Golfers Off to Good Start

The Long Beach State women’s golf team wrapped up its fall season by being ranked No. 21 in the country in the Golfstat national rankings, it’s highest team ranking ever. The 49ers also were ranked No. 26 in Golfweek and were the highest ranked team in the Big West Conference.

Three Top 10 finishes in the four tournaments helped player Kay Hoey (below( earn a Golfweek national ranking of No. 38.
On the men’s side, the 49ers finished the fall campaign ranked 13th in the NCAA Pacific Region.

Both teams resumed spring play in February.

Women's Volleyball Team Named Big West Co-Champ

Long Beach State’s women’s volleyball team wrapped up its eighth Big West title in November, sharing the championship with UC Santa Barbara. Long Beach earned its 19th straight NCAA appearance but lost in the first round to the University of San Diego.

The 49ers finished with an overall record of 25-7 and 12-2 in the Big West. Alexis Crimes was selected to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-West Region Team and Erika Chidester was an honorable mention.

Crimes, a pre-medicine major, also was named to ESPN the Magazine’s Academic All-District VIII first team, while Taylor Peyton was a second-team selection. Peyton, a psychology major, graduated last May with Phi Beta Kappa honors and took fall courses to finish her minor in marketing. She plans to pursue a master’s and Ph.D. in psychology.

Azevedo Named U.S. Water Polo Head Coach

United States Water Polo named Long Beach State’s head men’s and women’s water polo coach and alumnus Rick Azevedo as its men’s national team coach and director in November. USA Water Polo is the sport’s national governing body under the auspices of the United States Olympic Committee.

Over seven years, his men’s teams went 107-96 and ranked as high as fifth nationally and for the past three seasons, the women’s team ranked among the nation’s top four teams. His daughter, Cassie, is a senior All-American for the 49ers.

Gavin Arroyo became the new men’s coach in February. He is a two-time member of the U.S. men’s Olympic team and was an assistant coach at UC Berkeley and for the U.S. men’s senior national team. Former 49er men’s head coach Ken Lindgren is this year’s interim women’s coach.

Women’s Soccer Sees Successful Season

With eight freshman starters, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team completed the season with a 12-5-3 record and finished third in the Big West. The team saw its first-ever national ranking at No. 25 and a regional ranking as high as No. 10.

Hayley Bolt earned co-Big West Freshman of the Year and All-Big West honors along with Kim Silos, Sahar Haghdan and Natalie Messina.

Cross Country Takes Third in Big West

Long Beach State men’s and women’s cross country teams completed their best season since 1988 by both finishing 10th at the NCAA Regional in November.

In October’s Big West Championship, the teams each finished third. Meredith Kramon, Nicole Blalock and Jimmy Grabow earned all-conference honors.

Athletes Named to Big West All Academic Team

Sixteen Long Beach State student athletes were named to the 2005 Big West Academic All-Conference Team for fall sports. Honorees must maintain a 3.2 cumulative grade point average.

CSULB athletes were:

Women’s Volleyball—Erika Chidester, Alexis Crimes, Heather Laudato, Dyanne Lawlor, Robin Miramontes and Taylor Peyton.

Women’s Soccer—Erin Empting, Kelly Goes, Hilary Goldberg, Amanda Perry, Katelyn Quaresma and Elizabeth Romo.

Women’s Cross Country—Nicole Blalock, Bethany Gardiner and Jaclyn Pedersen.

Men’s Cross Country—Jimmy Grabow.