Photos
Men’s soccer
Coach: Rob Walker (fifth season)
2010: 7-11-0 overall, 2-8-0 GNAC (T-5th)
Key returnees: F Xan Nixon, 6-0, sr.; D Tony Armitage 5-10, sr.; F Dylan Gaydosh, 6-1, so.; M Austin Kelley, 6-2, sr.; D Brandon Scott, 5-6, jr.; M Ricco Sanchez, 5-10, sr.; D James Schmid, 5-10, sr.; M Blake Moreland, 6-1, jr.; D Andrew Cunningham, 6-2, so.; M CJ Chu, 5-11, so.; M Kramer Cross, 5-10, sr.
Outlook: The team dropped its season opener to Cal State LA, 6-0, on Friday, but bounced back Saturday for a 1-0 victory over UC San Diego following Kelley’s goal in the 83rd minute. Walker welcomes back seven starters and 16 letter winners and are two seasons removed from winning its first GNAC regular-season title. Nixon and Armitage combined for six goals and two assists in 2010, both earning honorable mention all-GNAC honors.
Women’s soccer
Coach: Rob Walker (fifth season)
2010: 8-10-0 overall, 7-7-0 GNAC (fifth place)
Key returnees: F Sammi Thompson, 5-7, so.; M Noelle Bauer, 5-3, so.; D Caley Wiseman, 5-0, jr.; GK Gina Cardenas, 5-10, so.; GK Ashley Engel, 5-8, jr.; D Lia Swartout, 5-5, jr.; D Molly Campbell, 5-8, so.
Outlook: The The Saints fell to Cal State LA, 2-0, Thursday afternoon, followed by a 1-0 defeat to Point Loma Nazarene on Saturday. The Saints are the youngest team in the GNAC with 15 players who are seeing their first collegiate action, including 14 freshmen. Engel, one of two seniors, returns after missing the 2010 season. She posted seven shutouts and had 1.09 goal-against average in 2009.
Cross country
Coach: Julie Sullivan (sixth season)
2010: Men – 5th place at GNAC championships. Women – 9th place at GNAC championships.
Key returnees: Men -- Spencer Hunt, sr.; Kyle Van Santen, sr.; Women – Joscelyn Minton, jr.; Kaitlynn Pecha, so.; Ashley Llapitan, so.
Outlook: The men’s team started off strong with Saturday’s first-place finish at the four-team invitational, hosted by the University of Puget Sound. Spencer Hunt and Kyle Van Santen went 1-2 in the men’s 8K race. Hunt advanced to the NCAA Division II national meet last December, placing 85th (32:30) on the 10K course and had the highest finish of any SMU runner at last year’s GNAC meet (ninth). Minton became the first woman from SMU to win all-conference honors at last year’s GNAC championships, placing 10th (22:49). Minton won the women’s 6K race at the UPS Invitational on Saturday (24:02), leading the Saints women to a third-place team finish.
Volleyball
Coach: Phil Ibarra
2010: 2-22 overall, 1-17 GNAC (10th place)
Key returnees: MB Katy Ferguson, 6-1, jr.; MB Teilissa Tua, 6-0, jr.; RS Kristeen Juarez, 5-11, sr.; L Brianna Bautista, 5-1, sr.; S Cymbree Decosta, 5-5, so.; OH Erica Edwards, 5-7, so.; DS Kristin Okamura, 5-0, so.; OH Kailah Nettle (Lenz), 5-10, so.
Outlook: The Saints started off their 2011 season by going 1-3 at the Humboldt State Invitational, winning their first match over Notre Dame de Namur, 3-2. Kristyn Ross, a 2011 Capital graduate, led the Saints in kills throughout the tournament, including match-highs of 24 against Notre Dame de Namur and Academy of Art. The Saints return eight letter winners from a 2-22 season in 2010, including Ferguson, who ranked second on the team in kills per set (1.87) and the team leader in blocks in 2010. Tua registered 131 kills and 62 blocks in all 84 sets last season. Bautista was the Saints’ digs leader (4.38 per set). Decosta returns at setter after not playing last season. The team features five players from Hawai’i and five from South Sound.
Golf
Coach: Kevin Bishop (men); Bob Grisham (women)
2010: Men – 2nd place at GNAC championships; Women – 2nd place at GNAC championships
Key returnees: Men -- Zach Dietz, sr.; Matt Epstein, sr.; Women – Jennifer Kent, sr.; Karly Olsen, sr.
Outlook: Dietz (222) and Olsen (154) each finished second at the GNAC championships on the men’s and women’s sides, respectively, last season. Dietz helped the Saints to a 14th-place finish at the West Regional championships, and placed 36th (221). Kent was last year’s GNAC Newcomer of the Year and earned second-team all-GNAC honors.
Meg Wochnick, staff writer
