CSM Notebook: Olympic Discus Gold Medalist to Throw at CSM

In need of Olympic year competition, 2008 Olympic discus gold medalist Stephanie Brown Trafton is scheduled to compete as a guest in Friday’s Lucky 13 Invitational track and field meet at College of San Mateo.

The meet, featuring primarily Northern California community college student-athletes, begins at 1:30 p.m. The women’s discus competition is expected to start shortly after 3 p.m. on the meet’s “rolling” schedule.

CSM is Trafton’s favorite throwing facility, where she has learned to take advantage of the often favorable winds. Trafton unleashed her personal best throw at the College Heights Stadium, 217 feet, 2 inches, during the 2009 Pacific Association USA Track & Field Championship meet (which is held annually at CSM on Memorial Day weekend).

She leads all U.S. throwers so far this season with a mark of 207-5 in Sydney, Australia, in February.

San Mateo will have its own star thrower in Friday’s competition. Nikki Uikilifi leads the Coast Conference at 140-6 and is ranked No. 4 among the state’s two-year college athletes. 

CSM coach Joe Mangan agreed to Trafton's request to compete, which was made through CSM sports information director Fred Baer, who also serves as as a women's USA Track and Field chair.

Terry honored:

College of San Mateo sophomore pitcher Clint Terry (Fremont High of Sunnyvale) was named this week’s California Community Baseball Coaches Association Pitcher of the Week.

The 6-foot-2 195-pound right hander struck out nine, scattered four hits, and gave up just one earned run over eight innings in last week’s crucial, 5-1, Coast Golden Gate victory over second place Chabot.

Ranked:

College of San Mateo moved up one spot to No. 2 in this week’s California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Northern California poll and are No. 4 in the state.

The Bulldogs (22-7) entered the week with a 12-game winning streak and trail only Feather River (22-4) of Susanville in the poll of more than 40 NorCal teams. Fresno City College (16-10), No. 2 last week, dropped one spot to third.

CSM is No. 5 in the American Baseball Coaches Association National Pacific Division poll, which includes the entire West Coast. Orange Coast College of Costa Mesa is No. 1 in that poll and in the state.

No respect:

The state’s winningest community college women’s softball team, College of San Mateo (32-3) – also boasting a state-leading 17 game winning streak -- continues to receive little respect in the state poll.

After dropping to No. 6 in the state last week, the Bulldogs are back to No. 5 this week, once again their highest ranking. Only two NorCal teams are ranked ahead of CSM. Both of those teams have been ranked No. 1 this season and both have lost to the Bulldogs.

CSM started its current winning streak with an 8-5 win over Sierra, which was No. 1 last week and is currently No. 2, behind Cypress (26-4) -- which moved up from No. 3 last week. The Bulldogs defeated College of the Siskiyous when they were No. 1.

The Bulldogs have defeated every ranked team in Northern California except No. 7 San Joaquin Delta, which edged CSM, 1-0, in an early (Feb. 14) game. (Delta defeated Sierra last week, which cost the Wolverines their No. 1 spot.)

In addition to current No. 2 Sierra and No. 4 Siskiyous, CSM has defeated No. 9 Ohlone, No. 10 San Jose, No. 11 Fresno, No. 13 Feather River, No. 16 Sequoias, and No. 18 West Valley, and No. 20. Solano.

Top 10 Softball Rankings:

1. Cypress (26-4); 2. Sierra (27-5); 3 Canyons (29-2); 4. Siskiyous (23-2); 5. San Mateo (32-3); 6. Mt. San Antonio (25-3); 7. San Joaquin Delta (25-6); 8. Cerritos (24-7); 9. Ohlone (10-3); 10. San Jose (23-10).

State leaders:

Coast Conference shot put pacesetter Evan McDaniel leads the state at 55 feet, 3 ¾ inches and ranks also ranks seventh in the state in the discus throw at 159-3.

Other CSM Coast Conference Track & Field leaders:

Women: Niki Uikilifi, shot put, 42-7 ½ (No. 3 in state); discus throw, 140-6 (No. 4 in state); hammer throw, 154-11 (No. 6 in state); javelin throw, 133-11 (No. 2 in state). (She leads the Coast in all four events!)

Men: Roman Skovronski, 400 meter hurdles, 53.90 (ranks No. 4 in state); Leander Johnson, high jump, 6-1 ½; Josh Uikilifi, hammer throw, 174-2 (ranks No. 4 in state); Zeke Edwards, javelin throw, 178-3 (ranks No. 8 in state).

Also:

The rained-out April 10 CSM at Foothill softball game was rescheduled for Saturday at noon (at Foothill). ... CSM's 12-game baseball win streak ended on Wednesday with a 9-4 Coast Conference loss to Ohlone. ... CSM's softball team extended its state-leading winning streak to 17-games on Thursday with a 7-0 victory over City College of San Francisco by forfeit (CCSF was unable to field a full team).