The OCC track and field team got off to a good start over the weekend for the Orange Empire Conference Championships.
Women team rankings (after six events)
1) Orange Coast College - 102
2) Riverside Community College - 87
3) Golden West College - 20
Men's team rankings (after six events)
1) Riverside Community College - 92
2) Orange Coast College -55
3) Saddleback College - 40
Coast's Cassie Mitchell won the 10,000 meter run with a time of 38:42.86 followed by three teammates Kristen Simek (38:43.42), Margaret McDuffee (39:19.40) and Hilary Labelle (39.56.11). [Click here to read about Mitchell who is ranked No. 1 in the US in the 3,000-meter steeplechase]
Coast's Audrey Crouse, this week's Pirate of the Week, won the women's pole vault clearing 11 feet, 6 inches. This tied a school and OEC record. [Click here to read her Q & A session from earlier this year] [Click here to read her Pirate of the Week]
In the women's javelin, OCC finished behind Riverside standout Karee Nordby's 38.53 meters throw. Lady Pirates Danielle Morton (second, 36.07 meters), Liana Fuentes (third, 33.84 meters) and Bri Vanderwal (fourth, 33.22 meters) followed Nordby. [Click here to read about Fuentes and Vanderwal qualifying for state as heptathletes]
Coast's Russell Westphal finished second in the men's 10,000 meter run (33:06.46) by four seconds to Mat Van Dyke of Saddleback.
OCC's Regan Grego also finished second in the 3,000 meter steeplechase (10:12.35).
Eric Grunbaum, former Pirate of the Week, won the men's shot put with a 15.37 meter launch.
In the men's javelin, Coast finished behind Saddleback's Ray Lian's 59.19 meter throw. Stephen Ruby (58.66 meters) and Brian Norton (50.36 meters) got second and third.
Good luck on Friday at the OEC Championships.
The Orange Coast College swim team not only performed well at the Orange Empire Conference Championships but came back with awards.
I will post what head coach Anthony Iacopetti sent back to me via e-mail.
Hello Tony,
Here are our conference champs results.
Danielle Lavery was the female swimmer of the meet.
Chris Salgado was the male diver of the year.
Mishka Hulka and Jamie Pearce were Co-Diver of the year.
I was Women's Coach of the year.
We have state this weekend at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. Finals are
Thursday and Friday at 5 pm and Saturday at 4 pm.
Congratulations to everyone on that e-mail.
Women's point total
1) Orange Coast College - 968.5
2) Riverside Community College - 578.0
3) Saddleback College - 493.0
Men's point total
1) Orange Coast College - 905.0
2) Golden West College - 564.0
3) Saddleback College - 476.0
[Click here to see individual times of Coast swimmers]
Good luck at the 2009 State Swimming Championships.
I will post what head coach Anthony Iacopetti sent back to me via e-mail.
Hello Tony,
Here are our conference champs results.
Danielle Lavery was the female swimmer of the meet.
Chris Salgado was the male diver of the year.
Mishka Hulka and Jamie Pearce were Co-Diver of the year.
I was Women's Coach of the year.
We have state this weekend at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach. Finals are
Thursday and Friday at 5 pm and Saturday at 4 pm.
Congratulations to everyone on that e-mail.
Women's point total
1) Orange Coast College - 968.5
2) Riverside Community College - 578.0
3) Saddleback College - 493.0
Men's point total
1) Orange Coast College - 905.0
2) Golden West College - 564.0
3) Saddleback College - 476.0
[Click here to see individual times of Coast swimmers]
Good luck at the 2009 State Swimming Championships.
The men's tennis team missed the playoffs by a narrow margin but is doing well as individuals.
OCC is ranked No. 9 and only eight teams make it onto the postseason play as a team.
When I talked to Chris Ketcham, head coach of the men's squad, he seemed disappointed the team didn't have the opportunity for the championship. He even hinted that if the men made it, the team would've had a good shot to do well in the playoffs.
But that doesn't mean the season is over for Ketcham's crew. The Pirates can still win playing as an individual or as a doubles pair.
Over the weekend, Coast's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players Laurent Minguez and Brad Fisher qualified for the next round.
Minguez won his two matches 6-2, 6-3 and 6-0, 6-0. Fisher went 6-3, 6-1 and 6-4, 6-1.
The most impressive feat is all three of the OCC doubles tandems qualified for the next round.
Ketcham said because of the seeding, Coast's No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams only had to play one match each.
The No. 1 doubles pair of Miguez and Felix Demiro came through with a 6-0, 6-3 win and the No. 2 doubles team of Fisher and Yannik Lepage won in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
Coast's No. 3 team of Brian Nguyen and Kevin Saenz had to play two teams and won both - including the No. 1 doubles team of Saddleback College.
In the frst match, Nguyen/Saenz won easily 6-4, 6-0 and then pulled of the upset with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
Minguez is also this week's Pirate of the Week. [Click here to read about him]
Congratulations guys. It's great to see players rising up to new levels during the postseason.
OCC is ranked No. 9 and only eight teams make it onto the postseason play as a team.
When I talked to Chris Ketcham, head coach of the men's squad, he seemed disappointed the team didn't have the opportunity for the championship. He even hinted that if the men made it, the team would've had a good shot to do well in the playoffs.
But that doesn't mean the season is over for Ketcham's crew. The Pirates can still win playing as an individual or as a doubles pair.
Over the weekend, Coast's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players Laurent Minguez and Brad Fisher qualified for the next round.
Minguez won his two matches 6-2, 6-3 and 6-0, 6-0. Fisher went 6-3, 6-1 and 6-4, 6-1.
The most impressive feat is all three of the OCC doubles tandems qualified for the next round.
Ketcham said because of the seeding, Coast's No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams only had to play one match each.
The No. 1 doubles pair of Miguez and Felix Demiro came through with a 6-0, 6-3 win and the No. 2 doubles team of Fisher and Yannik Lepage won in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
Coast's No. 3 team of Brian Nguyen and Kevin Saenz had to play two teams and won both - including the No. 1 doubles team of Saddleback College.
In the frst match, Nguyen/Saenz won easily 6-4, 6-0 and then pulled of the upset with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory.
Minguez is also this week's Pirate of the Week. [Click here to read about him]
Congratulations guys. It's great to see players rising up to new levels during the postseason.
It's been one month for the OCC Sports blog today. Technically, it's been one month for the OCC Sports blog's counter but semantics-schmantics.
The blog's had close to 900 viewers in its first month and I couldn't be more thrilled.
I want to thank everyone for taking their time to look at this blog. I put my heart and soul into covering all things OCC sports and it makes me work harder knowing close to a 1,000 people looked at this blog.
So once again, thank you. Also, please send suggestions to coastreportsports@gmail.com I'm always trying to improve this blog and viewer feedback is the best.
The blog's had close to 900 viewers in its first month and I couldn't be more thrilled.
I want to thank everyone for taking their time to look at this blog. I put my heart and soul into covering all things OCC sports and it makes me work harder knowing close to a 1,000 people looked at this blog.
So once again, thank you. Also, please send suggestions to coastreportsports@gmail.com I'm always trying to improve this blog and viewer feedback is the best.
Saturday was a busy day for yours truly and OCC sports.
I started off the day covering the Collins Cup for the men's and women's crew teams. Coast got the victory by one point over UC San Diego. [Click here to read a team/program feature about our crew program]
I then moved onto the baseball game between OCC and Fullerton College to cover the pregame ceremony of honoring the 1948-49 baseball team - the first team to win a state title for OCC - and found out the Pirates might have to finish the season without head coach John Altobelli.
The baseball team is ranked No. 1 in the state. It would be a huge blow not to have Altobelli in the dugout.
I also met with head men's tennis coach Chris Ketcham (far right, second row) on the OCC track. He said only eight teams made the regional playoffs and OCC was ranked as a solid nine. He pleaded to the playoff seating board, so to speak, why his team should be in the playoffs but it didn't work out.
He seemed bummed by the result but he said his top two singles player, Laurent Minguez (next to Ketcham) and Brad Fisher (first row, second from the left), and all three of his doubles teams moved onto the quarterfinals.
He seemed proud of his players and how making the postseason as individuals shows depth on his team.
Finally, I chatted with track and field player Danielle Morton.
She said she didn't do that well in the long jump on Friday's Orange Empire Conference Prelims (she just said long - i'm assuming it means long jump) but finished second in the javelin. By finishing second, she moves onto the state track meet.
Morton added Audrey Crouse, future Coast Report staff writer, won the women's pole vault. Congratulations to both. [Click here to read a Q & A session with Crouse]
[Tennis photo - courtesy of Orange Coast College]
[All others - photo by Tony Lee]
I started off the day covering the Collins Cup for the men's and women's crew teams. Coast got the victory by one point over UC San Diego. [Click here to read a team/program feature about our crew program]
I then moved onto the baseball game between OCC and Fullerton College to cover the pregame ceremony of honoring the 1948-49 baseball team - the first team to win a state title for OCC - and found out the Pirates might have to finish the season without head coach John Altobelli.
The baseball team is ranked No. 1 in the state. It would be a huge blow not to have Altobelli in the dugout.
I also met with head men's tennis coach Chris Ketcham (far right, second row) on the OCC track. He said only eight teams made the regional playoffs and OCC was ranked as a solid nine. He pleaded to the playoff seating board, so to speak, why his team should be in the playoffs but it didn't work out.
He seemed bummed by the result but he said his top two singles player, Laurent Minguez (next to Ketcham) and Brad Fisher (first row, second from the left), and all three of his doubles teams moved onto the quarterfinals.
He seemed proud of his players and how making the postseason as individuals shows depth on his team.
Finally, I chatted with track and field player Danielle Morton.
She said she didn't do that well in the long jump on Friday's Orange Empire Conference Prelims (she just said long - i'm assuming it means long jump) but finished second in the javelin. By finishing second, she moves onto the state track meet.
Morton added Audrey Crouse, future Coast Report staff writer, won the women's pole vault. Congratulations to both. [Click here to read a Q & A session with Crouse]
[Tennis photo - courtesy of Orange Coast College]
[All others - photo by Tony Lee]
