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By STEVE CHOICE

The Pima Community College softball team entered regional tournament play on May 5 needing three consecutive victories to qualify for nationals. Luckily, that’s exactly what it got.

The Aztecs defeated arch rival Yavapai College twice and Eastern Arizona College once to punch their tickets to St. George, Utah, where the national tournament will be played on May 17-19.

Any loss on day two of the double-elimination tournament would’ve sent Pima packing for the year, since PCC split its two games the first day.

Pima dropped a 3-0 decision to Eastern Arizona College to start day one. The Aztecs then took a 6-0 decision against Central Arizona College, setting the stage for the next day’s heroics.

Pima started the second day by knocking off EAC 7-2.

Freshman pitcher Yvette Alvarez went the distance for Pima, surrendering only four hits and striking out five. Sophomore Nicole Rascon starred at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Freshman Cynthia Pelayo also added a solo home run.

That left the Aztecs needing two victories against Yavapai to advance.

The pitching matchup for the first game pitted Alvarez versus Tucson native Estela Piñon, who had dominated PCC twice earlier in the year.

Alvarez turned the tables on her counterpart, as Pima rode a six-run sixth inning to a convincing 9-0 win.

Jessica Schneider had a big game with the bat, knocking in six. The sophomore went 3-for-4, including a round-tripper and a double. Freshmen Amber Calvillo and Aubre Carpenter each scored twice.

The Aztecs again turned to Alvarez in the final game. She pitched the first six innings of the 9-6 Pima triumph, leaving in the seventh with Roughriders on second and third and no outs.

Sophomore Mari Contreras came in to dash YC’s hopes, recording three straight outs for the save.

Pima also used the long ball to put Yavapai away, as freshman Noelle Medina launched a grand slam in a five-run third inning. Schneider added another blast in the first.

Alvarez pitched 20 of the 21 innings Pima played in the three-game set. She was named the tournament’s most valuable player.

The squad also had numerous players receive All-ACCAC and All-Region 1 recognition:

First team all-conference

Jessica Schneider

Nicole Rascon

Mari Contreras

Second team all-conference

Jessica Sipe

Gemma Contreras

Cynthia Pelayo

Third team all-conference

Aubre Carpenter

Yvette Alvarez

All-region

Mari Contreras

Jessica Schneider

Nicole Rascon

Gemma Contreras

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By STEVE CHOICE

 The Pima Community College softball team finished the regular season the same way it played most of it – red hot.

The Aztecs tapped into some “sophomore day” energy on April 28 to easily sweep Mesa Community College at home, 9-1 and 7-0.

Seven PCC sophomores played their final games at West Campus, and were honored by family members, friends and teammates in a postgame ceremony at home plate.

“It was a sad day, just knowing it’s the last day I’m going to play here,” sophomore pitcher Mari Contreras said. “We had extra motivation because it’s sophomore day.”

Contreras, who will continue her career at the University of Texas-El Paso next year, turned in a dominant performance in game one of the double-dip. The future Miner surrendered just two hits and struck out eight to run her record to 20-5.

Sophomore pitcher Monet Ormsby also shut down MCC in game two. She finished a spotless regular season at 8-0.

Freshman Aubre Carpenter had a busy day at the plate, going 5-for-8, including two doubles. Sophomore Jessica Sipe also contributed, going 2-for-4 in game one, with three RBIs. Fellow sophomore Jessica Schneider erupted for two homers in the nightcap, tallying five RBIs.

The other three sophomores honored in the ceremony were Nicole Rascon, Kristi Shepherd and Jacqueline Deen.

PCC split a doubleheader against archrival Yavapai College on April 24, losing game one 4-0 and taking the nightcap 9-2.

Pima also took a pair from Phoenix College on April 21.

The Aztecs finished at 49-12 for the regular season, including 39-9 in conference play.

Next up for PCC will be the regional tournament in Prescott, with Yavapai as host.

Four teams there will vie for a lone berth to the NJCAA Division I national tournament in St. George, Utah, on May 17-19.

Contreras is feeling good about the Aztecs’ chances to make it through, but she knows Yavapai is one team standing in their way.

“It proved a lot by us beating them, because we hadn’t beaten them since I don’t remember when,” she said. “Our goal is to win regionals. I know we can do it.”

Pima opens regional play against Eastern Arizona College on May 4 at 10 a.m.

 ———————————————–

By MYLO ERICKSON

After closing out the final regular season tournament, one of the three women who play golf for Pima Community College will head to nationals.

Freshman Abriana Romero was one of 20 individual players selected to compete in Daytona Beach, Fla., on May 14-17.

“Obviously it’s an honor to go and I’m both excited and nervous,” Romero said. “I’m excited about the experience, but I’m nervous about the level of difficulty.”

Romero was also named to the All-ACCAC second team.

At nationals, Romero will play on the LPGA International Legends Golf Course.

“The only thing new for her may be an alligator or two,” head coach Bill Nicol said.

The LPGA course is a bit longer than some courses that PCC played on during the season, Nicol said. About 160 women of varying skill levels from across the country will compete.

Nicol and Romero’s mother will be in Daytona to support Romero during the four-day tournament.

She will also receive support from her teammates, sophomore Alondra Olivas and freshman Shelby Empens. They asked her to text her results after each day so they can talk to her about it.

Romero had the best finish for the Aztecs in the final season tournament played at Hillcrest Golf Course in Phoenix. The tournament was hosted by Scottsdale Community College.

The eight-team women’s golf conference doesn’t hold regional playoffs.

Both Romero and Empens will return to the team next season, Nicol said. Olivas has used her two-year eligibility.

Nicol hopes more women will join the team, but said he’ll have to wait and see.

He was upset to lose players at the beginning of the current season, but said the remaining players dealt with it and moved on.

“The ones that stayed learned some things and had a good time,” he said.

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The Pima Community College women’s tennis team finished the fourth day of the NJCAA National Tournament in 16th place with 11.5 points on May 9. The final day of the tournament is on Thursday but the Aztecs have been eliminated from individual competition.

In No. 1 doubles competition, Tatum Rochin and partner Kari Emery defeated Evgina Johnson and Heather Williams from Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) in the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket 6-0, 6-1. In the semifinals, Rochin and Emery lost a tough match to Ivanna Echezuria and Jessica Halterman from Meridian Community College (Mississippi) 6-2, 7-6 (2).

Emery made it to the semifinals of the No. 3 singles consolation bracket but lost to Ariana Raga from Cowley College (Kansas) 6-2, 6-1.

For complete tournament results go to: usta.com TennisLink USTA Adult Tournaments Tournament I.D.: 800006112

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The third day of the NJCAA National Tournament for women’s tennis came to a close on May 8 with Pima finishing in 17th place with 11 points and two players left in the competition.

Kari Emery won her quarterfinals matchup in the No. 3 singles consolation bracket after beating Nora Alcaino from Central Alabama 6-3, 6-1. Emery will play Ariana Raga from Cowley College (Kansas) in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Emery and No.1 doubles partner Tatum Rochin will play Evgina Johnson and Heather Williams from Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) in the consolation quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Rochin lost in the quarterfinals of the No.1 singles consolation bracket to Moraine Valley’s (Illinois) Nicole Selvaggio in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Helen Alteiri and Kelly Ponzio played two matches in the No. 2 doubles main draw bracket. They beat Sharron Clark and Regan Perme from Collin College (Texas) 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 but lost to Stephanie Cardullo and Ali Underhill from Broward College (Florida) in the quarterfinals 6-1, 6-2. Alteiri and Ponzio were ranked No. 6 in the nation and Cardullo and Underhill were No. 4.

Olivia Cole-Encinas and Alecia Vasquez fell in their consolation bracket matchup to Catherine Cellitti and Liz Walters from Johnson County Community College (Kansas) 6-1, 6-2.

–

The Pima women’s tennis team earned six points and was tied for 12th place after May 6 first-day action of the NJCAA National Tournament at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.

The Aztecs got three wins in singles action. In No. 2 singles competition Helen Alteiri played through body cramps to defeat Adalyn Hazelman, from the New Mexico Military Institute, 6-4, 7-6 (4). She will play Eastern Arizona College’s Maja Sasa in the round of 16 on May 7.

Kelly Ponzio won her matchup in No. 4 singles action, defeating Susan Nguyen 6-1, 6-3. She’ll play Kristin Richardson from Cowley College (Kansas) in the round of 16.

Olivia Cole-Encinas advanced to the round of 16 after beating Leticia Monteiro from Seward County Community College (Kansas) 7-5, 7-5. Cole-Encinas will play Tyler Junior College’s Ariana Saldana in the next round.

Tatum Rochin and Kari Emery lost their first-round matchups in singles and doubles and will play in their respective consolation brackets. Alecia Vasquez also lost her first round match in No. 6 singles.

The second day of the National Tournament continues on May 7 with No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matchups kicking off.

For complete tournament results go to:
usta.com
TennisLink
USTA Adult Tournaments
Tournament I.D.: 800006112

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By KYLE WASSON

Pima coaches and players were atop the list when tennis coaches of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference picked All-Conference teams.

Gretchen Schantz, the women’s tennis coach, took the Coach of the Year honor for the third time (her second consecutive). Schantz led the Aztecs to a 15-4 regular season record and 9-1 in conference play.

The team won its first Region I championship since moving to Division I play in 2004.

Men’s coach Sharif Moustafa was awarded Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year after guiding the Aztecs to a 6-2 conference record and second-place finish. The Aztecs finished in second place at the regional tournament.

The following is a list of players recognized for their regular season play:

WOMEN:

1st Team All-ACCAC

Tatum Rochin – ACCAC Player of the Year, No. 1 singles

Kari Emery – No. 3 singles

Olivia Cole-Encinas – No. 5 singles

Tatum Rochin & Kari Emery – No. 1 doubles

Helen Alteiri & Kelly Ponzio – No. 2 doubles

2nd Team All-ACCAC

Helen Alteiri – No. 2 singles

Kelly Ponzio – No. 4 singles

MEN:

1st Team All-ACCAC

Victor Cabada – No. 4 singles

2nd Team All-ACCAC

Dylan Vo – No. 2 singles

Brandon Haag – No. 3 singles

Aaron Vazquez – No. 6 singles

Brandon Haag & Victor Cabada – No. 2 doubles

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By MYLO ERICKSON

The Pima Community College men’s golf team had its best performance this season at the Region 1 tournament at the Sidewinder Golf Course in Gold Canyon, Ariz., where they took second place.

With the second place victory Pima qualified for the NJCAA national tournament, which will be played in Newton, Kan., at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course on May 12-19.

Pima had another reason to celebrate, as freshman Joseph Courtney took first place overall as an individual.

“I put a lot of work in on my golf game and it paid off,” Courtney said. “I was just elated to come away with the win.”

The Aztecs started the regional tournament on April 26 in second place. They shot 310 as a team, which was 24 strokes behind first place.

Courtney finished his first day shooting two over par with a 73, which was good enough to tie him for third. First place was at 69.

Sophomore Adam Ortiz finished off the first day shooting six over par with a 77.

On the second day of the tournament, Pima stayed in second place while shooting a team score of 301.

The Aztecs shot a two-day total of 611, 36 strokes behind first place. The Aztecs were ahead of third-place Eastern Arizona College by eight strokes.

Courtney shot a three under par with a 68, which was enough for him to take sole possession of second place. He trailed first place by two strokes.

He was then one under par for the tournament with a two day total of 141.

On the third day of the tournament, the Aztecs were able to hold on to second place for the tournament.

Pima shot 303 as a team for the third day and were nine strokes ahead of third-place Eastern. Pima was 48 strokes behind first-place Scottsdale Community College.

Courtney took the lead for individuals on the third day after shooting an even par with a 71. He led the second-place individual by two strokes.

He had a three-day total of 212 at that point.

Pima had its best day on the fourth day of the tournament, shooting a team total of 299 for the day, giving them a four day total of 1,213 as a team.

Courtney locked up first place individually when he birdied both the 17th and 18th holes to finish off the final day one over par with a 72.

That put him at even par for the four-day tournament with a total of 284.

“He finally put it all together,” head coach Grant Waltke said.

The Aztecs also received a great day from freshman Austin Stuessel, who also shot a one over par with a 72.

Pima will now continue its season in the NJCAA national tournament on May 12-19.

Courtney, Ortiz, Stuessel, and freshmen Landyn Lewis and Jonathan Chong Jr. will attend.

“The guys are anxious to get to nationals, to see what they can do,” Waltke said.

He hopes they finish in the top 10.

The Pima Community College track and  field team closed its season at the NJCAA National Tournament in Levelland, Texas on May 17 as the women’s team finished in 11th place with 19 points. The men’s team finished in 25th with a team score of six points.

Jodine Steemers finished the 5,000 meters race in 6th place with a time of 19 minutes, 56.29 seconds. Steemers had earned All-American honors for her 2nd place finish in the 10,000 meters race on May 15. Anaiz Zamorano took 7th place in the 400 hurdles event with a time of 1:06.18.

Antonio Jeter also earned All-American honors in the tournament. Jeter won his honor in the triple jump event by placing 3rd with a jump of 48 feet, 11 and a-half inches.

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The Region I Tournament at Mesa Community College concluded May 3 with the Pima track and field team claiming four more region championships, securing two new national qualifying times and having its best finish in over a decade.

The women’s team finished in second place in team competition with a score of 197. Central Arizona College took first with 295. That’s the best finish for the women’s team since 2001.

Jamie Shrader won the region championship in the 1500 meters race with a time of 4 minutes, 58.80 seconds. The Aztecs scored 25 points in that event as they posted four finishers in the top six placements.

Jodine Steemers took first place in the 5000 meters race with a time of 19:20.6.

Shelby Slocum and Heidi Lopez took 4th and 5th place respectively and both finished with national qualifying times. Slocum finished at 2:20.6 and Lopez was at 2:21.4.

In men’s competition, Antonio Jeter won the triple jump region championship finishing with a jump of 49-feet, 9-inches. The Aztecs place three finishers in the top six spots. Lucas Ruiz won the 1500 meters region championship with a time of 3:57.8. The team finished tied for fourth place.

The Aztecs will take 27 student-athletes to the NJCAA National Championships held in South Plains, Texas, on May 15-17.

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By MEGYN FITZGERALD

The Pima Community College track and field team claimed three Region I titles on May 1 at Mesa Community College.

Janie Featherstone jumped 5 feet, 5 inches to claim the women’s high jump regional championship. The finish improved her nationals-qualifying jump.

Alice Odu claimed the long jump title and earned a nationals spot with a 17-10 3/4.

Esther Estrada also earned a spot at nationals by winning the regional championship in the 10000-meter race with a time of 44 minutes, 8 seconds.

Kelsey Montano, Shelby Slocum, Heidi Lopez and Jamie Shrader improved their nationals-qualifying time in the 4×800 meter relay with a time of 9:31.8.

The regional tournament’s final day was May 3. Results were not available at press time, but will be posted at aztecpressonline.com.

During regional competition in Mesa on April 24, Pima snagged several first-place spots.

Sophomore Megan Wright scored first in both the javelin (31.64 meters) and high jump (4-11). She also placed second in the heptathlon with a score of 3,952.

Freshman Danielle Hawley took first place in both the shot put with a throw of 10.11 meters and the 800-meter race with a time of 2:32.67.

Freshman Jarell Betton took fifth place in the men’s decathlon with a score of 5,469.

More national qualifiers and personal bests highlighted Pima’s April 21 trip to the Beach Invitational in Long Beach, Calif.

The women’s 4×400 meter relay team of freshmen Rachel Blake, Slocum, Aly Haskell and sophomore Anaiz Zamorano qualified for nationals and achieved a personal best time of 4:01.91.

Zamorano also improved her time in the 400-hurdles with a 64.56 finish.

In the 3000-meter steeplechase, Montano improved her national-qualifying mark and achieved a personal best with a time of 11:40.93.

Lopez also achieved a personal best when she qualified in the 5000-meter race with a time of 18:56.1.

For the men, freshman David-Michael Scott ran a qualifying time of 15:37 in the 5000 meters

Meanwhile, fellow freshman Lucas Ruiz improved his time for the same race with a 15:09.2 effort.

The nationals will take place May 15-17 in South Plains, Texas.

 The 2011-2012 NBA season has not only been one of the shortest to date, but ironically it’s also been one of the most eventful.

Former All-Star Brandon Roy retired the day training camp began.

Current All-Star Dwight Howard suffered a herniated disc right before the playoffs.

The Charlotte Bobcats set a new record for the worst season record ever.

The fans have been on a rollercoaster ride!

But the playoffs are what it’s all been for. We made it, baby.

The postseason looks to be one of the most intense yet, if the regular season is any indication.

So far, in their first games of the postseason, the Chicago Bulls’ All-Star Derrick Rose and the New York Knicks’ bright-futured rookie Iman Shumpert have both torn their anterior cruciate ligaments (one of the four main ligaments of the knee) and are out for the remainder of the postseason.

More recently, we’re hearing that Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks is out for a couple of games.

After another loss to the Miami Heat, he punched a glass fire extinguisher encasement, causing the glass to break and injuring his hand. Apparently, he misunderstood the meaning of “attacking the glass.”

An underdog Orlando Magic team rose up and defeated the Indiana Pacers at home, which is a great sign for me and my fellow Magic fans.

Basketball just doesn’t get better than this, people!

Personally, I’m most excited to see the Magic-Pacers and Grizzlies-Clippers series in the first round.

Both the Magic and the Pacers would make quite the statement if they made it to the later rounds, and the Grizzlies and the Clippers are just fun to watch.

I could probably watch Chris Paul lob to Blake Griffin for hours on end and not tire of it.

It’s hard to say, though, who’s going to win it all.

With so many talented players, horrific injuries and last-minute hot streaks, it’s really anyone’s trophy.

Teams that would have otherwise been top contenders are struggling after losing important pieces to injury, and underdogs are surprising everyone with road wins.

Ultimately (and I absolutely hate that I’m about to broadcast this), I expect the Heat to take it all.

At least once LeBron finally gets his ring they can stop talking about it on SportsCenter, right?

Although Pima Community College’s football team didn’t kick off its initial season until 2001, there was plenty of preparation under way in 2000.

Pima hired Sabino High School football coach Jeff Scurran, who led nationally ranked teams to state championships in 1990, ‘92 and ‘98.

Once at PCC, Scurran started conditioning and weight training classes to prepare potential players for football. About 80 students enrolled.

Although there were no facilities available, Pima administrators decided to base the football team at East Campus. Practices would be at nearby Lincoln Park.

Initial plans called for Pima to play home games on Santa Rita High School’s football field. Later, the program chose instead to play home games at different fields around the city as a way to build public interest.

Officials arranged for PCC to join the Western States Football League.

The division already had nine teams: Arizona Western College, Eastern Arizona College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Phoenix College, Scottsdale Community College, Dixie College (St. George, Utah), Snow College (Ephraim, Utah) and New Mexico Military Institute.

Since then, the league has dropped some teams and added others to bring its current total to 16 squads.

Facing a need to cut the team to 75 players before his inaugural season, Scurran established qualifications to make and stay on the football roster. Players needed full-time enrollment status and a grade point average of 2.0 or higher.

The present-day Pima website says student-athletes must:

• Be enrolled full time at Pima.

• Make satisfactory academic progress.

• Receive a medical clearance.

In 2000, Pima students were excited about football.

“It is good to hear that a football team is finally coming here,” Michael Grgich said in an Aztec Press article. “It is about time the school finally got one.”

Scurran led his team to victory in its first game against a ranked team in 2001, when Pima opened its season with a 28-20 win against defending national junior college champion Glendale Community College.

Pima also won a bowl game in 2004, defeating No. 2 Kilgore College in the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl Classic, 10-7. It was considered a major upset.

At the time, PCC was ranked 13th in the country.

The Pima Community College softball team knows a thing or two about sweeping their opponents in doubleheaders.

The Aztecs have accomplished the feat in 14 of 21 opportunities this season.

That’s why it may have been a little surprising when the Aztecs recently split with two teams they had kicked around earlier in the year.

Pima split with Chandler-Gilbert Community College on April 3, then also took one of two against South Mountain Community College on April 7.

As a result, PCC slipped to No. 12 in the latest NJCAA Division I poll.

Head coach Armando Quiroz wasn’t concerned about the losses, though.

“That’s just part of any season,” he said. “We’re right where we want to be. Our expectations are high as always, and we’re picking up the intensity in practice.”

Not surprisingly, Quiroz was happy to see the squad break out the brooms against Arizona Western College on April 10.

“It felt good to get the sweep against Western,” he said. “For us, sweeping our opponents is what we consider normal. There’s little middle ground for us – we want to win both every time.”

Sophomore Mari Contreras pitched Pima to victory in game one against the Matadors.

Sophomores Nicole Rascon and Jessica Sipe had big days at the plate, along with freshmen Aubre Carpenter, Alejandra Ortiz and Shawna Comeaux.

Freshman Yvette Alvarez also starred, ending game two with a grand slam.

Pima followed up by taking two 10-1 decisions against GateWay Community College on April 17.

The Aztecs now stand at 44-11 on the season, including a 34-8 conference mark.

On April 24, PCC will get a chance to avenge something that’s even more rare for them – having an opponent sweep them.

Yavapai College will come to town that day as one of just two teams to have turned the trick against the Aztecs this season.

Quiroz said his team welcomes the challenge against the No. 3 Roughriders.

“Anytime you can play a great squad like Yavapai, that’s what you want for your program,” he said. “They have quite a talented team. We’re looking forward to it.”

By Larry Gaurano

The future looks bright for Pima Community College sophomore track and field star Alice Odu.

With nationally recognized long and triple jump abilities and a contagious personality, Odu is a shoe-in for the outdoor national championships.

“She’s a great person,” head coach Greg Wenneborg said. “The second you meet her, you like her.”

Previously a basketball player, Odu has been involved in track and field since the seventh grade. She continues to put unparalleled efforts into bettering her abilities.

“I’m just happy that a young lady like Alice, after working so hard, is seeing results,” Wenneborg said.

Even though she qualified for nationals on March 10 with a triple jump distance of 38-10 1/4, she isn’t slowing down.

A typical practice for Odu begins at 3:30 p.m. and doesn’t end until 7:30 p.m. Highlights include stretching, 70 sit-ups, 45 push-ups, 450 calf-raises, lots of running, an hour of jumping drills and a trip to the weight room.

She spends most of her time in the weight room doing squats. Since her freshman year, Odu has improved from being able to squat 135 pounds to squatting 265.

“During practice she always has a smile on her face unless she is running 250-meter repeats,” assistant coach Chad Harrison jokingly said. “Alice is a great kid. One that I enjoy coaching.”

It has become a post-competition tradition for Odu and Harrison to share a bag of beef jerky and talk about her jumps, how well she did and where she can improve.

Odu hopes to use her success at Pima, both in track and in the classroom, to transfer somewhere that will help her achieve her goal of becoming a pediatric nurse. She also hopes to move out of Tucson.

“I like Tucson and all my family lives in Tucson, but I would like to move to Dallas, Texas,” she said.

Odu is currently ranked 10th all-time in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump at Pima.

“I will miss her when she’s gone,” Harrison said. “She has done wonders for our track program.”

In her spare time, Odu enjoys reading, listening to R&B music and dancing.

“Well, I’m African, so I’m really good at African dance,” Odu said.

Photo by Leftrick Herd