Beach alumni compete in Sydney

By Lyndsey Shinoda
Daily Forty-Niner

Eight of the U.S. athletes and coaches in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia aren't just representing America, they are representing Long Beach State.

Many 49er alumni are making themselves seen down under, including volleyball players Tara Cross-Battle, Tom Hoff, Misty May and Danielle Scott, men's water polo players Chi Kredell and Kyle Kropp and men's water polo coaches Guy Baker and Ken Lindgren.

The Beach has produced a whole crop of elite volleyball players, both male and female.

Cross-Battle ('89), a four-time All-American player and two-time NCAA Player of the Year, was an integral part of the team that won the 1989 NCAA Championship. She is in her third Olympic games.

Scott ('93) helped bring LBSU to three consecutive Final Four appearances and winning the NCAA Championship in 1993.

Cross-Battle and Scott are both members of the U.S. indoor volleyball team. Benishe Dillard, another LBSU alumnae ('98), is an alternate.

May ('98), led the 49ers to the 1998 NCAA Championship, while earning 1997 and 1998 NCAA Player of the Year honors. She and partner Holly McPeak make up one of two women's U.S. beach volleyball teams.

Hoff ('96), a first team All-American selection in 1995 and 1996, has been a member of the U.S. men's volleyball national team since 1997 and is competing in his first Olympics.

The remaining former 49ers are representing the U.S. in the water.

Kredell ('93) played four seasons of water polo for the 49ers. In his senior season, he earned a spot on the All-American team.

Sydney is the second Olympic competition for Kropp ('89). His 231 career goals are the highest in LBSU history and he was a three time All-American selection.

Baker ('87) was the assistant coach to Lindgren at LBSU for six seasons. He played for the Beach in the early '80s and coached water polo at UCLA, guiding the Bruins to national championships.

In a role reversal, Baker is the head coach of the U.S. women's water polo team in Sydney and Lindgren is his assistant coach. Lindgren has coached the most wins in LBSU water polo history.