BRIEF

OCC ATLETES EXCEL

The 194 athletes who competed on Orange Coast College’s 10 fall and winter 2007-08 intercollegiate athletic squads turned in an excellent performance in the classroom.

OCC’s athletes logged a combined grade-point average of 2.76 during the fall semester, a B- average.

Coach Mike Thornton’s OCC women’s basketball team led the way, with a 3.21 GPA. The team finished the regular season with a 29-4 record, 13-1 in the Orange Empire Conference. The Pirates won back-to-back conference titles for the first time in school history.

Coach Don Watson’s men’s water polo team, which finished 14-7, had a 2.97 GPA.

The men’s soccer team, coached by Laird Hayes and Glenn Strachan, was close behind with a 2.92 GPA. The Pirates men’s soccer team went 8-8-6 on the season.

Women’s cross country, which finished second in California behind state champion Crystal Reed, ran to a 2.84 GPA. They were followed closely by the men, who finished ninth in the state and earned a 2.82 GPA. Both teams are coached by Marco Ochoa and John Knox.

Coach Anthony Iacopetti’s women’s water polo team (12-12) had a 2.81 GPA.

OCC is annually one of the nation’s community college leaders in transferring students to four-year institutions. Last year, OCC ranked third among California’s 109 public community colleges in the number of students it transferred to the University of California and California State University systems.