San Diego Mesa

San Diego Mesa College is making its first appearance in the California community college baseball championship tournament this weekend in Long Beach. The Olympians (33-6), who won the Pacific Coast Conference title, have won nine games in a row and advanced through the regionals last weekend with a two-game sweep of South Coast Conference champion Orange Coast College. Seeded eighth, San Diego Mesa plays Golden Gate Conference champion and No. 1 San Mateo at 10 a.m. today at Blair Field.

Jerry Schad had a simple explanation for his ability to quickly experience every mile he wrote about in his guidebooks, which helped expand hiking opportunities in Southern California: "I run through the boring parts and walk through the interesting ones. " His "Afoot and Afield in San Diego County," first published in 1986, is regarded as the preeminent guide to the region's trails. He followed it with two other well-regarded "Afoot and Afield" books, on Orange County and then Los Angeles County.

Glendale College will not win its third men's title in six years in the state cross-country championships at Woodward Park in Fresno today if San Diego Mesa runs as well as it did in the Southern California championships two weeks ago. Glendale Coach Eddie Lopez admitted that after Mesa defeated the runner-up Vaqueros, 34-94, at Del Mar Racetrack on Nov. 4.

First there was talk that a damaged carpool bridge on the San Diego-Costa Mesa freeway interchange would have to be torn down. Two months later, engineers thought the half-mile span could be spared the wrecking ball by making up to $5 million in repairs. Now, the Orange County Transportation Authority estimates that the $12-million carpool connector in Costa Mesa can be fixed for $1.5 million to $2.5 million.

Rancho Santiago College, the top-ranked community college water polo team in the state, defeated San Diego Mesa Wednesday, 18-10, in a nonconference match in San Diego.

San Diego Mesa College scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to defeat Orange Coast, 5-4, Saturday afternoon at Mesa College. The victory gives the Pacific Coast Conference champion Olympians (32-6) a one-game advantage in the best-of-three regional community college playoff series that concludes today. The first game is at 11 a.m. Sophomore Bill McCafferty singled to open the ninth and his pinch-runner, Mike Adams, scored the tying run on a throwing error by losing pitcher Sam August (10-3).

The surprise of the week in the Mission Conference was San Diego Mesa's 21-21 tie with Cerritos. Cerritos was picked second in the South Coast Conference, and the Olympians were picked ninth in the Mission Conference. Only San Diego City was picked lower. The Mission Conference has a new look this season with the return of Grossmont, which left in 1974.

Karyn Fierst scored 27 points to lead host Orange Coast to an 86-72 victory over San Diego Mesa in women's basketball Friday. San Diego Mesa took a 10-2 lead, but the Pirates rallied to take a 52-33 halftime lead. Fierst had 22 points in the first half for Orange Coast (10-1). Melissa Lewis had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates. San Diego Mesa (6-4) was led by Elizabeth Quintard, who had 17 points.

The first time Orange Coast and San Diego Mesa met in a volleyball match this season, the Pirates had yet to establish a set lineup. San Diego Mesa took advantage of OCC's experimental phase and won in five games. Since, Orange Coast has made a few changes and become one of the top teams in the state. The Pirates pounded the point home Friday with a three-game sweep of San Diego Mesa in an Orange Empire Conference match Friday at OCC.

Gibran Bowden scored 12 of her game-high 25 points during a late second-half run to lead Santa Monica City College past San Diego Mesa, 77-71, in the semifinals of the Seventh Annual Mesa JC women's basketball tournament at Mesa College Thursday night. The Corsairs, ranked ninth in the state, trailed, 55-54, in the second half before Bowden took control and led them on a 16-4 run for a 70-59 lead. Valerie Vermeer added 20 points for Santa Monica.

Mike Donegan scored 25 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Saddleback to a 90-80 victory over Mt. San Antonio in the first round of the Southern California community college men's basketball regional Saturday at Saddleback. Saddleback (30-2), seeded second in the regional, advanced to the second round. On Wednesday the Gauchos will host Mt. San Jacinto, a 73-69 winner over Mira Costa on Friday. Kevin Williams had 20 points for the Gauchos. Mark Brown had 13 points and eight assists. Mt.

Glendale College will not win its third men's title in six years in the state cross-country championships at Woodward Park in Fresno today if San Diego Mesa runs as well as it did in the Southern California championships two weeks ago. Glendale Coach Eddie Lopez admitted that after Mesa defeated the runner-up Vaqueros, 34-94, at Del Mar Racetrack on Nov. 4.

Environmentalists are questioning the city's ability to protect rare habitats after a housing developer bulldozed wetlands that were home to three endangered species. City officials said Thursday that a procedural error allowed Square One Development Co. to raze wetlands near the Mira Mesa neighborhood. They ordered the company to immediately halt the bulldozing. Square One is owned by Michael Cafagna, the mayor of Poway, about 20 miles north of San Diego.

Karyn Fierst scored 27 points to lead host Orange Coast to an 86-72 victory over San Diego Mesa in women's basketball Friday. San Diego Mesa took a 10-2 lead, but the Pirates rallied to take a 52-33 halftime lead. Fierst had 22 points in the first half for Orange Coast (10-1). Melissa Lewis had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Pirates. San Diego Mesa (6-4) was led by Elizabeth Quintard, who had 17 points.

San Diego Mesa 40, Pierce 27--The Brahmas rallied from a 27-point deficit but lost in overtime after yielding a game-ending 86-yard interception return at Merril Douglas Stadium in San Diego. Sophomore backup quarterback Scott Doherty entered the game with 1:52 remaining and Pierce trailing, 27-20, and took part in the three biggest plays of the game.

Monte Gutowski passed for three touchdowns for the Marauders (2-3) in a Foothill Conference interdivisional game at Mesa (1-4). Gutowski completed seven of 13 passes for 125 yards. Andre Velazquez had two touchdown receptions and Kevin Dolphin caught the third touchdown. Kasey Young rushed for 158 yards in 22 carries and scored on a 24-yard run for Antelope Valley.

Orange Coast got the ball to the right player--sophomore Jennifer Ludwicki--but didn't get the expected result in a 63-61 loss Sunday to San Diego Mesa in the title game of the Coast Christmas Classic. Ludwicki, who has been OCC's leading scorer in all 14 games this season, turned the ball over with the Pirates down by a point with 13 seconds left. She then missed about a 12-footer to tie while well defended in the closing seconds.

Kelly Ann Wilson made consecutive field goals in the final minute to lead Saddleback College over San Diego Mesa, 58-56, in a nonconference women's basketball game Wednesday at Saddleback. Wilson finished with a game-high 18 points. Saddleback, which played the entire game with the same five players, was behind 56-54 when Wilson made back-to-back field goals. San Diego Mesa had the ball for the final 10 seconds but missed three shots.

Orange Coast got the ball to the right player--sophomore Jennifer Ludwicki--but didn't get the expected result in a 63-61 loss Sunday to San Diego Mesa in the title game of the Coast Christmas Classic. Ludwicki, who has been OCC's leading scorer in all 14 games this season, turned the ball over with the Pirates down by a point with 13 seconds left. She then missed about a 12-footer to tie while well defended in the closing seconds.

Jesus Villavicencio of the Moorpark College men's cross-country team has a confession. He and his Raider teammates stunned themselves by defeating San Diego Mesa and Glendale to win the Southern California junior college title at Irvine Regional Park on Nov. 8. "We went down there thinking we were going to get third," Villavicencio said of the 32-team race. "We didn't think we had a chance to win. I mean, Mesa had beaten us by 36 points the first time we raced and stomped us by 50 the second.