The year in review: A look at 2006-07 sports

By Ryan Donough, Joe Doss-Antoun, and Nicholas Pinkerton

Fall Sports

Women's Volleyball

The women accumulated a 20-8 record en route to their ninth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. In the first round, however, the Broncos suffered a loss to the Missouri Tigers, whom they had defeated earlier in the season. The team was led by senior Anna Cmaylo, the program's second ever two-time All-American and two-time Offensive Most Valuable Player. Cmaylo was named to the All-WCC First Team, as she led the conference in hitting percentage. Senior Caroline Walters also earned All-WCC honorable mention for the third year in a row.

Men's Water Polo

The men experienced one of their more successful seasons to date. Despite going 14-16 on the season, the Broncos went 12-5 in the Western Water Polo Association. That record earned them a fourth seed in the WWPA Championships and a match versus fifth seeded Air Force. The Broncos emerged victorious but were eliminated in the second round by top seed UC San Diego. The team finished the tournament in fourth place, their highest finish ever in the WWPA Championships. Sophomore Jack Wall was named All-American Honorable Mention for his efforts in 2006.

Women's Soccer

The Broncos clinched the program's ninth WCC title after going 15-5-1 (5-1-1). Senior Marian Dalmy and junior Meagan Snell led the team to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, but were unable to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1994. The Broncos dropped their first round game to University of Southern California 1-0. Five Broncos were named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-West Region Team, including Dalmy, who earned first-team honors.

Men's Soccer

The team's regular season efforts earned them their first conference title since 2003 and a No. 10 seed in the NCAA tournament. As the No. 10 seed, the Broncos earned a first-round bye and the right to play the University of Washington in the second round. After eliminating the Huskies with a 3-2 overtime victory, they faced off against Indiana University in the third round of the tournament. The Broncos defeated the Hoosiers 5-4 in penalty kicks to advance to their quarterfinal match against Wake Forest. The second-seeded Demon Deacons held off the Broncos 3-1, ending their championship bid. Three Broncos were selected to NSCAA All-Far West Region Team, including junior captain Peter Lowry, who made the First Team. In addition, Erik Ustruck and Amaechi Igwe were drafted by Major League Soccer teams upon season's end.

Women's Cross Country

Senior Shannon Bell concluded one of the most illustrious careers the program has ever seen. Along with Bell, freshman Annie Murphy-Hagan set many personal records to help anchor the team. The women's team finished fourth at the WCC Championships and 20th at the NCAA West Regionals.

Men's Cross Country

Juniors Chris Gumbs and Michael Delaurenti led the men's team. The Broncos saw strong efforts from freshmen Alex Harkins and Stephen Koch, who consistently placed in the top five all season. The team finished third in the WCC Championships and 20th at the NCAA West Regionals.

Winter Sports

Men's Basketball

The men's team finished with a 21-10 overall record and a 10-4 conference mark, earning them second place honors in the West Coast Conference. The season's highlight was a win over Gonzaga on the road, snapping the Bulldogs' 50-game winning streak at home and giving them their first loss at McCarthey Athletic Center. Still, the Broncos fell one game short of an NCAA tournament bid, losing to Gonzaga in the championship game of the WCC tournament. Senior forward Sean Denison was named WCC Co-Player of the Year and received All-WCC First Team honors and All-American Honorable Mention from the Associated Press, an award given to only 48 players in the country.

Women's Basketball

The Broncos finished 13-17 in the regular season with a 5-9 conference record, placing them sixth in the WCC. They were defeated by Loyola Marymount in the first round of the WCC tournament. Senior guard Chandice Cronk led the WCC in scoring at 16 points per game, while finishing fifth in the nation in three-point shooting with 94 made overall. This mark also set both WCC and Santa Clara single-season records in three-point shooting.

Women's Water Polo

The women's team had another successful season, finishing 22-14 overall in the Western Water Polo Association and posting a 16-5 conference record. Seniors Kristin Barnes and Katie Radvanyi were named to the All-WWPA First Team. Senior Andrea Evans was named to the Second Team. They Broncos defeated CSU San Bernardino in the first round of the WWPA Championship. After losing in the semifinals to Loyola Marymount, the Broncos lost a close third place match to UC Santa Cruz, finishing fourth place in the WWPA. The Broncos finished the season ranked 16th in the nation, the second highest ranking in their history. Head Coach Keith Wilbur was named the WWPA Coach of the Year.

Spring Sports

Men's Baseball

The Broncos finished with a 27-29 record, placing fifth in the West Coast Conference behind the University of San Francisco. Santa Clara compiled a 9-12 conference mark and finished the WCC regular season with a victory over sixth-ranked San Diego. The Broncos also completed a two-game sweep of Sacramento State at home in their final games of the year. Freshman Tommy Medica led the Broncos in batting average, and four other players batted over .300. Designated hitter Carl Bacon was named to the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-District VIII First Team.

Women's Softball

A young women's team struggled through a 12-47 season that included a 5-15 conference mark, finishing last in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. The team included ten freshmen and just two seniors, leaving the squad without the experience needed to win close games. The Broncos did, however, manage to set a school record for home runs during a single season. Senior Angela Kabanuck led the team in batting average and home runs. In the first weeks of the season, the Broncos nearly upset Fresno State, one of the top teams in the country, losing in the 12th inning. The Broncos also had stellar pitching performances in the NIST tournament against non-conference opponents.

Women's Tennis

The Broncos finished with a 51-70 singles record and 27-28 mark in doubles. Erika Barnes and Casey Knutson played No. 1 doubles all year and finished with an outstanding record of 18-5. They were named WCC Doubles Team of the Month for April. Knutson and Kim Daniel also performed well in singles, finishing with a combined record of 20-19. Overall, the team had an 8-12 record, including a 2-5 conference record and an impressive 7-4 home record. Knutson made the All-WCC Second Team and Daniel earned an All-WCC Honorable Mention. The Barnes and Knutson pair made Second Team for the All-WCC doubles.

Men's Tennis

The mens's team finished strong in both singles and doubles, with overall records of 95-62 and 50-30, respectively. The pairing of Jan Macek and Bobby Rasmussen, along with the team of Robert Gallman and Blane Shields, proved effective, producing a combined record of 27-9. On the singles side, juniors Shields and Rasmussen, along with freshman sensation Jay Wong, finished with a dominant combined 45-16 singles record. After defeating Loyola Marmyount in the opening round of the WCC Championship, the Broncos lost in the semifinal round to San Diego and later fell to Saint Mary's in the third place match.

Men's Golf

The Broncos finished in a fifth-place tie with University of San Francisco at the WCC Championships. The men nearly secured a second place finish, but ended up eight strokes behind University of San Diego. Highlights of the season included Kellen Moss and Jong Yoon's daily low rounds at the Anteater International and Del Walker Intercollegiate tournaments, respectively. Yoon's play earned him a spot on the All-Conference team.

Women's Golf

The women placed fourth in the West Coast Conference, finishing just one stroke behind Gonzaga. Freshman Jamie Nonaka had the tenth-best score in the field; junior Hilaire Fouts finished 13th, and senior Samantha Trask tied for 14th. All three players received All-Conference Honorable Mention. The Broncos totaled four daily low scores on the season. They also took first place in a tournament against San Francisco and Harvard University.

Track and Field

The Broncos continued breaking records in their third season as an official NCAA-sanctioned sport. On the men's side, junior Mike Delaurenti led the Broncos, breaking school records in the 5000 meters and the 3000 meter steeplechase. Delaurenti ran a record setting 14:46 for the 5000 meters and would later break the school record in the steeplechase, running 9:19. On the women's side, sophomore Veronica Vasquez led the Broncos with two record-setting runs. Vasquez broke the school record in both the 1500 meter and 5000 meter events, running 4:42 and 17:40, respectively.

Contact the sports staff at (408) 551-1918 or sports@thesantaclara.com.