CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Monday, March 1, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

 

Schedule of upcoming events:


MEN’S BASKETBALL:

vs. Grand Canyon on Friday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m.

vs. UC San Diego on Saturday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

                                                                                                                                   

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL:

vs. Grand Canyon on Friday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m.

vs. UC San Diego on Saturday, March 6 at 5:30 p.m.

 

BASEBALL:

vs. Cal State L.A. on Thursday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m.

vs. Cal State L.A. on Friday, March 5 at 2:30 p.m.

at Cal State L.A. (DH) on Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

 

M/W TENNIS:

M/Ten at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday, March 3 at 1:30 p.m.

W/Ten vs. Villanova on Thursday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m.

M/Ten vs. Villanova on Thursday, March 4 at 1:30 p.m.

M/Ten vs. Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, March 6 at 11 a.m.

W/Ten at UC San Diego on Saturday, March 6 at noon

                                                           

M/W TRACK & FIELD:

at Long Beach Relays on Saturday, March 6 at 9 a.m.

                                                                       

 

FOLLOW THE BRONCOS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB

HTTP://WWW.CSUPOMONA.EDU/~ATHLETIC

 

MEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS RECORD A TOUGH WEEKEND SPLIT

2003-04 Record: 19-6. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 15-5

2003-04 West Region Ranking: 6

2003-04 National Ranking: 24

 

DEFENDING WEST REGION CHAMPS HAVE STREAK HALTED AT EIGHT: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team had its season-best eight-game winning streak snapped on Saturday night in Chico, but still managed a difficult split of the weekend’s games. Cal Poly Pomona has won 13 of its past 15 games. The Broncos won their eighth straight game with a tough 75-73 victory over UC Davis on Friday night. The Broncos fell behind early, 15-4, but rallied to trail by only one point, 34-33, at halftime. Cal Poly Pomona then surged ahead in the second half and led by as many as nine points. The Broncos still held a 70-62 with 2:29 remaining, but a pair of turnovers helped fuel a late UC Davis run that made it 70-68 with 1:08 to go. Jonathan Boyd (So., Fontana, Etiwanda HS) made a pair of free throws to bump the lead back up to 72-68, but the Aggies cut the lead to one point, 72-71 with 43 seconds left. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS) made a layup to get the advantage back up to 74-71 and then made a key steal with 14 seconds remaining to put the game out of reach. Williams made one of two free throws to clinch the win. Jeff Bonds (Jr., Compton, Mayfair HS) had 19 points and seven rebounds to lead the Broncos, while David Sybesma (Jr., Corona, Corona Centennial HS) had 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. Boyd also had a strong game with 12 points. Cal Poly Pomona, though, was unable to complete another weekend sweep because Chico State made an amazing 17 of 25 attempts from 3-point range and beat the Broncos, 92-82. The Wildcats trailed only once, early in the game, and took control with a 19-5 run. A 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Wildcats a 49-32 halftime lead. Chico State led by as many as 22 points in the second half and the closest the Broncos could get was nine points. Sybesma led the Broncos with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Bonds had 18 points and six rebounds. Boyd had 12 points for the second straight game and Williams finished with 10 points and a career-high eight assists.

 

BRONCOS REMAIN SIXTH IN LATEST REGIONAL POLL: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, the 2003 West Region champ, held steady in sixth in the most recent NCAA Division II West Region poll after their home wins over San Francisco State and Sonoma State. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the playoffs. Cal State San Bernardino is the top-ranked team in the region, while BYU-Hawaii is second and Humboldt State is third. Cal State Bakersfield remained fourth and Alaska Fairbanks stayed fifth. Another weekly poll will be released on Wednesday and the playoff field will be announced on Sunday night.

 

BRONCOS TO HOST FINAL TWO HOME GAMES OF THE SEASON: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s basketball team, ranked 24th in the NCAA Division II, will conclude its regular season with home games against Grand Canyon on Friday and UC San Diego on Saturday. Jonathan Williams (Sr., Pasadena, John Muir HS), Guy Beahm (Sr., Willow Glen, West Valley JC) and Michael Ridgway (Sr., Houston, TX., Lamar University) will be honored prior to Saturday’s game for their contributions to the Bronco program. Both contests are set to begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night will also be Youth Basketball Night.

 

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: BRONCOS INCH CLOSER TO CCAA LEAD WITH TWO WINS

2003-04 Record: 19-6. 2003-04 CCAA Record: 15-5.

NCAA Division II West Region Ranking: 3

 

BRONCOS POST PAIR OF WINS OVER TOP CONFERENCE OPPONENTS: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team ran its current winning streak to six games with victories over two of the top contenders in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. The Broncos started the weekend with a narrow 60-59 win over UC Davis and then rolled past Chico State, 85-65, on Saturday night. The wins pulled the Broncos to within one game of first-place Cal State Bakersfield with two games remaining. On Friday, Cal Poly Pomona scored the first 10 points of the game and led most of the way before having to survive some anxious moments late in the game. Cal Poly Pomona led by as many as 12 points in the first half and had a 32-22 halftime lead. The Broncos led by 12 points, 36-24, early in the second half, but went on a 15-0 run in the second half to take a 37-36 lead. The lead changed hands nine times in the second half, the final time on a layup by Jaida Williams (Sr., Opalocka, Fla., Barry University) with 22 seconds remaining. The Broncos prevailed despite five missed free throws in the final 16 seconds and missing 10 of 13 free-throw attempts in the second half. Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas) led four Broncos in double figures with 12 points. Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) had 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College) had 10 points and five assists and Williams finished with 10 points and three rebounds. On Saturday, Cal Poly Pomona led for most of the game against Chico State and, after leading 41-35 at halftime, broke the game open with a dominating second-half performance. The Broncos enjoyed a hefty 49-28 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive rebounds. The Broncos also forced 20 turnovers. Allen had a game-high 30 points and tied a CCAA record by hitting all 16 of her free-throw attempts. That is also a Cal Poly Pomona record. Beachem had another outstanding game with 16 points and eight rebounds and Brandi Fletcher (So., Pomona, Diamond Ranch HS) had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

 

THOMAS REACHES MILESTONE AT CAL POLY POMONA: Cal Poly Pomona Head Women’s Basketball Coach Paul Thomas recorded his 200th victory as the Bronco head coach on Saturday night in Chico when the Broncos rolled past the Wildcats, 85-65. Thomas, who has led the Broncos to a pair of NCAA Division II national championships and was the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 2001-02, has a record of 200-83 at Cal Poly Pomona. He has led the Broncos to five CCAA titles and has been named the CCAA Coach of the Year four times.

 

BRONCOS SET TO CONCLUDE REGULAR SEASON WITH KEY HOME GAMES: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team will play a pair of key home games this weekend with a chance at adding to its unprecedented total of 18 conference titles. The Broncos will host Grand Canyon on Friday and UC San Diego on Saturday. Cal Poly Pomona enters the final weekend just one game behind first-place Cal State Bakersfield, which closes its regular season with home games against UC Davis and Chico State. Both Cal Poly Pomona games will begin at 5:30 p.m. The game on Saturday with be part of Youth Basketball Night as well as the final home games for Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona), Keila Beachem (Sr., Chicago, Ill., University of Kansas), Jaida Williams (Sr., Opalocka, Fla., Barry University), Tami Swanson-Cades (Sr., Nevada City, Sierra College) and Marisa Lattin (Sr., Oceanside, El Camino HS), who will be honored as part of Senior Night.

 

BRONCOS HOLD STEADY IN THIRD IN LATEST REGIONAL POLL: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team, which has won two NCAA Division II championships in the past three years, is ranked third in the latest NCAA Division II West Region poll. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs. Seattle Pacific is ranked first in the poll, while Cal State Bakersfield is second. The final regular-season poll will be released on Wednesday with the playoff field being announced Sunday night.

 

BASEBALL: BRONCOS WORK EXTRA TO SALVAGE SPLIT WITH TRITONS

2004 Record: 11-6-2. 2004 CCAA Record: 8-3-1

National Ranking: 26

 

BRONCOS WORK ON SUNDAY TO COMPLETE FOUR-GAME SERIES: Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team, which has won 30 or more games in three of the past four seasons, salvaged a four-game split with No. 21 UC San Diego. The split required the Broncos to return to La Jolla on Sunday at noon to complete a game that was suspended by darkness on Saturday. The game was stopped with the Broncos leading, 4-2, heading into the bottom of the sixth. When play resumed, Jose Munoz (Sr., Baldwin Park, Rio Hondo JC) made sure the extra effort would not go unrewarded. Munoz retired all six batters he faced Sunday to complete the win for the Broncos. Taylor Wilding (So., Alta Loma, Etiwanda HS) worked the first 4 1/3 innings and gave up just four hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out six. With the game tied at 2-2 after five innings, Marc Evans (Fr., Alta Loma, Etiwanda HS) smacked his first home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning to put the Broncos ahead. Jesse Coffman (Jr., Rancho Cucamonga, Chaffey College) added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to account for the final run. Matt Stevens (Jr., Riverside, Rubidoux HS) had two of the Broncos’ six hits in the game. In the opener of the doubleheader, UC San Diego scored 10 runs in the fourth inning to break a 3-3 tie and went on to a 15-5 victory. Evans, Stevens, Evan Barnhart (So., Alta Loma, Etiwanda HS), Chase Stroupe (So., San Clemente, San Clemente HS) and Anthony Esquer (So., Chino Hills, Whittier Christian HS) each had two hits for the Broncos. Jarrod Allen (Jr., Poway, San Diego Mesa CC) drove in a pair of runs. John Lee (Fr., West Covina, Damien HS) was the only one of six Cal Poly Pomona pitchers to emerge unscathed. He struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief. The Broncos and Tritons also split the first two games of the series at Scolinos Field on Thursday and Friday. UC San Diego won the series opener, 5-1, scoring three times in the sixth and twice in the seventh. The Broncos were limited to five hits and scored their only run in the second inning when a Stevens single drove in Matt Lopez (Jr., Lancaster, Quartz Hills HS). The Broncos held that 1-0 lead until the sixth inning. Efren Lira (Sr., Walnut, Mt. San Antonio College) had a dominating performance on Friday as he led the Broncos a 3-1 victory at Scolinos Field. Lira allowed only two hits – one of them a bunt single in the first inning – and struck out a career-high 14. Lira struck out seven batters over the final three innings and stranded six UC San Diego runners on base. The Broncos won the game with two runs in the eighth. Barnhart had a key double in the inning and Jason Stuck (Sr., Chino, Citrus College) broke the tie with a sacrifice fly. Barnhart later scored on a wild pitch. Stroupe had three hits and an RBI for the Broncos.

 

BRONCOS TO BATTLE GOLDEN EAGLES IN FOUR-GAME CCAA SERIES: Cal Poly Pomona’s baseball team, which is off to an 8-3-1 start in California Collegiate Athletic Association and ranked 26th in the nation, will continue conference play at home this week with a key series against Cal State L.A. The Golden Eagles are 8-4 in CCAA play and right behind the Broncos in the standings. The Broncos will host Cal State L.A. on Thursday and Friday in single games scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. Cal Poly Pomona will then be at Cal State L.A. for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.

 

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS: BRONCOS SWEEP MONTANA STATE-BILLINGS

Men’s Overall 2004 Record: 2-5

Men’s Ranking: No. 26 in the nation; 6th in the West Region (ITA)

Women’s Overall 2004 Record: 1-3. 2004 CCAA Record: 0-0

Women’s Ranking: 18 in the nation; 3rd in the West Region (ITA)

 

MEN’S TENNIS TEAM ROLLS PAST YELLOWJACKETS: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s tennis team rolled past Montana State-Billings, 9-0, Saturday at the Kellogg Tennis Complex. The Broncos got singles wins from David Nguyen (Sr., Los Angeles, Beverly Hills HS), Guido Weidenfeld (Sr., Cologne, Germany), Andy Chang (Jr., Torrance, Cal State L.A.), Seth Lewkow (Fr., Culver City, Culver City HS), Alan Chang (Jr., Torrance, Cal State L.A.) and Richard Delgado (Fr., Alta Loma, Alta Loma HS). The doubles teams of Nguyen-Weidenfeld, Delgado-Daniel Chang (Fr., Buena Park, Sunny Hills HS) and Andy Chang-Alan Chang were also victories. The Broncos were coming off a 9-0 loss to powerful NAIA school Vanguard on Wednesday.

 

WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAM WINS FIRST MATCH OF SEASON: Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s tennis team won its first match of the season with a 5-4 victory over Montana State-Billings on Saturday at the Kellogg Tennis Complex. Katrina Holmberg (So., Pukalani, Maui, HI, King Kekaulike HS) won at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-3 and teamed with Dehlia Feliz (Jr., San Gabriel, San Gabriel HS) for a win a No. 1 doubles, 8-3. Feliz won her match at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-0. Jennie Burggraf (Sr., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) won her match at No. 5 singles, 6-4, 6-2 and teamed with Renee Paquillo (Fr., Fullerton, Rosary HS) for a win at No. 2 doubles, 8-3. The Broncos opened the week with a 6-2 loss at home to Vanguard. Feliz won at No. 2 singles, 6-3, 6-2 and Paquillo won at No. 3 singles, 3-6, 6-2, 10-7.

 

BRONCO TEAMS AT HOME AGAIN THIS WEEK Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s tennis teams will be in action again at home this week. The Broncos are scheduled to face Villanova on Thursday at the Kellogg Tennis Complex. The Bronco men will also be at Azusa Pacific on Wednesday and at home against Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday. The Bronco women will open defense of their California Collegiate Athletic championship at UC San Diego on Saturday.

 

M/W TRACK AND FIELD: BRONCOS PERFORM WELL AT BRONCO INVITATIONAL

 

CAL POLY POMONA RECORDS TOP MARKS IN OPENING MEET: Cal Poly Pomona’s men’s and women’s track and field teams hosted the Bronco Invitational Saturday and had some excellent early-season times and marks. Leading the list was Jason Johnson (Jr., San Dimas, Citrus College), who ran a wind-aided 10.55 in the 100 meters. The time would have been good enough to stand as a provisional NCAA Division II qualifying mark, but the wind was more than the allowable standard for an NCAA qualifying time. As it is, Johnson’s time is the third-fastest in Cal Poly Pomona history. Ike Njoku (So., Cypress, Kennedy HS) had a time of 48.80 in the 400 meters, Alex Benavidez (Fr., Chino, Don Lugo HS) had a time of 15:31.1 in the 5000, Adam Moore (Fr., Moorpark, Moorpark HS) had a time of 56.33 in the 400 hurdles and a mark of 22-1 ¾ in the long jump. Herbert Ip (Jr., Concord, Berean Christian HS) had a mark of 46-3 ½ in the triple jump. For the women, Rachel Schaffner (Fr., Livermore, Moreau Catholic HS) had a mark of 5-3 ¾ in the high jump and Valerie Henderson (So., Los Angeles, St. Mary’s Academy had a mark of 37-10 in the triple jump. The track teams will be competing in the Long Beach Relays this weekend.

 

MORE NEWS

 

TICKETS ON SALE FOR ANNUAL GREEN AND GOLD DINNER: The 32nd annual Green and Gold Dinner will be held on April 3, 2004 at the Sheraton Suites Fairplex in Pomona. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dinner tickets are on sale and so are the drawing tickets with a $5,000 grand prize. Contact Julie Hall, Director of Development for Athletics/Student Affairs at (909) 869-2825.

 

ANNUAL FUND-RAISING DRIVE CONTINUES: Cal Poly Pomona Athletics is encouraging its supporters to contribute to its annual fundraising drive, which raises money specifically for scholarships. As students face challenging economic times ahead, the Athletic Department wants to respond by making more scholarships available to them. For more information about participating in the fund-raising efforts, please contact Julie Hall, Director of Development for Athletics/Student Affairs, at (909) 869-2825.