CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Bronco Sports News

For Immediate Release

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Contact: Paul Helms

(909) 869-2812

Cal Poly Pomona Enjoys Successful Year

Broncos earn five All-America awards; host national track championships

POMONA ¾ A historic year for the men’s and women’s basketball programs, a return of Hall of Fame inductions and a large number of individual accolades highlighted a tremendous athletic year for Cal Poly Pomona.

The Broncos had both the men’s and women’s basketball teams qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs in the same year for the first time ever and hosted the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships. In addition, the Broncos picked up five All-America honors and also inducted legendary coaches John Scolinos and the late Darlene May into the athletic Hall of Fame. It was the first Hall of Fame induction at Cal Poly Pomona since 1994.

Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s basketball team reached the NCAA Division II West Region championship game for the fourth time in the past five seasons, while the men’s basketball team recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons and reached the playoffs for a second straight season for the first time in the program’s history. The men’s cross country team reached the nationals for the first time since 1997 after finishing third in the West Regional at Prado Park, while the women’s soccer team advanced to the CCAA Championship Tournament for the sixth straight year and the women’s volleyball won 19 matches in a nice follow-up to its 20-win season in 2002. Also, the Bronco baseball team improved by 11 victories and posted a winning record in 2004.

Mark Batres (So., Hacienda Heights, Don Bosco Tech HS) earned All-America honors in cross country and track and field, while Candice Allen (Sr., Ontario, University of Arizona) in women’s basketball, Allison Anderson (So., Chino Hills, Ayala HS) in women’s volleyball and Carmen Franklin (So., Sacramento, Loretto HS) in women’s track and field also earned All-America honors for the Broncos in 2003-04.

Cal Poly Pomona collected 36 All-CCAA awards, which is the second-highest total for the Broncos since the conference expanded in 1998.

Batres and Allen were named Cal Poly Pomona’s 2003-04 male and female Athletes of the Year.

A recap of the 2003-04 season follows:

FALL SPORTS:

Women’s Soccer

2003 Overall Record: 10-8-1. CCAA Record: 8-6-0 (South Division, 2^nd place)

All-West Region: Tara Chance (D), 1^st team; Michelle McConnell (F), 2^nd team

All-CCAA: Tara Chance (D), 1^st team; Michelle McConnell (F), 1^st team; Lisa Araujo (F), 1^st team

CoSIDA Academic All-America All-District VIII Team: Tara Chance

Recap: After once again battling injuries to several key players, Cal Poly Pomona’s women’s soccer team finished with a flourish and qualified for the CCAA Championship Tournament for the sixth straight season. The Broncos are the only women’s team to have qualified for the conference championship tournament all six years. A late-season three-game winning streak over Grand Canyon (2-1), Cal State San Bernardino (6-1) and UC San Diego (2-1) pushed the Broncos into the tourney, where they lost in the first round to tournament host Cal State Dominguez Hills, 2-1. Senior Michelle McConnell led the team in scoring with eight goals and nine assists and finished her career as the Broncos’ No. 2 all-time scorer. She also tied Ruth Van’t Land-Parkes’ career record of 29 career assists. McConnell scored three second-half goals for her second career hat trick to lead the Broncos past Cal State San Bernardino, 6-1, in a victory that kept their conference tournament hopes alive. Both of McConnell’s career hat tricks came against the Coyotes. Junior Lisa Araujo was second on the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points, while Erica Rodriguez and Bethany Inoshita finished with 10 points. Sophomore goalie Vanessa Richardson made 70 saves and had a goals against average of 1.49.

Men’s Soccer

2003 Overall Record: 7-9-2. CCAA Record: 6-7-1 (South Division, 3rd place)

All-CCAA: Jonathan Bornstein (F), 1^st team; Robert Cardenas (MF), 2^nd team

CoSIDA Academic All-America District VIII Team: Jonathan Bornstein

Recap: The Broncos stayed in contention for a CCAA Championship Tournament bid until the final day of the season, but a late slide of four losses in the last five matches cost Cal Poly Pomona a postseason berth. Jonathan Bornstein earned All-CCAA honors for the second straight season and led the team in scoring. Bornstein led the team with seven goals, 12 assists and 26 total points. The 12 assists were one shy of the program’s single-season record. Andrew Pierce was second on the team with five goals and 12 points, while Robert Cardenas was third in scoring with three goals, four assists and 10 points. Tim Sisk had a 7-7 record in goal and recorded two shutouts. The highlight of the season was a 1-0 victory over defending NCAA Division II champion Sonoma State on Oct. 3.

Women’s Volleyball

2003 Overall Record: 19-11. CCAA Record: 14-8 (4^th place)

All-American: Allison Anderson, honorable mention

All-Pacific Region: Allison Anderson, 1^st team

All-CCAA: Allison Anderson, 2^nd team; Kimberly Van Beek, 2^nd team; Lindsay Fischer, 2^nd team

CoSIDA Academic All-America District VIII Team: Kimberly Van Beek

Recap: The Broncos enjoyed a second straight outstanding season, following up the 20-11 record they had in 2002 with a 19-11 mark in 2003 that included a win over Cal State San Bernardino in a four-game match in Darlene May Gym while the Coyotes were ranked No. 1 in the country. Cal Poly Pomona also recorded a sweep of rival Cal State L.A. for the first time since 1996 and finished the season on a four-game winning streak. The Broncos finished seventh in the Pacific Region, just one spot out of an NCAA Division II playoff berth. Allison Anderson became one of the top players in the region and led the Broncos with 442 kills and 110 blocks. Lindsay Fischer and Kimberly Van Beek completed their tremendous Cal Poly Pomona careers. Fischer had 315 kills and a team-high 299 digs, while Van Beek was second on the team in both kills (356) and blocks (83). Sophomore Emily Kennedy was 24^th in the nation in assists with 1,395.

Men’s Cross Country

2003 CCAA Finish: 49 points (2nd place)

2003 West Region Finish: 91 points (3rd place)

All-American: Mark Batres (24^th)

All-West Region: Daniel Rojas (3^rd), Mark Batres (4^th)

All-CCAA: Daniel Rojas (2^nd), Mark Batres (3^rd), David Cerecerez (14^th), James Tawney (15^th).

Recap: The Broncos finished second in the CCAA, third in the West Region and qualified for the national championships for the first time since 1997. Cal Poly Pomona finished 11^th in the country and were led by sophomore Mark Batres, who finished 24^th in the country and earned All-America honors. Junior Daniel Rojas had an outstanding year and finished second in the CCAA and third in the West Region. He was 40^th in the country. The Broncos also had two other runners earn All-CCAA honors as junior David Cerecerez was 14^th in the conference and sophomore James Tawney was 15^th. The Broncos hosted the 2003 NCAA Division II West Regional and will be hosting the 2004 CCAA Championships. The future of the program is extremely bright as only one senior graduated off the team.

Women’s Cross Country

2003 CCAA Finish: 138 points (4^th place)

2003 West Region Finish: 326 points (12^th place)

All-CCAA: Christina Jimenez (14^th place)

Recap: The Broncos fielded one of their youngest teams in several years, but it also turned out to be one of their best. Bolstered by a talented group of freshmen, the Broncos moved up two spots in the conference to fourth and also jumped up two places in the West Region. Freshman Christina Jimenez finished 14^th in the conference to earn All-CCAA honors, while another freshman, Jayme Ambos, finished 16^th and missed All-CCAA recognition by one spot. The Broncos also got solid contributions from sophomores Natalie Miano and Shawna Winfrey.

WINTER SPORTS:

Men’s Basketball

2003-04 Overall Record: 21-7. CCAA Record: 17-5 (3^rd place)

2003-04 West Region Ranking: 6th, lost in first round to Humboldt State

All-West Region: Jeff Bonds (F), 1^st team

All-CCAA: Jeff Bonds (F) 1^st team; David Sybesma (F) 1^st team; Jonathan Williams (G), 2^nd team

Recap: The Broncos enjoyed another terrific season and recorded back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time in the program’s history. Cal Poly Pomona also qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time ever. The Broncos finished with a 17-5 record in the CCAA, which set a new program standard for most conference wins in a season. Jeff Bonds and David Sybesma both earned first-team All-CCAA honors, marking the first time since the 1975-76 season that two Broncos were honored on the first team. Jonathan Williams earned second-team honors, giving the Broncos three all-conference players for the first time since 1997. Bonds also earned first-team All-Region honors by the NABC. Bonds led the Broncos in scoring with a 17.3 points per game average and moved into second on the Cal Poly Pomona all-time scoring list. He poured in 26 points in the Broncos’ first-round playoff loss to Humboldt State. Sybesma averaged 14 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Williams averaged 10.1 points per game.

Women’s Basketball

2003-04 Overall Record: 23-7. CCAA Record: 17-5 (2nd place)

All-American: Candice Allen (G), 1^st team

All-West Region: Candice Allen (G), 1^st team

All-CCAA: Candice Allen (G), 1^st team; Keila Beachem (F), 1^st team;

Recap: Cal Poly Pomona returned to the NCAA Division II playoffs after a one-year absence and proceeded to advance to the regional championship game for the fourth time in the past five seasons. The Broncos lost to undefeated and regional host Seattle Pacific in the regional final. Candice Allen led the nation in scoring with a 24.5 points per game average. That set a new single-season Cal Poly Pomona record. She was one of 10 players named to the Kodak All-American team and she was also named the CCAA Player of the Year. Allen also made a pair of All-Region team as well, one by the WBCA and the other by Daktronics. Keila Beachem was second on the team in scoring with a 13.9 points per game average and led the team in rebounding with an 8.4 per game average. Beachem joined Allen on the All-CCAA first team. The Broncos won their first six games, then lost five of their next nine contests before winning 13 of their next 14 games to take them to the regional championship game. The Broncos beat CCAA rivals Chico State and Cal State Bakersfield in the playoffs.

SPRING SPORTS

Baseball

2004 Overall Record: 26-25-2. CCAA Record: 19-20-1 (7^th place)

All-CCAA: Kenneth Galindo, 2^nd team; Efren Lira, 3rd team; Jose Munoz, 3^rd team

Recap: Cal Poly Pomona had a huge bounce-back year, winning 11 more games in 2004 than it did in 2003. The Broncos hit a snag, losing seven times in an eight-game stretch against Grand Canyon and San Francisco State, but finished strongly, splitting series with playoff participants Sonoma State and Chico State and with departing CCAA member UC Davis. In that late stretch, the Broncos also posted a win over Division I Cal State Northridge. For the second straight year, Cal Poly Pomona played an exhibition game against the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, a Class-A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels at the Epicenter. Kenneth Galindo led the Broncos in hitting with a .368 average and in runs batted in with 30. Galindo was named to the All-CCAA second team. Jarrod Allen led the Broncos in home runs with eight, while Matt Stevens had a team-high 37 runs scored. Junior Matt Lopez was one of the most improved Broncos, hitting .345, which was 150 points higher than his career average entering the season. Cal Poly Pomona had a vastly improved pitching staff in 2004. Jose Munoz returned and went 6-4 with a 3.65 earned run average, while Efren Lira was 5-6 with a 4.34 earned run average. Both Munoz and Lira earned All-CCAA third-team honors. Chris Sotro had a solid year as well, going 4-2 with a 3.05 earned run average.

Men’s Tennis

2004 Overall Record: 8-12

2004 Regional Ranking: 5

Recap: The Broncos had their 11-year streak of winning seasons snapped, but the Broncos got some solid play from several first-year players and senior David Nguyen had a breakout year. Nguyen had an 18-8 record in singles play and was 13-7 in dual matches at No. 1 singles. He played at No. 1 doubles for the Broncos as well. Nguyen was honored at the end of the season with the Arthur Ashe Leadership Award for the West Region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Cal Poly Pomona continued its mastery over Sonoma State with a hotly-contested 5-4 victory and also posted a 5-4 win over Division I Villanova.

Women’s Tennis

2004 Overall Record: 8-12. CCAA Record: 4-4 (5th place)

2004 Regional Ranking: 9

All-CCAA: Dehlia Feliz, 2^nd team

Recap: The Broncos were unable to fully recover from a pair of unexpected losses before the season and finished with an 8-12 record. Cal Poly Pomona was well represented in the fall when the doubles team of Dehlia Feliz and Katrina Holmberg won the ITA Fall Regional at the Kellogg Tennis Complex and advanced to the national championships. The Broncos finished with a 4-4 record in the CCAA and missed the four-team conference championship tournament when they were edged by Sonoma State, 5-4, in the final regular-season match. Cal Poly Pomona qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs and traveled to Hawaii, where the Broncos fell to No. 1 and undefeated BYU-Hawaii. Feliz moved up to the No. 1 singles spot and did well, compiling a 15-8 record in singles. Holmberg jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 singles and was 10-9. As the Broncos’ No. 1 doubles team, they were 21-9 overall and 14-6 in dual matches.

Men’s Track & Field

2004 CCAA Finish: 150.5 points (2^nd place)

All-American: Mark Batres (10,000 meters), 5^th place

CCAA Individual Champions: Jason Johnson (100 meters), Mark Batres (10,000 meters), Sean Myrill (110 high hurdles)

All-CCAA: Jason Johnson (100 meters), 1^st team; Mark Batres (10,000 meters), 1^st team; Sean Myrill (110 high hurdles), 1^st team; Vincent Nguyen (100 meters), 2^nd team; Denny Casupanan (long jump), 2^nd team; Garrett Holcomb (pole vault) 2^nd team; Jeff Holder (shot put), 2^nd team; Adam Moore (400 hurdles), 2^nd team; Herbert Ip (decathlon), 3^rd team; Brad Fessenden (1500 meters), 3^rd team; Vincent Nguyen (200 meters), 3^rd team

Recap: The Broncos hosted the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships and put the finishing touches on an outstanding season. The Broncos finished second in the CCAA with 150.5 points, which is the most points they have scored in a championship since the conference expanded. Mark Batres won one of the Broncos’ three individual conference championships and then earned All-America honors by finishing fifth in the 10,000 meters at the national championships. Jason Johnson won the conference 100-meter title, while Sean Myrill won the conference championship in the 110 high hurdles. Batres, Myrill and Johnson all qualified for the national championships. Myrill was 11^th in the high hurdles, while Johnson was 18^th in the 100. Batres was later named Cal Poly Pomona’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Women’s Track & Field

2004 CCAA Finish: 62.50 points (6^th place)

All-American: Carmen Franklin (800 meters), 6^th place

CCAA Individual Champion: Carmen Franklin (400 meters)

All-CCAA: Carmen Franklin (400 meters), 1^st team; Rachel Schaffner (high jump), 3^rd team, Christina Jimenez (10,000 meters), 1^st team.

Recap: Cal Poly Pomona hosted the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships and put the finishing touches on another improved season. The Broncos jumped up two spots in the CCAA Championships and finished sixth in the conference. Sophomore Carmen Franklin won the conference title in the 400 meters and then earned All-America honors in the 800 meters two weeks later, finishing sixth. Franklin, Topaz Marcos (high jump) and Valerie Henderson (triple jump) all competed for the Broncos in the national championships. Marcos was 14^th in the high jump, while Henderson was 15^th in the triple jump. Marcos is a freshman and Henderson is a sophomore. Two other freshmen, Rachel Schaffner and Christina Jimenez, earned All-CCAA honors for the Broncos. Schaffner finished third in the high jump, while Jimenez was third in the 10,000.