Winter 2009

-Fall 2009 Season Recap

-Message from the AD

-Athletics’ News & Notes

Message from the Athletic Director

Tom SeitzDirector of Athletics

What a fall it has been for Cougar athletics! We are claiming this as the most successful fall season in the history of CSUSM athletics.

The Women’s Cross Country Team won the school’s first national championship by winning the NAIA Na-tional Championship

in Vancouver, WA. The men also finished 17th in the country. The Men’s and Women’s Soccer Team also had a first by both teams qualify-ing for post-season play. The Women won the conference tournament while the Men were narrowly beaten in the finals. The Women advanced to the NAIA National Tournament where they were defeated in the first round. Cougar Athletics also placed third in the first NAIA Director’s Cup fall standings, the highest ranking ever for CSUSM.

These accomplishments are amazing, espe-cially when one considers the limited amount of resources that are currently available to our teams. Most of our teams are only working with a fraction of the scholarship funding that is allowed and used by many schools. I think this is a testament to the quality of our coaches and student-athletes, and proves the demand for to attend CSUSM.

Just think how successful the athletic program can become when we are able to increase our resources! When we add the necessary sports, facilities and scholarship aid to become a NCAA Division II member I truly believe we can compete for national championships in all our sports. We should strive for nothing less as we move forward in expanding the CSUSM athletic program.

So as we complete the most successful season in the history of Cougar athletics we say thank you to all the student-athletes, coaches, staff, parents, supporters and fans who have made this success possible. We look forward to an exciting spring season.

Happy Holidays and Go Cougars!

Fall 2009 Season RecapCelebrating a Historic Fall for Cal State San Marcos Athletics The fall season for athletics at Cal State San Marcos has come to an end, and what a season it was.

Headlining the success was Coach Steve Scott’s women’s cross-country team, which improb-ably captured the first team national title in the history of CSUSM Athletics. Running on a muddy track at Fort Vancouver in Washington, the second-ranked Cougars shocked defending national champion Azusa Pacific and a field of

All-American Muluken Beressa and solid senior runner Dave Edwards, the team won three events during the year, culminating in a dra-matic and emotional upset victory at the A.I.I. Championships at CSUSM. Coach Scott’s men were ranked #4 in the nation at season’s end, but the conditions at Nationals forced them to settle for 17th place.

Finally, Coach Ron Pulvers’ men’s and women’s soccer teams both had outstanding finishes to

the NAIA’s best 32 teams to win the national title.

All-Americans Dallon Williams and Cady Villarreal led the way, and the team got a huge boost from true freshman Kelly Thompson, who ran the race of her life to propel the Cou-gars to the title.

Coach Scott, whose team also won the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.)

the season. After a tough 1-3 start, Cougar men’s soccer could have folded up – but the resilient, senior-heavy squad battled on to post an 11-6-1 record and qualify for their first-ever post-season. The team would win two games at the conference tourna-ment before being narrowly defeated in the champion-ship game by the #3-ranked team in the nation.

Meanwhile, CSUSM women’s soccer Conference Tournament right here on campus,

was named NAIA Women’s Cross-Country Coach of the Year.

The Cougar men’s cross-country team didn’t fare as well at Nationals, but that doesn’t detract from what was an outstanding season. Led by

earned a trip to the NAIA National Champion-ships by winning its second-consecutive A.I.I. Conference Championship. The squad, which at midseason was a lackluster 3-4-3, went on an 8-game unbeaten streak that carried them all the way through the Conference Tournament, where goalkeeper Kaycee Gunion was named

MVP and A.I.I. Player of the Year.

With the fall season now over, Cougar Athletics will look to carry its momentum into the spring with baseball, softball, golf, and track & field all competing for national championships of their own!

Ways to follow your CSUSM Cougars

Website: www.csusmcougars.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/csusmcougarsLive Video: www.livestream.com/csusmcougarsFacebook: Search Facebook for “CSUSM Cougars”

Women’s SoccerRegular Season10/12 at U. of La Verne: 3-0 W10/14 vs. San Diego Christian: 0-0 T10/23 at Soka: 2-0 W10/24 vs. Embry-Riddle (AZ): 2-0 W10/28 at Chapman: 2-1 W20/31 vs. Southwestern (AZ): 13-0 W

A.I.I. Conference Tournament11/13 vs. Simon-Fraser: 1-0 W11/14 vs. Ohio Dominican: 1-1 W (4-3 SO)

NAIA National Championship Opening Round11/21 at Vanguard: 0-1 L

Men’s SoccerRegular Season10/10 vs. UC Santa Cruz: 2-0 W 10/14 vs. San Diego Christian: 5-1 W10/18 at La Sierra: 1-0 W10/23 at Soka: 2-2 T10/26 at Chapman: 1-0 W

A.I.I. Conference Tournament11/11 vs. Embry-Riddle (AZ): 3-1 W11/12 vs. St. Thomas (TX): 2-0 W11/14 vs. Simon-Fraser: 0-1 L

Women’s Cross-CountryRegular Season10/17 at Cougar Challenge (San Marcos, CA) -Team: 1st; Individual: Dallon Williams - 1st10/24 at Biola Invitational (Irvine, CA) -Team: 2nd; Individual: Cady Villarreal - 3rd

A.I.I. Conference Championship11/7 at California State University San Marcos -Team: 1st; Individual: Dallon Williams - 1st

NAIA National Championship11/21 at Fort Vancouver, WA-Team: 1st; Individual: Dallon Williams - 7th

Men’s Cross-Country

Regular Season10/17 at Cougar Challenge (San Marcos, CA) -Team: 1st; Individual: Muluken Beressa - 1st10/24 at Biola Invitational (Irvine, CA) -Team: 1st; Individual: Muluken Beressa - 3rd

A.I.I. Conference Championship11/7 at California State University San Marcos -Team: 1st; Individual: Muluken Beressa - 1st

NAIA National Championship11/21 at Fort Vancouver, WA-Team: 17th; Individual: Muluken Beressa - 21st

Men’s GolfOctober 4-6 @ Monarch Dunes G.C.-Team: 6th; Individual: Tyler Hurst - T8th

October 25-27 @ Wood Ranch C.C.-Team: 12th; Individual: Tyler Hurst - T15th

After earning Honorable Mention All-American status last season, keeper Kaycee Gunion was named A.I.I. Player of the Year in 2009.

Led by Stephanie Cole (right), the Cougar women’s golf team is look-ing to record their 11th-straight top-10 finish at Nationals this spring.

Dallon Williams (left) and Cady Villarreal (right) both earned All-American status while leading the Cougar women’s cross-country team to the first-ever National Champion-ship for Cal State San Marcos.

Cougar Athletics News & Notes

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Women’s GolfSeptember 27-30 @ Monarch Dunes G.C.-Team: N/A -Individual: Stephanie Cole - T9th

October 11-13 @ Salt Creek G.C.-Team: 7th-Individual: Stephanie Cole - 18th

Make sure to get your tax-deducitable Cougar Athletic Club donations in before the New Year! Donations to the CAC help provide scholarships for student-athletes. For more information, contact Associate Athletic Director Jennifer Milo at (760) 750-7108 or jmilo@csusm.edu.

Visit www.csusmcougars.com and click “Cougar Athletic Club” to see the brochure.

CSUSM Golf and the Alumni Association hosted the second annual CSUSM Cougar Scramble golf tournament on November 13th. The event was a big success, with all proceeds going towards student scholarships.

Want to connect with other fans and stay updated on all of the Cougar teams? Follow CSUSM Athletics on Facebook and Twitter! To find us on Facebook, search “CSUSM Cou-gars” and become a fan! On Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/csusmcougars.

Grading and irrigation are done for the softball field, and it will be sodded in the next couple weeks! Grading is also scheduled to start on the baseball field in the near future.