California Collegiate Athletic Assn

It has been an up-and-down third season for Van Girard, the women's basketball coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Up because the Lady Toros will finish with a winning record for the first time since 1985, set a school record of nine consecutive victories and, probably most important, appear to have shed their reputation as pushovers. "No one can come in our gym and take us as an easy (win) any longer," Girard said. But down since the start of California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team appears to be headed for its 11th consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship. And at the forefront of the Broncos' title drive is a front-court combination that has proven almost unstoppable. Senior forward Leslie Ellis, junior forward Carrie Stritenberg and sophomore center Mildred Conston are among the top six in scoring in the CCAA. Conston, a transfer from Nevada Las Vegas, is also second in rebounding and blocked shots.

The Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team appears to be headed for its 11th consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship. And at the forefront of the Broncos' title drive is a front-court combination that has proven almost unstoppable. Senior forward Leslie Ellis, junior forward Carrie Stritenberg and sophomore center Mildred Conston are among the top six in scoring in the CCAA. Conston, a transfer from Nevada Las Vegas, is also second in rebounding and blocked shots.

Coach--Mike Weathers, ninth year. 1991 Records--15-36, 10-20 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. (sixth). Top returning regulars--Mike Giuseffi, 1B, Sr., batted .303 with 12 RBIs; Pete Coleman, RHP, Sr., 3.41 ERA and nine complete games. Top newcomers--Buster Nietzke, OF, Jr., second-team All-Orange Empire Conference for Saddleback; Jason White, OF, Jr., batted .369 for Golden West; Chris Briones, C, Fr., batted .427 with five homers for Brea-Olinda High; Tom Puppe, 1B, Jr. batted .

Chapman College stayed close to Cal State Northridge through four innings, but Northridge put together five runs in the fifth inning and went on to an 8-6 victory in a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. baseball game at Northridge Thursday. The score was tied, 3-3, before Northridge took control in the fifth inning. Designated hitter Jody Garcia went three for four with a home run a double and two RBIs for Chapman (22-25, 10-15).

Cal State Dominguez Hills pitcher Rick Davis set a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. record for most strikeouts in a season Saturday to help the Toros defeat visiting Cal State Northridge, 9-6, in their season finale. The Toros finished with a 16-29-2 record, 11-18-1 in the CCAA. Davis struck out seven in four innings of relief to push his season total to 171. The old record of 170 was set by Mark Wiley of Cal Poly Pomona in 1971.

Cal State Northridge rebounded from a one-game deficit Wednesday night to record a 12-15, 15-11, 9-15, 15-11, 15-2 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. womens volleyball victory over Cal Poly Pomona before a crowd of 527 at Cal Poly. CSUN, ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II, improved its record to 17-9 overall and 7-0 in the CCAA. Cal Poly, ranked fourth, fell to 23-8 and 6-2. Senior Heather Hafner paced the Lady Matadors with 18 kills, 3 aces and 12 digs. Teammate Shelli Mosby had a .

Coach--Mike Weathers, ninth year. 1991 Records--15-36, 10-20 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. (sixth). Top returning regulars--Mike Giuseffi, 1B, Sr., batted .303 with 12 RBIs; Pete Coleman, RHP, Sr., 3.41 ERA and nine complete games. Top newcomers--Buster Nietzke, OF, Jr., second-team All-Orange Empire Conference for Saddleback; Jason White, OF, Jr., batted .369 for Golden West; Chris Briones, C, Fr., batted .427 with five homers for Brea-Olinda High; Tom Puppe, 1B, Jr. batted .

Cal State Northridge, ranked third in the nation, split a California Collegiate Athletic Assn. softball doubleheader Saturday at Cal State Bakersfield. In the first game, Debbie Dickmann improved her record to 23-4 in pitching a four-hitter as CSUN won, 3-2. Bakersfield, the defending national champion, won the second game, 1-0, as Northridge starter Heather Lindstrom dropped to 11-4. The Roadrunners (2-4 in league play) made a first-inning run hold up. CSUN suffered its first conference loss and is 37-13, 7-1 in CCAA play.

George Wing has established a lofty goal for the Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team's three-game series against 11th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona, which begins this afternoon at 3 in Carson. Wing, coach of the fifth-ranked Toros, told the team this week that he wanted to win two of the three games against the Broncos, who are tied with Dominguez Hills for first place in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. at 11-7.

It has been an up-and-down third season for Van Girard, the women's basketball coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Up because the Lady Toros will finish with a winning record for the first time since 1985, set a school record of nine consecutive victories and, probably most important, appear to have shed their reputation as pushovers. "No one can come in our gym and take us as an easy (win) any longer," Girard said. But down since the start of California Collegiate Athletic Assn.

Brilliant sunlight burned off the overcast shrouding the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills, sending shards of light through a field house window and across Nancy Fortner's desk. Fortner, the third women's volleyball coach here in the past five years, squinted, wrinkling her nose. It was early in the morning and the room glowed, unlike the sport she was rehired to turn around. A decade ago she coached a successful program here. But she, like the sun, found things in a fog. "There is a certain attitude that needs to be changed," she said off the top. "You get into a mode where you get used to losing, and then you can't win. I think I can build a program here, but it will take time."

More than a year later, Sue Carberry still finds it difficult to forget. The former Cal State Dominguez Hills athletic director, who quit abruptly to teach in a small Mendocino County town, still refers to her former employers as "we" and, when she hears about the issues that affect the Carson campus 700 miles to the south, catches herself reflecting on them. Tiny Laytonville, a town three hours north of San Francisco on U.S. 101, couldn't be much farther removed from the hustle and bustle of the big time--what Carberry terms "down there" in the urban trenches.

Greg Bistline began his job as associate athletic director in charge of athletic development and promotion at Cal State Dominguez Hills with what seemed like a simple task: convincing a Carson restaurant to donate 10 pizzas for a postgame party for the men's basketball team. About half a day and a dozen phone calls later, Bistline got the free pasta. Not all of his fund-raising in the past six months has been that easy, but because of his persistence the Toro athletic program is $45,000 richer.

Cal State Dominguez Hills faltered a bit in the final round of the NCAA Division II golf championship Friday and completed the four-day tournament in 12th place Enrico Montano shot a 79 and Ray Fawcett had an 81 over the final 18 holes at the par-72 Lake View Country Club. Montano's 72&hole total of 310 was the best the Toros could do, but it fell 16 strokes off the individual title pace set by Brian Dixon from Columbus College of Georgia. Fawcett totaled 314. Columbus won the team title with a score of 1,196.

Cal State Northridge's quest for a fifth NCAA Division II softball title begins in earnest today when the Lady Matadors meet Cal State Dominguez Hills in the opening round of the West regional tournament at Northridge. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo will meet defending-national champion Cal State Bakersfield in the first game at 9 a.m., and Northridge will face Dominguez Hills at 11 a.m. The losers will meet in an elimination game at 1:30 p.m., and the winners will face off at 3:30. The double-elimination tournament will conclude Sunday with the winner advancing to the national championships.

Cal State Dominguez Hills faltered a bit in the final round of the NCAA Division II golf championship Friday and completed the four-day tournament in 12th place Enrico Montano shot a 79 and Ray Fawcett had an 81 over the final 18 holes at the par-72 Lake View Country Club. Montano's 72&hole total of 310 was the best the Toros could do, but it fell 16 strokes off the individual title pace set by Brian Dixon from Columbus College of Georgia. Fawcett totaled 314. Columbus won the team title with a score of 1,196.

The Cal State Northridge baseball team was looking forward to an opportunity to determine its postseason destiny. But after the Matadors dropped a 9-6 decision to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday in their final regularly scheduled California Collegiate Athletic Assn. game, they left their future, or lack of same, in the hands of a committee. The loss at Dominguez Hills made unnecessary a makeup game between Northridge and conference-champion Cal Poly San Luis Obispo today.