Saint Mary's was extremely busy this past weekend, kicking off with men's basketball and ending with men's soccer earning the title of WCC Champions. Women's volleyball won both of their games on Thursday and Saturday, now winning 11 straight sets. Women's basketball participated in the Maggie Dixon Classic, losing to host DePaul, but beating Montana. Cross country competed in the NCAA West Region Championships, the last race of their season. Finally, women's tennis hosted the USTA Campus Showdown tournament where women of all ages were allowed to come out and compete.
Men's soccer had a triumphant weekend, starting off with 1-0 victory against Loyola Marymount Friday afternoon. Agustin Cazarez headed in the only goal for the Gaels with a pass from Nathan Arambula. This gave Cazarez his fourth goal of the year, which is a team-high. On Sunday, the team defeated San Diego 1-0, claiming the West Coast Conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Jose Cabeza kicked in the perfect pass from Emmanuel Sarabia for the Gaels. This conference title is the first in men's soccer history for the Gaels and the second-ever NCAA tournament appearance for SMC. Tune in on Monday at 1:30 p.m. for the announcement of the tournament bracket.
Women's volleyball defeated Brigham Young Thursday at McKeon Pavilion. The Gaels had eight service aces to win 25-14, 25-21, 25-23. Sophomore Jordan Shaw had 14 kills on 28 swings with one error. Samantha Tinsley blasted 11 kills on 14 swings, while Lauren Corp recorded 10 kills on 25 attempts, also finishing with five aces. Saturday afternoon the Gaels beat No. 14 Pepperdine in three straight sets, now adding three wins over top-25 teams this year. With the win, the Gaels have now won five straight games, and eight of their last 10. Freshman Samantha Tinsley played one of her best matches as a Gael, finishing with nine kills and seven total blocks. Head coach Rob Browning stated that this win might be the biggest win for the program in a while. The Gaels return to action next Saturday, traveling to Santa Clara to play in their final conference match of the season.
Men's basketball started the season off with a 98-58 victory over Fresno Pacific Friday night. Senior Rob Jones had a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds with Clint Steindl adding 14 points on 4-for-7 3-point shooting off the bench. The Gaels shot 56 percent from the field, and tallied 12 steals, with Stephen Holt registering four of those steals. Men's basketball returns to action Monday night at 11 p.m. at McKeon Pavilion to face off against Northern Iowa in the 2011 College Hoops Tip-off Marathon.
Women's basketball competed in the Maggie Dixon Classic Friday night, playing against host No. 19 DePaul. The Gaels stayed close in the first half, but the Blue Demons pulled out the win 96-68. Jasmine Smith led the Gaels with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Sophomore Danielle Mauldin scored 13 points and eight rebounds in only 16 minutes of action. The Gaels competed in the Consolation Championship game against Montana, pulling out a nail-biter win 67-65. Freshman Carli Rosenthal scored the game-winner bucket, grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it up. Jackie Nared led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds, with Jasmine Smith adding 14 points. The Gaels are back in action on November 17, traveling to UC Santa Barbara.
The Saint Mary's men's and women's cross country team competed in the NCAA West Region Cross Country Championship which showcases a majority of the most talented teams and individuals in the country. Overall, the Gaels improved their team time by a 6:06 margin. For the men, Rajpaul Pannu finished the race in 31:12 (89th), crushing the previous SMC 10k record. On the women's side, freshman Cristina Garcia finished in 168th place with a team of 23:10.
Women's tennis hosted the USTA Campus Showdown, a one-day tournament open to juniors, college players, professionals, and adults. This event gave junior players on different college campuses the chance to compete against college players. It also helps build ties between college programs and the tennis community.
