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.

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

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.”

By Alex Emslie
The Guardsman

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.”

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

Fresh off of spring break, it’s good to be active again in terms of leaving the house and having something productive to do.

Yup, all I did for vacation was play video games, log major hours on Facebook and watch Butler University’s improbable run through the NCAA Tournament.

Speaking of Butler, what a performance they put on this March. I know they lost to Duke 61-59 in the national championship game, but they are still the story of this year’s epic tournament.

You would think I’d be bitter about not having one Final Four team in my bracket (not a typo). Watching Butler though, a school with 4,200 students, knock off heavyweights Syracuse and Kansas State to get to the Final Four was amazing. Then they outlasted Michigan State in the National Semifinals. How could you not be inspired by their story?

The scrappy bunch with a head coach who looks like he’s 18 (Brad Stevens is in fact 33) gave mighty Duke all it could handle and nearly won the game on a half court shot from rising star Gordon Hayward.

With Butler being from Indianapolis and playing the championship game six miles from campus, this story was better than the movie “Hoosiers.” Although they didn’t win it all, this is something even Disney couldn’t make up.

What blows my mind is Butler actually attended classes on the day of the championship. Imagine that — sitting in a math or English class with the biggest game in your life only hours away.

I wonder if they were assigned any exams or pop quizzes. You think the teachers excused them from turning in homework that day?

I didn’t do homework during spring break; I know for sure I wouldn’t be doing it before a championship game. Anyway, thanks Butler for giving college basketball fans one helluva thrill ride.

Idiot of the Week
The idiot of this week is anybody who dished out $50 to watch two old men fight in a rematch 17 years later.

Anybody who thought it was a great idea to help promote this fight between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. ought to look in the mirror and ask themselves, “Why?”

No, it wasn’t money because this fight sure as hell didn’t make any. To those associated with this event — fighters included — and to those who bought the fight, welcome to the Idiot Hall of Fame.

Miscellaneous
The Philadelphia Eagles decided to trade their franchise quarterback Donovon McNabb within their own division to the Washington Redskins. I know, mind boggling.

Why? We’ll never know the real answer, yet the two games between the teams have just became a bit more intriguing…

Before I forget, the NCAA women’s basketball tournament wasn’t too bad at all, even though it came to a familiar ending — Connecticut winning the championship and finishing undefeated for the second year in a row. Winning 78 straight times in any sport is impressive, let alone basketball.

By William Chamberlin
The Guardsman

Former City College quarterback Jeremiah Masoli pleaded guilty at a Lane County Circuit Court on March 12 to second-degree burglary in the Jan. 25 theft of two laptops and a guitar from a University of Oregon fraternity.

The Daly City native, who is currently on scholarship at Oregon and entering his senior year, took the plea offered him that drops the felony charge to a misdemeanor and keeps him out of jail. He was given 12 months probation and 140 hours of community service.

Oregon wide receiver Garret Embry was charged with Masoli for the same incident and the two will pay $5,000 in restitution.

Oregon head football coach Chip Kelly announced just hours after the sentencing that Masoli
would be suspended for the entirety of the 2010 season. The punishment is one of the strongest a player can receive.

“The actions that our players take when they are in the community, not on the field or in the classroom, are just as important to us,” Kelly said at a news conference held by the Oregon football program.

“We feel we have taken the steps necessary to make sure this does not happen with these young men again,” he said.

Oregon’s football program has had to deal with a slew of recent legal problems concerning its players as of late.Sophomore LaMichael James, who set a PAC-10 rushing record with more than 1,500 yards last season, was recently charged in a domestic dispute with menacing, assault and strangulation. He pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge of harassment and will be suspended from the season opener.

Kicker Rob Beard has also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor harassment charge and will a miss the season opener. After attending Serra High School in San Mateo, where Masoli was a three-sport star, and graduating from St. Louis High School in Hawaii, he led City College to a JC Grid-Wire’s National Championship in 2007. Masoli was also named the 2007 northern California offensive player of the year.

The championship was City College’s fifth in nine seasons, and Masoli’s performance caught the interest of Oregon recruiters because of his athleticism and dual-threat abilities. The following
May, Masoli signed with Oregon after only one season with the Rams.

“Masoli was a fabulous player with great leadership abilities,” City College head football coach George Rush said. “I have nothing but good things to say about him.”

Rush also commented on the discipline handed down to Masoli by Kelly.“He’s caught in a double jeopardy,” he said. “How many times do you get punished for the same thing?”

This season would have been Masoli’s third and final with Oregon. Under the terms of his suspension though, he will retain eligibility and be able to play in the 2011 season.

His name had filled blogs and Web sites like ESPN.com and CBSSports.com as a pre-season candidate for the 2010 Heisman trophy race. The Heisman trophy is the highest individual honor a college football player can receive.

The impact this will have on Masoli’s football career remains unseen. For the 2010 season however, Masoli himself will be unseen.

City College men's basketball suffers a heartbreaking loss to Saddleback College during the final game for the state championship on March 14. AARON TURNER / THE GUARDSMAN

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

As they headed to Thousand Oaks for the Elite Eight, the City College men’s basketball
team was considered a long shot for the state title.

The Rams were a mere two minutes away from shocking the state and winning their first California Community College Athletic Association State Championship since 1962. Those hopes were dashed in a tough loss to the Saddleback Gauchos, 63-57, in the March 14 state title game at California Lutheran University’s Gilbert Arena.

“A lot of people didn’t expect us to make it that far, so it was an accomplishment
to get to the title game,” sophomore Da’Ron Sims said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but overall it was a good run.” He finished his Rams career by making the All-Tournament team.

That run to the state title game started with two home victories. A grueling 66-59 win on Feb. 27 against College of the Redwoods, followed by a 83-68 rout of Chabot College on March 6, earned the Rams their third straight trip to the tournament.

City College opened the Elite Eight by jumping out to a 15-point halftime lead against Irvine Valley College, beating them 70-64 in a game that was not as close as the score.

The San Bernardino Wolverines, then the No. 1 team in the state, awaited the Rams in the Final Four. City College opened a 14-point lead in the second half and withstood a late rally by the Wolverines, winning 72-68 to advance to the championship.

“The good thing about this team is that they’re very good at preparing for other teams,” head coach Justin Labagh said. “We had good match ups that complimented our style.”

“Coach Labagh had us mentally prepared for this tournament,” All-Conference forward Christopher White said. “We knew what plays the other teams were running, but at the end of the day we didn’t have enough to beat Saddleback.”

In the championship game, the Gauchos jumped out to a 13-2 lead as the Rams struggled to generate anything offensively for the first nine minutes.

Sophomore guard Calvin Douglas led the Rams back as he showed off his shooting touch, scoring ten first-half points. He would finish the game with 16.

“They were leaving our wings open to shoot the ball because they were collapsing on our post players,” Douglas said. “I was feeling it and just taking what they were giving me.”

The Rams went into halftime down 27-24, and Saddleback held onto to a tight lead most of the second half.

City College would tie things up at 52 when freshman forward Jonathon Williams, who was also named to the All Tournament Team, came up with the steal and took it to the basket for a one-hand slam dunk with two minutes remaining.

That is the closest the Rams would get.

Saddleback forward Tyler McManaman hit a baseline jumper as the shot clock expired, and the Gauchos went 13 of 14 from the free throw line down the stretch, preventing the Rams from hoisting the championship trophy. City College finished its season 28-5.

Even though the Rams had a great season and Labagh was proud of his team’s accomplishments, there was still disappointment about not winning the championship.

“I thought our sophomores did a good job of using their experience, and our freshmen developed more than any other freshmen class we’ve had here,” Labagh said. “Our guys weren’t celebrating just because they got to the title game. It’s too bad it went down that way.”

By Aaron Turner
The Guardsman

Sophomore guard Brittney Allen goes for a layup against Ventura defenders. Allen scored 25 points against Ventura, leading all scorers. PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC SUN.

A historic season for the City College women’s basketball team came to a bitter end on March 13 in Thousand Oaks as the Rams fell 60-56 to Ventura College in front of a sold-out Gilbert Arena.

It was virtually a home game for the Ventura Pirates, who play merely 20 miles from California Lutheran University, and their raucous, orange-clad fans filled almost the entire gym.

Still, the Rams were able to go neck and neck with Ventura, and they nearly mounted a late second half comeback and victory.

“I thought the crowd was great,” Rams head coach Jamie Hayes said following the game. “We went into the game knowing what we needed to do. Shooting 25 percent hurt us much more than the crowd.”

Poor shooting, along with 18 missed free throws were ultimately the Rams’ downfall. Still, sophomore guards Brittney Allen and Marlee Rice put up a spirited effort in their last game wearing a Rams uniform.

“We all wanted this game so badly,” Allen said. “In the end, we just hurt ourselves though, and that’s why we lost.” She finished with 25 points against Ventura, to lead all scorers.

Allen, along with Rice, a transfer this season from San Francisco State University, and all-tournament sophomore Mone Peoples, anchored one of the most stellar back courts in the state.

“I accomplished more in one year then I did playing my whole life,” Rice said. “I absolutely loved playing here, alongside my two all-state guards.”

The Rams cruised into the state semifinals with three straight playoff victories, starting with two home victories over American River and Ohlone at home.

City College was then able to exact revenge on last year’s defending state champions Pasadena with a 75-58 victory on March 11, in the opening game at Gilbert Arena.

Falling behind early to Ventura 19-5, the Rams mounted a 15-3 run, to come within two of the Pirates.

City College was unable to capture the lead, trailing trailed 29-23 at halftime.

Ventura guard Chanelle Brennan led the way for the Pirates, finishing with 23 points. She was named Tournament MVP.

In the second half, the Rams would whittle away at Ventura’s lead slowly but surely. Led by Allen and Rice, they took a 53-52 lead with under four minutes to go in the game.

“Knowing this could be our last game kept us going strong until the end no matter what the score was,” Rice said.

The teams exchanged leads four times in the next three minutes, but Ventura was ultimately able to ice the game at the line, ending the most successful season in the program’s history“

We had a great season, going into the tournament and making it to the final four for the first time for our program,” Hayes said. “I am extremely proud of our young women and the effort that they have put forward on the court.”

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

Freshman cornerback Anthony Woods prepares to have his blood draw at Blood Centers of the Pacific Irwin Center in San Franciscon on March 17. AARON TURNER / THE GUARDSMAN

On a day when the color green was on everyone’s mind, the City College football team was busy giving love to the color red.

Rams head coach George Rush, along with four assistants, brought more than 40 players to each give a pint of blood at the Blood Center of the Pacific Irwin Center, located at 270 Masonic Ave. in San Francisco, for a special St. Patrick’s Day donation.

Rush was initially looking for the team to donate to the U.S. military, but he found that military personnel handle donations internally. He then contacted the Blood Center, which was waiting with open arms to receive more than 40 donations.

“I’m a firm believer that playing intercollegiate athletics is a real privilege,” Rush said. “With some of the advantages our student athletes have, the least they can do is give something back to the community.”

Don Burghardt, who is the director of donor recruitment at the Blood Center and has been affiliated with blood banks since the mid-80s, was excited and thankful by the turnout. He admitted he was surprised by the number of donors Rush was able to bring from his team.

“This is one fantastic and outstanding production on everybody’s part,” he said. “We get contacted by people all the time saying that they’re going to get 100 people to give blood. When push comes to shove, they may get 12 to 13 people to come. We get our expectations up and we get a little jaded.”

There are a total of 12 blood banks in the Bay Area, and Burghardt said his center gets an average of 30 donors per day. Their goal is to get more than 400 donors per day from all of their blood banks combined, in an effort to meet the high demand of hospitals that receive donated blood.

Field Recruitment Supervisor Christina Mihalos said she hasn’t seen a turnout like this from any athletic team in the city. Once the football team got to the Blood Bank, her primary concern became whether or not she would have enough food to feed the team.

As players waited to give their blood, they were treated to a spread of spaghetti and lasagna. After that was consumed, the blood bank ordered several pizzas for the players who missed out on the pasta.

Once the day came to an end, and over 40 pints of blood were donated, Rush said he would love for his team to continue this community service.

“It makes a significant difference in the community and I’m proud of my players for signing up and volunteering to do this,” he said.

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

I’d like to meet the person who came up with the idea of scheduling mid-term exams during the greatest tournament in the world, the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

They should be crucified.

Okay, that’s a bit much, but punishment should be considered.

As students, we’re not allowed to text or look at our phones in class. Not fair considering that Georgetown could potentially be destroying my bracket and giving me no hope at winning my office pool.

How am I supposed to focus on wind patterns and the different types of clouds in geography?

I was told by a teacher that I had spring fever. You know, with the flowers blooming, the anticipation of spring break, nice weather and girls starting to come to school wearing a little less clothing, who wouldn’t be?

Well, she’s right in saying I have a fever, but not because of spring. I have to blame it on something though, because the NCAA tournament has me discombobulated.

Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Baylor were my picks to make the Final Four, with Kansas cutting down the nets in Indianapolis, even though my heart is with Kentucky.

That said, Kansas has already let me down by losing in the second round to Northern Iowa — NORTHERN IOWA!

However, the school’s schedule maker ought to be thrown into the Idiot Hall of Fame. Why would you — whoever is behind this — schedule March Madness, spring break and the great weather that we’re getting near midterms?

The faculty here just doesn’t know how tough it is being a student. They just don’t know…

Idiot of the Week

I have to go local with this one, and due to my deadline to turn this column in — which I missed for the fourth straight issue — I won’t know the full extent of this situation
due to The Guardsman going into production, but I’m going with the San Francisco 49ers front office as this week’s Idiot of the Week.

The 49ers organization announced that General Manager Scot McCloughan was taking a “leave of absence.” Huh? Five weeks before one of the most important NFL drafts in recent history for the 49ers?

Great timing.

As of March 19, there have been reports released to the media that McCloughan’s office has been cleaned out. It’s also been noted that he is going through a divorce.

However, his representative, Peter Schaffer, is saying McCloughan is still on board with the franchise. Some say that is just to get full compensation for his contract as the 49ers are forcing him out.

Why the 49ers have not come out and spoken publicly about this issue is beyond me. This is the type of behavior that one would expect from their neighbors across the bay.

You have to feel bad for McCloughan and angry at the 49ers’ brass. McCloughan, who has been with the organization for five years, has been a big part of the rebuilding of this team through the draft.

The 49ers have the potential to fill some needs and become serious contenders to win the NFC West this season. With a distraction like this, how will it affect the 49ers in attracting free agents or decision making in the upcoming draft?

All this has done is cause confusion, and for the time being, put a halt to the momentum the franchise was starting to gain.

Now, all we know is we don’t have any leadership at the top —something that doesn’t mix with trying to be a winning organization in the NFL.

Miscellaneous

Manny Pacquiao defeated Joshua Clottey on March 13, in front of a crowd of 51,000 at the gorgeous stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was the third largest crowd in U.S. boxing history.

Too bad the fight was a stinker as Clottey decided to collect his check and cover-up instead of throwing a punch. At least I saved $50.

In other news, Texas Rangers’ manager Ron Washington tested positive for cocaine use. He also admitted to using drugs when he was a player in the 1980s.

On that note, I’ll see you folks after spring break.