Chris White is Peoples Choice Top Vote-Getter; Sargeant Tackles Aggies at Alamo Bowl

CHRIS WHITE is the Lompoc Locker Room People’s Choice Athlete of the Year for 2007.

White led Sacramento City College in virtually every one of baseball’s offensive statistics, and was named the MVP of his conference before being signed by the Detroit Tigers. He was arguably the best junior college player in all Northern California.

The centerfielder was Big 7 Conference MVP and an All-American. He batted .369 with 30 stolen bases in the regular season and helped his team to the state JC Final Four. He was picked in the 12th round by the Tigers.

White spent much of the summer with the Tiger affiliate in the Gulf Coast League where he caught fire at the end of the season. He was promoted to Oneonta of the New York-Penn League for the playoffs.

White voters came alive with a roar in the final day of voting to post a colossal 144 votes for their favorite. The monster turnout forced LLR to add a fifth voting category, that of “Sweepstakes” to indicate the local nominee who overshadowed all others regardless of category. White was initially in the Male Athlete category but with 156 total votes he was truly in a league by himself.

White will appear on “Lompoc Locker Room—the TV Show” on Monday, December 31 at 5:30.

The other “Peoples Choice” winners are water polo’s WES HAIN in Male Athlete of the Year, golfer KELLIE GEORGE Female Athlete of the Year, boxing’s ROY BACA Coach of the Year, and the Cabrillo girls water polo team as Team of the Year. George and Baca will join White on TV on Monday afternoon.

The winners were picked from a field of 50 nominees named by the public. The public also selected the “People’s Choice” winners. Two hundred seventy votes were cast.

The “People’s Choice” winners differed in three of four divisions from the winners picked by a select panel of sportswriters, broadcasters, and sports officials earlier in December. The panel named pitcher DANNY DUFFY Male Athlete of the Year, soccer’s JANI CARMONA and water polo’s SARAH UR Female Athlete of the Year in a tie vote, water polo coach COREY McINTYRE Coach of the Year, and his Cabrillo girls water polo team Team of the Year. Only the latter repeated in the public vote.

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LYDELL DOESN’T LET DOWN

LYDELL SARGEANT did not get to start for Penn State Saturday in the Alamo Bowl against Texas A&M, but he nevertheless made his signature contribution.

Sargeant made two solo tackles and three assists for five tackles as the Nittany Lions shut down the Aggies in the second half to win 24-17.

For the season Sargeant totaled 70 tackles to lead all PSU defensive backs. Forty-four were solo and 26 were assists. He made two interceptions and returned them 34 yards. He had three pass breakups and five deflections.

Sargeant started in eight of the Lions’ first 10 games but did not start opposite Temple, Michigan State or on Saturday.

He will return for his senior year next season.

Wes Hain Peoples Choice; Joel Keeps Winning

WES HAIN is the Lompoc Locker Room “People’s Choice” Male Athlete of the Year for 2007.


Hain overtook early leader Danny Duffy and bested him 51-15 with major leaguer Ryan Church, world-class runner Duane Solomon and Cabrillo cross-country leader Miguel Ortiz receiving a smattering of votes from among 17 nominees.


Hain voters not only voted 51 times, they included personal testimonials as well:

“Not only I but my entire family would like to vote for Wesley Hain for athlete of the year. Wesley is not only an incredibly talented athlete he is an incredible young man. As the mother of three young boys that will follow the athlete arena, I am glad that look up to someone like him. He is a very well rounded young man that will be a blessing to any team he plays on!” wrote Jill C. Hayes.


Hain broke the Cabrillo High water polo scoring record this fall, one that had stood for 20 years. He also plays a key role on the CHS basketball team. He finished third behind pitcher DUFFY and quarterback BOO JACKSON in selections by the Lompoc Locker Room Select Panel.

Tomorrow the Lompoc Locker Room "Peoples Choice" Sweepstakes winner will be announced.


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Smith Keeps Winning Touch

The Washington Huskies went into Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Saturday and came from behind for a 73-65 victory over LSU that coach Lorenzo Romar called a “gut-check.”
LSU led by 14 at halftime.

Romar started the same lineup that had given him three straight previous victories —high-scoring Jon Brockman, young center Artem Wallace, and Tim Morris, Ryan Appleby and JOEL SMITH at guards. Smith played 20 minutes and did not score, but contributed three rebounds, an assist and a steal in addition to his trademark defense.

UW, now 8-4, next takes the floor Monday afternoon vs. Idaho State.

Kellie George Peoples Choice; Geoff/Jason Slip

The Lompoc Locker Room People's Choice Female Athlete of the Year in Lompoc is Cabrillo golfer KELLIE GEORGE, it was announced today.

George easily outpolled her nearest pursuer 19-3 in public balloting.

"I'm going to stay with them," George announced today at a taping of Lompoc Locker Room-- the TV Show. "I'm going to be the assistant coach." George will attend Hancock College in the fall but the Bulldogs no longer field a women's golf team. George will assist CHS coach Gini Shekell, the woman George found last spring to coach at Cabrillo.

George was not only a player on the CHS team, she was the founder of it. She approached Cabrillo officials to suggest a girls team only to be told that to have one she needed players, money and a coach. She went out and found all of them. Then she won all-league honors on the links.

"People's Choice" Awards were determined by public vote. An earlier set of winners were determined by a select panel of sportswriters, broadcasters, athletic directors and sports officials. That group selected Cabrillo water polo star SARAH UR and Lompoc High soccer standout JANI CARMONA in a tie for female athlete of the year.

Earlier "People's Choice" winners were announced in Coach of the Year (boxing trainer ROY BACA) and Team of the Year (Cabrillo girls water polo). The "People's Choice" Male Athlete of the Year will be announced tomorrow.

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GEOFF & JASON FALL TO SO. DAK.

Sioux Falls, SD – The University of Mary’s bid for another upset over a top-10 team fell just short Friday as the Marauders lost 79-66 to the third-ranked University of South Dakota Coyotes on the second and final day of the Sanford Clinic Holiday Classic.

U-Mary, down by as many as 11 points in the first half, closed out the first half down 32-28. Trailing by nine points early in the second half, GEOFF WEST hit a jumper in the lane and Jordan Engelhardt hit consecutive three-pointers to close the gap to one point.

The Marauders couldn’t maintain the pace, though, and a 10-0 run by the Coyotes a few minutes later pushed South Dakota to a 17-point lead with nine minutes left in the game.

Eric Erdmann led the Marauders with 22 points. West scored 18 points, knocking down 4-of-6 trey attempts and 7-of-11 shots from the field. He also had four assists.

U-Mary, which defeated eighth-ranked St. Cloud State two weeks ago, falls to 4-8 overall. South Dakota improves to 13-0.

Baca Peoples Choice Coach of the Year; Geoff/Jason Tripped Up by Augustana

ROY BACA, coach of the PAL Boxing Gym and trainer of three state Golden Gloves champions has been named Lompoc Locker Room's "Peoples' Choice" Coach of the Year for 2007. Not only did he develop his three champions, Baca schedule of working year-round five days a week, and often donating his own money to keep his operation going impressed voters.

Baca was named by the votes of site visitors. He will be a guest on Lompoc Locker Room-- the TV Show airing Monday, Dec. 31.

"People's Choice" Female Athlete of the Year will be announced tomorrow.

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GEOFF & JASON SHOW SKIDS AT SIOUX FALLS

Sioux Falls, SD – Despite holding a lead at intermission, the University of Mary was unable to contain Augustana College’s offense in the second half of a 96-75 loss to the Vikings on day one of the Sanford Clinic Holiday Classic Thursday.

Shooting an incredible 69.2 per cent from the field for the game, the Vikings outscored the Marauders 56-32 after intermission on their home court. U-Mary hit 65.5 per cent of its shots from the field before the half to take a 43-40 lead but was unable to sustain that level of proficiency for the whole game. The Marauders shot just 40 per cent in the second half and finished at 55.1 per cent at the end of the game.

Jordan Englehardt’s 19 points tied him for game-high honors. Freshman Jordan Wilhelm scored 13 points, which included a 3-for-5 night on treys, and added two steals. GEOFF WEST scored 12 points as he hit 5-of-7 shots from the field, including a 2-for-3 from behind the arc.

The Marauders fall to 4-7. The Vikings improve to 10-3. U-Mary finishes the Sanford Clinic Holiday Classic against the nation’s third-ranked University of South Dakota Coyotes on Friday, December 28.

Cabrillo Girls Water Polo Team of the Year, Again

The Lompoc Locker Room 'Peoples Choice' balloting has returned the same verdict as the LLR Select Panel-- absolutely, definitively and without a doubt the CIF champion Cabrillo girls water polo team is the Team of the Year in 2007.

The team which opened the month of March with a victory over Arroyo Grande in the CIF title game, the one which featured three all-stars in SARAH UR, KATHRYN NELSON, and ASHLEY SMITH, is also the one which sportswriters, broadcasters and officials, and the general public all agree was the best in the Lompoc Valley regardless of gender, age and sport.

The players were:
# 1 Rebecca Rowlett, Goalie, Senior
# 1A Michelle Buss, Goalie, Junior
# 2 Brisha Ogan, Driver, Senior
# 4 Daniela Alvarado, Driver, Junior
# 5 Elizabeth McAninch, Driver, Senior
# 6 Brianna Montoya, Center/Driver, Senior
# 7 Sarah Ur, Center/Driver, Senior
# 8 Ashley Smith, Center/Driver, Senior
# 9 Kathryn Nelson, Sprinter/Driver, Senior
# 10 Rachel Nelson, Driver, Sophomore
# 11 Jessica Denton, Driver, Junior
# 12 Megan Bradley, Driver, Junior
# 13 Katy Narva, Driver, Junior
# 14 Jennifer Wise, Driver, Junior
# 15 Brittney Fiantago, Driver, Junior
# 17 Kirstin Pinkerton, Center/Driver, Senior
# 20 Carylann Menzies, Driver, Senior

The People's Choice Coach of the Year will be announced tomorrow.

Best Wishes for the Christmas Season

Best wishes for the Christmas season from all of us here at Lompoc Locker Room.

Solomon on Experience; Ballot Orgy Closes Vote

SOLOMON LEARNED FROM INTERNATIONALS

800 star DUANE SOLOMON (pictured here on the set of the Lompoc Locker Room TV Show Christmas Special) was watching and learning last season when he earned berths in the Pan-American Games and the World Championships.

“There’s a lot more strategy in international races,” he said Friday while taping a television interview to be aired Monday, Dec. 24.

“It’s way different. They can run any way they want. They can go slow and all of a sudden just step up or they can go all out. They watch you. They know what you do.

“At the worlds I took it out pretty hard but they came back on me with 200 meters to go. And they were gone.

“So it’s a good thing to have another way to run. Instead of running always in front I can hang back a little bit and come back at the end. I’m trying to work on my end of the race right now.”

Solomon has shown ability to come from behind. At the national championships in Indianapolis he overtook Jonathan Johnson of Reebok in the closing strides on two occasions. The first took place when the Lompocan won his semifinal and again when he finished third in the final.

Solomon said he would use the early track season, beginning in March to experiment with different strategies.

Solomon added that international races are more physical than in the U.S. For that reason he has increased his weight work to ensure he is stronger than last season. “Not to get buff but work my abs and stay strong.”

He said he believes he can take another second off his personal best time of 1:45.69. “I took about two seconds off in less than a year. At 1:44.4 or 1:44.3 I’ll be able to be in the top two (in the U.S.). I’m excited.”

Running one second faster, Solomon would break the NCAA record of 1:44.70 set in 1990. “It’ll stand for a while,” he vowed. Ryan Brown won the NCAA last year with a time of 1:46.29.

Solomon said his annual timetable is already geared for the Olympic trials in July. If he makes the Olympic team he will be the first Lompocan to do so since Nick Carter in 1920.

The interview will be aired on Monday, December 24 at 5:30.

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VAI

In the New Mexico Bowl Saturday New Mexico shut out Nevada 23-0 but you can’t fault fullback VAI TAUA.

Vai did not play.

He finished the season having appeared in eight of the Wolfpack’s 13 games. He carried the pigskin 19 times for 112 yards for a 5.9-yard average, the highest of any Nevada running back with a significant number of carries. His longest run went for 20 yards and he scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career. It was an 11-yarder in the closing minutes of a victory over Idaho.

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COE, CARMONA ON TV

Cal Berkeley middle distance runner MICHAEL COE and Hawaii-Hilo soccer star JANI CARMONA will appear on Lompoc Locker Room—the TV Show on New Year’s Eve it was announced today. This in addition to the winners of the LLR “Peoples Choice” ballot which concluded today.

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VOTING CLOSES WITH BLIZZARD OF VOTES

"Avalanche" is too small a word. So is "landslide." A movement of seismic proportions sent 144 separate votes to the ballot box Sunday in Lompoc Locker Room’s ‘Peoples Choice’ Athlete of the Year balloting. The size of the outpouring made counting impossible [and WON'T happen on Christmas Eve nor Christmas I can assure you]. Results will be announced in the coming days with the winners invited to appear on Lompoc Locker Room—the TV Show to air on New Year’s Eve.


At last count WES HAIN was leading overall voting, with CHRIS WHITE and DANNY DUFFY running neck-and-neck in the male athlete category. KELLIE GEORGE was far ahead among female athletes, ROY BACA was in a tight race with COREY McINTYRE for Coach of the Year, and Cabrillo girls water polo led in the Team of the Year division.


But ... 144 votes puts everything up in the air, folks. Thanks for participating. Wow.

Joel Bests his Average; Hain Maintains Lead

JOEL SMITH turned in his customary stellar defense and scored above his average Saturday as Washington dumped CS Northridge 80-64.

Smith was 2-for-4 from beyond the arc and 1-for-3 within it for eight points. His season average is 6.5. He also contributed three rebounds. He started for the eighth time in 11 games and played 18 minutes.

The victory is the third straight for UW, all three coming with the current lineup of Jon Brockman and Artem Wallace up front, and Ryan Appleby, Tim Morris and Smith at guards.

A message from Joel is available right now on the UW hoops home page. He may be seen extending Christmas wishes on behalf of the Huskies at

http://gohuskies.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/wash-m-baskbl-body.html

The Huskies, now 7-4, take the floor next on Saturday December 29 at LSU.

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Hain Holds Onto Lead

With just 24 hours remaining before the ballot window closes WES HAIN maintains his 29-vote margin Saturday in Lompoc Locker Room’s “Peoples Choice” Athlete of the Year Award balloting.

Hain, Cabrillo High’s all-time scoring leader, holds 48 votes, while CHS girl golfer KELLIE GEORGE has received 19, Detroit Tigers signee CHRIS WHITE 17, and Kansas City Royals pitching prospect DANNY DUFFY 15.

The margin of 29 votes between Hain and George remained the same as Friday night as both nominees received four votes Saturday. White was the day’s favorite as he picked up 11 votes and overtook Duffy for third place overall.

The Peoples Choice results differ substantially from those returned by a select panel of sportswriters, broadcasters, and officials a week ago. Lompoc Locker Room's Select Panel picked Duffy as Male Athlete of the Year with Hain finishing third behind quarterback BOO JACKSON. White came in eighth, tied with Penn State cornerback LYDELL SARGEANT.

Voting continued slow for Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. For coach, boxing trainer ROY BACA maintained a one-vote lead 5-4 over CHS girls water polo coach COREY McINTYRE with two others at one vote apiece.

A paltry three votes give the CIF champion Cabrillo girls water polo team the lead in the team category.

With Sunday night the official close of voting the four categories look like this—
Male -- Hain 48, White 17, Duffy 15, three with one apiece
Female—George 19, two with two
Coach—Baca 5, McIntyre 4, two at one

The winners will appear on “Lompoc Locker Room—the TV Show” airing New Years Eve.

Hain Landslide Morphs to Epic Proportions

HAIN LANDSLIDE BURIES COMPETITORS

From a 14-vote margin Thursday WESLEY HAIN doubled his lead in the Lompoc Locker Room ‘Peoples Choice’ Athlete of the Year poll to an unprecedented 29 votes on Friday.


Hain now leads his closest challenger, Cabrillo golfer KELLIE GEORGE, by 44-15 with 48 hours remaining.


Hain voters not only voted, they included personal testimonials as well.


“Not only I but my entire family would like to vote for Wesley Hain for athlete of the year. Wesley is not only an incredibly talented athlete he is an incredible young man. As the mother of three young boys that will follow the athlete arena, I am glad that look up to someone like him. He is a very well rounded young man that will be a blessing to any team he plays on!” wrote Jill C. Hayes.


Hain broke the Cabrillo High water polo scoring record this fall, one that had stood for 20 years. He also plays a key role on the CHS basketball team. He finished third behind pitcher DANNY DUFFY and quarterback BOO JACKSON in selections by the Lompoc Locker Room Select Panel announced last week.


Hain leads in the male athlete category 44 to 11 over DUFFY, and by 44-6 over baseball’s CHRIS WHITE. Three other nominees, RYAN CHURCH, MIGUEL ORTIZ, and DUANE SOLOMON, have one vote each.


George leads in the female athlete division 15-2 over water poloists KATHRYN NELSON and SARAH UR. San Diego State polo star BECCA UR has one vote.


Coach of the Year and Team of the Year remain virtually ignored by voters. Boxing trainer ROY BACA holds a one-vote margin over Cabrillo water polo coach COREY McINTYRE by 4-3. Lompoc High baseball coach JIM ALLEN and Cabrillo cross country wizard PETER ANDERSON trail with one vote each.


Cabrillo girls water polo leads in the team category with just three votes. The Babe Ruth League Elks, Cabrillo boys cross country, and Lompoc High girls soccer have each received one vote each. Voting ends Sunday night.

Sims in Stats for Finale; Wes Hain Vote Explodes

SIMS ENDS WITH RECEPT

MATT SIMS (mug shot) completed his college football career in the first bowl game of the season Thursday night as Utah came back to take a gripping 35-32 win over Navy in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl.

Sims was in the starting lineup at tight end and thus merited introduction by quarterback Brian Johnson who labelled him Matt “Sleepy” Sims for the ESPN audience.

Big Matt then belied the monicker with several marquee contributions and dozens of key blocks.

On Utah’s first TD drive at 8:42 of the second quarter Sims blocked a Middie linebacker to the outside which allowed UA star runner Darrell Mack to ramble directly through a hole for a 5-yard TD.

In the fourth quarter as Utah sought to expand its 28-25 lead Sims pulled in a five-yard pass to take the Utes to the 15-yardline. The catch was his second of the season after a reception of 10 yards against Louisville. During 2006 he hauled in four tosses for 62 yards including a 23-yarder.

Sims arrived at Utah after playing a season at Division II Humboldt State but decided to gamble on himself. He left Humboldt and returned to Allan Hancock for a season before winning his ride to Salt Lake City.

Utah finishes at 9-4, Navy 8-5.

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WES HAIN EXPLODES

Water polo/basketball star WESLEY HAIN (pictured in action) drew a whopping 24 votes Thursday to blitz all competitors and move into a commanding lead in Lompoc Locker Room’s ‘Peoples Choice’ Athlete of the Year Awards competition.

With a total of 27 votes Hain leads not only in his Male Athlete category but also the previous overall frontrunner KELLIE GEORGE. The all-candidate totals Thursday night half way through the six-day voting period read: Hain 27, George 13, DANNY DUFFY 10.

Hain, who finished third behind Duffy and quarterback BOO JACKSON in voting by Lompoc Locker Room’s Select Panel, became Cabrillo water polo’s all-time scoring leader this fall as he led the Conquistadores to a Los Padres League title.

Among other candidates DUANE SOLOMON, USC’s 800 star and national track team member, picked up his first vote, as did BECCA UR, San Diego State water polo captain, PETER ANDERSON, Cabrillo boys cross country coach, and the LPL champion CHS boys x-c team.

In light voting for Coach of the Year boxing trainer ROY BACA slipped past water polo mentor COREY McINTYRE and into the lead.


Male Athlete: Hain 27, Duffy 10, Ryan Church 1, Miguel Ortiz 1, Duane Solomon 1
Female Athlete: George 13, Kathryn Nelson 2, Becca Ur 1, Sarah Ur 1.
Coach: Baca 3, McIntyre 2, Jim Allen 1, Peter Anderson 1
Team: CHS girls water polo 2, Babe Ruth League Elks 1, CHS boys cross country 1, LHS girls soccer 1


Voting ends Sunday night. Vote by e-mailing pressboxprod@verizon.net Candidates are listed below our advertisers in the right column.

Kellie Rules; Solomon, Geoff & Jason on TV

KELLIE GEORGE, more KELLIE GEORGE, and still more KELLIE GEORGE.

KELLIE GEORGE, the founder, organizer and all-league star of the Cabrillo girls golf team, expanded her already startling lead today in Lompoc Locker Room’s “Peoples Choice Award” balloting.

From a seven-vote lead yesterday Ms. George’s admirers pushed her margin to nine over water polo’s KATHRYN NELSON. SARAH UR trails one vote behind Nelson (11-2-1). No other female athlete has even been mentioned in two days of voting.

The femme side of the gender gap has drawn the majority of interest thanks to the George avalanche.

Even DANNY DUFFY, the Cabrillo-turned-pro-hot prospect who blitzed the Select Panel’s voting, can only boast about half of what George has generated (six to Ms. George’s eleven).

Still, he leads his Male Athlete category by three votes over water polo scorer WES HAIN and by five over MLB’s RYAN CHURCH and CHS cross-country leader MIGUEL ORTIZ (6-3-1-1).

In the Team of the Year category the Cabrillo girls water polo team continues one vote ahead of Lompoc High girls soccer and the Babe Ruth League Elks.

In very slow voting for Coach of the Year, boxing trainer ROY BACA has pulled into a tie with water polo mentor COREY McINTYRE. Is this an upset brewing? Baseball’s JIM ALLEN is one vote back.

But all indications so far are that K-E-L-L-I-E G-E-O-R-G-E will be the People’s Choice star of the year--which means……….. Lompoc Locker Room needs MORE PICTURES OF KELLIE GEORGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Send votes, and photos of Kellie George, by e-mailing pressboxprod@verizon.net

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Solomon, and Geoff & Jason, on TV

DUANE SOLOMON, U.S. National track team 800 runner, and GEOFF & JASON WEST of the University of Mary basketball Marauders, will appear on a special Christmas edition of "Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show" airing Christmas Eve at 5:30.

Boo Commits; Kellie Leads; Romar Credits Joel's D

Boo Commits, Probably

"El Camino sophomore quarterback BOO JACKSON committed to Ohio University during his visit over the weekend. Jackson led El Camino to a California state championship last year as a freshman and took his team back to the SoCal playoffs this year. He had also been recruited by Memphis and Utah. His goal is to enroll at Ohio in March, in time for spring ball."

So wrote Kevin Lustgarten of JCFootball.com today.

Contacted by phone later in the day Boo left the door open slightly in case Washington State, or any other PAC-10 school, should make an offer by the end of the week.

But indeed, barring a last-minute offer, he is off to Athens, Ohio and the Mid-American Conference.

“It was snowing when I got there,” Jackson said about his visit to OU last weekend. “Their facilities are great—the weight room, the football field, the practice field. The university is set in the middle of the town so when they have a game everybody comes.”

Jackson said the Bobcats will be going to a spread formation next season and expect to pass more than run. “Coming from El Camino I’m a spread offense guy, so that’s a plus for me.” He will be competing with a junior who saw limited playing time in 2007.

His other suitors in varying degrees at various times included Boise State, San Jose State, Memphis, Utah, Utah State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington and Washington State.

Washington State is still acting interested and Jackson would still like to play in the Pac-10.
“I can’t sign until tomorrow,” he said. “I think I’ll give them another couple of days.”

And if the Cougars don’t make an offer?

“I’m real happy. Finally I’m a Division I player. It’s been a long process.”

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Kellie George Dominates Early PC Votes

The opening of the Lompoc Locker Room “Peoples Choice” Awards Monday night was met by a collective yawn apparently, by everyone not a relative or friend of KELLIE GEORGE.

The Cabrillo girls golf promoter/organizer/fundraiser/all-league player and all-around dynamo received a landslide total of eight votes in the first 24 hours.

That does not sound like much, but consider this: no other candidate, in any of the four categories, received more than ONE!

Now we know how she brought CHS girls golf into existence—she has an ORGANIZATION.

Also receiving mention:
Male Athlete: Ryan Church, Danny Duffy, Miguel Ortiz
Female Athlete: Kathryn Nelson
Coach: Jim Allen, Roy Baca, Corey McIntyre
Team: Babe Ruth League Elks, Cabrillo girls water polo, Lompoc girls soccer

To vote just e-mail pressboxprod@verizon.net and give us the name of your fave. Voting closes Sunday night. The winners will be announced, and will be invited to be guests on the New Years Eve Lompoc Locker Room TV Show.

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Joel

JOEL SMITH sank a three and Portland State never got closer than 10 points Tuesday night in Seattle. Smith's Washington Huskies won easily 84-65. Smith continued in his starting guard role playing 18 minutes and contributing four assists as well as his trey.

And he played tough defense. Coach Lorenzo Romar addressed Smith's status in the starting lineup without mentioning him by name.

"I feel like we're making progress. With this lineup, there are some guys that aren't in the lineup who, if they could catch these guys defensively, would be in the lineup because they're better offensive players. At this point, since these guys give us the best defensive presentation, we're going to continue to go with them."

The Huskies play again on Saturday hosting CS Northridge.

Panel Picks Duffy Male Athlete of 2007; CHS Girls Polo, McIntyre, Ur, Carmona Also Named; 'Peoples Choice' Voting Opens

And the winner is....... DANNY DUFFY!!!!!

KATHRYN NELSON, SARAH UR, coach COREY McINTYRE and ASHLEY SMITH display athlete, team and coach of the year certificates which Cabrillo High girls water polo nearly swept in voting by Lompoc Locker Room's Select Panel.

DANNY DUFFY swept easily to victory in Lompoc Locker Room’s Lompoc Male Athlete of the Year poll it was announced this evening.
He was joined on Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show by Cabrillo High girls water polo coach COREY McINTYRE, named 2007 Coach of the Year, and by ASHLEY SMITH, KATHRYN NELSON and SARAH UR, tri-captains of the CIF champion Cabrillo girls water polo team, which received Team of the Year honors.

Ur also received recognition as female Athlete of the Year though two awards were made in that category when Ur and Lompoc High soccer star JANI CARMONA finished in a tie for the top spot. Carmona, still at college in Hawaii, was not present but she was contacted by phone.

Among 13 writers, sportscasters, and sports officials Duffy, the fireballing lefthander who whiffed 127 batters for Cabrillo High, signed a lucrative third-round contract with the Kansas City Royals, and then encored with a top-of-the-charts performance in the Arizona Rookie League, far outpolled his competitors.

Duffy totaled 40 points with seven first place votes while his closest competitor, El Camino College quarterback BOO JACKSON, finished with 25 and three first place votes.

They were followed by Cabrillo swim star WES HAIN with 19 points, track star DUANE SOLOMON with 16, and a three-way tie for fifth between Cal distance runner MICHAEL COE, major league baseball outfielder RYAN CHURCH (one first place vote) and 82-year old world swim champion FRANK PIEMME (two first place votes) all with 11 points.

“This is crazy. There are some great people on that list,” Duffy said. “What an honor.” Seventeen male athletes had been nominated.

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Ur, Carmona Tie

The female AOY race was the mirror opposite of the guys’ poll—four nominees finished within seven points. Seven of ten nominees received at least one first-place vote.

Ur and Carmona finished deadlocked at 29 points with two first place points apiece. Ur’s teammate KATHRYN NELSON tied with Cal Poly golfer JULIA HEATH at 22, Nelson also attracting two first-place votes. The top five were rounded out by Cabrillo golfer KELLIE GEORGE who drew 18 votes and had the largest number of first place votes with three.
KARISSA ROBERTSON, the Cabrillo and Hawaii-Hilo soccer star, Hancock cross country runner ARIANA FABING, and Hancock tennis placer ELYSHA McLAIN, also received first-place votes.

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Cabrillo Girls Polo Easy Winner

The Cabrillo girls water polo team, and its coach, McIntyre, dominated voting in team and coach categories. The team doubled the vote total of the Lompoc High baseball, Los Padres League champion for the second year, and for youth football’s Lompoc Scorpions, champions of the Central Coast. The only other team to draw a vote was LHS’ girls soccer team led by Carmona. Eleven teams had been nominated.

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McIntyre Doubles the Total of Nearest Competitor

McIntyre’s closest competitor was not another prep coach but boxing trainer ROY BACA who drew three votes to McIntyre’s six. Lompoc High baseball mentor JIM ALLEN drew two votes and PETER ANDERSON, Cabrillo boys cross country, and ADDIE FRANCIS, leader of league champion LHS girls soccer, one each.

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People's Choice Awards; West Late Entry

Voting for four Lompoc Locker Room “People’s Choice Awards” is now open. It will run through Sunday night.

In the nick of time basketball guard GEOFF WEST has been nominated in the Athlete of the Year category. West led the University of Mary Marauders in their upset win Sunday over No. 8-ranked St. Cloud State. West is the No. 2 scorer for U-M and the No. 2 in steals. He has been described by his coach in comments to the Bismarck, North Dakota newspaper as the team leader.

Garrett; Geoff & Jason; Vote at 6 p.m.

BENNIE GARRETT, the Los Padres League’s Offensive Back of the Year, has been nominated for consideration as Lompoc Athlete of the Year.


Garrett gained 933 yards on 171 carries despite a disappointing Cabrillo season. Garrett averaged 5.4 yards per carry, scored two touchdowns and reeled off one run of 54 yards. He seemed to be one of the few reliables for coach Don Cross as he could always be counted on for his 100 yards per game. He also made four receptions for 33 yards.


On defense Garrett made 17 solo tackles and 17 assists to rank No. 2 among the CHS defensive backs. Playing both ways and on special teams, he rarely left the field.


Geoff/Jason Show A Winner

Sunday in Bismarck, North Dakota the Marauders of the University of Mary indicated that maybe the early-season experimentation has paid off as they won their second in a row upsetting previously undefeated St. Cloud State 77-48.

Starting guard GEOFF WEST was the second leading scorer for U-M with 10 points, three assists and three rebounds. JASON WEST saw 14 minutes of action and notched two points and a rebound. U-M is now 4-6, St. Cloud 9-1. The Marauders now have an 11-day break until December 27.

After 10 games Geoff West leads the team in minutes, 25.9 per game, ranks second in points at 9.7 per game, and is also second in steals. Jason West is averaging 10 minutes a game.


Athlete of the Year Monday at 5:30
Monday Lompoc Locker Room’s Select Panel will unveil its selections for male and female Athlete of the Year, and Team and Coach of the Year, AND YOU CAN BEGIN TO CAST YOUR BALLOTS for LLR’s four “Peoples Choice” Awards.

The panel’s picks will be announced on “Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show” at 5:30 p.m. PST on Comcast Channel 25. Immediately following the show this website will accept votes e-mailed from the public. Just e-mail pressboxprod@verizon.net and tell us who you want to vote for.

The voting will be tabulated and posted periodically through Sunday night December 23. After counting is double-checked, the People’s Choice Awards will be announced on TV and on this site on Monday, December 31.

Joel Smith Leads UW %'s; Vote in 48 Hours

In Seattle Saturday afternoon JOEL SMITH’s Washington Huskies downed Portland 67-63 to edge UW’s record up to 5-4.

Washington used its fourth different starting lineup of the season and second in the past two games as coach Lorenzo Romar continues to experiment.

Smith started for the sixth time in nine games and played 24 minutes. He contributed three points, three rebounds (two at the offensive end), three assists, two blocks and a steal.

Joel’s scoring average is 6.8 points per game as his offensive percentages continue to dazzle. His .618 field goal average is highest of anyone on the team save a center with far fewer minutes. Smith’s average from beyond the three-point arc is .579. That percentage leads the club. His .727 from the free-throw line (8-of-11) also leads the team.

Smith has also been nominated for consideration as Lompoc Locker Room’s Athlete of the Year. Take a look at the other nominees in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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WHEN DO WE GET TO VOTE?

Public voting is just two days away! LOMPOC LOCKER ROOM’s three-stage voting process for eight awards (two male Athlete of the Year, two female, two Coach of the Year, and two Team of the Year) works like this.

1) First the public nominates. That’s been going on for a month. We still have a few nominees that have not yet been posted.

2) Then our Panel of Experts will make their four picks. That will be announced on Monday at 5:30 on Comcast Channel 25 on “Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show.” The panel’s nominees will also appear here on this website.

3) Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday YOU can start e-mailing your votes for your four selections to pressboxprod@verizon.net for the four LLR People’s Choice awards.

Jonesy, Bennett, Bandits Named; Vote In 72 Hours

ANDREW JONES, quarterback, Bologna High-Tech Media Warriors, Italian Football League

ANDREW JONES, who quarterbacked the Bologna High-Tech Media Warriors into the Italian Football League playoffs, has been nominated for consideration as Lompoc’s Athlete of the Year.

Jones just a year ago was coming off a senior year in which he was named Honorable Mention at Div. II Upper Iowa. During winter vacation he was contacted by representatives of the Warriors and by March he was in the university city of Bologna.

Not expected to do much, the unheralded Warriors, with Jones at QB as well as offensive coordinator, reached the playoffs. Jones was the first Lompocan to play in Europe since Jarrod DeGeorgia played in Sweden in 2000.

A short movie was even filmed showing Jones connecting on numerous passes including a TD toss and a Lompoc classic, the hook-and-ladder. Check it out at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5913055388465509888&hl=it

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BENNETT, BANDITS ALSO NOMINATED

Also nominated today were the Lompoc Bandits baseball team, champions of the Santa Barbara Baseball League for the second straight year, and their player/manager/general manager MIKE BENNETT. Bennett was nominated in the Coach of the Year category.
The Bandits went 16-4, then swept the playoffs winning four straight games.
Take a look at the other nominees in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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WHEN DO WE GET TO VOTE?

Public voting for Lompoc Locker Room's Peoples Choice Awards is just three days away!



Lompoc Locker Room’s three-stage voting process for eight awards (two male Athlete of the Year, two female, two Coach of the Year, and two Team of the Year) works like this.




1) First the public nominates. That’s been going on for a month. We still have a few nominees that have not yet been posted.




2) Our Panel of Experts will make their four picks. That will be announced on Monday at 5:30 on Comcast Channel 25 on “Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show.” The panel’s nominees will also appear on this website.




3) Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday YOU can start e-mailing your votes for your four selections to pressboxprod@verizon.net for the four People’s Choice awards.

Sargeant Nominated; Geoff & Jason Snap "L" String

LYDELL SARGEANT of Penn State (pictured here with his Cabrillo High coach Don Cross), has been nominated for consideration as Lompoc’s Male Athlete of the Year.

Making the transition from offense to defense, Lydell spent most of the 2006 season as an effective reserve cornerback and an important member of the special teams, seeing action in every game. At the start of spring practice in 2007, the former wide receiver was a contender for a starting cornerback spot. His progress during the spring gained the attention of the coaching staff, who selected him as the recipient of the Jim O'Hora Award as the defense's most improved player.

During the season Sargeant started eight of the Lions’ 12 games and racked up 65 tackles to lead all defensive backs. He also intercepted two passes, returning one against Michigan for 31 yards.

Take a look at the other nominees in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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WHEN DO WE GET TO VOTE?

Public voting is just four days away! LOMPOC LOCKER ROOM’s three-stage voting process for eight awards (two male Athlete of the Year, two female, two Coach of the Year, and two Team of the Year) works like this:

1) First the public nominates. That’s been going on for a month. We still have a few nominees that have not yet been posted.

2) Then our Panel of Experts will make their four picks. That will be announced on Monday at 5:30 on Comcast Channel 25 on “Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show.” The panel’s nominees will also appear on this website.

3) Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday YOU can start e-mailing your votes for your four selections to pressboxprod@verizon.net for the four People’s Choice awards.

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College basketball

GEOFF & JASON

In Spearfish, South Dakota tonight the University of Mary snapped its three-game losing streak with a 89-78 victory over Black Hills State. GEOFF WEST led the Marauders with 17 points, a college career high.

Frank, Jurgen, Gun Named; Boo to Ohio?

Here is evidence that fans older than 25 read this site. One of them has made some, well, geriatric nominations.

S/he has nominated JURGEN SCHMIDT (left in the picture) and FRANK PIEMME (on the right) for consideration as Athlete of the Year in Lompoc for 2007.

Schmidt, 84, and Piemme, 82, set swim records for their age group at every event they attend. They just returned from the Huntsman Senior Games and have plenty more scheduled.
Check them out any lunchtime at the Lompoc Aquatic Center.

Another older gent, Kansas City Chief Defensive Coordinator GUNTHER CUNNNGHAM, was also nominated. He is from the Lompoc High class of 1965. You can vote for him in Coach of the Year division.

Take a look at the nominations list in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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How Does This Ballot Deal Work, Anyway??

Public voting is just five days away! LOMPOC LOCKER ROOM’s three-stage voting process for eight awards (two male Athlete of the Year, two female, two Coach of the Year, and two Team of the Year) works like this:

1) First the public nominates. That’s been going on for a month. We still have a few nominees that have not yet been posted.

2) Then our Panel of Experts will make their four picks. That will be announced on Monday at 5:30 on Comcast Channel 25 on “Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show.” The panel’s selections will also appear on this website.

3) Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday YOU can start e-mailing YOUR votes to pressboxprod@verizon.net for the four People’s Choice awards. You'll have six days. Maybe the panel's favorites will win again, maybe not. Vote early and often. We'll try to keep a running tally.

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BOO a Buckeye?

Very interesting news from Mercy Jackson, mother of El Camino College quarterback BOO JACKSON.

Today she wrote: “Just letting you all know that Boo will be making his first trip this weekend to Columbus, Ohio.”

Quick now, which Big Ten football school is located in Columbus, Ohio?

The answer to that is Ohio State.

But then Mercy corrected us.

“Boo is visiting Ohio University, a Bobcat not a Buckeye. Just wanting to clarify where he was going to visit.”

Ohio University is in Athens, Ohio. The Bobcats play in the Mid-American Conference where they were 4-4 this fall (6-6 overall). Their opponents included Akron, Temple, Bowling Green, Miami (of Ohio), Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Wyoming, Virginia Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Gardner-Webb and Buffalo. Against ACC champ Virginia Tech the Bobcats fell 28-7.

Michael Coe Nominated; Voting Looms

Distance runner MICHAEL COE...

...has been nomin-ated for Lomp-oc Male Athlete of 2007.

Running 1500 meters for the Cal track team this spring Coe improved his times enough to qualify for the NCAA Western Regional where the freshman finished an impressive tenth.

In the fall he dramatically improved his ranking on the Bears’ Cross Country team which posted its best season in the history of the program. The Golden Bears participated as a team in the NCAA championships for the first time in school history. In the NCAA Western regional Coe was the fourth Bear to finish, in 31:10.9, but in the national championship race he moved up to third with a time of 31:16.9.

Coe joins ten other nominees on the ballot. Take a look at the nominations list in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.

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VOTING LOOMS, SCHEDULE SET

After nearly a month of nominations the three-stage Lompoc Locker Room commemoration of the athletic exploits of 2007 is nearing its culmination.

On Monday, December 17 at 5:30 p.m. on "Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show" (Comcast Channel 25) the LLR Select Panel will reveal its choices for Lompoc Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and Coach of the Year. The panel of 15 is drawn from a broad cross-section of sportswriters, broadcasters, high school athletic directors and coaches, and youth sports figures. Don't miss that show.

At the conclusion of the show this website will begin to tabulate YOUR VOTES for the LLR People's Choice Awards. Regardless of how "the experts" vote, the Peoples' Choice Awards will be based solely on your votes. Just e-mail pressboxprod@verizon.net to record your vote. Just tell us who you want to vote for (but please not before Monday evening). Voting will remain open for six days, closing Sunday night December 23. We will do our best to maintain a running tabulation were on-site, but no guarantees.

The People's Choice winners will be announced (and maybe make personal guest appearances) on "Lompoc Locker Room, the TV Show" airing Monday, December 31 at 5:30. As they say in Chicago, "Vote Early and Often."

Kellie George Nominated; Hard Times at U-M

KELLIE GEORGE...

whose legacy in Lompoc Valley sports will live long after the close of 2007, has been nominated for recognition as Lompoc Female Athlete of the Year.

George, a senior at Cabrillo, spearheaded establishment of a new team at CHS, a girls golf team. She found players, a coach, funding for uniforms and gear, and a place to play.

“Kellie went out on her own as a solo player and represented Cabrillo,” Conqs coach Gini Shekell explained to Lompoc Record reporter Brad Memberto. “It was just her and that was it.

“She decided last year that, for her senior project, she wanted to put together the team.”

George talked to students at Vandenberg Middle School and Cabrillo to see if there was any interest and, finding there was, she went to athletic director Bob Boyer.

“Before, he said there wasn't any money," Kellie explained to the newspaper. "But this year I just kept pursuing it and never let him alone. I told him I'd fund-raise the money and he said, 'Fine, if you fund-raise the money, you can have the team.'"

Shekell signed up in the spring. "Coach is awesome,” George said. “I'm glad she did it Otherwise we probably wouldn't be out here.” An announcement produced 17 prospective players. A $2,000 donation came from the Junior Golf Association at the Village Country Club and VCC pro Bob Kotowski helped out.

After pulling the group together, Kellie was not done. She played No. 1 on the squad and was named to the all-Los Padres League team.

She joins nine other nominees on the ballot. Take a look at the nominations list in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. Voting for Lompoc Locker Room's People's Choice Awards will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 17.

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College basketball

GEOFF & JASON

Saturday in Marshall, Minnesota the Geoff & Jason Show continued on a bumpy path as the Marauders of the University of Mary fell to their third straight defeat, this by a whopping 36-point margin 76-40 to Southwest Minnesota State. The Marauders (2-6) received five points, a rebound, a block and a steal in 23 minutes from starting guard GEOFF WEST, and a rebound, an assist and two steals from sixth man JASON WEST in 11 minutes. The M's visit Black Hills State Thurday night.

Blow First Team all-PAC-7; Burtley Nominated

PAC-7 All-League


Congratulations to Lompoc Braves named to the all-PAC-7 football team.




First team: defensive back MASSON BLOW (pictured)




Second team offense: lineman AARON LEACH, tight end STEVEN MOREHART, and running back BOBBY COLLINS.




Second team defense: lineman GILBERTO RIOS, and linebacker JAKE MOREHART.

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ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS

ANTHONY BURTLEY, the Los Padres League basketball MVP last season, has been nominated for consideration as Lompoc Valley Male Athlete of the Year.

Burtley averaged 21.8 points per game and 11.3 rebounds as the Braves won their first-ever Los Padres League hoops title. Burtley scored 41 points vs. Morro Bay. In that Morro Bay contest he corralled 16 rebounds and went 12-for-12 from the free throw line. He totaled 60 blocked shots, 55 steals and 45 assists during the season. He scored 30 or more five times. He was also named all-CIF and was awarded a basketball scholarship to Lewis-Clark State in Lewiston, Idaho.

Burtley joins nine other nominees on his portion of the ballot. Take a look at the nominations list in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.

Becca Ur Nominated; Joel's Huskies Fall Short

BECCA UR, the two-meter pivot of the San Diego State women’s water polo team, has been nominated a finalist in the Lompoc Locker Room Athlete of the Year competition.

A junior, Ur served as co-captain of the No. 4-ranked Aztecs who went 29-10 and had their most successful season in the 13-year history of the program. They qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time. This is no easy task: in water polo the tourney consists of not 64 teams but just eight.

Ur scored 28 goals. She was also second on the squad with 71 ejections drawn and ranked second among starters with a .438 shooting percentage. The Cabrillo High graduate has made 73 consecutive starts in the 2-meter position.

And she received academic all-league honors with a 3.67 GPA in biology.

Ur joins her sister Sarah, and eight other nominees on the Female Athlete of the Year ballot. Take a look at the nominations list in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.

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College basketball

Joel

Saturday in Seattle JOEL SMITH's Washington Huskies nearly upset undefeated Pittsburgh. A closing shot at the buzzer was disallowed which gave Pitt a 75-74 victory. Joel, starting at guard, played 31 minutes and did not score though he contributed three assists. The Huskies, now 4-4, next take the floor on Saturday vs. Portland.

Ornelas, Ornelas, Elks Named; Geoff & Jason Fall

Dipping into the rich pool of youth sports, two nominations, for team and coach of the year, have been made for the Lompoc Locker Room End-of-the-Year recognition awards.

Little League coach ERIC ORNELAS has been nominated for Coach of the Year, while the Babe Ruth League ELKS have been nominated Team of the Year. No longer in youth sports, BEN ORNELAS (pictured) of Cypress College has been nominated for Athlete of the Year.

Eric Ornelas took his Camaros team to the City Series title game two years in a row and coached the National League all-star team to the final district game this past season. He also formed a Pony League team that played in tournaments year round.

Centerfielder BEN ORNELAS batted .318 for Cypress College this spring, then stepped it up during the playoffs to a .375 clip with a string of two-hit games. The Elks are champions of the Lompoc Babe Ruth League.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. Take a look at the nominations list to date in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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College basketball

GEOFF & JASON

Wayne, NE – In a game where the final score wasn’t indicative of the type of game that was actually played, the University of Mary fell 72-60 to Wayne State College Friday night. Despite not hitting a single free thow all night, the Marauders nearly found a way to win the game.
With U-Mary leading by as many as 11 points in the second half, the Marauders hoped to do scratch out enough points for a victory. Unfortunately, the U-Mary offense couldn’t produce any points the last four minutes of the game. During that four minute stretch, WSC outscored U-Mary 14-0 to win the game.

Down the stretch, WSC nailed 3-of-4 shots from the field and 8-of-9 free throws. Meanwhile, U-Mary was 0-for-6 from the field, committed three turnovers and missed its lone free throw attempt.

A major culprit in the loss was atrocious free throw shooting by the Marauders. U-Mary was 0-for-9 at the line. Meabwhile, Wayne State converted 17-of-22 free throws.

Zach Dosch came off the bench to lead U-Mary in scoring, totaling 13 points. The post player hit all three of his trey attempts. GEOFF WEST added 11 points on 5-for-13 shooting in 31 minutes. JASON WEST did not score in 13 minutes.

The Marauders fall to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in the NSIC.

Karissa Robertson Nominated Athlete of the Year

KARISSA ROBERTSON, the Cabrillo girls soccer team’s leading scorer last winter, simply took her skills and moved up a notch. In the fall she became the leading scorer at the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
At Cabrillo Robertson became the all-time leading goal scorer (105 goals in 4 years), was MVP of the Los Padres League and all-CIF.
With Robertson moved across the water Hawaii-Hilo made its second season in college soccer a memorable one by shouldering its way almost to the top. The Vulcans finished 12-8 and third in the NCAA Div. II Pacific West Conference. Robertson led the scoring with nine goals and four assists.
Robertson joins onetime Cabrillo teammate Katie McIntosh who is now at CSU Chico, Jani Carmona, a current teammate at UHH, Cal Poly golfer Julia Heath, Cabillo water polo standouts Kathryn Nelson and Sarah Ur and Allan Hancock athletes Ariana Fabing and Elysha McLain on the ballot.
YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. Take a look at the nominations list to date in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

Solomon Named; CHS Girl Poloists Upend SLO

DUANE SOLOMON, America’s #3 runner in the 800, has been nominated Lompoc Locker Room’s Male Athlete of the Year for 2007.

Solomon, running as a junior at USC, qualified for the nationals in Indianapolis, but that was nothing new. He had done that in 2006. At Indianapolis he was lightly regarded among the likes of three-time national champion Khadevis Robinson, college champ Nick Symonds, and emotional favorite Lopez Lomong, an African refugee. But Solomon led Lomong all the way to take third place. He was running in fourth before he overtook Jonathan Johnson, a professional sponsored by Reebok, to place third. Lomong finished fifth.

Solomon’s time was 1:45.69. It was the second fastest 800 time ever recorded by a USC Trojan. The performance qualified him for the World Championships. If the same scenario takes place next year, Solomon would become the first Lompocan to make the Olympic team since Nick Carter in the 1920’s.

Solomon joins Ryan Church, Danny Duffy, Wes Hain, Boo Jackson, Miguel Ortiz, and Matt Sims on the ballot.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. Take a look at the nominations list to date in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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The CHS Dynasty Rolls On

Coming off a CIF title last season the Cabrillo girls water polo team graduated such stars as SARAH UR, KATHRYN NELSON and ASHLEY SMITH. The Conqs were not even ranked in the preseason polls. But the black-and-gold is acting like it wants to repeat. Yesterday the Conqs faced the #4-ranked San Luis Obispo Tigers and caged them. The score was 13 to 4 (10 to 1 by half time)...and CHS was ranked #8 in their CIF Division. Keep an eye on this group!

Chris White Named; Geoff & Jason Lose to NoDak

CHRIS WHITE, who led Sacramento City College in virtually every one of baseball’s offensive statistics, and was named the MVP of his conference before being signed by the Detroit Tigers, has been nominated for Lompoc Athlete of 2007.

The centerfielder was 2007 Big 7 Conference MVP and an All-American. He batted .369 with 30 stolen bases in the regular season and helped his team to the state JC Final Four. He was picked in the 12th round by the Tigers.

White spent much of the summer with the Gulf Coast League Tigers where he caught fire at the end of the season. He was promoted to Oneonta of the New York-Penn League for the playoffs.

White joins Duane Solomon, Ryan Church, Danny Duffy, Wes Hain, Boo Jackson, Miguel Ortiz and Matt Sims on the ballot.

YOU can nominate right now! Just e-mail your nominee to pressboxprod@verizon.net in any of four categories: Male Athlete of 2007, Female Athlete of 2007, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year. Take a look at the nominations list to date in the right-hand column below our sponsors.

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GEOFF (& JASON)

GEOFF WEST and the University of Mary Marauders (now wait a minute, do the virgin Mary and "the Marauders" REALLY go together?") fell Tuesday night to the University of North Dakota 74-55. West contributed six points, two rebounds and two assists in just 15 minutes of play. NoDak was up by 19 at halftime and it just got worse. JASON WEST also logged 15 minutes but did not score. The Marauders (2-4) visit Wayne State Friday night.