ATHLETIC NEWS

13 Commit to CRC Women’s Soccer

By Kyle Shellabarger, Sports Information Officer, Cosumnes River College

The CRC Women’s Soccer team has received commitments from 13 local players for the upcoming 2007 soccer season led by Sheldon High School standout Arrianna Fragoso.  A team MVP and First Team All Delta River League performer, Fragoso will bring a knack for putting the ball in the net.  “Arrianna has great technical abilities, the best of anyone her age I’ve seen in a long time,” said Head Coach Cesar Plasencia.  “She has great vision and can shoot it from distance.  She is the premier goal scorer in this area.”  CRC is a great fit for Arrianna as she can stay close to home and play for a coach she is very familiar with.  “I’ve known Coach Plasencia for a couple of years now and I’m very comfortable with him and his style of coaching,” said Fragoso.  “He’s a great teacher and I know I’ll learn a lot from him.  CRC offered me the best opportunity to make it to the next level.”

Off the soccer field, Arrianna is a tremendous student earning a 3.75 gpa or higher in every semester during high school.  An aspiring accountant, Fragoso is looking forward to the challenge of excelling in college both on and off the field.  “I’m going to give everything I’ve got to get better overall as a player and a student,” said Fragoso.  “She is very committed and dedicated to academics, and that transfers to the soccer field,” added Plasencia.  “She is everything you want in a player.”  Fragoso does not lack confidence, evident by one of the goals she has set for herself.  “I want to give CRC Women’s Soccer a better name, more respect,” she said.  “I want other players to regret not coming to CRC.”  That’s a mighty lofty goal for someone to set, but with determination and hard work, she just might see that to fruition.  “I’m very excited to be coming to CRC,” she added.  “This is a great opportunity for me to be a part of taking this program to the next level.”

Fragoso is not the only local-area athlete to commit to play Women’s Soccer at CRC.  Fellow Sheldon Husky Monica Radman will also attend CRC in the fall.  Stephanie Vega (Franklin – EG), Kristy Fortes (Christian Brothers), Venessa Padilla (El Camino), Allison Ruvalcaba (River City), Amanda Parker (Roseville), Dani Hunt (Dixon), Rachel Fulk and Rachel Sawyer (Davis), Crisantema and Luz Divina Torres (Natomas), Ashley Moreno (Galt), and Liliana Gutierrez (Burbank) have all made their commitments to play at CRC next season.  “There is a lot of talent in this group of recruits,” stated Plasencia.  “There are three or four really strong defenders and a couple of strong attackers.  They all have the mindset of trying to get to the next level.  I’m really excited about working with this group of student-athletes.”

Weekly Round-Up 3/19-4/8

By Kyle Shellabarger,
Sports Information Officer, Cosumnes River College

Over the past three weeks CRC Baseball has played seven Big 7 Conference games going 3-3 with one game postponed due to rain.  On Tuesday, 3/20, the Hawks played at Sacramento City College and finished just four innings before the rains came and postponed the remainder of the contest.  CRC was ahead 2-1 when the skies opened up and ended the afternoon for both schools.  On Thursday, 3/22, the Hawks played host to the Sierra College Wolverines and were defeated 5-2 at Conway Field.  Mike Olivar and Hunter Martinez each had a double in the loss.  Tuesday, 3/27, the CRC played host to Santa Rosa JC, winning the game 5-4.  The Hawks won again on 3/29, beating Diablo Valley College 5-0.  Michael Drake and Joey Pilatti both hit home runs in the victory.  On the last day of March CRC traveled across town and defeated American River College 3-1.  The Hawks scored two runs in the top of the first inning and an insurance run in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.  Sophomore Brian Smith earned the win and improved his season record to 4-1.  The month of April got off to a disappointing start for the Hawks as the lost a 12-inning game at Delta College.  CRC tied the game at two apiece in the top of the sixth but gave up the game winner in the bottom of the twelfth.  Laguna Creek grad Trevor Gibson homered for the Hawks in the loss.  On Thursday, 4/5, CRC hosted Sacramento City College and were defeated 8-4.  With the game tied at four, Sac City scored four runs in the top of the sixth and never looked back as they secured victory.  CRC is currently 18-12 overall and 4-8 in Big 7 Conference play.  The Hawks play three games next week traveling to Diablo Valley College on 4/17 (2:30PM), hosting American River College on 4/19 (2:30PM) and Delta College on 4/21 (1:00PM).         

The CRC Men’s Tennis team continued its struggles over the last three weeks losing 9-0 to College of the Sequoias on 3/20, 8-1 to Fresno City on 3/22 and 8-1 to Sacramento City on 3/27.  Jonathan Rojas (6-1, 6-3), Khai Le (6-1, 6-0), David Duong (6-0, 6-2), Phillip Ong (6-1, 6-0), and Candie Smith (6-0, 6-0) all lost their singles matches to College of the Sequoias.  The Hawks were defeated in both doubles matches as well as David Duong/Jonathan Rojas (6-3, 6-0) and Phillip Ong/Khai Le (6-1, 6-1) were beaten.  CRC was forced to forfeit one singles match and one doubles match do to injuries.  The Hawks were much more competitive against Fresno City as Donald McNair won his match 6-2, 6-0, but Jonathan Rojas (5-7, 6-4, 6-3), Khai Le (7-6, 6-4), David Duong (6-2, 6-0), Phillip Ong (6-2, 6-2), and Phillson Truong (6-1, 6-2) were all defeated.  It was the same story against Sac City as David Duong defeated his opponent 6-2, 7-5, but none of his teammates were able to follow suit.  Rojas (7-6, 6-0), Le (6-2, 6-4), McNair (6-0, 6-2), Ong (6-2, 6-4), and Truong (6-3, 6-4) all lost their matches.  The Hawks will wrap up their season this weekend when they compete in their conference tournament.  The tournament will be held at Modesto Junior College on April 13-15.     

CRC Baseball Looks to Win a Conference Title for the 3^rd Straight Year

By Kyle Shellabarger
Sports Information Officer, Cosumnes River College

Coach Tony Bloomfield is entering his 9^th season as Head Coach of the Cosumnes River College Baseball team.  The Hawks have won three conference championships in the last four years, two Bay Valley and one Big 7, and have reloaded and in search of their 4^th ,  which would make it three straight.  Coach Bloomfield has a record of 225-127 at CRC and is 487-241 as a head coach, making him the 19^th winningest coach in California Community College history.   Under his tutelage, the Hawks have gone to the playoffs 7 out of 8 years, advancing to the regional finals twice. 

But this program is not about Coach Bloomfield.  He will be the first to tell you that it is all about his players.  Since his arrival at CRC, 100% of his players have either gone on to four-year universities or signed professional contracts.  His players have earned over $1.5 Million in signing bonuses and almost $1 Million in scholarships.  Six of his players signed National Letter of Intents last week before the season even started.  Mike Drake and Trevor Gibson are on their way to San Jose State, Stephan Bautista is going to University of Nevada, Reno, Hunter Martinez will play at Sacramento State next year, and Jared Alexander and Alex Bates are going to attend the University of Hawaii. 

Coach Bloomfield brought this winning tradition and emphasis on getting players to the next level with him from Los Angeles Harbor College, a program that has won three state championships, finished second three times and third three times.  “Discipline is the key to our program here at CRC, our players work very hard,” says Coach Bloomfield.  “It makes me very proud to see these young men fulfill their dreams of playing college and/or professional baseball, it’s an honor to be a part of that.” 

CRC Instructor/Coach Inducted into Hall of Fame

By Kyle Shellabarger
Sports Information Officer, Cosumnes River College

Travis Parker, long-time Cosumnes River College Physical Education instructor and former soccer, track and cross-country coach was inducted into the California Community College Soccer Hall of Fame on December 7, at Fresno Pacific University in Fresno, CA.

Coach Parker graduated from Sacramento High School, attended Sacramento City College where he ran cross-country and track, and was a team captain, conference champion and Division II All-American at Sacramento State.  While in the Army at Ft. Riley, Kansas, he coached the team that won the post Cross Country Championship.  He then attended Western Illinois University and was an assistant track coach and taught elementary physical education while working on his Master’s degree.  His last stop before coming to CRC was as assistant track coach and head cross-country coach at East St. Louis Senior High School where he coached the two-mile relay team to the sixth best time in Illinois history.  Coach Parker started the Men’s Soccer program at CRC in 1979, at which time it was the first community college soccer program in the Los Rios Community College District.  His teams won four consecutive conference championships and in 1982 he led the team to a 16-4-3 record and finished 2^nd in the state after losing the state championship game.   Coach Parker was the soccer coach at CRC for 23 years, winning just under 300 matches and six conference championships.  He also coached the women’s team for three years.  Even with all of his success on the field, Coach Parker is most proud of the players he coached.  “Most of my players received a college education, many of those were the first members of their family to go to college,” said Parker.  “Another thing I’m proud of is that three of the five coaches in the Los Rios District are former players and assistants here at CRC.”

The most amazing part of Coach Parker’s journey at CRC is the fact that he was the first Black American-born head college soccer coach west of the Mississippi River.  When asked what that and being inducted into the Hall of Fame meant to him, he responded, “Keeping hope alive for other people.  I was successful in spite of some area high school coaches refusing to send players to play for me at CRC.”  Although it may seem like he did, Coach Parker didn’t do it all by himself.  He was fortunate to be surrounded by good people, people like Ron Preble (current Men’s Soccer coach), Cesar Plasencia (current Women’s Soccer coach), and Paul Arellanos (current Women’s Soccer coach at American River College).  “I couldn’t have done it without them,” added Parker.  “I tried to use soccer as motivation for students to be successful on the field, in the classroom, and in life, because people are most important.”    

CRC STUDENTS GIVE BACK

By Kyle Shellabarger,
CRC Sports Information Officer

Students enrolled in the summer basketball class at Cosumnes River College recently had the opportunity give back to the community in which they live, learn and play. These students traveled to Mercy Education Resource Center

(MERC), a center that educates and tutors underprivileged children and ESL students, provides counseling and assessment to adults as well as children. The class donated their time and muscles to help people that make such a difference in children’s lives.

MERC is a non-profit organization that operates on a financial sliding scale, meaning the less money you have the less money you pay for the services. Donations such as these are greatly appreciated. "The time these students donated will help empower us to bring up to standard the ESL and Tutoring Center by providing a clean, safe, nice environment to learn. It will also help purchase new educational materials and aid in the accomplishment of the overall mission, to serve the underserved and the needy," said Terry Anderson, Director of MERC.

James Giacomazzi, Head Men’s Basketball Coach and PE Instructor at CRC, jumped at the opportunity to offer up the services of his basketball class for such a worthy cause. "As a community college, it is important to reach out and support members of our community, and to support and give back to the area that supports us so much," Giacomazzi said. "Without the support from our community, we cannot be as successful here at CRC."

For more information on Mercy Education Resource Center, please visit www.mercyeducation.com, call (916)737-6026, or stop by 6007 Folsom Blvd., Suite 200 Sacramento, CA 95819.