Briefs: UCI’s Goodson an All-American
UC Irvine senior women’s soccer defender CoCo Goodson has been named second-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America.
Goodson, a two-time All-American, earned first-team honors as a junior when she made her UCI debut after transferring from the University of Texas.
Goodson, a center defender, helped UCI produce eight shutouts and allow just 20 goals in 21 games. She had three goals and five assists and was known for the velocity with which she booted on free kicks.
Goodson, a two-time Big West Conference Defender of the Year, is the program’s first two-time All-American.
Newport Coast resident Camille Levin, a senior at Stanford, earned first-team All-American recognition after helping the Cardinal win the NCAA crown.
Levin, who played three positions and had an assist in the 1-0 title-game win over Duke as a defender, had four goals and seven assists this season. The Cardinal’s best tackler, she finished her career with 14 goals and 22 assists.
Stanford went 25-0-1 to claim the program’s first national title.
UCI finished 14-4-3, won the Big West Conference regular-season title and was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
— From staff reports
Lions’ Heenan All-American
Vanguard University senior Jamie Heenan has been named second-team NAIA All-American in women’s volleyball.
Heenan, a Newport Harbor High product and a four-year collegiate starter, topped the Lions with 517 kills and 59 service aces. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter was second on the team with 343 digs.
Heenan led the Lions to a 23-14 record and a berth in the NAIA Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa.
Heenan earned All-Golden State Athletic Conference laurels after Vanguard posted a 10-8 conference record to finish fourth. It was only the second time in the program’s history that it had a winning conference record.
Heenan’s career numbers include 1,334 kills, 973 digs, 175 aces, and 110 blocks.
Vanguard senior KaUwila Lavea, a 6-foot-1 outside hitter and middle blocker, received honorable mention in the All-American voting.
— From staff reports
Big West Conference adds Aztecs
The Big West Conference Board of Directors announced Monday that San Diego State will join the Big West in most sports for the 2013-14 athletic year.
With Hawaii joining the conference beginning next fall, San Diego State would become the 11th school in a league that includes UC Irvine and eight other California schools.
San Diego State will compete in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, women’s cross country, women’s track and field and softball beginning in 2013-14. It will begin competing in women’s water polo during the 2012-13 academic year. The men’s soccer team will join the conference in the fall of 2015.
San Diego State has developed a national profile in men’s basketball, with Steve Fisher guiding the program as head coach. The Aztecs were 34-3 in 2010-11 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They were ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press poll.
San Diego State baseball is coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn, who guided the Aztecs to the NCAA Irvine Regional in 2009, their first regional appearance since 1991. The Aztecs were eliminated with a 14-3 loss to UCI at Anteater Ballpark.
San Diego State announced last week that it would join the Big East Conference for football. The Aztecs had five programs finish in the top three of the Mountain West Conference during the 2010-11 athletic year, including conference titles in men’s basketball and men’s golf.
San Diego State was an original member of the Big West, formerly known as the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. from 1969 to 1978. The Aztecs’ women’s programs competed in the conference from 1985 to 1990.
“SDSU will bring the Big West a very large market, adding to the national standing of the conference,” said Long Beach State President Dr. F. King Alexander, the chair of the Big West board of directors.
— From staff reports