Swimmers Boosting Bakersfield

Four swimmers from Orange County are making their mark this season at Cal State Bakersfield, where the men’s and women’s teams are nationally ranked in NCAA Division II.

Jeff Monroe of Huntington Beach and Luke Mansfield of Brea are among the top swimmers for the men’s team that is ranked No. 1 nationally.

Lauren Preston of Newport Beach and Carla Rodriguez of Laguna Niguel are members of the women’s team that is ranked eighth.

Monroe, a junior who competed at Edison High, has qualified for the nationals in the 200-meter breaststroke (2:09.35), 100 breaststroke (57.75) and the 50 freestyle (21.18). He is ranked No. 5 nationally in the 100 breaststroke and No. 12 in the 200 breaststroke.

Mansfield, who competed at Sonora High, has qualified for the nationals in the 50 free (21.17) and the 100 free (46.7). He is ranked No. 20 in the nation in the 50 free.

Preston, a freshman from Rosary High, has qualified for the nationals in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.92) and 200 individual medley (2:14.43).

Rodriguez, a sophomore from Laguna Hills High, has qualified in the 200 breaststroke (2:29.62).

NOTEWORTHY

Joy Burkholder (Capistrano Valley High) completed her senior season with the Cal State Bakersfield women’s volleyball team by helping the Roadrunners to a record 10th consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title. She missed six matches because of an injury. She averaged 10.83 assists per game, finishing No. 4 in career assists (2,057) at the school despite playing only two seasons at Bakersfield.

Two former area players have gotten off to good starts for the Texas baseball team. Junior pitcher Phil Seibel of Cypress has a 3-0 record with a 2.05 earned-run average. Junior second baseman Tommy Nicholson of Esperanza High is batting .389 with 21 hits in his first 54 at-bats.

Marie Philman, who played at Edison High, is a starter for the UCLA women’s basketball team for the second consecutive season. She is averaging 8.8 points and shooting 42.3% from the field.

Two former area athletes are competing for the Brigham Young women’s track team this season. Maika Nelson (Brea Olinda High) finished eighth in the 800 meters and Sara Higham (Mission Viejo High) was second in the pole vault at 11-8 in the recent Mountain State Games at Weber State.