Pirates’ athletes making the grade

The 203 students who competed on Orange Coast College’s 11 fall and

winter 2003-04 athletic squads turned in an excellent performance in

the classroom as well as on the athletic field.

OCC’s athletes logged a combined grade-point average of 2.71

during the fall semester. Orange Coast is the only Orange County

community college that publicly releases its athletic grade-point

averages.

Two of the 11 teams had a combined team GPA better than 3.0.

Coach Barbara Bond’s women’s soccer team led the way during the

fall with a 3.22 GPA. OCC’s women’s water polo team, which finished

15-3 on the season, had a 3.15 GPA. The Pirates water polo team is

coached by Mike Giles.

Coach Mike Thornton’s women’s basketball team logged a 2.84 GPA

and Barry Wallace’s women’s golf squad had a 2.81 GPA.

Coach John Knox’s state champion women’s cross country team

recorded a 2.76 GPA.

OCC’s men’s water polo team, coached by Mike Stachowski, had a

2.73 GPA.

The Pirates’ men’s soccer team, coached by Laird Hayes, had a 2.61

GPA.

Orange Coast team GPAs: women’s soccer, 3.22; women’s water polo,

3.15; women’s basketball, 2.84; women’s golf, 2.81; women’s cross country, 2.76; men’s water polo, 2.73; men’s soccer, 2.61; men’s

basketball, 2.48; football, 2.47; women’s volleyball, 2.46; men’s

cross country, 2.25.

Sailors’ Walker to attend Orange Coast

* SOCCER: Newport Harbor High senior Joel Walker, who scored 35

goals and was named boys soccer MVP of the Sea View League, said he

will play at Orange Coast College next season.

He was considering UC San Diego, but said he wanted to concentrate

on soccer and that OCC would be the best setting for that. His intent

is to play one season for the Pirates and transfer to a four-year

university.

Walker was also named first-team All-CIF Southern Section Division

II, as he led the Sailors to an appearance in the quarterfinals of

the CIF playoffs, where they lost, 1-0, in sudden-death overtime to

eventual champion Thousand Oaks.

-- Steve Virgen