Lions women honored

COSTA MESA — It had been nearly a month since the Vanguard University women’s basketball team won the school’s first NAIA Division I national championship. But it was through the prism of reflection that spanned more than 12 years that brought the accomplishment to an emotional focal point for Lions Coach Russ Davis Friday afternoon.

“Since we’ve been back [after winning five games in six days, including a 72-59 title game triumph over Trevecca Nazarene of Tennessee, March 26 in Jackson, Tenn.] people have been asking me, ‘Has it hit you yet?’ ” Davis said while addressing a crowd of about 300 at a ceremony to honor the team at the school’s gym.

“Well, I’ll tell you what,” said Davis, who spoke on behalf of his team and who, along with his players, receieved repeated standing ovations from the crowd, “It hit me. It hit me sitting right over there [among his players on an elevated stage].”

Davis immediately choked back tears and silence enveloped the crowd, as he struggled to acknowledge two former players, Elaine Whittemore (now Elaine Foytik) and Stephanie Sick (now Stephanie McDowell), who were captains on the first of his 12 Vanguard teams.

“I’m sorry about this,” said Davis, as he continued. “To see two people who were on my first team here, who were the cement ... to help get this started. They believed in the mission that we had, to do things the right way, to work hard and they would be rewarded. It’s their fault I’m emotional right now. They’re still very close to my heart and in my life.”

Davis, the NAIA Division I Coach of the Year who has guided the last six Vanguard teams to the national quarterfinals, including three straight Final Four appearances, went on to thank members of his team, the administration and several others for their part in the special season that ended with a 28-5 record and the big [approximately 15-feet wide] red banner awarded every NAIA national champion.

Davis singled out seniors Jessica Richter, Melissa Cook and Lindsey Rinke, who had also been part of the previous two national semifinalists that were ranked No. 1 for the duration of 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Richter, a three-time All-American who was NAIA National Player of the Year as a junior, was not in attendance. She is at the WNBA training camp of the Connecticut Sun, where she has already survived the first cut, Davis said.

Cook, who made the winning basket with six seconds left in the 74-72 semifinal upset of then-unbeaten and top-seeded Union and was a second-team All-American, was acknowledged for her leadership role as well as her ability to overcome separate knee injuries that twice sidelined her for the NAIA Tournament.

Rinke, a role player whose leadership led her to become known as the “team mother” this past season, smiled broadly as Davis praised her unsung heroics.

Vanguard President Murray Dempster and Athletic Director Bob Wilson also spoke in a ceremony attended by a handful of local political dignitaries and/or their representatives, many of whom brought official proclamations recognizing the team. The emcee was “Real Orange” co-anchor Ed Arnold.

John Moorlach, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said that body would honor the team at its Tuesday meeting.

A brief video that included the pregame and closing seconds of the CBS College Sports telecast of the title game was shown, accompanied at the end by a sampling of the Queen song “We are the Champions.”

The aforementioned red banner was also unveiled and team members presented autographed basketballs to both Dempster and Wilson.

“Gold Pride is spreading,” Dempster told he crowd. “First, it was a section in the bleachers [at the school’s gym], but now it’s a part of the pride of Orange County and the state ... What a joy it is for me to say, on behalf of the community members who work here, our community, faculty, staff, administration and trustees, ‘You have filled us with Gold Pride. We are so proud of [the team].’ ”

Cook and Rinke later said their favorite moment was when Davis was overcome by emotion and Foytik said she never doubted that Davis would one day lead Vanguard to a national title. “This was 10 years in the making,” Foytik said. “I’m excited for coach, because we talked about this the very first season he was here. There was never a question in my mind they would get this done.”

Davis, who welcomes nine returners and is honing in on two or three more transfers from NCAA Division I teams, stopped short of guaranteeing another title next year.

“But I will guarantee it’s not going to take us this long to get another one,” he said. “We’re going to be back here soon.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].