Yet another @#$%&* list

Tony Altobelli

Sitting at my desk pondering a topic for my college column, it hit

me. “Hey I know. I’ll highlight the top 10 events of the year in college

sports. From 1 to 10 and to make life easy for you, I’ll put No. 1 first.

GENIUS!”

Pretty original huh? That’s why I get paid the big bucks.

During this final year of the 20th century, there have been some

rather significant occurrences in this high school-happy area.

Nothing against the prepsters, but at Orange Coast College and

Vanguard University, there have been some winners, shakers and

headline-makers throughout this past 365-day span.

Now it’s time for those achievements to be recognized.

So without further delay, here’s our college Top 10 events of 1999.

Please save your applause until the end.

1. Pirate cross country teams capture state: For the first time since

1981, both the men’s AND women’s cross country teams won state

championships at Woodward Park in Fresno.

In what was described as, “The best team effort I’ve ever seen,”

according to Coach John Goldman, the men’s squad edged Mt. San Antonio,

100-108, with Glendale (109) and San Diego Mesa (111) close behind.

The Pirates had all four runners finish in the top 40, including Juan

Sanchez who finished ninth to lead the squad.

It was no surprise for the women’s squad, which was a heavy favorite

coming into the championships.

Three of the top 10 finishers were from OCC, including third-place

Berenice Carbajal, fifth-place Heather Shortleff and seventh-place Zoila

Gomez, OCC’s Female Athlete of the Year for the 1998-99 year.

2. The new sheriff in town: Looking to improve the overall image to

the Newport-Mesa community, Jane Hilgendorf became the full-time Athletic

Director and dean of physical education in 1999.

After 19 seasons as a volleyball coach and interim AD at OCC,

Hilgendorf helped the Pirates regain not only their respect and luster of

years past, but also the Orange Empire Conference Supremacy Award for the

1998-99 school year.

Not bad for only one year on the job.

3. Quisenberry dies - Former OCC pitcher Dan Quisenberry, the man

credited for “Finding a delivery in my flaw,” passed away from brain

cancer at the age of 45.

Quisenberry, better known as “Quiz,” played 12 major league seasons

and finished with 244 saves and a 2.76 ERA in 674 appearances, all in

relief.

While at OCC from 1972-73, Quisenberry was 15-15 in his two-year

career with a stellar 1.88 ERA in 254 1/3 innings of work. He struck out

166 while walking only 38 in his two seasons with the Bucs.

He was a two-time All-South Coast Conference first-team selection and

OCC’s team captain and MVP.

After moving on to the University of LaVerne, Quiz signed with the

Kansas City Royals and was brought up to the big leagues in 1979.

He was enshrined in the Royals’ Hall of Fame in 1998.

4. Fling’n Jared Flint: The sophpomore quarterback set numerous

records for OCC football team this fall.

Flint set OCC records in career passing attempts (572), completions

(311) and passing yards (3,999) breaking Alvin White’s previous records

set in 1971-72.

This season, The University of Hawaii-bound Flint completed 190 of 330

attempts, both new school records, for 2,454 yards, second all-time

behind Keith Jarrett’s 1987 mark.

5. Travis hits 17 feet: OCC sophomore pole vaulter Travis Vandrovec

set the new OCC and Orange Empire Conference record by clearing 17 feet

at the conference finals April 24.

Vandrovec broke the Pirates’ old standard of 16-6 1/2 set by Greg

Woepse in 1976 and shattered the OEC’s high mark of 16-0 1/2 by Scott

Hanes of Riverside College.

Vandrovec won the Southern California title in the pole vault and took

second at the state finals. He was named OCC’s Male Athlete of the Year,

the first track and field athlete to win the award since Mike Hancock in

1994-95.

6. Vanguard lady hoopsters keep winning: It just keeps going and going

for the Vanguard University women’s basketball team.

After back-to-back wins in the Vanguard University Christmas Classic,

the Lions have now won 43 straight games at the Pit.

Their last home loss came Feb. 25, 1997 against Point Loma Nazarene,

85-84, in overtime.

From there, it’s been ALL Lions. This season, the Lions are 7-0 at

home, winning by an average of 50 points a game.

Next to try to give the Lions a home “L” is Cal Baptist Thursday at

5:30 p.m.

7. OCC’s baseball bashers - Freshmen Jason Reuss and Ryan Clark and

sophomore Brandon Thompson threw some serious pop into the Pirates’

batting order, combining for 46 home runs, 144 runs and 167 RBIs.

The threesome helped the Pirates reach the playoffs for the first time

since 1993. They also helped the Bucs break several offensive team

records, including home runs (57), runs (382) and busted out name plates

on the scoreboard (one).

8. Vanguard U softball goes to the series, again: After reaching the

NAIA World Series last season, the Lions, with a senior-heavy squad

reached the tournament for the second year in a row, the first Lions

squad to accomplish such a feat.

After two wins to open the tournament, the Lions were nipped by No.

2-seeded Oklahoma City College, 5-4, and Alabama’s Spring Hill College,

4-1, finishing the season with a record of 48-13.

9. OCC’s 6-OT thriller: In a game that refused to end, Orange Coast

College’s football team finally put away Long Beach City, 48-42.

No game in the history of the NCAA has ever gone six overtimes, like

the Nov. 6 homecoming thriller.

Pirates quarterback Jared Flint threw for 348 yards and three

touchdowns in the game, while USC-bound Jimmy Banks scored the

game-winning touchdown on a 12-yard rumble to paydirt.

The game took nearly four hours to complete as both teams combined for

nearly 1,000 yards of offense.

The funny thing was that it was a 7-7 defensive battle for the first

three quarters, before the fireworks.

10. VU women’s hoops reaches sweet 16: After reaching the NAIA

Tournament the previous season, the unseeded Lions returned to the

“little big dance” and knocked off fifth-seeded Lipsomb College, 71-66,

March 17.

The Lions hit a tournament-record 12 three-pointers in the game,

including five by Amee Pina, who finished with 17 points.

Kristi Wright led the Lions with 25 points in the school’s e biggest

win ever.

HAPPY 2000 everyone!