(L-R) City College sophomores Wendy Zhu and Michelle Wu face Skyline's Rachel Bernia and Nour Abudamus in their first-round doubles match during the Northern California Badminton Finals, May 8 at the Wellness Center. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

For the second season in a row, the Northern California Women’s Badminton Finals were a formality for the most dominant program at City College this year.

The undefeated Rams aim to make history in Pasadena by capturing their first ever state championship, a feat that has never been accomplished by any Northern California school.

The Rams, who were the host team for this year’s NorCal Finals, held at the Wellness Center on May 8, were able to secure #1 seeds for both doubles and singles. They will send a total of six players to Pasadena City College, the site of this year’s State Championships.

After the matches were over, Fred Glosser and Coni Staff, the teams co-head coaches, were all smiles inside the Wellness Center.

“I’m very pleased with today’s results,” Staff said. “I feel that we have put ourselves in the best possible position to win at state. I think we consider ourselves the favorite to win it all, and rightfully so.”

It would be hard to argue with Staff’s assessment, as the Rams began the season loaded with experience players. As state runner-up last season, they fell just short to host Irvine Valley College, a team that boasted four Olympic trained badminton players. This year, the playing field will be much more even, Staff said.

The Rams will compete in the State Finals which begin on May 13. The individual player competitions will then take place that weekend, May 15 – 16.

“It’s going to be between us and Pasadena this year for the team championship,” Staff said. “While we haven’t seen their number one player, a coach has told us that we match up with them very well strategically.”

Strategy aside, City College’s best weapons may be their sophomores, five of whom were at Pasadena last year.

“They’ve all been there, they know what to expect,” Glosser said of his team following the NorCal finals, adding that he persuaded sophomore Maggie Choy to return for her second season after a four year hiatus from badminton, with the hopes of winning a state title before he retired.

Choy last played for the Rams in 2006, before leaving City College until this season. Despite that much time away, she stepped in nicely as the Rams’ number one player in both singles and doubles.

“Coach Glosser wanted to form a good women’s team this year, and win a state championship,” Choy said in regards to her returning. For Choy, she couldn’t have made a better decision.

“This year was just so fun,” she said. “We have all known each other for a long time on the team, and we have such great coaches, so I am happy to be back.”

“Maggie sets a great example and a great work ethic for the rest of the team,” Staff said. She also praised the work of sophomore Wendy Zhu, who is seeded #2 for State, and was the number two singles player all season.

“Wendy is always the first to practice and the last to leave,” Staff said. “She is a huge reason why this team is so disciplined and so well conditioned this year.”

Having seen her team come up just short last year, Zhu is yet another battle-tested player the Rams have at their disposal.

“I think we have an even better chance this year,” Zhu said. “We’ve all been through tournaments before, and have been on out there on the court before, so experience definitely helps.”

Just two years ago, this little whippersnapper named Bontã Hill walked into bungalow 214, home of The Guardsman, curious to know what it took to join the school newspaper.

After that, a good friend of mine sent me two sports writing books for Christmas urging me to start writing. To be honest, it was the only way I was going to stay in school.

With no journalism experience (does reading the Sporting Green from the age of 10 count for something?), I was assigned to a women’s basketball game at City College, and after writing that story, my hunger to become a better journalist grew with each assignment.

Two years later, my time with The Guardsman is coming to a close. But it has not been without great memories, classic run-ins with members on staff and the joy of expanding the recognition of City College athletics here on campus.

Chasing down the likes of George Rush, Justin Labagh and Jamie Hayes for quotes will be something I will surely reminisce about 15 years later.

Going forward, the Cooler has served its last cup, meaning the future for The Guardsman is sure to be dryer than the Sahara Desert.

All kidding aside, it’s been a pleasure to make all you readers laugh and get away from the daily grind of going to school. To the people who stopped me on campus to talk about various topics in my column, thank you.

I couldn’t be more proud in saying that my journalism career started right here at City College.

Idiot of the Week

My protege and current sports editor here on campus suggested I do an Idiot of the Semester.

I know I can’t go wrong with JaMarcus Russell, Josh McDaniels and Ben Roethlisberger, but after last week, how can I pass up the opportunity to recognize a guy who used to take quarterbacks’ heads off while on cocaine?

This honor of course goes to the original L.T., Lawrence Taylor. While he’s had a long list of off-field troubles, last week’s was probably the most embarrassing moment of his life.

While in New York last weekend, Taylor was looking to have a little fun in his Holiday Inn room He contacted Rasheed Davis, who had a prostitute pay Taylor a visit.

The 51-year-old Taylor was told the girl was 19, and Taylor then paid $300. The catch? The girl was 16, still a couple of years away from being classified as an adult.

The girl, who was reported missing by her family in March, met Davis at a Bronx bus stop two to three weeks ago. Federal prosecutors say she told investigators that the 36-year-old parolee offered her a place to live and a way to make money.

It is simply unbelievable that Taylor, with a long list of run-ins with the law, would put himself in that position.

Taylor could face up to 10 years in prison and a life-time sex-offender registration if convicted. It’s a shame that he has given the African-American community a black eye.

Whatever the outcome is, L.T. is a fool, fool enough to be the Idiot of the Semester.

Misc.

I loved how Floyd “Money” Mayweather took apart Shane Mosley on May 1 to once again hush his critics. Mayweather upped his record to 41-0 and hopefully, $40 million to $50 million dollars will convince Manny Pacquiao to take a blood test and make the fight between himself and Mayweather happen.

In hockey news, the San Jose Sharks are four wins away from  their first ever Stanley Cup Final. Is it me, or does it seem like the Bay Area sports landscape is starting to look a little more promising? This region is overdue for sporting success.

Lastly, how about the guy who blasted A-Rod for stepping on the pitcher’s mound? Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden threw the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history on Mother’s Day against the Tampa Bay Rays with his grandmother watching in the bleachers.

Nothing like a great sports moment to end a great run at The Guardsman.

Apparently, after doing a Google search, the Sacramento State athletic department came across a feature story on Sims published in a fall 2009 issue of The Guardsman. The feature illustrated the many hardships overcome by Sims, a man who grew up in West Oakland surrounded by drugs and violence.

Following an arrest in 2007, Sims was approached by his former McClymonds basketball coach Brandon Brooks, who knew the potential he had to become a successful basketball player. After working out with the City College basketball team, he became a walk-on player following tryouts.

Sims was named Coast Conference Player of the Year as a freshman, and earned All-State honors both years he’s played for City College, becoming a team leader and fine student athlete.

Sims’ own personal struggles were also well documented in the feature, including his dropping out of McClymonds High School in Oakland his senior year, turning to the streets to help make ends meet.

Sacramento State’s basketball program must have only read the first half of Sims’ feature. If they had read all the way to the bottom, they would have realized what an outstanding player, and more importantly, an outstanding person they were about to have playing for them.

To hinder an individual’s struggle for greatness and to judge somebody for the mistakes they made during their youth is not only unforgivable, it is simply unethical.

Sacramento State University has provided a perfect example of just that.

Sims epitomizes the idea of redemption, as he spent significant time in jail three years prior to his return to basketball. Not only did basketball save his life, it helped reveal his high level of character.

Whoever at Sacramento State made this decision should be ashamed. This is also, apparently, not the first time a scholarship offer has been taken back by Sacramento State’s athletic department due to “concerns” they had for a recruit.

The need to judge character before admitting a student into a university is understandable when allowing them to attend school for free. However, Sims’ story shines light on his personal triumphs and should not raise warning signs for any sort of risk.

Not only does the university’s decision strip away the chance for Sims to attend college, get a degree and continue to play the game he loves, it strips away the integrity of Sacramento State as a college athletic institution. A simple sit-down with Sims would have silenced any doubts they had about his character.

Repeated judgments of character have been drawn based on what people read or see online, and that is purely absurd. Unfair. Reprehensible.

What the university has done is write an ugly chapter to what is truly an inspiring story. The fact that Sims came from a life involving crime, poverty and reprehensible actions and changed into a young man on the brink of forever improving his life should be celebrated, not punished.

This blatant disrespect Sacramento State has shown not only to Sims, but to every coach and mentor that has helped turn his life around is despicable.

While Sims still may be able to attend a university, something that would never be a reality without the help of a basketball scholarship, this decision creates a huge cloud over his future. Not only was he stripped of the right he earned to play basketball at this university, he has for now been stripped of his right to earn a college degree.

The beauty of Sims’ story has been tarnished by the ugliness of this university’s decision. For that, shame on you Sacramento State.

AARON TURNER / THE GUARDSMAN

After pitching a complete game victory over San Jose City College in his previous start, Rams sophomore Jared Freitas took the mound April 24 against visiting San Mateo (18-4), hoping to get his third consecutive victory and help the Rams earn a late season upset.

Despite allowing only two earned runs in nine innings, a 10th inning RBI double by the Bulldogs off Eric Lara forced Freitas to take a no-decision, as the Rams fell 4-3 in 10 innings at Fairmont Field in Pacifica, dropping their record to 5-17 in the Coast Conference.

“Jared’s last three starts have been excellent,” Rams head coach John Vanoncini said. “He pitched well enough to win the game today, for sure.”

Freshman Mark Johnson got the Rams on the board early against San Mateo starting pitcher Josh Trejo, as his first inning RBI single put them up 1-0. Jeremy Pratt led off the fifth inning with a double, before being driven in by Oli Meheula for the second run of the game. Meheula would eventually come around to score on a sacrifice fly by catcher Anthony Oropeza, for the third run of the inning.

“We’ve really been playing some good baseball,” Freitas said. “Our bats are finally coming around and we’re playing as a team. There is not a lot of negativity in the dugout.”

San Mateo was able to break through against Freitas in the seventh inning. Sophomore Steven Riddle got the Bulldogs on the board with a one out RBI double, before being driven in himself the next at bat by Pat Burford.

After allowing a third consecutive hit, Freitas worked his way out of the jam with an inning-ending double play.

“I felt like I had all my stuff today, and I felt like every pitch was working,” said Freitas, who entered Saturday’s game with a 3-4 record. “I got ahead. A lot of first pitch strikes, only one walk, and that’s really good if you’re making them earn their way on the bases.”

The eighth inning turned rocky for Freitas and the Rams, as he hit the leadoff batter Jarrod Hopper, who wound up coming all the way around to score on a throwing error after he attempted to steal third base.

The Rams had their own rally thwarted in the bottom of the ninth. Mark Johnson led off with a single, and Freitas reached first safely on a throwing error off a sacrifice bunt. Vanoncini decided to have Johnson steal third, but he was called out on a disputed play. Freitas was picked off at first base and the Rams failed to score in the inning.

“We had some bad luck late in the game,” Vanoncini said. “We guessed right on a steal and their guy misses a tag but they still call him out, so we just didn’t get it done.”

The Rams will play their home finale against De Anza on April 29 at Fairmont Field in Pacifica. They will then head to Mission College on April 30 to wrap up the season.

A sign stating the completion of a field in fall 2009 currently hangs in front of the future construction site adjacent to Batmale Hall. RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

Progress has not been made on a new soccer field that was promised to both City College soccer programs two semesters ago.

Last August, The Guardsman reported that construction of a new soccer-only facility adjacent to Batmale Hall had begun and would be finished by December 2009. However, almost nine months later, there is no evidence that any construction has begun.

“The project is still a go,” women’s athletic director Peg Grady said. “The plans are on hold in the California Division of the State Architect. Once the plans are approved, the project can move forward with the design.”

This was confirmed by the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Peter Goldstein.

“The project is on hold until the State Architect approves the drawings, which should occur within the next few weeks,” Goldstein said.

The field will be partially funded by nearby Lick-Wilmerding High School.

“We’ve been completely left out of the loop,” men’s soccer head coach Adam Lucarelli said. “I talk about the new soccer field when recruiting players, and then when it doesn’t happen, my credibility is put in question.”

He said he was told the plans were postponed twice, but the reasons were never clear. Lucarelli also said all the other teams in the Coast Conference have beautiful fields, and not having a soccer field prevents them from having a “home-field advantage.”

“We play on three different venues for home games,” Lucarelli said. “We have been very successful, even without the field, but having one will make our lives much easier.”

Grady agreed that the process has been very frustrating.

“Our teams have continued to play off campus and at two different sites,” she said. “We look forward to the day when we can both practice and compete on our own campus. It will definitely cut down on travel and field rental costs.”

Women’s soccer head coach Gabe Saucedo, who is heading into his second season with the program, is more content with the current situation.

“We get to play at the brand new facilities at Crocker Amazon, which are five minutes away by car,” Saucedo said. “Since other teams from the community practice there it helps spread the word about our program.”

Former athletic director and current head football coach George Rush said construction plans require the building of a retaining wall at the north end of the facility and confirmed that the school anticipates construction plans to be approved within the next couple of weeks.

“If all goes well we hope to have the field built and ready for play by October,” Rush said.

There has been no shortage of sporting news since I last talked to you.

The NBA Playoffs have gotten off to a hot start, and the San Jose Sharks made it to the second round and look serious about bringing the Stanley Cup to the Bay Area.

And 49ers fans everywhere have to be imagining big things for the upcoming season since the team beefed up their roster at the past weekend’s NFL draft.

Also, with the super fight between Sugar Shane Mosely and Floyd Mayweather Jr. coming up, there’s no reason for me to get off my couch.

With that said, I can’t help but think about how this is my next-to-last column ever in The Guardsman. That’s right folks, The Water Cooler is down to its last two cups of water.

It’s a bittersweet moment indeed. My time boring you, hurting your eyes and making you use this paper as a fly swatter has been a great experience.

The Guardsman has provided me the opportunity to speak my mind on one of the few things I love in this world — sports. It’s also been exciting, stressful and time consuming.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade this experience for a 99-cent bag of sour cream and onion Ruffles (those who know me know I run through two bags a day. I’m so addicted.)

I am proud to give The Guardsman credit for opening a lot of doors for me. It gave me the opportunity to announce men’s basketball games here at City College, the chance to get to work with the prestigious football team and the chance to meet all the great athletes and coaches from all the athletic programs.

As I continue my journey through college as a bona fide sports junky, life just won’t be the same without The Water Cooler.

Idiot of the Week

There was a slew of pathetic acts this week, but I can only admit one person into the Idiot Hall of Fame, so some hopefuls will probably be disappointed. But in a wave of stupidity that could qualify him for the Idiot of the Month, this edition is admitting Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This comes following his six-game suspension by commissioner Roger Goodell after a 20-year-old girl from Georgia accused “Big Ben” of sexual assault. Although he was not charged because prosecutors did not have enough evidence, this is the second time in two years a woman has come out accusing Roethlisberger of foul play.

Now, not only has Roethlisberger’s wild nights cost him six games of his season, it will probably cost the Steelers a playoff berth. With his reputation scarred and his giving the NFL attention for all the wrong reasons, Big Ben is a fool to keep putting himself in danger due to ridiculous judgments.

Welcome to the I.H.O.F. Ben.

Miscellaneous

After wearing egg on my face about my infamous Super Bowl prediction, I’ll go out on a limb by predicting the San Francisco Giants will not make the playoffs.

It’s tough, since Giants fans have the feeling this team could be great. And they can, if they can figure out a way to produce some runs on the board.

I just can’t help it, considering the offense is filled with free swingers of average speed and minimal power — with the exception of Pablo Sandoval. Yes, the Giants pitching is by far one of the best in baseball, but until they get a legitimate offense, they simply won’t be able to hang with the Colorado Rockies.

It pains to write what I have just written about the Giants, but I’m a realist, and the Giants are the second-best team in the National League West.

Sophomore Priscilla Madilla finishes 4th in the women's 1500m race during the Maurice Compton Invitational on April 17. ROBERT ROMANO / THE GUARDSMAN

By Aaron Turner
The Guardsman

In their final invitational of the season, the City College track and field team headed into Merritt College on April 17 in preparation for this week’s Coast Conference Trials with the hopes of finishing strong.

In perhaps a preview of coming attractions for those competing, the Maurice Compton Invitational was a showcase for many of the Rams’ top competition in Northern California.

“Our main goal was to make sure everyone felt and ran well,” head coach Doug Owyang said following the meet. “We felt this was the perfect tune-up for our guys, and it allowed them to get a good look at what they will be facing in the Conference and NorCal Trials.”

Sophomores Trevor Rogers and Carlos Proctor and freshman Norman Terea led the way for the men’s sprinters, while sophomore twins Mark and Luke Frazier, along with Benny Willers and Fernando Diaz, finished among the top five in three separate distance events.

In the men’s 200-meter dash, Rogers took fifth overall, while Tarea and Proctor were right behind in sixth and ninth. Rogers and Proctor would then team up once more in the men’s 100 to finish sixth and ninth, respectively, while Chen finished 24th.

Luke Frazier and Willers also claimed the top two spots in the men’s 3,000 steeplechase, while Diaz and Mark Frazier placed second and eighth in the men’s 1,500 run.

“I think everybody has improved all year long,” Willers said. “So we all felt pretty good running out there. This is a good chance to see where we’re at at the end of the season and where we are going into conference.”

On the women’s side, sophomore Agnes Silvestro and freshman Stephanie Cano took fourth and sixth overall in the 1,500 run, while sophomore Lydia Offord took seventh in the 400 dash and eighth in the 200 dash.

“My goal was to make sure I felt good running, but also try and get my best times,” Offord said. “The coaches are still pushing me to work on my form and my running style, to get ready for Coast and NorCal.”

The Rams field side also had two top finishers. Rogers took first place in the men’s long jump for his third event of afternoon, while freshman Daniel Harris-Lucas took fifth overall in the men’s shot put.

“I went in trying to make sure I was well prepared,” Lucas said. “This also helped the team to be focused and ready to go once conference begins.”

The Coast Conference Trials are set to take place April 28 at San Jose City College, followed by the Coast Conference Finals on May 1. The team will then have six more days before heading to American River College in Sacramento on May 7 to compete in the Northern California Trials. The Northern California Finals are on May 14.

To qualify for the May 21 State Championships, runners must finish in the top six for their respective events.

“Our team is really prepared this season for both Conference and NorCal,” Owyang said. “I think depending on the runner, for some NorCal will be their last event of the season, while for some, they will be looking to go even further.”

AARON TURNER / THE GUARDSMAN

Sophomore Anni Ma hits a backhand shot against Mission College at City College on April 6. The Rams won the match 5-4, as Mission only had four players available. Sophomore Barbara Coffey won the #1 singles match, then teamed up with Tiffany Lam to win the #1 doubles match. The Rams finished third place in the Coast Conference. The team will head to Chabot College to compete in the Coast Conference Tournament on April 15-17. Players must then qualify for the NorCal Tournament held at Santa Rosa Junior College on April 29-May 1.

CHLOE ASHCRAFT / THE GUARDSMAN

In its inaugural season, the City College women’s swim team is gaining plenty of momentum toward the Coast Conference Championships, as they easily outscored Cabrillo College 124-30 in their dual meet April 9 at the Wellness Center.

“During spring break, we trained really hard in practice,” head coach Phong Pham said. “We trained hard with our eyes on the conference championships.”

Rams swimmers Alyssa Stember and Roselin Sretpisalsilp easily won their respective races, with Stember claiming first place in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard backstroke, and Sretpisalsilp winning the 100-yard and 500-yard freestyle.

“The 50 freestyle is my favorite event because I’ve been improving the most in that event,”  Stember said. “I’ve never been good at freestyle races until now, so this is really exciting for me, especially since I haven’t swam competitively in three years.”

Sretpisalsilp agreed that she has also been improving throughout the season.
“I’ve been lucky enough to do better in every meet, and I’ve been working hard to get my times down,” she said. “Today was really impressive because I didn’t really race in the events I usually do.”

Pham likes the way his team has improved during its first season competing. He expects his team to be highly competitive at the Coast Conference Championships set to take place April 22-24 at West Valley College. His goal is for the team to finish in the top three.

“We have improved tremendously over the course of the season, and we don’t have a lot of swimmers with competitive swimming experience,” Pham said. “It’s been a good learning experience as we get ready for the conference championships.”

RAMSEY EL-QARE / THE GUARDSMAN

In a sport that often gets overshadowed because of the overall athletic program’s success, the Judo Club members have steadily brought home honors to City College.

Judo instructor Mitchell Palacio started his career at City College in 1978 and launched the Judo Club in 1984. The program has been around since 1968, when it was founded by Brad Duggan, the former physical education department chair.

Palacio, called sensei by his students and a 6th degree black belt, teaches beginning, intermediate and advanced classes. He said learning the graceful and demanding sport teaches community and humility.

“Judo and school just become a vehicle for students to improve in their community,” he said of the sport he started practicing at age four. “It’s about having fun and there are no attitudes.”

Beginning student Laura Close, who aspires to compete, said she was drawn to judo for precisely those reasons.

“You see two people kick each other’s asses and get up and say ‘good job.’ That’s what got me into this art – the humility of it,” she said. “It’s not about strength.”

During his weekly Tuesday class, Palacio sternly gave instructions or demonstrated holds at one moment, then smiled and praised his students the next.

“Once your opponent has the grip, they got you,” Palacio said during a demonstration on breaking out of a hold. “You have to get into position to break that grip. What happens if you can’t get into that position? You deserve to get thrown.”

One unique aspect of City College judo is the student-organized tournament held at the end of each semester. The 2010 City College of San Francisco Invitational Judo Tournament is scheduled for April 25.

“It’s all on us,” said Emily Lilly, currently ranked No. 4 in her weight class nationally. “The tournament director is always one of the students in the class, and the entire competition is run by the students.”

The upcoming tournament will host 300 to 400 competitors, from the 5 to 6 year-old division up to a black belt-level championship.

Lilly, who has been competing in judo since she was 11, spent six months recovering from a dislocated elbow and torn ligaments she sustained during a tournament. She returned to competition for the U.S. Open international Judo Championship last fall when she lost in the bronze medal match.

“I was still hesitant,” she said. “I wore a sleeve on it, not so much for support but just to make me feel better. It’s tough coming back after a traumatic injury.”

Along with fellow students Samir Golubovic and Ted Meissner, Lilly plans to compete in nationals at the end of April.

Michael Larson, who has been practicing judo for 24 years, was trained by blind competitors in the 1984 paralympics.

“As a visually impaired person, the sport of judo is what we call the acceptance sport, and in Judo, we as blind people have risen to be known as the same,” he said. “We are put on the same point structure. I feel judo strives to keep people on an even level, disability or no disability.”

Lilly and Larson agreed that the judo program at City College is extraordinary.

“The City College Judo Club is not like any I’ve ever been to,” Lilly said. “I used to do judo in Texas and I did it in Southern California before I moved up here. I came up here to work with Mr. Palacio, and it was the best move of my life.”