2:10pm | As difficult as it is to find the headline for a weekend wrap-up it is equally frustrating to the big and small of the 49er faithful to say what it all means. Once again we will hop, skip and jump around the Beach sporting landscape and we might as well start with the biggest, President F. King Alexander.
The calendar does confirm that, temperatures aside, we have finally passed summer and made it to fall. Dr. Alexander opened the campus about three weeks ago helping freshmen and their parents move into the dorms. He checked out the new Recreation and Wellness Center almost daily and despite missing one important VIP cut the ribbon on a facility that he thinks is already changing the campus culture. “I hear from people all over campus, like those in the library, that they have more students now on the weekends.” That fits his formula for a 24/7 student campus environment which should also eventually spill over to improving both academics and athletics.
So going back to our opening paragraph tease, who was the missing VIP for the Student Recreation & Wellness Center event? “My mom Ruth was going to come out from Gainesville to see the building and spend some time with Denise Austin. They go back to the Nixon administration when they both served on the Presidents Council on Physical Fitness.” And truth be told, this Dr. Ruth greatly influenced the LBSU alum and TV fitness maven who has sold millions of videos around the world. Ms Austin continued, “Dr. Alexander was a true pioneer for women in higher education, especially in kinesiology and physical education.” Beyond advising and consulting, going to court for equality and Title IX, the President’s mom has made a number of visits to Miller House where her son and family live. Back in Florida this Dr. Ruth splits her time between Gainesville and a vacation home at nearby Crescent Beach.
Refocusing on Long Beach, President Alexander likes the energy that the new semester brings, and carefully keeps track of all sorts of sporting things, including hauling his grade school daughters (“they are on the Long Beach Pumas soccer team”) to the 49ers upset win over #21 ranked Arizona State Friday afternoon at George Allen Field. Next weekend Daddy can bring the kids to weekend matches against perennial powers Cal Poly (Big West Conference opener on Friday at 3:00pm) and UCSB on Sunday at 1:00pm.
As promised in the last Dust, I found a car-pool dummy (actually my pal John Wells who is often also seen at softball and tennis with his very friendly Saint Bernard Crash) and we scooted up to LMU for the women’s volleyball match. The gym was loosely filled so we sat in a section right around the corner from the office of the Lions AD, and former LBSU associate AD, Bill Husak.
Husak’s team was on a bit of a run and had high hopes that the combination of a home opener and a team just off the road might result in a LMU win. Not so fast. Then on Saturday the Cal Trans Orange of Cal State Fullerton came into the Mid having swept their way to seven in a row. A double not so fast. The Beach swept both foes but Coach Gimmillaro cautioned that the rest of the Big West season will be dotted with potential traps by teams that have put a bulls-eye on the back of the Beach. “All we can do is be confident and stay focused.”
The Niner Sweethearts of the Spike are now 11-3 but frankly are only as good as their last match. LBSU will hit the road this weekend to UCSB and Cal Poly. UCSB swept UCI last weekend, have won four in a row and six of their last seven. Oh yes, the Gauchos always like to light their student fire when the Beach comes in so they will unveil their latest “Legend of the Dome” Friday night and feed and drink their alumni. Equally difficult will be Cal Poly who picked up its 10th straight win making the Mustangs a nifty 12-3 for the season and 2-0 in BWC play.
NAME DROPPING DUST—Some times milestones happen in slow motion but not for all-star Caitlin Ledoux on Saturday. She finished with nine kills but her first of the night was the 1,000th of her brilliant career. And a season and a half left to build her total.
The Beach tennis team sent most of their gladiators to Berkeley for the prestigious Cal Invitational and although I could figure out where Osama is hiding easier than reading the draw let’s just say that nobody got hurt, lost any equipment and Deborah Armstrong and Anais Dallara won the doubles title in the blue flight. Armstrong also picked up a win in the semifinals in singles. Same tourney madness the next weekend at the Riveria and Fullerton tourneys. The real season starts in 2011.
Haleigh Hampton and I limped across the parking lot post Fullerton and her 18 year old feet (nerve damage) and my Medicare metatarsals (old age) were a matched pair. Haleigh misses most practices so getting the rhythm with new outside hitter Sarah Clouse is a challenge.
Former LBSU golf captain Brett Lederer went 14 under and $15,225 richer at the Nationwide stop in Texas.
Equal time for Dads, we should not forget King Alexanders dad, Kern, who was president at Western Kentucky and Murray State and is now a distinguished professor in higher ed at the University of Illinois. His current title is Professor of Excellence at the University of Illinois. Last add, conference merger chat, insiders say Hawaii is bringing in their non-football sports to the Big West with some exciting possibilities especially in the volleyballs.