Top Five finish for Eagle Harriers

Okay, not a bad showing for the Cross Country team today. Karla Alburez is really coming into her own as team leader for the Cross Country team as she led the Runnin' Eagles into Low Cal to take part in the Aztec Invitational, hosted by San Diego State.

Finishing in the top five, and being the highest Division II team out of 14 squads in the race says a lot about how far coach Christopher Asher has gotten his team together in just two weeks after surviving the blast furnace of the Fullerton Invitational on Sept. 1. All of the seniors said that they wanted to gauge themselves against a team like the fourth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.

Karla finished 11th overall in a field of 139 runners, while the team earned 135 points. Karla covered the 5,000-meter course at Balboa Park in 18:09 while teammate Maribel Cespedes was 18th in 18:27. Shawna Burger was 26th in 18:54, Liliana Hernandez was 37th in 19:08 and Cynthia Rios was 52nd in 19:35. Rounding out the non-scored finishers, Claire Weinan was 82nd in 20:09, Dora Perez was 92nd in 20:29, Maria Castaneda was 108th in 20:51 and Gloria Galaz was 125th in 21:41.

Arkansas won with 28 points. UC Santa Barbara, ranked fifth in the NCAA Division I West Region, was second with 97 points, Northern Arizona was third with 114 points and USC was fourth with 117 points. The Runnin' Eagles finished ahead of Loyola Marymount, Long Beach State, Cal State San Marcos, Southern Utah, Air Force, San Diego State, UNLV, St. Mary's and University of San Diego., only San Marcos was the only other non-Division I in the race.

Next up for the Runnin' Eagles is the mid-point of the five-race season, the Pepperdine Invitational this Saturday morning in Malibu. Yes, I said five-race season. Pepperdine also represents the last local race the Eagles are participating in. After Pepperdine, the Eagles return to San Deigo to run the UCSD Triton Invitational On October 6, then close out the season in Santa Clara for the Bronco invitational on the 13th of October. The CCAA Conference title is on the line at CSU Stanislaus on October 20, then the NCAA West Regionals on November 3rd up in Larry Craig Country (that's Boise, Idaho for those of you who don't follow the news) then the National Championships in Joplin, Missouri on the 17th.



Aztec Cross Country Invitational
At Balboa Park
Saturday's Results

Team scores: 1. Arkansas 28; 2. UC Santa Barbara 97; 3. Northern Arizona 114; 4. USC 117; 5. Cal State L.A. 135; 6. Loyola Marymount 149; 7. Long Beach State 170; 8. Cal State San Marcos 193; 9. Southern Utah 222; 10. Air Force 250; 11. San Diego State 278; 12. UNLV 360; 13. St. Mary's College 362; 14. University of San Diego 422.

Individual Results: 1. Sarah Cotto (USC) 17:43; 2. Laura Mickelson (LMU) 17:45; 3. Jillian Rosen (Arkansaas) 17:54; 4. Dani Parry (Ark) 18:02; 5. Christine Kalmer (Ark) 18:03; 6. Megan Lewis (UCSB) 18:04; 7. Catherine White (Ark) 18:05; 8. Sharla Platt (SUU) 18:06; 9. Megan Jackson (Ark) 18:07; 10. Denise Bargiachi (Ark) 18:08; 11. Karla Alburez (CSULA) 18:09

Cal State L.A. runners:
11. Karla Alburez 18:09; 18. Maribel Cespedes 18:27; 26. Shawna Burger 18:54; 37. Liliana Hernandez 19:08; 52. Cynthia Rios 19:35; 82. Claire Weinan 20:09; 92. Dora Perez 20:29; 108. Maria Castaneda 20:51; 125. Gloria Galaz 21:41.

Weekend Update

Okay, here we go, as we speak, the women's team is finishing up against the Cal Poly Broncos, and we'll have coverage tonight after the men's game. Volleyball will be in play in a few minutes, but we'll do a recap tomorrow morning.

Also tomorrow, Our intrepid reporter Michael "Mikey MIke" Garcia will be headingup the coverage of the Aztec Invitational tomorrow morning in San Diego. It's good to have Mike back after a summer off.

See you tonight with the word on the soccer...

Oh, I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay...

Okay, short posting at the start of the week. We'll have results from the Men's and Women's soccer events against the Seawolves and Lumberjacks from the weekend. Speaking of Humboldt State, I wonder if the students at Humboldt State react when a conference rival starts up with the Lumberjack Song from Monty Python...

This weekend, the Soccer homestand ends with our rivals from the IE, the Broncos ride into town on Friday, while them wily Coyotes of San Bernardino State come howlin' on Sunday, just in time for El Grito...

The Eagle Spikers are still on the road for another week/ The team is tied for first in the conference after improving their overall record to 6-3 with two impressive victories over the Toros and Tritons this past weekend, they head up Highway 99 to take on the Warriors and the Wildcats. They open conference play next Friday, Sept. 21 with a match against the Broncos.

Finally, the Golden Eagle runners head south to San Deigo State for the Aztec Invitational. After an impressive start at the Fullerton Invitational on Sept. 1, where Karla Alburez and Maribel Cespedes finshed first and third in the Collegiate Invitational, the entire team will be eligible to run, now that all the necessary paperwork has been submitted. According to the team, they're most looking forward to taking on the cross-country team from Arkansas. The Razorbacks will be a good test of the Eagle Runners, and they are looking forward to dining on some nice juicy Razorback.

Okay, Summaries and recaps to follow this afternoon.

R.I.P. Pavarotti

I woke up this morning to the news that Luciano Pavarotti had died last night. Growing up in my household, we were as likely to hear opera as we would hear Mexican Rancheras by Antonio Aguilar or something by the Beatles. And My first introduction to the Maestro came, as was tradition in our house, on New Year's Eve, when the local PBS Station would show an opera from the Metropolitan Opera House. Usually it was one of the comedic Operas such as "Die Fleidermaus" or "Un Ballo in Maschera" with Pavarotti as lead Tenor.

Of course, the day came when My apprecaition for his work reached critical mass when My late grandmother announced that she had purchased tickets for the whole family to attend his concent at the Hollywood Bowl. So on that fateful Spring evening, we journeyed up the 101 to the Bowl, parked across the street, crossed under Highland through the tunnel and made our way to our seats, just behind the box seats in the front row.

when he came out, the hills echoed with applause and shouts of "Maestro, Maestro!" then he began to sing, and for the next two hours, I was swept away by a tidal wave of music that has endured for centuries. He some of the most famous arias ever written that night, from "La Donna e'Mobile," from Rigoletto, to arguably the most famous aria ever, "Vesti La Giubbia," from "Il Pagliacci."

To conclude his performance, he sang this aria, from Puccini's Masterpiece, Turandot. The song, "Nessun Dorma," is sung by the Prince Calaf, in anticipation of winning a proposition with the Princess Turandot, if she can find out his name before sunrise, she can kill him, as she is reluctant to proceed with an arranged marriage. In it, He is saying that he will triumph over the night and win her love, and he stakes his very life on it.

With that, I say goodbye to the Maestro, the man who opened my young ears to the wonders of music and a love for its creation, a love I still enjoy these many years later.

Ciao Maestro. Until the next life, rest in peace.

This is His performance of "Nessun Dorma" sung live in Paris in 1998, before the Finals of the 1998 World Cup. It is considered the most Emotional version of his performances of this stirring aria. The conductor of the Paris Stmphony Orchestra is the great James Levine, Musical Driector of the Metropolitan Opera House.

Updates, updates, Updates

For those of you wondering where I've been this week, it's been busy away from the Sports Zone, so to speak. My tuition has been taken care of for the quarter so I've been trying to get a few classes for the coming quarter. Meanwhile, tuesday was My birthday and my parents surprised me with dinner in Orange County at Tokai. Needless to say, they're regretting their buffet policy after I was through.


Ironically enough, the next morning, things got somewhat serious as I had to undergo a medical procedure to correct some heart trouble that laid me out twice this year (A full recap will come later). Unfortunately, the doctor was unsuccessful in doing much more than giving me a nice burn on my chest from the Defibrilator pads (another long story for later). So now I'm off my feet until tomorrow morning, but the Golden Eagle coverage continues... Stay tuned as it were...

Eagles Fly High in Brea Heat

Okay, I'm back from the Cross-Country race, and the Runnin' Eagles did much better than anyone expected. The team finished second in the Women's 5k Invitational just 25 points behind host Fullerton, but Karla Alburez and Maribel Cespedes finished first and third, both impproving their times from last year.

Ironically, if the good folks in Administration hadn't screwed up and remembered to ask for the high school transcripts for Liliana Hernandez, one of our transfer athletes, she would have been able to run with the team and her time would have been enough to beat Fullerton by 1 point. This one deserves a great big Homer simpson-sized "D'Oh!" for that but considering they not only were the highest scoring CCAA conference team, but they beat long-time cross-country rivals Concordia University of Irvine.

Speaking of Concordia, one thing was brought up. This year, we need to get a "battle flag" for all of our teams. when I say "Battle Flag," I mean a flag that is brought to every athetic event and is waved on the sidelines or courtside or along the course. Long, long ago in the "Before time," We used to have one, but it's been many moons since one has flown.

It's time to bring that back, it's a good morale booster and it can really do a number on an opponent who see that flag waving and getting the crowd fired up. Hell, it might actually bring in a crowd with it.

Hey ASI, you want to show some school spirit? get off your collective rears and get this funded. Show us you support the biggest ambassadors to our fair campus.

Stats and time will follow later...

UPDATE: (12:25 P.M.) This is the stats from the women's Invitational race at the Fullerton Opener. Thanks to the CCAA Conference Website for the stats and the Golden
Eagles finishers...

Cal State Fullerton "Season Opener"
Saturday's Results
At Carbon Canyon Park, Brea

Women
1. Karla Alburez (CSULA) 17:43.50
2. Jaime Canterbury (Azusa Pacific) 18:10.70
3. Maribel Cespedes (CSULA) 18:13.60
4. Jackline Kipwambok (Azusa Pacific) 18:23.50
5. Alma Escobar (Concordia) 18:34.90
6. Andrea Aguilar (CS Fullerton) 18:36.80
7. Bridget Helgerson (USC) 18:37.50
8. Kristin Schmidt (Biola) 18:38.70
9. Grace Gonzales (CS Fullerton) 18:44.30
10. Missy Barclay (Long Beach State) 18:49.10
11. Cynthia Rios (CSULA) 18:55.80

CSULA runners: 1. Karla Alburez 17:43.50; 3. Maribel Cespedes 18:13.60; 11. Cynthia Rios 18:55.80; 22. Shawna Burger 19:09.40; 54. Dora Perez 20:11.20; 93. Claire Weinan 21:07.80; 134. Gloria Galaz 26:02.00.

(Stats do not include three runners who were unable to participate in the team event and ran in the Open race)

CSULA runners in Open Race: 8. Liliana Hernandez 19:07.40 24. Angela Cruz 20:03.70 64. Mireya Vargas 22:39.30