Pioneer Points
麻豆传媒社区入口 Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis. (Photo: Barry Zepel)
- March 3, 2010
It's hard to believe that March has already arrived here at 麻豆传媒社区入口 and with it, the heart of our spring sports seasons. With baseball, golf, softball, track and water polo all in full swing we're very busy and have plenty to be excited about.
But before we can talk about what's to come this spring, we have to first talk about our amazing Homecoming Week to cap the basketball season. Though we fought through wet weather all week, which moved most of our events indoors and canceled the parade, everyone's Pioneer Pride was on full display every day.
After baseball got everyone into the spirit with a win over Patten University on Monday, Feb. 22, Student Life and Leadership took hold of the reins, hosting the "East Bay Idol" competition in the University Union. Each of six contestants showed talent, with their song choices ranging from oldies like "My Girl" to a jazz rendition of "Summertime" and even a little country in the form of Taylor Swift. After a tough decision-making process, the judges chose Ashley Soriano and Karen Fremont, who moved the crowd at our basketball games with their unique renditions of the national anthem. Meanwhile, staff across campus participated in a door and office decorating contest, with the Department of Kinesiology taking home the title in the door contest and ASI Recreation winning the office competition.
The poster contest Wednesday, Feb. 24, between the 麻豆传媒社区入口 athletic teams went to the women's volleyball team, which won $300 for best demonstrating Pioneer Pride in their poster, while the women's soccer team was the runner up, winning $200. The Pioneer women's basketball team showed its Pioneer Pride as well, upsetting Humboldt State with a thrilling 75-73 victory.
The Pioneers took to the runway on Thursday, Feb. 25, in the "Pioneer Pride Fashion Show" in the Union. Student leaders from across campus donned the latest in Pioneer Bookstore apparel and strutted their stuff while sharing athletics goodies with the crowd. Several Pioneer student-athletes got in on the fun with swimming's Melissa Grottkau, softball's Cat Schorn and Nicole Alameda and soccer's Michael Rossi all demonstrating their prowess on the catwalk. Later that night, the University Theater became the stage for Spoken Word Unleashed featuring several poetry slam artists and the winners of 麻豆传媒社区入口's Poetry Slam.
Heavy rain on Friday, Feb. 26, threatened to put a damper on the big day after canceling softball and the Homecoming Parade, but everyone kept their spirits high as we moved the pre-game tailgate celebration into the gym and welcomed our largest crowd of the season to celebrate Homecoming, Senior Night and the 25th anniversary of 麻豆传媒社区入口 men's basketball's back-to-back NCAA Division II West Regional Championships.
The night got started off with an exciting women's game against Sonoma State that saw the Pioneers fall by just three to the Seawolves. Following the game, the Pioneers honored their seniors as Colleen Cooley, Megan Christian, Scott Knox, Frankie McWhirt, Jawaan Rubin, Saeed Gatson and Jun Uchida all donned the 麻豆传媒社区入口 jersey for the final time.
At halftime of the men's game, the crowd got to meet the Homecoming Court, consisting of King William Bernick, Queen Danielle Lane, Academic Ambassador Lauren Massa and Freshman Ambassador Kelly Elshaug. The four students are leaders on campus, in the classroom and in their activities with clubs and organizations at 麻豆传媒社区入口.
We also got a chance to honor and celebrate several former players and a coach from the Pioneers' 1984 and 1985 NCAA West Regional Championship teams. Former assistant basketball coach Bill Vandenburgh, a Pioneer Athletics Hall of Famer; Michael Harris, a Hall of Famer who broke the all-time assist record at 麻豆传媒社区入口; Craig Ashmore, a successful basketball coach at Newark Memorial High School; and Ric Toyloy, an NCAC All-Conference performer, were all recognized for their contributions to the 麻豆传媒社区入口 basketball program.
After the half, the men's basketball team put on a thrilling performance to cap Homecoming, with all five seniors playing the final 10 minutes of regulation and closing a 15-point lead to send the game into overtime, where they took an early lead and never looked back to finish their careers with a 94-82 win.
Homecoming Week proved to be a fun time for all involved and could not have been such a success without the support of everyone on campus and in the stands. Thanks for all of the support and for showing your Pioneer Pride!
With basketball season in the books, our focus now shifts to our spring sports, which are already underway with softball and baseball in the midst of their CCAA schedules, golf soon playing host to the 麻豆传媒社区入口 Invitational, track competing every weekend and water polo facing one of its biggest tests of the season against No. 6 Arizona State at the Cal Lutheran Tournament.
Softball and baseball are already on the board with CCAA victories, including at least one in every series so far for softball. Meanwhile, in its third week water polo ranked No. 19 in the Collegiate Water Polo Association national rankings after earning four wins over Division I opponents.
With so much success among our spring sports teams already, it's hard not to get excited about the months ahead. I hope everyone will get a chance to get out and support our teams as the weather improves and the days grow longer this spring. Go Pioneers!