Varner sets sights on repeat
| Tuesday, Mar 09 2010 11:41 PM
Last Updated Tuesday, Mar 09 2010 11:41 PM
It's been five years since Jake Varner stepped on the podium as the 189-pound champion at the CIF State Wrestling Championships at Rabobank Arena.
Halfway across the country, Varner continues his winning ways.
The two-time state champion at Bakersfield High, won the Big-12 title Saturday at 197-pounds to help Iowa State to a runner-up finish.
Varner, the defending NCAA champion at 197 pounds and a three-time finalist, improved to 26-0 with a 5-2 decision over Nebraska's Craig Brester.
"It starts with going to practice with a purpose," Varner said in a press release. He is 5-1 all-time against Brester, last year's Big 12 champ, who lost to Varner in the NCAA title match last season. "I don't focus on any one person. It is all about the bigger goal."
That goal is defending his national championship.
The brackets for this year's championships will be announced today, with the finals scheduled for March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb.
"It feels good as a senior to have another conference title," Varner said. "But this isn't the big one. That is in two weeks and that is what I've been training for all season. That is the title I'm after."
Basketball (women's)
Caty Huntington (Liberty), G, Northern Arizona -- Sophomore had 11 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds in a 68-64 loss to Montana State on Saturday.
Britt Peters (Centennial), G, CS Fullerton -- Junior had three points, three assists and two rebounds in an 80-52 loss to UC Davis on Saturday.
Ashlee Stewart (Stockdale), G, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo -- Senior had 10 points, six assists and four rebounds in an 83-69 victory over UC Irvine on Saturday.
Cheyenne Wallace (Stockdale), F, Concordia (Irvine) -- Junior had two points and a rebound in a season-ending 95-67 loss to Vanguard University (Costa Mesa) in first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament.
Basketball (men's)
Charles Anderson (Bakersfield), G, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo -- Senior had five points, five rebounds and an assist in a 91-84 overtime loss to UC Irvine on Saturday.
Ryan Darling (Tehachapi), F, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo -- Senior had seven rebounds and an assist in 12 minutes before fouling out in a 91-84 overtime loss to UC Irvine in the regular-season finale for the Mustangs.
Darrin Dorsey (BC), Dakota Wesleyan (Mitchell, S.D.) -- Junior had 21 points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block in the championship game of the Great Plains Athletic Conference tournament, an 86-79 victory over Sioux Falls (S.D).
Scott Draughon (BC), G, Northeastern State (Okla.) -- Junior had two points, two rebounds and two assists in a 74-64 loss to Midwestern State (Texas) in the championship game of the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
Luis Gomez (Delano, BC), G, Texas A&M International -- Junior had 24 points, four rebounds and an assist in a 96-87 loss to Houston Baptist in the quarterfinals of the Heartland Conference Tournament.
Jamar Harrison (BC), Clarion University (Penn.) -- Junior had 16 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in a season-ending 85-79 loss to Kutztown (Penn.) in the semifinals of the Pennsyvania State Athletic Conference. He had 15 points, two rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block in a 76-69 victory over Mercyhurst (Penn.) in the quarterfinals.
Cesar Menjivar (East), G, Cal Baptist -- Junior had 10 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists in a 65-51 season-ending loss to Biola in the opening round of the Golden State Athletic Conference.
Andrew Ready (BC), G, Western Washington -- Senior had seven points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in an 87-67 win over Montana State-Billings.
Daniel Williams (BC), G, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) -- Senior had five points, five rebounds and five assists in a season-ending 79-71 loss to Montana State-Northern.
Demetrius Williamson (BC), F, Niagara (N.Y.) -- Senior had two points and four rebounds in a season-ending 69-63 loss to Fairfield (N.Y.) in the semifinals of the MAAC tournament.
Gymnastics
Sarah Smith (Centennial), Boise State -- Junior finished second in the floor exercise, scoring a 9.85 in a tri-meet with BYU and Utah State. She also finished seventh in the vault with a 9.75.
Track & field
Zach Ryan (Garces, CSUB), jumps, Minot College (N.D.) -- Junior barely missed his last attempt at 7 feet, 31/2 inches, which would have made him the 2010 NAIA national high jump champion. He had to settle for second place due to missing his first attempt at 7-13/4. However, he did clear 7-13/4 -- a personal record, broke his own school record and obtained NAIA All-American status. The height also qualifies him for the US indoor high jump Nationals in June.
Alana Alexander (Centennial), Fr., jumps, Washington; Deleon Carter (West), Fr., hurdles, CS Northridge; Marissa Crook (Centennial), Sr., distance, CS Northridge; Desirae Gonder (Stockdale), Jr., jumps-multi events, CS Northridge; Anakia Jackson (Stockdale, BC), Sr., heptathlon, UC Davis; Cameron Jost (Liberty, CSUB), Soph., sprints, Sacramento St.; Dominique Lauderdale (Ridgeview), Jr., sprints, Washington; Christine Merrill (BCHS), Sr., hurdles, UC Davis; Taylor Nichols (Stockdale), Soph., jumps-sprints, Washington; Eric Quick (Liberty), jumps, Notre Dame; Haylee Varner (BHS, BC), Sr., throws, CS Northridge; James Ward (South), sprints, UCLA.
Baseball
Daniel Arvizu (Centennial), soph., OF, Macalester (Minn.); Zach Biehl (Taft College), jr., P, New Mexico State; Aaron Brown (Ridgeview/North), fr., C, Cal State Monterey Bay; Casey Brown (Centennial, BC), Sr., OF, Liberty University (Va.); Jeff Burleson (Liberty, BC), Sr., P-Inf, Oral Roberts; Kevin Chapman (Taft College), jr., P, University of Texas-Brownsville; Corey Davisson (West, BC), Sr., P, Evansville (Illinois); Tyler DeMasters (West), Fr., C, College of the Sequoias; Joe Etcheverry (Centennial), Jr., Inf, Northern Illinois; Tyler Garewal (Centennial, BC), Sr., OF, Oral Roberts; Jeremy Gonzales (South, BC), Jr., P, Northern Illinois; Cory Hall (Taft College), jr., P, Santa Clara; Josh Herback-South (Taft College), sr., P, Colorado State-Pueblo; Keven Inman (Garces), Jr., P, Pepperdine; K.C. Judge (Taft College), jr., OF, Cal Lutheran; Matt King (Shafter), Sr., P, Ashford; Ryan Lay (Stockdale), Soph, OF, College of Southern Idaho, Thomas Lee (Liberty), Soph., P, Sonoma State; Alex Lyons (Taft College), sr., OF, Cameran University (Okla.); Simmon Menchaca (Delano), Fr., P, College of the Sequoias; Alex Mitchell (Bakersfield), Fr., OF, Whittier; Pete Mitchell (Bakersfield), Soph., C, Whittier; Travis Morgan (Liberty, BC), Jr., Inf, Fresno Pacific; Chris Neal (Liberty), fr., OF, Biola; Neynoel Perez (Taft College), jr., OF, University of Texas-Brownsville; Mitch Porwoll (Bakersfield Christian), Soph., P-OF, Christian Brothers University; Dusty Robinson (Centennial), Soph., OF, Fresno State; Tyler Smith (Taft College), jr., OF, Bacone College (Okla.); C.T. Twisselman (Taft College), sr., Inf, York University (Neb.); Philip Valos (Stockdale), Fr., P, College of Southern Idaho; Kirk Walker (Liberty), Jr., Inf, Oklahoma City University; Shawn Wilyman (Taft College), jr., P, Cal State Northridge.
Softball
Cassidy Bell (Liberty), Fr., OF, Penn State; Bianca Castillo (North), Jr., util., UC Davis; Ensley Gammel (Centennial), Fr., P-util, Florida; Tori Hoffmann (BCHS), Fr., 1B, Abilene Christian; Carly Hummel (Ridgeview), Fr., P, Memphis; Cheri Johns (North), Sr., P-1B, Cabrini; McKenzie Joseph (Centennial), Fr., 1B-2B, Colorado State-Pueblo; Megan Langenfeld (Centennial), Sr., P-1B, UCLA; Nathalie Martinez (BC), Jr., 2B, Dickinson State; Vanessa Medina (Centennial), Soph., C-1B, Lipscomb; Mackenzie Oakes (Stockdale), Soph., P, Fresno State; Lyndsie Roberts (Stockdale), Jr., P-inf, Biola; Jayme Salim (Cesar Chavez), Fr., INF, Cuesta College; Myranda Sawyer (Highland, BC), Soph., P, Mt. Hood College; Sara Whaley (BCHS), Jr., C-DH, University of Chicago.
