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Local college roundup: Varner, Nacita, Orozco selected to wrestle at Fullerton all-star event

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN | Monday, Nov 02 2009 08:55 PM

Last Updated Monday, Nov 02 2009 10:18 PM

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Tony Rotundo

Jake Varner, who wrestles for Sunkist Kids, is shown after defeating Kyle Cermanira from New York Athletic Club for the 211-pound title in the US Freestyle Championships in April in Las Vegas. His finals match score was 2-0 2-0.

Defending NCAA national champion Jake Varner from Iowa State and Cal State Bakersfield juniors Elijah Nacita and Riley Orozco have been selected to wrestle at the 44th annual Coaches Association All-Star Classic at Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 22.

Varner was the 197-pound national champion last spring and the national runner-up the two previous seasons at 184 pounds.

He's ranked No. 1 at 197 in a recent preseason poll. In September, Varner placed ninth at the World Freestyle Championships in Denmark.

Varner will face Nebraska's Craig Brester at the All-Star Classic in a rematch of last spring's NCAA finals that Varner won. Varner is 3-1 all-time vs. Brester.

Nacita, a Bakersfield High graduate, led CSUB with 33 wins last season and was a Pac-10 champion. He returns at 141 pounds this season and will face Fullerton's Adin Duenas at the All-Star Classic.

Orozco, who moves to 197 this season after competing at 184 last year, was 27-13 last season and placed second in the Pac-10. Orozco will face Fullerton's John Drake.

Neal shoots 78; CSUB women golfers end fall season

NIPOMO -- The CSUB women's golf team concluded the fall porton of its schedule with a 13th-place finish at the 16-team Lampik Grip/Cal Poly Invitational at the Cypress Ridge Golf Course.

CSUB shot 318 Monday, tying the program's record for best score in a single round.

Ashley Neal had CSUB's best round of the tournament Monday, a 78. She tied for 45th in the 89-player field with a 161. Meggan Bellows was CSUB's best finisher, tying for 43rd with a 160. She had an 81 Sunday and 79 Monday.

Jenna Barnett tied for 54th (162) while Jennifer Davison and Dana Arneson had 167s to tie for 68th.

Soccer player Gouk honored

Robbie Gouk of Cal State Bakersfield has been named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Men's Soccer Player of the Week after a two-goal, one-assist effort vs. Denver on Sunday.

Gouk, a junior from Hazen, Wash., scored the five points within a 5:20 span of thematch. He leads all MPSF players with three game-winning goals.

CSUB is 8-6-2 overall and 3-3-0 in the conference.

BC's James top WSC golfer

VENTURA -- Bakersfield College women's golfer Katherine James shot a 2-over 74 at Olivas Links Golf Course to capture the Western State Conference title.

James finished the two-day tournament at 6-over, edging teammate Ellen Krausse, who finished with a 5-over 77 in the second round.

With the victory, James garnered WSC player of the year honors for posting the lowest scoring average in conference play, the first golfer in BC history to accomplish the feat.

Krausse was second, Dee Ray was fourth and Stacie Netzer sixth in individual standings for the 'Gades.

BC's Larry Cook was honored as WSC coach of the year.

The Renegades, who already clinched the WSC crown, won the tournament. They will advance to the SoCal Regional championships, which begins Monday at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.

Santa Barbara City was second and Canyons third.

CSUB's Baker honored

Sophomore middle blocker Alysia Baker has been named the NCAA Division I Independent Volleyball Player of the Week, the third Roadrunner to earn the honor this season.

Baker, from Vista, hit .409 against Cal State Northridge (12 kills, three errors, 22 chances), then had 12 kills in 13 swings for a .923 hitting percentage against Seattle University.

She added three aces in each match. Baker leads all Div. I independent players with 44 aces. She ranks second in hitting percentage (.292), seventh in kills (235)and eighth in points (306).

McWhorter top player again

Senior Katie McWhorter, who plays for NCAA Division III UMass-Boston, has been named Little East Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season.

McWhorter, a Stockdale High graduate who also played at Cal State Bakersfield, had at least 12 kills in UMass-Boston's three matches last week, including a 17-kill effort in just 21 attempts for an .810 hitting percentage against Rhode Island College.

She has 415 kills this season, the third-most in the program's history.

UMass-Boston is 27-4 overall and has won a school-record 14 straight matches.