: 3-15-1. CCAA Record: 3-11 (South Division, 4th place)
All-CCAA: Cherif Guirguis (F), Honorable mention
All-Cossack Classic: Kenneth Greer (F)
Recap: It was a rebuilding year for the Broncos, who were hit heavily by graduation. Cal Poly Pomona had several close calls during the year with 12 of their 15 losses coming by two goals or less and six defeats coming by one goal, three of those in overtime. Juniors Cherif Guirguis and Darren Williams led the Broncos with eight goals each. Cal Poly Pomona ended its season on a positive note, upending rival Cal State San Bernardino, 2-1, in a wild finale at Kellogg Field.

Women’s Volleyball
2001 Overall Record: 10-20. CCAA Record: 8-14 (9th place)
All-CCAA: None
Colorado Christian Tournament MVP: Kim Bullock
Colorado Christian All-Tournament Team: Kim Bullock, Lindsay Fischer
Recap: The season began on a promising note when junior Kim Bullock was named the MVP of the season-opening Colorado Christian Tournament and junior Lindsay Fischer was also named to the All-Tournament team. The Broncos split their four matches in the tourney, but key starters Fischer and junior Kristina Ravenkamp were both injured in the tourney and the Broncos were never the same. Fischer missed the remainder of the season, while Ravenkamp eventually returned, but was not fully recovered. The Broncos split their last 10 matches and had a three-match winning streak in October against UC Davis, Cal State Stanislaus and Cal State Bakersfield.

Men’s Cross Country
2001 CCAA Finish: 120 points (4th place)
2001 West Region Finish: 169 points (7th place)
All-CCAA: none
All-West Region: Matt Rainwater (15th place)
Recap: The Broncos finished fourth in the CCAA and seventh in the West Region for the second straight season. Senior Lutz Braun finished third in the Bronco Invitational, senior Scott Frost was 17th in the CCAA championships and junior Matt Rainwater earned all-region honors with a 15th place finish in the NCAA Division II West Regional.Women’s Cross Country
2001 CCAA Finish: 218 points (7th place)
2001 West Region Finish: 332 points (14th place)
All-CCAA: none
Recap: Freshman Monica Valdez was the Broncos’ No. 1 runner and had an impressive 11th-place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational for one of the season’s highlights. She was also fourth in the Bronco Invitational, 22nd in the CCAA Championships and 24th in the West Regional.

WINTER SPORTS:
Men’s Basketball
2001-02 Overall Record: 18-9. CCAA Record: 15-7 (3rd place)
2001-02 Regional Ranking: 8
All-West Region: Lucas LeCour (G), 2nd team
All-CCAA: Lucas LeCour (G), 1st team
Recap: The Broncos enjoyed their best season since 1981 and their best conference finish since the CCAA was expanded to 12 teams. Senior guard Lucas LeCour became the program’s all-time leading scorer and finished his fine Cal Poly Pomona career with 1,304 points. The Broncos set a new Cal Poly Pomona standard for most conference wins in a season and recorded their first sweep of traditional power Cal State Bakersfield since 1981. In a 67-47 win in Bakersfield, the Broncos handed the Roadrunners their most lopsided home defeat to a Division II opponent.

Women’s Basketball
2001-02 Overall Record: 28-4, CCAA Record: 19-3 (1st place)
2001-02 National Ranking: 1
2001-02 Regional Ranking: 1
NCAA Division II Player of the Year: Lauri McIntosh
NCAA Division II Coach of the Year: Paul Thomas
All-America: Lauri McIntosh (F), 1st team
All-West Region: Lauri McIntosh, 1st team
Elite Eight MVP: Lauri McIntosh
All-Elite Eight Team: Aprile Powell
All-West Regional Tournament Co-MVP: Lauri McIntosh, Burgundie Porter
All-CCAA: Lauri McIntosh (F), 1st team; Burgundie Porter (G), 1st team; Aprile Powell (C), 1st team
CCAA Co-Player of the Year: Lauri McIntosh
CCAA Co-Coach of the Year: Paul Thomas
Recap: Cal Poly Pomona became the first university to win back-to-back national titles on two separate occasions when the Broncos defended their NCAA Division II national championship with a 74-62 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State in the title game. Senior Lauri McIntosh concluded her remarkable career with 31 points and 11 rebounds in the title game and was the Elite Eight’s Most Outstanding Player after averaging 25.7 points per game in the national tournament. The Broncos reached the Elite Eight after a thrilling 71-70 victory over Western Washington in the West Regional final. Senior Leah Whatley hit two free throws with two seconds left to lift the Broncos to the victory. The Broncos clinched their third straight CCAA title and 18th CCAA crown overall on the last weekend of the regular season by beating Sonoma State and San Francisco State. Cal Poly Pomona is 74-10 in conference play over the past three seasons. McIntosh concluded her career as Cal Poly Pomona’s No. 2 all-time leading scorer with 2,176 points.

SPRING SPORTS
Baseball
2002 Overall Record: 31-22-1. CCAA Record: 20-20 (6th-place tie)
All-CCAA: Matt Stevens (OF), Honorable mention; Anthony Gonzales (IF), Honorable mention
Verizon Academic All-America All-District VIII Team: Gregor Connors
Recap: Cal Poly Pomona reached 30 wins for the third straight year, but was unable to make the CCAA Postseason Tournament for a third straight season. The Broncos enjoyed tremendous success at Scolinos Field, compiling a 20-8-1 record at home. Freshman Matt Stevens had a tremendous season and finished with a team-leading .373 batting average that was also sixth in the conference. Seniors Gregor Connors and Jason Marcus shared the team lead in home runs with seven, while junior Anthony Gonzales led the team with 43 RBI. Senior Kevin Waldinger had a 7-3 record to lead the Broncos, while junior Jose Munoz tied a program record with five saves. He also had a 4-0 record.

Men’s Tennis
2002 Overall Record: 13-7
2002 National Ranking: 26
2002 Regional Ranking: 5
ITA West Region Senior Player of the Year: JR Villaroman
Recap: The Broncos advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs, where they fell to UC Davis, 5-1, in the first round. Earlier in the season, the Broncos recorded their first win over the Aggies in several years, 7-2. Senior JR Villaroman had a strong year at No. 1 singles, compiling a 19-7 overall record. He posted a dramatic, three-set victory over UC San Diego’s No. 1 player in a titanic battle on March 10. Both players were suffering from leg injuries, but Villaroman rallied for the victory, giving his team a thrilling 5-4 win. He was ranked ninth in the region and 50th in the nation. Junior Andy Roland was 18-7 overall and ranked 13th in the region. Villaroman and Roland were ranked fourth in the region and 19th nationally in doubles.

Women’s Tennis
2002 Overall Record: 19-6. CCAA Record: 6-2 (3rd place)
2002 National Ranking: 18
2002 Regional Ranking: 5
CCAA Player of the Year: Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis
CCAA Coach of the Year: Sandy Kriezel
CCAA Freshman of the Year: Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis
ITA West Region Player to Watch: Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis
All-CCAA: Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis 1st team, Dehlia Feliz 1st team, Michelle Hammond 1st team
Recap: The Broncos recorded their most wins in a season since 1994 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs, where they lost in the first round to Hawaii Pacific, 5-0. Freshmen Anne Claire Ortiz-Luis and Dehlia Feliz played No. 1 and No. 2 singles and posted records of 25-5 and 29-6. Ortiz-Luis was ranked ninth in the region and 50th nationally. Ortiz-Luis and junior Michelle Hammond were ranked fourth in the region in doubles and 24th in the nation. Hammond was 24-5 in singles and joined Ortiz-Luis and Feliz on the All-CCAA first team.

Men’s Track & Field
2002 CCAA Finish: 129 points (3rd place)
All-Americans: Lutz Braun (3,000 steeplechase), Sebastien Bidault (discus), Rajan Monteiro (triple jump)
CCAA Individual Champions: Vincent Nguyen (100 meters), Sebastien Bidault (discus), Rajan Monteiro (triple jump), Lutz Braun (3,000 steeplechase)
CCAA Freshman of the Year: Vincent Nguyen
All-CCAA: Vincent Nguyen (100 meters), 1st team; Sebastien Bidault (discus) 1st team; Rajan Monteiro (triple jump) 1st team; Lutz Braun (3,000 steeplechase) 1st team; Matt Rainwater (3,000 steeplechase) 2nd team; James Chambless (400 hurdles) Honorable mention
Recap: The Broncos capped a strong season with a solid performance at the NCAA Division II national championships. Senior Rajan Monteiro, who earned All-America status in indoor track when he placed seventh in the triple jump, earned All-America honors for outdoor track, too, when he finished sixth in that event. Senior Lutz Braun had the best national finish, taking fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Sophomore Sebastien Bidault was fifth in the discus. Matt Rainwater was the fourth Bronco to reach the NCAA Championships as he advanced in the steeplechase. Cal Poly Pomona was also third in the CCAA, which was an improvement of one place from a year ago.

Women’s Track & Field
2002 CCAA Finish: 34 points (9th place)
All-American: Kiyota Reed (100 meter hurdles)
CCAA Individual Champion: Susanne Back (javelin)
All-CCAA: Susanne Back (javelin) 1st team; Kiyota Reed (100 hurdles) Honorable mention; Christy Buehler (discus) Honorable mention
Verizon Academic All-America All-District VIII Team: Amanda McDermott
Recap: Cal Poly Pomona moved up from 10th to ninth in the CCAA and had some outstanding individual performances. Susanne Back won the CCAA championship in the javelin and advanced to the NCAA Division II championships. Kiyota Reed earned All-America honors as a freshman after finishing seventh in the 100 hurdles. Junior Susanne Back won a conference title in the javelin, while junior Christy Buehler was third in the discus. Four Broncos qualified for the NCAA Championships: Reed, Back, Buehler and sophomore sprinter Deidre Echevarria. Senior distance runner Amanda McDermott earned district academic honors.