CLU Regals Cross Country News

Kahovec Earns All-Academic Status

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:00:00 PST

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Senior Toccoa Kahovec was named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Cross Country All-Academic Team, announced on Friday.

Release: All-Academic Honorees

To qualify for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Track and Field Team, the student-athlete must have compiled a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or greater through the most-recent semester and placed in the top 35 at the NCAA Regional Championships.

Kahovec placed sixth at the NCAA West Regional meet and 36th at the NCAA National Championships to close out her cross country career. She is currently a member of the Cal Lutheran track and field team and will compete for the Regals this season.

This marks the third straight selection for Kahovec who place 18th as a sophomore and 9th as a junior at the West Regional Championship meet.

Kahovec earned the All-Academic honor as a sophomore, junior, and senior for cross country. She capped off last year's track and field season with an eighth place finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. She earned both USTFCCCA All-Academic and All-America status as a member of the track and field team.

Kahovec Completes Cross Country Career at Nationals

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 08:00:00 PST

WINNECONNE, Wis. - Toccoa Kahovec competed in the final collegiate cross country competition of her career at the NCAA National Championships. She finished 36th overall during Saturday's 6k race on the course at Lake Breeze Golf Club.

Results: Individual (Women)

Kahovec kept to her race strategy building from start to finish. She improved her spot amongst the field at each mile marker and was in 68th position after posting a 5:41 opening mile.

The senior harrier moved up 24 spots after covering the next mile in 5:56, and was the 43rd runner to complete the opening three miles following a 5:58 third mile split.

Kahovec picked off seven more runners before crossing the finish line in 36th place. The experience of last year and effort this past season paid dividends on Saturday. She showed marked improvement following a junior season in which she finished 115th overall at this same competition a year ago.

Chiarra Del Piccolo, a sophomore from Williams earned the individual title.

Kahovec to Compete at NCAA Cross Country Nationals

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:30:00 PST

OSHKOSH, Wis. - Earning a coveted spot due to her sixth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional, senior Toccoa Kahovec will compete in her final event as a Cal Lutheran harrier at this Saturday's NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships.

Additional Information/Results: NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship (Women)

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the season-ending meet will take place at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis.

Starting at 9 a.m. (PT), the women's 6,000-meter race will feature a field of 32 teams in addition to 56 runners who received an at-large invitation.

Competing at nationals for the second straight season, Kahovec hopes her return trip to the national championships will yield an improved time and overall result. At the 2010 event in Waverly, Iowa, Kahovec ran a 22:32.1 to finish 115th in her first-ever national race.

A two-sport student-athlete who received All-American recognition after finishing eighth in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2010 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, Kahovec hopes her final cross country appearance will yield similar individual accolades.

"She (Kahovec) is excited and ready for this meet, this is what she has prepared for since arriving to Cal Lutheran four years ago," said head coach Matt Lea. "Last season she wanted to compete at the national meet, do her best, and make the most of her experience. This year, she wants to be an all-American."

Cross country runners who finish in the top 35 at the national championships earn All-American status.

"Unlike last season, she does not want to just make an appearance and have fun, she wants to compete and win this race."

Kahovec, Reed Earn All-Region Accolades

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:45:00 PST

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Senior Toccoa Kahovec and junior Evan Reed received All-Region recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) based upon their respective finishes at the 2011 NCAA West Regional.

Official Release: USTFCCCA NCAA Division III All-Region

Nearly 560 athletes from across the country were honored by the USTFCCCA, runners who finished in the top 35 individually at one of the nine regional events received All-Region recognition.

Kahovec led all Regals runners with her sixth-place time of 21:51.0; Reed's 26.21.3 effort at the Pomona-Pitzer campus course helped him capture 29th place - the highest individual finish of any Kingsmen harrier at the event.

A total of 17 women and 16 men from SCIAC schools were honored by the USTFCCCA for their efforts at this season's West Regional.

Regals Finish 16th at NCAA West Regional

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:15:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - With all but one of the top five scoring times earned by freshmen and sophomore harriers, Cal Lutheran ended its season with a 16th-place finish at Saturday's NCAA West Regional.

Results: NCAA West Regional (Women)

Recording the fastest CLU individual time of the morning, senior Toccoa Kahovec earned the right to participate in next Saturday's NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships by completing the campus course at Pomona-Pitzer in with her sixth-place time of 21:51.0.

By virtue of recording one of the top eight individual times at the West Regional, Kahovec will compete at the national championships for the second straight season.

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Kahovec's final race as a Cal Lutheran harrier will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19, on the 6k course at the Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis.

In addition to Kahovec, three of the five times used to calculate CLU's overall score were clocked by freshmen. Participating in their first-ever regional, Taelor Young, Chelsea Feller, and Amanda Miller ended Saturday's event with the second, third, and fifth-fastest individual efforts for the Regals.

Completing the course in 24:03.8, 24:44.8, and 25:00.7, the group of freshmen, Kahovec, and sophomore Natalie Bullock's time of 24:48.5 helped the Regals finish 16th out of the 21 teams that competed.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps captured one of two bids to next weekend's championships by ending Saturday's meet in first place nearly 100 points ahead of Willamette, the recipient of the regional's other automatic team bid.

Pomona-Pitzer's Annie Lydens was responsible for the fastest individual effort of the morning, completing her home course in 21:26.1.

Saturday's NCAA West Regional up Next for Regals Harriers

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran women's cross country team will compete in the NCAA West Regional this Saturday, Nov. 12, at 9 a.m. on the campus course at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.

Website: NCAA XC Regional Championships

Runners who finish in the top eight are guaranteed a berth into next week's NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship.

Toccoa Kahovec is on pace to put together another stellar result which will provide her an opportunity to compete against the best in the nation for a second straight season.

"I think Toccoa has a great shot to advance to the NCAA championships," said head coach Matt Lea. "She went to last year's championship race, has finished in the top two in SCIAC meets this season, and has a strong chance of earning All-American recognition as well."

In addition to Kahovec, seniors Jenn Chun and Caitlin Coomber will also compete in the final NCAA regional meet of their Cal Lutheran cross country careers when the team arrives at Claremont this Saturday.

The Regals will be competing on the same route that was utilized earlier this season at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational. They hope their familiarity with the course will give them an extra edge over other participating teams.

"We definitely have an advantage over schools traveling from the north who are unfamiliar with the layout," explained Lea. "By running that same course earlier this season, our team knows when it is appropriate to pace themselves, and when they need to increase their efforts."

In their previous trip to Pomona-Pitzer, Chun, sophomores Ashley Frese and Jess Infald each recorded the fastest respective individual time of the season.

"It has been a long season for everyone. Training began in the early summer; all of that hard work has paid off so far and a lot of the runners want to end this season with their best time."

Kahovec Captures Second Place at SCIAC Championships

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:00:00 PST

CHINO, Calif. - Led by senior Toccoa Kahovec and her second-place time of 23:36.88, Cal Lutheran earned a sixth-place finish at Saturday's SCIAC Cross Country Championships.

Results: SCIAC Cross-Country Championships (Women)

Pomona-Pitzer's Annie Lydens recorded the fastest individual time out of the field of 113 participants, running the 6k course at Prado Park in 23:11.10.

Finishing with five of the 10 fastest individual marks, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps ended the morning with a first place team finish and this season's SCIAC championship.

Cal Lutheran ends its season tied for fifth place with Redlands, a finish based upon the combined results earned at this year's SCIAC Multi-Duals and Championship events.

Earning her best Championship finish as a Regals harrier, Kahovec edged out Redlands' Emily Canales by almost two seconds to finish as runner-up.

Canales captured third place with her 23:38.54 effort.

Sophomores Jess Infald, Ashley Frese, and senior Caitlin Coomber all recorded their fastest times ever at a SCIAC championship event, clocking results of 26:30.01, 26:53.46, and 27:05.74 respectively.

For Infald and Frese, Saturday's results were five and 14-second improvements over their previous personal times set at last year's championship meet.

Competing in the SCIAC Championships for the first time since the 2009 season, Coomber clocked a time that was 19 seconds faster than her previous personal mark recorded two seasons ago.

The next race on the Regals' schedule will take place on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Claremont, Calif., site of the 2011 NCAA West Regionals.

Regals Cross Country Ready for SCIAC Championships

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:00:00 PST

CHINO, Calif. - The Cal Lutheran women's cross country team will compete in the SCIAC Championships at Prado Regional Park on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 29.

Official Release: SCIAC Preview

The Regals are led by Toccoa Kahovec who finished third overall at the SCIAC Multi-Duals race two weeks ago. Over the past three years she has finished 14th, 9th, and 4th at the SCIAC Championships and will contend for the individual title.

"Toccoa is going to run her own race," said Head Coach Matt Lea. "Under Coach (Nicole) Crawford, (Toccoa) has learned to stay within herself. She will work her way through the field and use her tremendous closing speed over the final stretch."

Over the past year Kahovec has gained experience at the national level competing at the NCAA Championships in both cross country and track and field. Her three-plus seasons at Cal Lutheran and race experience have helped her and a young Cal Lutheran squad improve throughout the season.

"We have some very strong freshmen this year and it's great to see the positive effect Toccoa has had on this group," said Lea. "Our runners have become more relaxed at the start of races as the season has progressed...I think her personality has a lot to do with that."

CLU freshman Taelor Young had an impressive showing at the SCIAC Multi-Duals taking 28th overall (23:52.86). She was the first of five underclassmen to finish in the top-60 overall.

Fellow newcomers Amanda Miller and Chelsea Feller finished in the top-50 while sophomores Natalie Bullock and Jessica Infald finished 52nd and 54th, respectively.

The SCIAC Championships are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 29. Cal Lutheran earned four points at the SCIAC Multi-Duals which represents half of the scoring system used to determine the final conference standings.

Kahovec Takes Third at SCIAC Multi-Duals

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:00:00 PST

LA MIRADA, Calif. - Senior Toccoa Kahovec finished in third place at the SCIAC Cross Country Multi-Duals at La Mirada Park. She led a Regals squad that defeated three of seven SCIAC opponents on Saturday morning.

Results: SCIAC Multi-Duals (Women)

The competition pits each team's top five runners against each of the other seven competing conference teams on a head-to-head competition. The lowest scoring team against each team on a head-to-head basis wins. Cal Lutheran earned three victories defeating Caltech, La Verne and Redlands to finish 3-4 overall.

Kahovec finished the 6k course in 22:29.57 to take third overall. Her final time was under 15 seconds behind runner-up Jennifer Tave of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Annie Lydens of Pomona-Pitzer won the individual crown in a time of 21:46.32.

CLU freshman Taelor Young had an impressive showing taking 28th overall (23:52.86). She was the first of five underclassmen to finish in the top-60 overall.

Fellow newcomers Amanda Miller and Chelsea Feller finished in the top-50 and both crossed the line in under 25 minutes. Sophomores Natalie Bullock and Jessica Infald finished 52nd and 54th, respectively to round out the Regals top five finishers.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps placed its top five individual runners within the top seven places overall, with the Lydens and Kahovec the exceptions, to go undefeated at Saturday's meet.

Cal Lutheran will next compete at the SCIAC Championships at Prado Park on Saturday, Oct. 29

Eleventh Place Earned by Regals Runners

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:00:00 PST

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Led by senior Toccoa Kahovec and her time of 22:11.5, the Regals ended Saturday's Pomona-Pitzer Invitational in 11th place.

Results: Pomona-Pitzer Invitational

Finishing with Cal Lutheran's fastest individual result, Kahovec's effort was also the 11th-fastest overall time out of the 201 runners competing in the event.

Earning her highest finish as a CLU harrier, freshman Taelor Young ran the 6k course on the campus of Pomona-Pitzer in 23:34.5, the second-quickest time out of the nine Regals running in the event.

Setting personal records two weeks ago at the UC Riverside Invitational, sophomore Jess Infald and senior Jenn Chun each set another new personal mark in Saturday's event. Finishing with a time of 24:40.3 and 26:43.9, the duo shaved 6.1 and 1.4 seconds respectively from their previous records.

Sophomore Ashley Frese narrowly missed setting her second individual record in as many events, missing her personal mark by only 1.3 seconds, completing the distance in 24:38.7.

Competing in her inaugural event for Cal Lutheran, freshman Chantel White completed her first 6k, collegiate-level course in 25:37.5.

Responsible for five of the first seven runners to cross the finish line, Cal State San Marcos ended the event in first place. Recording the fastest individual time of the day, Pomona-Pitzer's own Annie Lydens completed her home course in 21:03.9.

Cal Lutheran will return to action on Oct. 15 at the SCIAC Multi-Duals held at La Mirada Park in La Mirada, Calif.

Riverside Course Rewards Regals

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:15:00 PST

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - All nine Regals runners recorded new personal marks, shattering previous results by as much as two minutes at Saturday's UC Riverside Invite.

Results: UC Riverside Invite

Competing on the college 6k invite course for the first time, Cal Lutheran ended its morning in 17th place against a challenging field containing teams from all collegiate divisions.

Loyola Marymount recorded the fastest individual time, and lowest team average to claim both titles at the UC Riverside Farm Course.

The first CLU harrier to cross the finish line was Toccoa Kahovec, earning a 44th place finish after completing the distance in 21:50.6. The time was a 42-second improvement from her previous personal best recorded at the 2010 NCAA Championships.

Kahovec was not the only CLU runner to experience a substantial level of individual success in Riverside as a collection of harriers that include freshmen Amanda Miller (23:03.6), Taelor Young (23:13.7), and sophomore Ashley Frese (24:37.4) outran their previous 6k records by 60 seconds or more.

Competing in their first-ever collegiate meet at the 2011 Cal State Fullerton Season Opener two weeks ago, Saturday's results were 1:17 and 1:33 faster in comparison for Miller and Young.

Prior to arriving in Riverside, Frese also recorded her fastest performance in Fullerton; unlike her freshmen teammates, Frese's best mark took place during last year's season opener. As was the case with Miller and Young, Frese has a new goal to surpass as her new personal best surpasses her previous one by 1:43.

Miller, Young, and Frese finished Riverside's course in 23:03.6, 23:13.7, and 24:37 respectively.

But it was senior Caitlin Coomber who turned in the most impressive run of the morning, obliterating her previous best set at the 2009 NCAA Regionals by over two minutes with her time of 24:26.5.

Also setting new career marks that were 12, 35, and 55 seconds faster than their previous times were sophomores Natalie Bullock (24:19.9), Jess Infald (24:46.4), and senior Jenn Chun (26:45.1).

Participating in her inaugural collegiate meet for the Regals, freshman Chelsea Feller ended her morning with a time of 24:05.9.

The Regals next meet will take place on October 1 in Claremont, Calif. at the Pomona-Pitzer Invite.

Hall of Fame Induction to Take Place Saturday

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:30:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The ninth annual Cal Lutheran Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony will take place on Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Lundring Events Center inside the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center.

Website: CLU Athletics Hall of Fame

Five former CLU student-athletes will become official members of the Athletics Hall of Fame. Mariko "Mo" Coverdale, Cathy (Fulkerson) Waltrip, Tim Lins, Justin Muth and Doug Rihn round out this year's class bringing the total number of inductees to 72.

CLU Hall of Famer Troy Kuretich will be the Master of Ceremonies for the event. The event is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 7 p.m.

To register for the event, click here.

Kahovec Begins 2011 with Top-10 Time

Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:45:00 PST

BREA, Calif. - Edging out Long Beach State's Michelle Thompson by three seconds, Cal Lutheran harrier Toccoa Kahovec claimed a tenth place individual finish with her time of 23:03.1 at the Cal State Fullerton Season Opener Saturday morning.

Results: Cal State Fullerton Season Opener

Recording the fastest time of the morning for the Regals against a sizable field of Division I runners, Kahovec also turned in the fastest time of any Division III runner competing in the event.

Making their cross country debuts for the Regals, freshmen Amanda Miller and Taylor Young were the next two runners to finish the course at Carbon Canyon Park for Cal Lutheran. Ending the morning with the 53rd and 68th fastest individual times out the 212 participants, the duo helped Cal Lutheran finish in tenth place out of 20 participating teams by recording respective times of 24:20.7 and 24.46.8.

Returning to the scene of their respective collegiate debuts, sophomores Jess Infald and Natalie Bullock were both able to improve upon the times set in last year's Opener.

Infald was able to shave over 20 seconds off her time set in 2010; finishing Saturday's course in 25:27.7, the native of Pleasanton, Calif. was able to watch her teammate finish in 25:59.9, four seconds faster than her effort that took place last season.

Senior Caitlin Coomber and Jenn Chun were the final Regals to record times for Cal Lutheran, finishing the 6k course in 27:30.7 and 28.49.5.

The Regals will return to action on September 17 when the team travels to the Inland Empire to compete at the UC Riverside Invitational.

Regals Cross Country Season Preview

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:30:00 PST

If the initial practices of the 2011 season are a sign of the results head coach Matt Lea can expect from his Regals harriers this season, one can understand why he cannot wait for the 2011 season to begin this Saturday, September 3rd, in Fullerton.

CLU Cross Country Schedule Released

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Six dates complete the 2011 Cal Lutheran cross country schedule culminating with hopes of adding a seventh. Last year both the Kingsmen and Regals were represented at the national level with individuals qualifying for and competing in the NCAA National Championships.

Schedule: 2011 Cross Country

"It is a very simple process to set up our schedule...Our final four meets are set each year from the SCIAC Multi-Duals in October to (Nationals) at the end," said head coach Matt Lea. "The other three are established meets that have been going on for several years."

September 3rd will mark the third straight season CLU has begun its campaign at the Cal State Fullerton Opener. From then on competitions will take place on a bi-weekly schedule the entire way with the Kingsmen and Regals competing at either the UC Riverside Invitational or Sundodger Invite in Seattle, Wash. on Sept. 17.

"Our philosophy is to go every other weekend to ensure our runners get their rest," stated Lea. "It is very important for our newcomers, especially on the men's side to build up to the collegiate distance and these early meets will help."

Traditional high school cross country competitions are 5,000 meters (3.1 miles) in length for both boys and girls. At the collegiate level men's races are 8,000 meters or just shy of five miles while the women cover 6,000 meters (3.73 miles).

The Pomona-Pitzer Invitational is the final tune up before conference competition begins with the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Multi-Duals on Oct. 15.

Most of the Cal Lutheran harriers will hope to peak for the SCIAC Championships on Oct. 29 with the top finishers heading onto the West Region Championships in the city of Claremont, Calif. on Nov. 12.

Toccoa Kahovec finished ninth at the 2010 West Regional meet earning her first trip to the NCAA National Championships. Her efforts to return would land her at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis. on Nov. 19 if successful.

Pair Earns Academic All-District Honors

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Senior Ray Ostrander and junior Toccoa Kahovec were named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District VIII Track & Field and Cross Country teams.

Ray Ostrander - Men's Cross Country/Track & Field
The Cal Lutheran Male Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year was one of 10 student-athletes chosen to this year's CoSIDA All-District Team. During the cross country season this past fall he was one of 142 men in Division III to be named to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.

He led the Kingsmen this season at the conference championships finishing eighth to receive All-SCIAC First Team honors for the second straight year. Ostrander finished 11th at the SCIAC Track & Field Championships in the 5,000 meters.

Ostrander completed his program of study and graduated this past May with degrees in Geology and Environmental Sciences.

Fellow conference runner Alex Lapides of Caltech was also named to the team. The senior will graduate with a 3.80 grade point average earning his degree in Chemistry. He won the high jump at the SCIAC Track & Field Championships as the only competitor to clear 1.97 meters.

Toccoa Kahovec - Women's Cross Country/Track & Field
The CLU junior was the only member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) to earn first team honors. For the second straight season Kahovec has earned CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII Team recognition.

Following her fourth place finish at the SCIAC Cross Country Championships she took ninth at the West Regional and 115th in her first appearance at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships. Kahovec was named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team and was just one of 170 female Division III student-athletes to earn such recognition.

She repeated as conference champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and finished runner-up in the 1,500 meters. Kahovec took part in her first track and field national meet to finish her junior season and took eighth in the steeplechase to earn All-America status.

The Saugus, Calif. Native is currently maintaining a 3.87 grade point average while pursuing her liberal studies degree.

Seniors Kelsey Bermudez, Mackenzie Smith and Kortney Watring from SCIAC member Redlands both earned Academic All-District VIII Second Team honors.

Both Ostrander and Kahovec will be eligible to earn Academic All-American honors which will be released later this month.

CLU Hands Out End of Year Awards

Mon, 09 May 2011 18:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - On Monday inside Gilbert Arena student-athletes representing each of Cal Lutheran's 19 programs were recognized for their achievements throughout the 2010-11 season at the annual end of the year gathering put together by members of both the CLU athletics department and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

The Cal Lutheran Senior Athletes of the Year were officially announced during the event with Allison Kerr of volleyball earning the honor for the women. Eric Flores and Andrew Giuffrida will share the honor for the men.

Seventy-two Cal Lutheran student-athletes are scheduled to graduate this month including the CLU Scholar-Athletes of the Year in Bobby Sanders of women's water polo and Ray Ostrander of men's cross country and track and field.

All student-athletes from this past season received a token of appreciation for their respective contributions this year with first year CLU members getting a CLU athletics department shirt, second year a sweatshirt, third year a letterman and fourth year a plaque.

Cal Lutheran Athletes Making the Grade

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:45:00 PST

It started in a little room in the humanities building. It eventually moved to the Lundring Events Center, where everyone assumed it would remain for many years. But the numbers just kept increasing, so this year's Cal Lutheran Scholar-Athlete Society induction banquet had to be held in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center.

A record-high 112 athletes were honored last Saturday for having a cumulative GPA of at least 3.4. The standard far exceeds the 2.0 needed to be eligible to compete in athletics.

"To me that is the whole Division III philosophy of being a student and a top athlete," CLU Athletic Director Dan Kuntz said. "Our mission is to help them do well in school and do well in their sport and give them an opportunity to carry those on to other things."

The Scholar-Athlete Society started in 2003 with only 36 athletes. Although the amount of teams at CLU has remained the same, the number of athletes honored has jumped exponentially.

This year's total represents nearly 30 percent of the athletes at CLU.

"They are competitive people, and if you let them know what the expectation is, they are going to go for it," Kuntz said. "Once it happens once and someone see it, they realize the opportunity is there for them and it becomes a road map for others to follow."

CLU distance runner Roy Ostrander and women's water polo player Bobby Sanders, who were recently named Cal Lutheran Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year, have been members of the society all four years at CLU.

In front of a large gathering of relatives, coaches and administrators, each of the 116 honorees received certificates and other small tokens of reward.

"If they have the passion and commitment to their sport, it is a large chunk of their time they have to dedicate to play," Kuntz said. "It's asking a lot because they are not getting scholarship money or a private tutor or special trainer or registration just for them. They are doing this on their own because they want to."

Kuntz believes the environment at CLU is conducive for athletes to balance sports and academics successfully.

"The students have people around them and resources available if they need support, and I think a person tends to thrive more if they feel like they can do more," Kuntz said. "I think those things have really evolved at CLU the last several years and there has been a lot of work to ensure the infrastructure is in place."

April 6 is National Student-Athlete Day

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 15:00:00 PST

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - On Wednesday, Apr. 6 institutions of higher learning will celebrate student-athletes across the country as part of National Student-Athlete Day. The program of the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS), has been celebrated annually on this date since 1987.

Official Website: National Student-Athlete Day

"We are very proud to honor hundreds of student athletes competing at CLU in 19 Division III sports programs and soon to be 20 with the addition of women's golf in 2011," commented Cal Lutheran Athletics Director Dan Kuntz. "As Division III athletes our students embrace the philosophy that competing in sports is an educational experience where learning extends beyond the classroom."

Brett Halvaks, the current CLU SAAC President as well as the NCAA Division III SCIAC and Northwest Conference SAAC Representative is receiving and giving out recognition to fellow student-athletes.

"I believe this day provides a wonderful opportunity to recognize what CLU Student-Athletes have accomplished over this past year; both in their sport and in the classroom as well," said Cal Lutheran Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President Brett Halvaks.

The special day honors individuals at both the high school and collegiate levels. There are over 425,000 NCAA student-athletes with Cal Lutheran representing some of the more than 168,000 from Division III.

"It is remarkable to think that CLU, not to mention all Division III student-athletes in general are competing at such a high level while being provided minimal athletic aid," stated Halvaks who is a member of both the Kingsmen cross country and track and field teams.

Appropriately two of Cal Lutheran's eight spring teams will hold true to the student-athlete moniker with women's water polo hosting Redlands at 5 p.m. and baseball heading out to Chapman on a day that recognizes the student-athlete.

Kahovec Earns National all-Academic Honor

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:00:00 PST

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Toccoa Kahovec of the Cal Lutheran women's cross country team was named to the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-Academic Team on Monday.

Official Release: USTFCCCA NCAA Division III

Scholar Athletes are determined from among those who earned All-Academic status and placed highest individually at the most recent NCAA Championships.

Kahovec, a junior from Saugus, Calif. is well-known on and off the courses and tracks on a national level after receiving this same honor last year. She is one of 170 NCAA Division III female student-athletes to earn recognition in 2010.

On the courses this season she earned her first trip to the NCAA National Championships this season where she finished 115th overall. Kahovec has continued to improve during her three seasons on the Regals squad finishing 14th, ninth and fourth at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship meet, respectively.

Jennifer Gossels of Williams College was named the Women's Scholar Athlete of the Year. She currently maintains a 4.0 grade point average as a double major in Computer Science and Mathematics, and finished second at the national championships this past season.