With everything going on in Long Beach sports, it’s easy to be spoiled. But you know what the best part is? Looking back and realizing that you have the right to be spoiled. We can’t help it. Long Beach State helped me relive the last 10 months with this release from yesterday…
The 2008-09 competition year was a banner one for Long Beach State athletics. In addition to winning the Big West Conference Commissioner’s Cup, four 49er teams won league championships, five Beach teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament and a number of LBSU athletes and coaches earned athletic and academic recognition.
League championships by women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s golf and women’s tennis highlighted the year for the 49ers, with softball joining the four league champions in advancing to the NCAA postseason.
Four 49ers earned All-America recognition, while two track and field athletes advanced to the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Men’s volleyball player Dean Bittner and men’s track and field sprinter Brent Gray claimed first-team All-America honors, while men’s volleyball player Dustin Watten earned second-team All-America accolades and women’s volleyball player Naomi Washington was named honorable mention All-America. Gray finished sixth in the 200 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, while Kenneth Medwood advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 400-meter hurdles.
Four Beach student-athletes were named Big West Conference Player of the Year, while five more were selected as Big West Conference Freshman of the Year. Three Long Beach State coaches (women’s golf coach Sue Ewart, women’s tennis coach Jenny Hilt-Costello and soccer coach Mauricio Ingrassia) claimed Big West Conference Coach of the Year accolades.
Hannah Grady claimed her fourth women’s tennis conference player of the year award, while Lindsay Bullock (soccer midfielder of the year), Liz Ramos (soccer goalkeeper of the year) and Jennifer Griffin (softball field player of the year) each claimed their first player of the year honor.
Men’s basketball player Larry Anderson, women’s volleyball player Caitlin Ledoux, men’s golfer Kevin Lim, women’s golfer Lee Lopez and softball pitcher Taylor Petty all were honored as the freshman of the year in their respective sports.
Long Beach State athletes littered Big West and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation all-league teams. Sixty-one 49ers claimed all-conference honors including 34 first-team all-league picks and 13 second-team all-league selections. Six 49ers were named to all-freshman teams. The success wasn’t limited to on the field for the 49ers as 60 LBSU players earned all-academic recognition.
Report From LBSU Athletics