LONG BEACH STATE | VOL. LXX, ISSUE 17 | NOVEMBER 1, 2018
mourning a colorful
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 | DAILY49ER.COM | D49ERNEWS@GMAIL.COM
INSIDE
ON THE COVER
THE
NINER A rundown of Long Beach ballots page 5
A shrine for IndusTrial Design Student Alena Gretencord at a memorial service held by the Long Beach State Department of Design Wednesday. SABRINA FLORES | Daily 49er
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‘IT’ does not live up to horror legacy page 8
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Men’s basketball enters season with defensive mindset page 11
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Tropicalia, the taco and music festival taking place at the Queen Mary Events Park Nov. 3-4 will feature headliners such as Cardi B, Kali Uchis, Mac Demarco and more. The festival is open to all ages and offers tickets starting at $150 for a single day pass. tropicaliafest.com
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ComplexCon brings together pop culture, music, art, food, sports and activism in a two-day convention taking place from Nov. 3-4. This year features Cultural Director and Executive Chair Pharrell Williams and artist Takashi Murakami among various artists and creatives.
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Don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour Sunday.
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Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists. The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er. Letters Policy: All letters and email must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily 49er reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.
NEWS 3
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REMEMBRANCE
SABRINA FLORES | Daily 49er
The Duncan Anderson Design Gallery was filled with students, faculty and community members, Wednesday for a memorial of Alena Gretencord. By Emma DiMaggio News Editor ekdimaggio
LBSU design student Alena Gretencord died in a hit-and-run 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
Design Department holds memorial for student killed in hit-and-run Students and faculty commemorate the life of Alena Gretencord Wednesday.
Incense smoke drifted in slowly from the corner of the room as students wiped away their tears and placed bouquets of orange flowers next to portraits of a fellow design student who was killed over the weekend. The Long Beach State Department of Design held a memorial Wednesday for industrial design student Alena Gretencord, who died in a hit-and-run Sunday morning. The Duncan Anderson Design Gallery was filled with students, faculty and community members. Design students created a shrine to Gretencord in the left corner of the gallery. According to Martin Herman, chair of the Department of Design, students stayed up late the night before, folding origami flowers and creating a hanging rainbow of streamers for the memorial. According to a press release from the Long Beach Police Department, Gretencord fell from the center median of Second Street near Tivoli Drive into the first lane of eastbound Second Street around 1:30 a.m. The suspected vehicle, a white Ford F-150, fled the scene and Gretencord was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. “I know you too, are going through extreme waves of emotion,” Herman said to the crowd. “Wishing we could move the hand of time back, wishing we could celebrate her birthday with her.” Gretencord would have turned 23 on Nov. 1. Gretencord was a student assistant, scholarship recipient and coordinator for design exhibitions, including the upcoming senior show, Herman said. “She was the lifeline between the industrial design and interior design programs,” Martin said. “Speaking for the staff, I can tell you that we viewed her and treated her
less as a student and much more as a trusted member of our staff.” Gretencord began her academic career at LBSU as a graphic design major and later changed to industrial design. Her father Scott Gretencord expressed his gratitude that she found a major she was passionate about. “I was glad she found something she really loved and loved her back,” Gretencord said. “She would bring that love home and tell me about it all the time.” Outside of the design department, Gretencord was also a member of Queers and Allies on campus. “I don’t know if the rainbows give it away, but Alena was a woman who happened to be queer,” LBSU student Roman Wiant said. “She was an advocate, not only for the queer community, but for all disenfranchised people around the world.” Students and family members shared stories about Gretencord for over an hour, laughing and crying through their accounts. Along with her love of Mexican food, the color orange and being notably good at whistling, a constant theme was her love of the LBSU campus. “She spoke so highly of all her fellow students and the design program and Cal State Long Beach,” her cousin, Courtney Witherspoon-Balkov said. “I just want to thank you for being her family, her extended family.” Her roommate and best friend Brooke Harrington, senior design major, shared a conversation she had with Gretencord a week before her death. When asked how many fellow design students she planned to stay in contact with in the coming decade, Gretencord responded, “Every single person … I hope to be talking to every single one of them.” Harrington, speaking through tears, said, “I just wanted you to know that because she loved this place so much, and we all loved her. I think she would really love this. I’m just going to miss her.”
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ASI
Board of Control forced to use spring money By Amanda Moreno Staff Writer
The Associated Students Inc. Board of Control was forced to pull funds from the spring semester in order to fulfill an abundance of student requests Tuesday. According to Jesse Luna, the BOC chairman, there is $1,521 left in the unallocated fund which is mostly used to fund student organization’s events, $3,373 left in the student travel fund and $13,366 left in the student research fund. The student travel fund has been used extensively this semester. According to Luna, if the BOC were to fund every request made at this meeting, they would spend $5,584 which exceeds their current semester limit
of $3,373. The BOC discussed its options and decided to dip into next semester’s student travel fund. Christopher O’Dell, a graduate student in the Physical Therapy Association, along with other doctorate therapy students, is presenting a research paper about joint stress and runners at the American Physical Therapy Association conference. Together, they are requesting $1,640. “We want to contribute to the wealth and knowledge of our community — especially the academic community,” O’Dell said. The BOC took their time to discuss how to fund these students. “In the event of multiple authors [on a research paper], funding should not exceed $1,000,” said Richard Haller, executive director of ASI, as he read from ASI policy. The BOC pulled from the spring semester
travel fund in order to grant them $1,000. The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers requested $2,000 to fund their travel expenses to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers national conference held in Cleveland, Ohio. The cost is $250 per person and the society is sending over 25 members. “The group travel grant can only cover up to 10 students, $75 each, so there is a $750 cap,” said Luna. Similarly, the Anthropology Club was looking to fund their travel to the American Anthropological Association Conference in San Jose, California. “There are a lot of opportunities that come with attending a conference like this,” said Tabitha McClusky, an anthropology student at LBSU. They requested $350 in order to cover entrance fees to this confer-
ence, which the board granted. Chloe Carr, a communication studies major, requested $287 to attend the National Communications Association Conference. “My research study will be discussing biopolitical martyring,” Carr said. “This essay extends to explore the relationship between biopolitics and martyring, arguing that youth bodies function as biopolitical martyrs in the context of asylum law … I plan on sharing research knowledge with department members and communicating it to students as well.” The board granted Carr $239 to attend the conference after ASI President Genesis Jara explained the board is limited on its funds. “We are at the very last of our funds, so we are just granting 83 percent to those who request from student travel fund,” Jara said.
NEWS 5
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VOTING
Safety proposals, ethics and duties Long Beach residents can vote on proposals concerning working conditions, commissions and city duties. By Bryan Aparicio Staff Writer
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ive ballot measures will be voted on solely by Long Beach residents in the Nov. 6 statewide general election. Four of these items are on ballots after a vote by the Long Beach City Council, while Measure “WW” was added after a citizen’s petition gathered 46,082 signatures from voters registered in Long Beach. City Auditor Duties If approved by the majority of voters, Measure “AAA” would implement new duties for the city auditor, who inspects the city’s finances, such as being the general auditor of every department, commission and office in the city. The measure will eliminate ambiguities and make the duties of the city auditor and their access to city records clearer. The city auditor will have access to copies of all reports relating to finances prepared by any city department, commission, office or agency. Term Limits Measure “BBB” would ensure that no person serves more than three four-year terms as mayor or city councilmember.
ILLUSTRATION BY RYAN GUITARE| Daily 49er
Although the deadline to register to vote has passed, voters can still register conditionally at their county elections office or a designated location, between Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.
The measure would prohibit any candidate from either office from running as a write-in candidate. The current limit, according to the city charter, is two four-year terms with an unlimited number of terms possible as a write-in candidate. If a candidate wins a primary election as a write-in candidate, their name can appear on a general election ballot. If approved, any write-in candidacy will count toward the three-term limit for all future elections. Political Ethics Commission Measure “CCC” is a city charter amendment that would establish a seven-member City Ethics Commission to impartially administer and implement the provisions of the City Charter, statutes and ordinances concerning campaign finance, lobbying, conflicts of interest and governmental ethics. This measure was placed on the ballot to enhance the monitoring, administration and enforcement of governmental ethics laws in Long Beach. The commission would help monitor the city’s existing lobbying ordinance and promote and enforce improved government measures for both elected and appointed members of the local government.
Four members would be appointed by the mayor and city auditor. The remaining three members would be appointed by the initial four commissioners following a public recruitment and application process. City Council District Revisions Measure “DDD” is an amendment to establish the Long Beach Independent Redistricting Commission, which would be the only city commission authorized to establish council districts every 10 years. The current city charter authorizes the city council to establish or change council district boundaries. According to the city of Long Beach’s official website, the measure was placed on the ballot to remove the city council from the redistricting process, so that decisions about which neighborhoods and communities remain together in the same district for voting and representation are made as neutral or unbiased as possible. If passed, a 13-member commission will be established. Nine commissioners, one from each existing council district, would be selected from a pool of qualified applicants, which was not specified in the measure. After those nine are appointed, the commissioners will select the remaining four along with two alternates.
Hotel Workplace Safety Measure “WW” is an initiative to change workplace conditions of hotel employees working in hotels with more than 50 rooms. According to the original scanned copy of the measure, hotel employees who work by themselves are vulnerable to crimes and other threatening behavior, including sexual assault. This measure would require that workers who are cleaning guest rooms alone in these hotels be equipped with panic buttons, which they may use to report threatening conduct and other emergencies, since many assaults go unreported to the police, according to information mentioned in the measure’s proposal. At an Oct. 23 meeting, the city council adopted a similar ordinance that mandates panic buttons at all hotels, among other precautions. The city council will conduct a second reading of the ordinance on Nov. 13, and then the mayor will have 30 days to sign it into law. According to Deputy City Attorney Linda Vu, as told to the Signal Tribune, if Measure “WW” passes, it will be compared to the ordinance that the council passed, and the city will adopt the ordinance that imposes more restrictions.
6 ARTS & LIFE
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PHOTOS BY BRENNA ENOS | Daily 49er
Clockwise from left, Solo created this piece with a personal connection to the topic because she watched her father go in and out of the hospital due to prescription withdrawals. Solo and art viewers Edgar Trancozo and Alexandra Dickinson discussing Solo’s art pieces on display in her “Reap” exhibit. “Heartwood” by Solo is the left-over wood portion from her friend’s art project which she re-purposed for her exhibit.
GALLERY
Death and deconstruction Artist uses once living things to make statement on environmental issues. Metals and Jewelry Bachelor of Fine Arts major Jojo Solo explores death and deconstruction in her exhibit, “Reap.” In her gallery, Solo tackles themes laced with tones of animal and environmental issues and healthcare problems. Solo combines real natural elements such as deceased bees and flowers with metal, wood, sculpture, 3D printing and more. “Reap” is available for viewing Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m. this week in the School of Art Galleries.
– Brenna Enos
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HALLOWEEN
Boo-tiful costumes As the sun descends and casts a shadow over the campus, students inch their way across the halls while celebrating Halloween on Wednesday. For many, Halloween is a staple tradition, most commonly known for dressing as your favorite characters. Here’s a look at some of the costumes students wore on campus. Above is Len Nguyen dressed as Tobio Kageyama, a fictional character from the animated series “Haikyuu.” To the left is Jeremy Anderson dressed as a 70’s pimp. To the right is Kenny Bush dressed as Pikachu from the animated series “Pokemon.” - Photos by Jorge Villa
8 ARTS & LIFE
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REVIEW
‘It’ does not deserve its horror classic standing Despite the cult following, the 1990 adaptation of the Stephen King novel is no masterpiece. By Grant Hermanns Opinions Editor grantheftautho
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hen you’re a child, movies such as “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Poltergeist” and “The Exorcist” were scarring and kept you up at night, fearing that the entities seen would come and get you in your sleep. But the one that ruled them all was the 1990 miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King classic, “It” starring Tim Curry in the role of killer clown, Pennywise. Thanks to a combination of his menacing performance and a few terrifying sequences, it is constantly seen on lists of the scariest movies from childhood and as one that still freaks audiences out to this day. While some still argue that the film holds up, the reality is that the movie is not only subpar by today’s standards, but it’s even mediocre by the past’s standards. Full disclosure, I actually didn’t see the movie until about the age of 14, so there was not a factor of being scarred by one of the most terrifying fictional clowns in existence at a young age, but even then I’m a somewhat easy person to scare. Deliver a creepy atmosphere, throw in one or two good jump scares and have some good special effects no matter the time period it was made, and I will be on the edge of my seat one moment and hiding behind it the next. While some might say that since it’s older, it was hard to portray certain special effects in a believable way, especially since comput-
er generation was still developing at the time, the effects seen were still incredibly lackluster for the genre. The original “Nightmare” came out in 1984, “Poltergeist” in 1982 and “The Exorcist” in 1973, and yet these films feature horrifying visuals and interesting stories created long before “It” was made. The film showed a lack of imagination in its special effects WARNER BROS. and ability to bring its classic source The 1990 adaptation of Stephen King’s masterpiece ‘It’ is a droll and overlong mess who’s material to life. lone highlight is Tim Curry’s antagonistic performance. Given that the film was made for television, there were going to be issues regarding budget and attention to its poorly portrayed on screen, relying on night. However as adults, the reality is that running time, but seeing as how television old-fashioned practical effects that created this version of the film and the character do is the perfect medium to break up a 1,000 an underwhelming monster. This disapnot carry the same weight. page novel into a two or three-part series, pointment took away from the high-level A creepy performance can only go so far, the filmmakers dropped the ball in telling tension and moody atmosphere developed and while there’s an extreme nature to some this story properly. through part one and half of part two. of the scares like with many horror films toThe pacing of the film is very skewed and One of the film’s few saving graces came day, a mildly gonzo performance can’t keep unbalanced, rushing audiences from the in the performance of Curry as the antagoaudiences on the edge of their seats enough characters’ terrifying childhoods to their dull nist. The “Rocky Horror Picture Show” star to justify scarring them for life. adult lives, which they all leave behind for a delivered one of the best performances of his As I sat through this two-part miniseries, battle against the villain that proves to be career thanks to his occasionally-erratic perI couldn’t help but feel a sense of boredom neither suspenseful or frightening. sonality and charming nature. and hysteria as much of the film feels hokey In addition to the poor pacing, the film Unfortunately for Curry, his performance and cheap, even by 1990’s standards. skips over a lot of key subplots and character and the solid performances of the then-enSo the next time an entertainment website development from the novel, which, while semble cast are buried in a three-hour-long makes a list of films that were frightening some of it was tough to cover given its broadfilm that is boring, not terrifying and a disapfrom childhood, it’s validity should immecast network home, truly took away from the pointment given the novel’s classic nature. diately be thrown into question if “It” is inmovie’s ability to be faithful to the source As a kid, we all saw Curry’s evil clown on cluded on that list, because despite its cult material. screen and would panic, shield our eyes and following, it’s truly one of the more lacklusPennywise’s final form as a spider was ears and try to avoid having nightmares that ter Stephen King adaptations.
ARTS & LIFE 9
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ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA DIMAGGIO | Daily 49er
Coffee chains, Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf both make a pumpkin spice latte that draws customers into stores every fall.
BEVERAGE
The great pumpkin debate
Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf were put to the test to see who could deliver the best pumpkin spice latte. By Alivia Weinstein Staff Writer
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ith the turning of the season comes sweaters, cozy nights and a consistent stream of pumpkin-related paraphernalia lining shelves and filling up Instagram feeds. There are two prominent coffee sources on campus for students to get their daily holiday caffeine fix: Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. We set out to find which one delivered the better fall favorite. Pumpkin spice lattes, or the “PSL,” as some coffee lovers like to say, are the marking of the beginning of fall for many. “We actually have a lot of customers that come back yearly just for our pumpkin spice lattes. Every year we always get excited customers that are always like, ‘Do you guys have the pumpkin yet?’ especially when school starts,” said Ginny Moua, shift super-
visor at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Every year, people either wildly rave over the drink or reject the fad completely. As a PSL virgin I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I didn’t know much about the drink except that it was very popular and was some variation of a pumpkin flavored coffee. Venturing out on a warm fall day in southern california, I had my notebook and phone ready to capture my first PSL. I got in line and ordered a 12-ounce coffee from each location. I compared both for taste, smell and price. “I really like seasonal drinks and I really like fall, and it just gets me in the mood of everything that goes on throughout school,” said Isabel Herrera, a Starbucks barista. Starbucks uses three pumps of pumpkin spice syrup, one shot of espresso, steamed two percent milk and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice powder. Coffee Bean uses one pump of pumpkin syrup, one shot of espresso, six
ounces of vanilla powder, steamed nonfat milk with pumpkin sugar crystals. Both add whipped cream upon request, which I happily asked for. The way they were made I thought I was going to love Coffee Bean’s better. I mean it is sprinkled with pumpkin sugar crystals after all. If I had to choose one based on appearance it would be Coffee Beans. In terms of smell, Starbucks’ PSL smelled of vanilla coffee with a hint of spice, while Coffee Bean’s smelled more like coffee with a hint of pumpkin. Based on smell the Starbucks latte smelled delicious. It smelled of a vanilla pumpkin caramel. Both drinks were very sweet — too sweet for my taste, but Coffee Bean produced a more cavity-inducing punch. Coffee Bean had a slight bitter taste to me. I don’t know if it was the pumpkin syrup or the kind of espresso they used. I’m not much of a coffee person, so the fact I could barely taste the shot of espresso
in Starbucks’ was a positive in my book. “It’s a really nice kick and it really does remind you of fall as cheesy as that sounds, you have a harvest feel to it,” Moua said. Now onto what most college students want to know: the price. At Starbucks, it costs $4.75 with a student ID discount while the Coffee Bean on campus is $4. There is no student discount for Coffee Bean on campus because they are not owned by the University Student Union. I would most likely never order a pumpkin spice latte again because it was kind of like drinking pure syrup but if I had to choose, I would say that I liked Starbucks better than Coffee Bean. Starbucks although very sweet I could at least get enjoy a few sips. Coffee Bean on the other hand was overly sweetened and I couldn’t taste the coffee. I think I will be sticking to carving pumpkins to initiate fall season, rather than drinking them.
10 OPINIONS
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SEXUAL ASSAULT
The #HimToo movement is a smoke screen and misguided campaign Despite noble intentions, the hashtag acts as a way to defend alleged sexual criminals. By Jose Ahumada Staff Writer
Social media recently saw the creation of the #HimToo movement, a group supporting and spreading the myth that men are commonly falsely accused of sexual assault. This faction was meant to counteract the #MeToo movement, a group that advocates for sexual assault victims. #HimToo originated in early October when a mother took to Twitter to discuss her son, Pieter Hanson’s fear of dating due to the “risk” of being falsely accused. Hanson was made into a viral meme on social media because of the embarrassing tweet. He has since refuted it, saying it doesn’t represent him, as he does not support the movement, and considers himself an ally of the #MeToo movement. What ended up becoming a joke and a meme on social media became an actual movement, supported by those who believe false rape accusations are a threat to men everywhere. One of the tweets supporting the #HimToo movement read “As long as women who accuse of men of sexual attacks are believed without evidence or due process, no man is safe. I’m not safe. Your husband isn’t safe. Your father isn’t safe. Your son isn’t safe. Your grandson isn’t safe. Your male friends aren’t safe. #HIMTOO #IStandWithBrett #ConfirmKavanaughNow.” While I found the memes and countless tweets started by Hanson’s mom on Twitter funny, I also found it utterly disappointing that the hashtag ended up being taken seriously enough to gain momentum. The group is defending Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh who was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford prior to his nomination. Some people argue that men have been
After Pieter Hanson’s mother tweeted her support for men’s fear of being falsely accused of sexual assault, using her son as an example, the hashtag #HimToo turned into a conservative movement and a joke. wrongly tried for false sexual assault allegations, even though there is little evidence to support this. Only two to 10 percent of rape
GOT OPINIONS?
accusations are false, according to a 2010 study in Sage Journals. On a similar note, Only 40% of rapes are ever reported to the
police due to fear of being shamed for their sexual history. The hashtag also was a way to counter the “#IBelieveFord” campaign, which was meant to voice support for Ford during the Kavanaugh allegations. President Trump also strengthened the movement at a press conference. “It’s a very scary time for young men in America, when you can be guilty of something that you may not be guilty of,” Trump said at a rally. “Think of your son. Think of your husband.” While not actually having used the #HimToo hashtag, Trump went against the #MeToo movement by suggesting that people should be concerned about allegations of sexual propriety against their sons and husbands, while offering no sympathy for sexual assault victims. While I do understand the concern that people have for the few falsely accused and tried of a crime, these cases are the exceptions, not the norm. Given its rarity, it doesn’t warrant enough credibility to create a movement, and distracts from an actual problem we have in our country. This movement is also insensitive to the fact that men are also more likely to be sexually assaulted than falsely accused. One out of six men has experienced sexual violence, according to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control. Not only does the hashtag disregard accusations made against someone in a high position, it’s also used to support and defend a person who might have sexually assaulted someone and is getting away with it. How somebody can start a movement to support an alleged rapist or defend claims with very little data is beyond me. We can only hope that society will take victims of sexual violence into consideration before posting on Twitter.
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SPORTS 11
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ALEX MANFREDI | Daily 49er
Assistant coach Bobby Braswell instructs redshirt junior guard Ron Freeman during practice in the Walter Pyramid Wednesday.
COLUMN
Long Beach looks to begin season with new mindset A defense-first approach is the 49ers top priority as they prepare for preseason play. By Alex Manfredi
Assistant Sports Editor alexmanfr3di
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ovember is finally here. The beginning of college basketball season is upon us and Long Beach State men’s basketball has come out of the gates
with a win. The 49ers traveled to Cal State Bakersfield Saturday for a charity exhibition game benefitting California wildfire relief efforts. While the game didn’t count toward the team’s official record, Long Beach came out victorious over the Roadrunners 73-70 behind a game-high 17 points from redshirt junior guard Ron Freeman and a 14 point, 10 rebound effort from sophomore guard Jordan Roberts. Head coach Dan Monson was proud of his team, crediting their defense for stepping up and making the difference in the game. “I thought we had really good energy and we
won a game with our defense, which we probably couldn’t say all of last year,” Monson said. “We had three or four stops at the end that we needed. Hopefully we get some confidence and finding ways to win besides just outscoring people.” The hiring of assistant coach Bobby Braswell over the summer has already proven to be beneficial, as he was brought in to establish a stronger culture and identity on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, the 49ers biggest flaw became a broken record after every game. The team was able to score a high amount of points but continued to give up even more to its opponents. Long Beach averaged 75.3 points per game on offense while allowing 78.4 points per game on defense. That isn’t a winning formula. It was not a surprise that the team suffered another early exit in the Big West conference tournament. This season, a new focus has been put in place with the hopes of more success and a stronger showing in conference play. The main emphasis over the off-season and this fall has been what everyone would expect — de-
fense, defense and more defense. Monson, Braswell and the rest of the coaching staff have primarily preached this. In practice, there is little offensive work besides shooting and free throws. The 49ers are constantly practicing full court and half court 5-on-5 scenarios. “We’ve been just killing the defense and we needed to because it’s new,” Monson said. “The offense is pretty much scaled down from last year because we haven’t really worked on it very much. We’re trying to get a new defensive mindset.” With a heavy defensive emphasis leading up to the beginning of the season, you might think the team could be in trouble on the offensive side of the ball. Since Long Beach is a team returning a total of nine players with six seniors, there will be no problem putting the ball in the net. A tough test awaits the 49ers in the season opener Nov. 9 at No. 21 UCLA. For now, Long Beach will continue to focus on itself and hone its fundamentals before a challenging pre-season schedule.
12 SPORTS
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WOMEN’S SOCCER
AUSTIN BRUMBLAY | Daily 49er
Senior defender Sarah Maher attempts a header against a group of CSUN defenders Sunday.
Two for the road
Back-to-back wins will ensure the Long Beach State women’s soccer team an NCAA berth. By Sierra Martinez
Assistant Sports Editor mistjournalist
Moments after Sunday’s win, the 49ers anxiously waited for the remaining Big West games to play out in order for the final standings to be determined. UCSB tied Cal Poly, allowing the 49ers to clinch the first place title with a total of 17 points, just one point above the Gauchos. After defeating Northridge 3-1 in its final match at George Allen Field, the Long Beach State women’s soccer team
became regular season champions and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals as the No. 1 seed. “It’s been a lot of games in a row and I think we’re in a good rhythm,” head coach Mauricio Ingrassia said. Long Beach (10-5-3, 5-1-2 Big West) will go head-to-head against UC Davis (7-7-4, 4-2-2 Big West) in the first round of the tournament 5 p.m. Thursday at UC Irvine. The winner of the match will advance to the tournament finals on Sunday. The 49ers won every conference game played at home, but ran into trouble when playing on the road. They suffered a single loss against
UC Riverside, and drew ties against Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis. Despite the few unfavorable results, Long Beach State finished the season with multiple players chosen for the Big West All-Conference teams. Senior midfielder Dana Fujikuni was selected as Midfielder of the Year with four goals and four assists. Senior defender Sarah Maher was selected as Defensive Player of the Year, contributing to five shutouts and scoring two goals in conference play. Senior forward Ashley Gonzales was also chosen for the All-Big West First team. She was selected for the third
time in her career and led the team with six goals total, half of which were scored in conference play. “Ashley’s work ethic is tremendous,” Ingrassia said. “No one works harder or longer than she does.” Ingrassia was nominated as Coach of the Year for his efforts guiding the team to the program’s fifth Big West regular season championship. Junior midfielder Katie Pingel, junior midfielder Taylor Bistline and freshman defender Elysia Laramie were selected for the All-Big West second team, honorable mention and All-freshman team, respectively.
Big West Awards
COACH OF THE YEAR Mauricio Ingrassia
MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR Dana Fujikuni
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR Sarah Maher