UC IRVINE NOTEBOOK : Talent Runs Deep on Women’s Track Team

Come Saturday, UC Irvine’s track team will be off and running--officially. The season opens with a meet at the UCI track stadium that will include Cal Poly Pomona, UC San Diego and Cal State Bakersfield.

The Irvine women’s team, traditionally strong in the middle-distance and distance events, will be stronger this year with the addition of Swedish runner Maria Akraka and the return of Brigid Stirling, who was red-shirted last season after winning the Big West Conference titles in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters two years ago.

Buffy Rabbitt, the champion in those events last season, and a fourth-place finisher in the NCAA cross-country championships last fall, is back for her senior season.

Caroline Plier, defending Big West champion in the 10,000 meters, is another returning runner.

With a corps of returning sprinters, and a stronger group to compete in the field events--plus a home field advantage for the conference championship meet--Coach Danny Williams envisions a challenge to Nevada Las Vegas and Fresno State.

Desiree Bracey, Shelly Tochluk and Sjondrala Vaughn are the experienced sprinters, and Irvine has added a bundle of talented freshmen as well.

“Third? Oh, come on,” Williams said. “We’re at home this year. We’re going for the whole enchilada.

“We’ve got everybody back, with the addition of some pretty good freshmen.”

Akraka, who will compete on the European circuit through August, probably will not race much in the early part of the season, but will build toward the late-season competitions.

“I think we have as good a shot as any,” Williams said.

Kristi Kaufmann, a heptathlete, is back after a redshirt season. Irvine has added a triple jumper, Kim Harvey, and should collect points where it could get none before.

Lorna Griffin, a former Olympian, has joined the program as a throwing coach.

The men’s team, under Coach Vince O’Boyle, lost one of its best performers, Mike Morales, who specialized in throwing events.

“We’re in pretty good shape,” O’Boyle said. “We’re kind of low-keying the first meets until we get into March, until we get our racing legs and get our field events back.”

Aaron Mascorro, a junior who won the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the Big West meet last year, will compete again, after being red-shirted during cross-country season.

Will Stolpe, a sprinter who was red-shirted last season, is back and “much stronger,” O’Boyle said.

Matt Farmer, the defending Big West champion in the decathlon, will be trying to make the NCAA field, which he just missed last season.

Brett Hansen-Dent already is making his mark in college tennis, less than a year after winning the Southern Section singles title for Newport Harbor High School.

He is ranked 32nd in the nation, with a 9-4 record for the Anteaters, who are ranked 25th and have a 3-1 record.

Irvine plays 17th-ranked Arizona at 1:30 p.m. today in the UCI tennis stadium, and plays at No. 16 Pepperdine at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

An Irvine basketball team will play Saturday in Crawford Hall--the first Irvine team. The 1965-66 Anteaters will scrimmage as part of a 25th anniversary reunion. Eleven of the 12 members of a 15-11 men’s team coached by Danny Rogers will be on hand, and introductions are planned for halftime of the men’s game against UC Santa Barbara in Bren Center.

Irvine will be trying to break a four-game losing streak when it plays Santa Barbara, which has beaten the Anteaters in eight of the past nine meetings. The exception? Irvine’s victory last season in the Gauchos’ Events Center, a triumph that broke the school-record 15-game losing streak.

Stat of the Week: 15. That is the number of three-pointers Jeff Herdman needs to break Scott Brooks’ season record of 111 three-pointers, set in 1986-87. Herdman already holds the Irvine career records for three-point attempts and baskets.

Irvine is losing the man responsible for the Anteater nose giveaway and the halftime Anteater races.

Chuck Harris, Irvine’s sports marketing director, is leaving to accept a position with the Dodgers as assistant director of publicity.

Harris, who previously worked as Irvine’s assistant sports information director, introduced a halftime fan competition in which fans race downcourt on mechanical Anteaters. He also located a company that makes rubber Anteater snouts, and procured them for a giveaway this season.

“Obviously, you’re gonna miss someone who can dream up Anteater noses,” said Bob Olson, sports information director. “Everybody here is going to miss him.”

Anteater Notes

Ricky Butler remains the leading scorer on the men’s basketball team, averaging 17.8 points, but Jeff Herdman has almost pulled even at 17.4 points per game. . . . The women’s tennis team has four home matches in the next week, against Hawaii (1:30 p.m. Friday), Pacific (1 p.m. Saturday), UC Santa Barbara (9 a.m. Monday) and New Mexico State (1:30 p.m. Tuesday). . . . The women’s basketball team has reached five victories after winning one game last season. The Anteaters have an opportunity for another one Thursday at New Mexico State. Irvine defeated the Roadrunners by two points this season.