COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Anteater Teams Win Big West Cross-Country Titles Again

Even without its top women’s runner, UC Irvine continued its dominance of Big West Conference cross-country Saturday by winning the women’s and men’s team titles and the women’s individual title at the conference meet in Las Cruces, N.M.

The Anteater women, ranked 11th nationally, have won eight of nine team championships, losing only to Fresno State in 1988. Rayna Cervantes continued Irvine’s streak of winning every individual title, completing the 5,000-meter course at University Golf Course at New Mexico State in 18 minutes 3.5 seconds, 8.2 seconds ahead of Fresno State’s Dina Farage.

The Anteaters’ 41 points were the highest winning total ever but still 18 ahead of Fresno State.

Irvine No. 1 runner Traci Goodrich missed the meet with a knee injury.

“It was a real challenge,” Irvine Coach Vince O’Boyle said. “It was a different look for us, we didn’t have two runners together. We were concerned about the race, we wanted to keep our ranking to get invited to the NCAAs. We brought Wendy Griffith at the last minute, and she really did a great job.”

Griffith, a freshman, was 11th in 19:29.1.

Cal State Fullerton was third at 82, placing two women--Kristen Peters (fourth, 18:35.8) and Heather Killeen (10th, 19:22.5)--in the top 10 for the first time. Peters’ finish was Fullerton’s best ever in this meet.

The UCI men won their third consecutive title and sixth in seven years. The Anteaters placed five runners in the top 10, including second-place finisher Aaron Mascorro, who completed the 8,000-meter course in 25:12.8. Fresno State’s Jamey Harris won in 25:07.1.

“We did exactly what we wanted to do,” O’Boyle said. “We ran as a team and did not start opening up until the end. We were concerned about over-running because of the (3,800-foot) altitude.”

The Anteaters finished with 29 points, Fresno State 52 and Cal State Fullerton 96, a point ahead of Utah State. The Titans third-place finish was their highest in conference history.

Cervantes and Harris won the women’s and men’s athlete of the year awards, and O’Boyle was both men’s and women’s coach of the year. O’Boyle has won the women’s award eight times and the men’s seven in 10 years at Irvine.

In nonconference water polo:

UCLA 13, UC Irvine 12--Chris Kellerman scored twice in the fourth quarter to lead the No. 5 Bruins over the No. 3 Anteaters at Heritage Park.

The teams entered the fourth quarter tied at nine. Irvine’s Pablo Yrizar scored an extra-man goal with 4:42 left before Kellerman’s goals. The Anteaters (15-6) pulled to within 12-11 with 1:14 left on Steve Gill’s third goal, but Ken Little gave UCLA (15-6) a two-goal lead eight seconds later.

In nonconference women’s swimming:

UC Irvine 182, University of San Diego 106--Liz Koch and Laurel Hooper each won two races in the Anteaters season opener at Crawford Hall pool.

At the Air Force Academy women’s volleyball tournament:

Chapman Splits--The Panthers defeated Mankato (Minn.) State, 15-3, 15-4, 15-4 in their opener as Debi Waller had 11 kills before losing, 16-14, 15-12, 4-15, 15-8, to Grand Canyon.

In Big West Conference women’s volleyball:

UC Santa Barbara 3, Cal State Fullerton 1--Becky Howlett had a match-high 17 kills for visiting Fullerton (6-24, 1-11) which lost 3-15, 15-5, 15-2, 15-2. Stephanie Scofield and Angela Lightfoot each had 10 kills for the Titans.

Pacific 3, UC Irvine 0--The Anteaters (7-14, 2-11) lost to third-ranked Pacific (16-3, 11-2) for the 19th time in 20 matches.

In nonconference men’s soccer:

Christ College Irvine 3, Biola 1--Aaron Clasen, Jason Fena and Kevin Macare scored for visiting Christ College Irvine (6-12-2).