May 21, 2015

Thursday, May 21, 20 15

w w w.mus t angne w s .net

E s t abl ished 19 16

Cal Poly releases preliminary Fall 2015 freshman profile Total freshman applicants for Fall 2015:

Total freshmen selected for admission:

46,799

14,386

1 figure = approx. 936 students Source: Cal Poly Admissions College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences 1,955 selected for admission

College of Liberal Arts 2,714 selected for admission

College of Architecture & Environmental Design 751 selected for admission

College of Science & Mathematics 3,206 selected for admission

Orfalea College of Business 2,291 selected for admission

35,413 not selected for admission

for more detailed admission stats, see pg 4.

College of Engineering 3,469 selected for admission

Spring sports in review

OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS | COURTESY PHOTO CHANGE | DeCosta’s 21st year at Cal Poly will be her last, as the she plans to retire near the end of 2015.

Dean of Students Jean DeCosta to retire this fall Rosie Guzman Special to Mustang News

Cal Poly Dean of Students Jean DeCosta has announced her plan to retire this upcoming fall.

She has been a part of Cal Poly for more than 20 years with close to 12 years as Dean of Students.

Cal Poly spokesman Jay Thompson confirmed in a written statement that a “nationwide search is currently underway” for her replacement.

DeCosta joined the Cal Poly community in 1994 as the coordinator of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). In 2000, she was named director of campus relations. Her programs included employment equity, EAP and the Ombuds program.

Three years later, DeCosta was promoted to Dean of Students for Student Affairs. As dean, she

manages programs with the Center for Leadership and Service, Cross Cultural Centers, Center for Community Engagement and Safer, to name a few.

As Dean of Students, she works with students to resolve concerns of the university so they can graduate and be successful after graduation. Together with the students, parents, faculty and staff, they all work together to help Cal Poly students further their academic success.

She also works with campus committees that help the students of Cal Poly such as “substance use and abuse, women’s safety, campus fees, retroactive withdrawal, care and behavioral intervention.”

Cal Poly has been prepared for academic success of its students because of DeCosta’s presence, but there is also an opportunity for more success as Cal Poly looks for a new Dean of Students.

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS SIERRA | Sophomore ace Sierra Hyland appeared in 46 of Cal Poly’s 55 games during the 2015 season.

Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangSports

With the school year coming to a close, many of the Cal Poly spring sports teams have wrapped up their seasons. Taking a look back at the teams that have just finished, the results seem somewhat underwhelming.

There have been a few highlights, though, like sophomore golfer Justin De Los Santos’ triumph at the Big West Conference Championships and the Cal Poly track and field team’s solid show-

ings throughout the season, as well as finishing strong with 10 athletes earning All-Conference honors at the Big West Championship meet.

Men’s tennis and women’s golf had solid seasons, but nothing in particular stood out. Softball and women’s tennis had forgettable years, but both programs are young and the potential for the future is high.

see SPRING SPORTS, pg 8.

News... 1, 4 | Alcohol Awareness... 2-3 | Arts... 5-6 | Opinion... 7 | Classifieds... 9 | Sports... 8, 10

Thursday, May 21, 2015

ALCOHOL AWARENESS | 2

IN A SURVEY CONDUCTED OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS BY HEALTH SERVICES IN THE PAST 30 DAYS, STUDENTS REPORTED THEIR DRINKING CAUSED:

A hangover

Something they regretted

Them to fall behind in schoolwork

Unplanned sexual activity

55.61%

26.77%

21.24%

15.15% GRAPHIC BY ZACK SPANIER

Take the spectacular sobriety challenge Brendan Abrams @ brenabrams

For those who don’t drink, the choice can sometimes seem detrimental to their social ife.

But according to Theresa Fagouri, a health educator at Health Services, sobriety among Cal Poly students is not only encouraged, it’s common.

“Although some people may think, ‘Everybody drinks,’ everybody does not drink,” she said. We have a great student population that tends to make healthy and safe choices.”

Fagouri has also noticed many students are fairly well-educated about the effects of alcohol and how to consume it in moderation. Choosing not to drink at Cal Poly is less taboo than some might assume.

Arguably, the purest form of self expression — a task often attempted with the assistance of alcohol or drugs — is best attained with an unadulterated mind.

It’s important to realize there are plenty of other exhilarating ways to occupy your Saturdays.

On-campus organizations Friday Night Live and Associated Students, Inc. host some healthy alternatives for students, such as the Mustang Mile, Late Night Mini Golf and Concerts in the Plaza.

“If you provide a healthy alternative, often that sparks people to make healthy choices for the rest of the evening,” Fagouri said.

I took it upon myself to provide one such alternative. It may not be healthy in the sense that you should attempt it regularly, but it does provide potential for a memorable time without harmful drugs

and alcohol.

If you crave a thrilling challenge of the mind and body but prefer to make safer lifestyle choices, consider the following opportunity for an epic day in the immediate San Luis Obispo community. Enter the Spectacular Sobriety Challenge.

Challenge your athleticism: Sweating out a couple of reps at the gym is almost always a healthy lifestyle decision. You’ll feel stronger and enhance your fitness. But maybe you’re an adrenaline junkie who simply must have some ridiculous challenge in place for motivation. Look no further for the thrill you seek. Collect your fellow fitness fanatics and embark on the recreation workout of a lifetime.

Begin with an average hourlong lifting session to warm up, then shake off the initial lactate

buildup while achieving the ever-elusive runner’s high with a four-mile jog on the track. Run down the stairs, then back up, then down again and onto the basketball court to play a fullcourt, one-on-one tournament with one rule modification: no hands.

Before the basketball rush wears off, get to the racquetball courts for a couple of quick sets, then strip down into the Speedo you wore under your clothes and knock out a quick 2K in the lap pool — and you’re done.

That’s just 80 laps. No sweat, because you’ll be in water.

For an additional bit of excitement, add in 50 pushups between each activity. You’ll earn bonus points redeemable in the form of humblebrags directed toward less-fanatical friends.

Challenge your stomach: After the workout of a lifetime, you’ll need to replenish the ludicrous number of calories you burned with a night of heroic food consumption.

There’s plenty of good food around town, but if you like your culinary feats to be more high-profile and measurable, try the infamous “Baron of Higuera” challenge at McClintock’s. They’ll serve up a giant, 2-pound hamburger and a full plate of fries, and require that you finish eating it all in an hour or less. But maybe that’s nothing for you. Ryker Wall, a Cal Poly triathlete and biology freshman, took the challenge this year. He completed it in a record 17 minutes.

“It was no problem at all,” he said.

So enjoy the company of your exhausted fitness fanatic friends

and try what I’m calling the “Lunatic of Higuera Challenge.”

Start off the night with that McClintock’s feast, then mosey on down the road to Woodstock’s and inhale an entire pizza of your choosing.

Take a breather by walking a few minutes west until you arrive at Batch for a filling ice cream sandwich dessert course. Quickly cross the street and enter Natural Cafe, where you’ll have no choice but to cleanse your palette by ordering a big plate of vegetables of one kind or another.

Finally, if you are still mobile, crawl (or roll) 50 feet to Kreuzberg for a cappuccino nightcap.

The next morning, be sure to revel in your newfound local celebrity status, and try not to drown in the deluge of fanmail. Congratulations on your healthy lifestyle choices.

UPD prepares for increase in alcohol-related crimes Tim Wetzel @timawetzel

As spring quarter moves past its halfway point, more students start to shake off their sweaters and enjoy the sun. The University Police Department (UPD), on the other hand, starts shining badges and ironing uniforms because officers expect

alcohol-related crimes to rise as summer approaches.

UPD Corporal John Edds said the end of the year is usually a busy period for the police.

“Toward the very end of the year, we begin to see a rise (in alcohol-related crime),” Edds said. “We kind of see this busy period right from the beginning of the year, then a lull, and as

summer approaches we see a lot more activity.”

Over the course of winter quarter, UPD saw a significant drop in reported alcohol-related crimes. UPD Commander Brenda Trobaugh said the hard numbers only cover reported instances of alcohol-related crime.

“So far this year there have been 54 alcohol related crimes,”

Trobaugh said in an email to Mustang News. “This does not, however, include any alcohol related medical aid calls. There have been 132 marijuana/drug related calls.”

Trobaugh believes lower numbers might be due to the fact that there are fewer holidays associated with drinking in the winter.

“We did notice a drastic drop in alcohol related crimes last quarter,” Trobaugh said. “That may be correlated to alcohol availability to students. Anytime there’s a big holiday, we see a big spike in alcohol crimes — St. Patrick’s Day or Cesar Chavez, for example.”

Theresa Fagouri, a Certified Health Education Specialist at

Peers Understanding Listening Supporting Educating (PULSE), sees many students each quarter for alcohol-related crimes.

According to Fagouri, more students look for help toward the end of each quarter.

“Toward the end of the quarter,

see CHANGES, pg 3.

Thursday, May 21, 2015 CHANGES continued from pg 2. we see more people whose actions catch up to them,” Fagouri said. “However, we’re here to help students at any time of the quarter.”

But spring isn’t the only time alcohol becomes more of a problem; UPD answers most calls during fall quarter.

“Most frequently, the largest problems happen in the fall,” Edds said. “You have to understand that every year we cycle out between 20 and 25 percent of our community, and bring in a fresh group of students who

don’t have a lot of experience with alcohol for the most part.

They have a lot more opportunity to engage in these activities, whereas they might not have had a great deal of opportunity in the past.”

Fagouri said that fall quarter brings the most traffic through PULSE as well.

“We see most violations in fall quarter because students sometimes get carried away when they come back to school,” Fagouri said. “You can have an ‘oops’ moment; sometimes that’s a great way to say ‘Oh, I’m never going to do that again.’ Therefore we don’t see the amount

ALCOHOL AWARENESS | 3 of policy violations winter or spring quarter.”

UPD has noticed a significant drop in Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offences. According to Edds, this is a result of cultural change at Cal Poly.

“We’re catching fewer people driving under the influence now. That’s not because my officers aren’t any better; it’s just that culturally, the students and community are more wary of it,” Edds said. “I think it’s less socially acceptable. The fines haven’t gotten terribly steeper, but they’re steep enough that people kind of grasp it.”

Fagouri said informing the

community is central to such decreasing crime rates.

“I think that alcohol education is very important,” Fagouri said.

“We’ve really tried to get a group together and hit hard education about alcohol, so hopefully that is having an effect. It’s hard to tell whether one factor is causing a decrease in unwanted behaviors.”

Trobaugh hopes that crime rates drop as well — not for the sake of UPD, but for the campus as a whole.

“Understand, I just want students to be responsible,” Trobaugh said. “What’s really important is overall safety on campus.”

MUSTANG NE WS FILE PHOTO CAUGHT

| More alcohol related crimes occur at the end of the quarter.

What to know about increased alcohol consumption Naba Ahmed @ nabaahmed

Two years ago, the red solo cup increased volume capacity from 16 to 18 ounces. Though the change may seem minor, supervisor for PULSE (Peers Understanding Listening Supporting Educating) Theresa Fagouri, said students should be aware.

Fagouri said that the red solo cup is the cup of choice for many students all over the nation.

“At any age that you choose to drink, your liver can only process a drink an hour and a drink an hour is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine and an ounce and a half of hard alcohol,” Fagouri said.

The majority of the medical aid calls at Cal Poly result from over consumption of alcohol, Chief of Police George Hughes said in an email to Mustang News.

“Just like any other drug alcohol has negative effects on the brain, heart, liver and many other parts of the body,” Hughes said. “Drinking too much alcohol, especially binge drinking, causes serious problems for the body resulting in getting sick, passing out and even death.”

College students are more

common to participate in heavy drinking or binge drinking. According to Community Prevention and Intervention Coordinator for Counseling Services Hannah Roberts said this can have very immediate effects.

“The body hits that point where it just can’t break down the amount of alcohol in the system, then it can shut down really quickly,” Roberts said. “In the moment, alcohol affects oxygen levels, their respiratory system, ability to concentrate, the muscles and how they perform and their ability to do cardiovascular exercise.”

But it doesn’t end there with the toll that alcohol can have on one’s body.

A large consequence comes in the form of dehydration, Roberts said.

“The safest rule is that it takes about 72 hours for everything to kind of bounce back,” Roberts said. “Really the part of hangover that most people talk about is the headache is because you are really dehydrated which can make it hard to concentrate or affect your emotional health.”

A student’s emotional state can be altered by the consumption of alcohol.

“Alcohol is a depressant, so it definitely could trigger mood issue and affect one’s emotional health,” Roberts said.

For Fagouri, a student’s mental health can be negatively affected as a result of drinking.

“It’s not often a health effect but regrettable behaviors which can end up resulting in harm or injury, alcohol related accidents, tripping or falling. But I would say one of the most damaging side effects of over consumption of alcohol is regrettable behavior,” Fagouri said.

Another issue arises in the form of legal problems, which can follow students throughout their lives.

Students who would normally not think to get behind the wheel or walk around while intoxicated will suddenly make a different decision, Roberts said.

“Fewer students aren’t as good at making decisions about the person driving them and will get in vehicles with someone under the

HARRISON CHEUNG | MUSTANG NE WS RISKS

| When the body can’t break down anymore alcohol in the system, it loses all ability to perform.

influence,” Roberts said. “All those kinds of things can stay on your record and really get in the way for students.”

According to Roberts, the most severe legal problem that evolves from alcohol consumption is a DUI because it involves fines, probation and loss of your license which can get in the way of students’ personal and academic lives.

“DUI’s put you in the situation where while on probation ... you are going to have to pay a lot of

hefty fines, go on probation and lose your license,” Roberts said.

“I’ve seen students in that situation where they feel stuck and embarrassed, so there is an emotional toll too with a legal situation like that.”

Alcohol changes a student’s mindset, therefore any kind of situation is liable to happen, Hughes said in an email to Mustang News.

“Since alcohol has an effect on the way the brain works it can also lead to a change in behavior, mood swings and lead people to engage in risky behaviors that they

normally would not do if sober,” Hughes said. “Unfortunately what we sometimes encounter from students who choose to consume too much alcohol are physical injury (such as broken bones, etc.), criminal arrests for violations of the law and violations of the student code of conduct. These can all have serious long lasting effects on a student in several areas of their lives such as loss of personal integrity, loss of family and friends and loss of employment opportunities.”

NEWS | 4

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Here’s how the admitted freshmen stack up continued from pg 1.

Selected Freshmen GPA

Selected Freshmen ACT

Selected Freshmen SAT GRAPHIC BY JORDAN DUNN | MUSTANG NE WS

Thursday, May 21, 2015

ARTS | 5

The end of an era: Studio Video to close in June

ROSIE GUZMAN | MUSTANG NE WS

Rosie Guzman Special to Mustang News

Before there was Netflix or HBO or Hulu, there used to be a time when people would rent movies at video stores.

The times when a movie was chosen and it was agony to stand in line to check out the film while also checking out the popcorn and candy, knowing it would make a good night.

These days, it is rare to see a video store, and yet San Luis Obispo is one of the cities that held on to the traditional movie experience.

However, on June 30, Studio Video will be closing down after being in business for almost 26 years.

Brett Vanderlaan and Carlos Zaragosa, Studio Vide o e mpl oye e s , s ai d t he

closing of the store tugs at their hearts.

Stu d i o Vi d e o is man aged by Kenny Kim, who took pride in being one of the last video stores in San Luis Obispo.

Many of the customers also have an attachment to the long-standing movie store, and it came as a shock to some when they saw the sign hanging in front of the store saying it was closing.

“We’ve had someone cry and some people are really upset about it,” Zaragosa said. “I was kind of shocked to see how upset some people were, though many customers have been coming here since they were a little kid.”

Despite closing down after so many years, Kim will be “going out gracefully” and on his own terms. The shutdown is partially because business has been going down and he has

had small issues with the landlord, but according to his two employees, Kim is still happy with his life.

Vanderlaan and Zaragosa both said they would miss their customers.

“There are some very, very cool people out there,” Vanderlaan said. “It’s really cool seeing and hearing what people do.”

Z aragosa is on a firstname basis with many of the customers.

“I’ve seen some of the kids grow up. From being in a cradle to running around picking movies,” he said.

It’s going to be different seeing an empty space instead of the multiple movie posters sticking out of the glass windows and the vast array of movies stacked on shelves.

“The times are changing,” Vanderlaan said.

BLOCKBUSTED

| After nearly 26 years of business, Studio Video will close its doors this summer.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

ARTS | 6

Mad Max: Fury Road a breath of fresh air for action blockbusters David Llamas @CPMustangArts

Mad Max: Fury Road stars Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky, a post-apocalyptic desert survivor haunted by a dark past where Mel Gibson played his character. The first Mad Max film since 1985’s Beyond Thunderdome, Fury Road doesn’t expect moviegoers to be intimately familiar with Max’s past or any of the film franchise’s previous entries.

As Fury Road opens, Max is captured by the War Boys — a group of fanatical warriors who follow desert despot Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) — and becomes an unwilling blood donor for ailing War Boy Nux (Nicholas Hoult). When Immortan Joe’s lieutenant, Furiosa (Charlize Theron), goes AWOL during a routine gasoline run and takes Joe’s wives with her, Max and Nux join the War Boys in giving chase. Alliances shift and Max, Furiosa and Nux become involved in the search for “a green place,” all the while pursued across the desert by Immortan Joe and his cavalcade of war vehicles.

The action in Fury Road proceeds along a line, with any combination of cars, motorcycles or big rigs crashing into each other and creating opportunities for mayhem. Despite this seemingly simple formula, the movie’s action sequences

are unlike anything else in recent blockbusters. For lack of a better comparison, Fury Road feels like a combination of “Mario Kart” and Pirates of the Caribbean. Action featuring War Boys swinging from one vehicle to another and scenes in which Max has to fight his pursuers on the back of a big rig resembles the seafaring swashbuckling of the Pirates franchise in the best way. Also, the pure glee the movie’s chase scenes inspire evokes the nostalgia and chaos of “Mario Kart” without ever feeling anything like a video game.

While it does share some of the same chaotic energy that 1960s chase movies like It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and The Great Race had, Fury Road’s endless desert pursuit is something all its own. Unlike the lengthy epic comedies of the 1960s, Fury Road clocks in at a lean two hours and uses its run time wisely by never spending too much time in one place but always pushing forward.

Not only has Fury Road earned all its bombast — it owns it, from the lengthy chases to the score by Junkie XL. In contrast, one might think of Hans Zimmer’s recent film scores, which have featured unrelenting, omnipresent drums that threaten to drown out the image on the screen.

(You may have walked out of

The Dark Knight Rises or Man of Steel with your ears ringing and your stomach churning for this reason.) Junkie XL’s score features such drums as well, but in a stroke of campy brilliance, writer-director George Miller includes a rig in Immortan Joe’s cavalcade featuring four oversized drums with fanatical drummers beating away, and a guitarist strapped to a wall of amplifiers by bungee cords. Did I mention that his double-neck guitar doubles as a flamethrower? Whereas the music on its own may have elicited eye rolls from the audience, the inclusion of these oddities propelled the movie onward.

Though it has an R rating, Fury Road rarely disgusts, and its explosions are never gratuitous in the way Michael Bay’s Transformers movies are.

During a chase through a sandstorm in which Furiosa has to contend with the War Boys along with her environment, the destruction is muted and has a quiet beauty.

Some audience members may be disappointed that Hardy’s Max isn’t more prominent in the film — or “mad” enough.

(He’s more of a stoic, Clint Eastwood-esque man with no name.) Though the movie bears his name, Max is hardly the central character, and Fury Road benefits from this.

In fact, Theron’s Furiosa shines in a way that provides a pleas-

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS

ant change in the typically hyper-masculine action genre.

Apart from the first three Mad Max films, Miller has been responsible for more obviously wholesome movies like Happy Feet and Babe. The same director who gave us all the grotesqueries of Fury Road also co-wrote the heartwarming moment in Babe when James Cromwell’s farmer, Arthur Hoggett, sang and danced a jig for an ailing pig. In Fury Road, Hardy, Theron and their motley gang of runaways share a surprisingly similar affection — just in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and not a quaint farm.

QUICK FACTS Actors

Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Rating R Run Time

2 hours

Setting post-apocolyptic desert 98% fresh (Rotten Tomatoes)

Thursday, May 21, 2015 MUSTANG NEWS Graphic Arts Building Building 26, Suite 226 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

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Thursday, May 21, 2015 Publishing since 1916 “Knuckle sandwhich #dinnerdateswithnate”

OPINION | 7

2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup: US capable of strong showing Amelia Parreira @AmeliaParreira

Amelia Parreira is a journalism junior and Mustang News sports columnist. These views do not necessarily reflect the opinion or editorial coverage of Mustang News.

Last summer, millions of soccer fans watched as the U.S. Men’s National Team ended its journey to the championship of the FIFA World Cup with a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to Belgium.

This failure to advance to the quarterfinals left clouds of disappointment hovering in the U.S. atmosphere.

However, this summer could turn frowns upside-down as the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) competes for the FIFA World Cup title in Canada.

The Women’s World Cup has only been around since 1991, and the U.S. national team earned the championship title two times out of six previous appearances.

Now lo oking for a third championship, the USWNT is more than ready to score its way to the top.

Head coach Jill Ellis spent almost a year evaluating players and forming her team, according to an article featured on the Chicago Red Stars website.

Ellis announced the final roster for this year’s team in April, which hosts 23 players. This includes three goalkeepers, eight defenders, seven mid-

fielders and five forwards.

With each player packed with talent, a handful of them hold the keys to U.S. success.

One of the most promising, and certainly most experienced, team members is defender and team captain Christie Rampone. While many of the players will make their World Cup debut this year, it will be Rampone’s fifth appearance.

While it is beneficial to keep a younger team, Rampone proves she is the exception.

Turning 40 in June, Rampone will be the oldest on the team.

However, she is one of the most physically competent.

Even after a sprain this past season that made Ellis a bit skeptical about her recruit-

first appearance in a World Cup, Johnston has loads of high-quality soccer experience. She has been involved with the USWNT since she was a teenager, attending her first national soccer camp in 2006.

Johnston attended Santa Clara University, where she rose as a national star. In 2012, she was named the NSCAA First-Team All-American and a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist. She also competed in the U-20 World Cup that same year, and also received the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year award.

Another strong youngster to make the roster is 22-yearold midfielder Morgan Brian. Since 2010, Brian has received nearly 20 awards and honors, including the 2010 NSCAA Youth Player of the Year, NSCAA First-Team All-American in 2011 and 2012, and the 2013 Soccer America Player of the Year.

Brian helped her national team place third in the 2010 U-17 Wo m e n’s World Cup in Costa Rica and was also a part of the winning 2012 U-20 World Cup team.

One of the most important aspects to having strong defense is first reflected in a strong goalkeeper.

Luckily, the USWNT soccer team has that covered. With 33-year-old two-time Olympic gold medalist Hope Solo as goalkeeper, U.S. fans should be confident their team will go far. Even with personal conflicts that resulted in a short suspension from the

With the combination of young age and experience in a variety of players, the chemistry is sure to work in favor of the U.S. AMELIA PARREIRA

ment, Rampone rebounded quickly and remains one of the fastest players on the team.

Her energetic drive and nonstop passion are just what the U.S. needs.

Another player to watch for is 23-year-old defender Julie Johnston. Though this is her

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS

team this past year, Solo is still considered one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Solo has played for the USWNT since 2000 and currently holds the record for shutouts.

She also played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in both 2007 and 2011 and received the Golden Glove award for

best goalkeeper.

After taking a grueling loss in 2011, it seems hopeful the USWNT will see much more positive results in the 2015 FIFA World Cup. With the combination of young age and experience in a variety of players, the chemistry is sure to work in favor of the U.S.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

SPORTS | 8

ALYSSA R AZO | CAL POLY ATHLETICS FINAL LEG | Both the Cal Poly men’s and women’s track and field teams finished third at the Big West Championships. Athletes now await an invitation to compete at the NCAA West Regionals held in Austin, Texas.

SPRING SPORTS continued from pg 1.

Track and field The Cal Poly track and field program is quietly one of the most successful at the university. Led by head coach Mark Conover, also the decorated coach of the Cal Poly cross country team, the Mustangs went into the Big West Championships with three athletes as the No. 1 seeds in their events.

Additionally, 38 other Mustangs were in the top 10 of their respective events.

Once the weekend was over, both the men’s and women’s sides came away with third-place finishes.

Overall, 10 Mustangs earned all-conference honors, while 13 set personal records.

Cal Poly’s season is not completely over, though. The Mustangs will now await invitations to the NCAA West Regional meet, hosted by Texas in Austin from May 28 to 30. Multiple Cal Poly athletes are expected to compete.

Softball The Cal Poly softball team had a successful 2014 campaign, but the loss of numerous starting seniors proved too much to overcome for the 2015 squad.

The Mustangs had a roster consisting of one senior, two juniors and 13 underclassmen this year.

Despite the return of senior Emily Ceccacci and sophomore pitching ace Sierra Hyland, the reigning Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year, Cal Poly struggled to string wins together. After 45 games, the Mustangs balanced around the .500 mark with a 22-23 record.

Pitching depth doomed the Mustangs. Hyland was a workhorse, appearing in 46 of Cal Poly’s 55 games and tossing 257 1/3 innings. She pitched well, maintaining a solid 2.31 ERA, but a lack of offensive support saw her finish the year 17-22.

The workload seemed to show, and the young squad collapsed at the end of the year. The Mustangs lost their final 10 games, finish-

ing 22-33 overall and 5-16 in Big West play.

Men’s tennis The Cal Poly men’s tennis team featured a strong campaign by a top doubles team, but in the end the Mustangs were unable to reach postseason play.

Sophomores Ben Donovan and Corey Pang were dominant all year as a doubles team, usually helping Cal Poly secure the crucial doubles point. The doubles duo went 17-2 over the course of the year, marking one of the most successful doubles seasons in program history.

The Mustangs went 15-10 overall and 3-2 in conference as a team, good enough for the No. 4 seed in the Big West Tournament. After a 4-0 sweep of UC Riverside in the first round, Cal Poly ran into No. 1 seed UC Irvine in the semifinals.

Despite defeating the Anteaters 4-2 earlier in the year, the Mustangs fell 4-1, ending their season.

Cal Poly will lose seniors Naveen Beasley and Devin Barber, but

similar to the softball team, the men’s tennis program has a slew of young players. The other eight players are all underclassmen and will look to improve on the No. 54 ranking the Mustangs earned heading into their final match of the year.

Women’s tennis The Cal Poly women’s tennis team struggled this season, going 5-16 overall and 1-7 in conference.

The Mustangs went into the Big West Tournament as the No. 8 seed out of nine teams in the field. In the first round, they dispatched No. 9 seed UC Riverside 4-0 to advance to the quarterfinals, where they faced No. 1 seed Long Beach State.

Cal Poly found itself on the opposite end of the sweep against the 49ers, as its season ended with a 4-0 defeat.

With the only senior on the team being Hannah Stone, the Mustangs will return players with match experience and are poised to improve upon this season’s sub-

par record.

Men’s golf The Cal Poly men’s golf season featured mediocre results throughout the year, but one tournament changed the entire outlook of the campaign. In all tournaments this year, Cal Poly managed just two top-three finishes — a tie for third at the Nick Watney Invitational and a second-place finish at the Cal Poly Match Play event.

The season took a turn for the better at the Big West Conference Championships, held this year at San Luis Obispo Country Club.

As a team, the Mustangs finished sixth, but sophomore De Los Santos blazed the course on day three, shooting a one-under 69 to win the individual title by one stroke.

De Los Santos earned a spot in an NCAA regional and was in first place among individual competitors after two days, which would have advanced him to the NCAA National Tournament. However, De Los Santos fell apart on the third

day of competition, carding a 12-over 84 and free-falling to last place among individuals.

The top individual from each of six regionals advanced to the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship.

Women’s golf The Cal Poly women’s golf team had a solid year, though victory eluded it. The Mustangs secured two second-place finishes and two third-place finishes but were unable to take the top spot at any event.

By the end of the year, Cal Poly was primed for a solid showing at the Big West Conference Tournament, held at El Macero Country Club near Davis, California. The Mustangs showed well but settled for a fifth-place finish. UC Davis was the runaway victor at its home course, finishing 29 strokes ahead of second place.

Cal Poly is primed to improve next year, as it will lose no players to graduation.

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Thursday, May 21, 2015

SPORTS | 10

IAN BILLINGS | MUSTANG NE WS FINAL FRAME | The Cal Poly baseball team has the chance to finish the year above .500 and can finish as high as second place in the Big West Conference standings, depending on other results within the conference.

Cal Poly baseball closes 2015 season at UC Davis Mustang News Staff Report @CPMustangSports

Bragging rights are on the line when the Cal Poly baseball team faces UC Davis on the road for the final series of the season this weekend.

The Mustangs (26-25, 13-8 Big West Conference), who are mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, are tied for third in the Big West stand-

ings with UC Irvine. Both teams are three games back of conference-leader Cal State Fullerton, a squad that beat Cal Poly two out of three games in early April to own any tiebreaker advantage. UC Davis (28-25-1, 7-14) sits in a tie for seventh place with Cal State Northridge.

Cal State Fullerton’s sweep of Hawaii this past weekend kept the Titans three games up on the Mustangs with only three

games left in the regular season.

Cal Poly fell eight games below .500 at one point this year, but now have a chance to finish the season with a winning record. The Mustangs have gone 16-7 since their lowest point on April 4 and are five games above .500 in Big West play after starting the year 13-17 in non-conference action.

Despite having a winning record overall and sweeping its

first conference series against UC Riverside, UC Davis has lost 18 of its last 28 games to drop out of the Big West race. The Aggies are 2-9 in May and have been swept by UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine in that span.

Cal Poly has been led by junior second baseman Mark Mathias at the plate as he’s batting .386 since returning from labrum surgery on his right shoulder earlier in the year. Junior short-

BIG WEST

stop Peter Van Gansen, who’s started all 51 games, is batting .314 with 65 hits.

Senior left fielder Zack Zehner leads the conference with nine home runs on the season.

On the mound, junior starter Casey Bloomquist and true freshman left-hander Kyle Smith have provided an anchor on Fridays and Saturdays this spring. Bloomquist is 7-2 with a 2.80 ERA in 13 starts, while

Smith is 5-6 with a 3.81 ERA. Sundays have proved to be a trouble spot for Cal Poly’s rotation this season, though.

The Mustangs are 3-10 and have used seven different starters in the final game of a weekend series.

First pitch for the final series of the season is set for 2:30 p.m on Thursday and Friday and 1 p.m on Saturday from Dobbins Baseball Stadium.

OVERALL

W

L

PCT.

W

L

T

PCT.

H

A

N

Cal State Fullerton

16

5

.762

31

22

0

.585

15-8

15-12

1-2

UC Santa Barbara

15

6

.714

39

13

1

.745

26-7-1

13-6

0-0

UC Irvine

13

8

.619

31

22

0

.585

18-8

13-14

0-0

Cal Poly

13

8

.619

26

25

0

.510

17-11

9-14

0-0

Long Beach State

11

10

.524

28

23

0

.549

21-10

7-13

0-0

Hawaii

12

12

.500

21

29

0

.420

13-17

7-10

1-2

CSUN

7

14

.333

32

22

0

.593

18-8

14-14

0-0

UC Davis

7

14

.333

28

25

1

.528

14-8

14-17-1

0-0

UC Riverside

2

19

.095

13

39

0

.250

8-19

5-20

0-0

Data from BigWest.org

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