WHAT TO WATCH IN 2007:New year calls for intrigue

Of all the stories on the horizon for 2007 hardly any of them shine brighter than the Vanguard University women’s basketball team. Not only because of the Lions’ proven and anticipated potential, but because it is currently playing out.

An 8-0 start has Vanguard building to a crescendo expected to eclipse last year’s trip to the NAIA Tournament semifinals. The entire starting lineup returns from last season’s team, including All-Americans Kelly Schmidt, Jessica Richter and Rachel Besse.

Schmidt, a 6-foot senior forward who was the NAIA Player of the Year last season, is second on the team averaging 15.5 points and 5.4 rebounds. Richter, in her second season since transferring from Syracuse, is leading the team with 20 points a game and Besse, a 6-2 senior, is grabbing a team-high 9.3 rebounds a game.

The Lions are already 3-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference heading for a fifth straight conference title and haven’t lost a conference game since Feb. 9, 2005. The Lions face Azusa Pacific and Point Loma, which tied for second place last season, on Jan. 9 and 13 respectively at home.

The GSAC Tournament begins Feb. 28 and the NAIA Tournament starts March 14 in Jackson, Tenn.

The Pirates are off to a blazing 14-3 start, winning by 30 or more points 12 times.

Freshman Courtney Ford, a 5-7 guard from Villa Park, is leading the team in scoring at 20.5 a contest. Sophomore point guard Robin Smith, transferred from Irvine Valley College where she was named All-Orange Empire Conference. She is averaging 10.5 points a game.

The Pirates begin their nearly month and a half long Orange Empire Conference schedule Wednesday when they host Golden West. The Southern California regional playoffs begin Feb. 21.

UC Irvine went on a 21-match win streak and ended the regular season as the top-ranked team, but lost to No. 2 Long Beach State in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinals and then to Penn State in the semifinals of the four-team National Championships.

Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky is the defending Player of the Year and sophomore Brent Asuka was the Newcomer of the Year.

UC Irvine starts the year as the top-ranked team and will face its share of conference speed bumps along the way to its ultimate goal. Hawaii pays the ‘Eaters a visit on Jan. 12 and 13. UC Irvine will travel to Brigham Young Feb. 2 and 3. UCI snatched the top spot from BYU last season with a two-match sweep at home.

The ‘Eaters will face Long Beach State and UCLA for the first time March 3 and 9 respectively. The MPSF Tournament begins April 18 and the NCAA Championships at Ohio State are May 3 and 5.

Last season UC Irvine made its second trip to the NCAA Regionals in three years, but falling short of the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The club’s 36 wins were the second most in the program’s 38-year history in Division I.

A key to this season could be UC Irvine’s recruiting class.

The ‘Eaters also bring in the No. 14 recruiting class in the nation, according to Baseball America magazine, with 20 new players. Shortstop Luis Tovar, a top 100 recruit, hit .492 with 43 base hits as senior at Kofa High in Yuma, Ariz.

Pitcher Christian Bergman posted a 1.54 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings for St. Francis High in La Canada.

This year Sumner, who is also the track and cross country coach at Corona del Mar High, said he expects 12,000 runners and 40,000 spectators for the 26.2-mile race which winds through Newport Beach, Irvine and Tustin before ending near the Irvine Spectrum.

The marathon will benefit 10 Orange County children’s charities. Last year the race generated nearly half a million for charities.

Hayley Peirsol, who helped lead Auburn University to a national championship last season, will compete in the 400 and 800 meter freestyles.

Aaron Peirsol will swim in the 100 and 200 backstrokes. The defending world and Olympic champion in both events has been undefeated in the 200 since his silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Junior Shelby Buckley and senior Sarah Cummings will compete to take Annie St. Geme’s spot as the team’s top distance runner. Buckley finished second at the section final in the 1,600 meter race. St. Geme won three events at the section final last year, but the team was able to make up for her loss in the cross country season with depth.

Junior Allison Damon, senior Nichole Slykhous and senior Hilary May will help fill the void.

Junior Fabian Matthews is the team’s dominant player. Matthews teamed last season with senior Dustin Hladek to capture the CIF doubles title. As a team the Sea Kings reached the Division I quarterfinals. Sophomores Chris Damion and Parker Rhodes provide crucial depth.

Both teams are ranked in the top three and the Sailors are the defending Division I section champions while the Sea Kings won the Division II title. The Sailors knocked of No. 1 Foothill in the semifinal of the Holiday Cup, bringing thoughts of a potential match between the Back Bay rivals being played under the section championship glare.