Fall brings relief for Bronco fans

By Mike Kaufmann

As the spring season comes to an end, I can't help but feel a sense of overwhelming relief.

Relief, because that means that spring, as well as winter sports, are finally over.

Not to fault any of our winter or spring sports, but there was only one team that was exceptional over the past six months. And besides the women's water polo team, which climbed as high as 15th, no other sport was ever nationally ranked.

Perhaps I'm being too picky. Women's basketball won the West Coast Conference, albeit on the way to a first-round exit from the WNIT tournament. The men's golf team reached the NCAA West Regionals, but will not likely continue, as they are seeded 17 out of 27.

Our track team is composed of cross country runners and thus only competes in long distance events. The baseball and softball teams both hovered around .500 in conference play, but didn't do anything worth noting. And between the men's and women's tennis teams, neither could finish higher than third in the West Coast Conference.

All had admirable accomplishments, but none compare to those of our fall sports.

Our women's volleyball team was ranked as high as fourth in the nation, and made the NCAA Final Four for the first time. They also won the WCC with ease.

The men's soccer team, led by Mehdi Ballouchy, was ranked as high as 10th nationally. And after losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament to California, they left disappointed because they knew they should have gone further.

The women's soccer team saw much of the same, but climbed higher in the polls, reaching the vaunted top five. They ultimately found themselves in the NCAA quarterfinals for the 11th straight year.

And although the men's water polo team only finished with a .500 record, they still managed to be ranked 20th in the nation.

Have you started to notice a trend?

Now that our winter and spring sports are over, the Santa Clara athletic program can flex its muscles once again, and resume its traditional prowess in the athletic arena.

Should the winter and spring sports follow suit, Santa Clara would truly become an athletic powerhouse -- though it seems they are content being the red-headed step-child, as they continue to watch the fall teams dominate.

Contact Mike Kaufmann at (408) 551-1918 or mlkaufmann@scu.edu