ac State athletics enjoyed a day of success that would be hard to match by any school on Sunday, April 28, when the Hornets captured four conference titles in a span of four hours.
The run began when the men’s tennis team defeated Eastern Washington, 4-0, in the Big Sky Conference championship match. The rowing team then followed by winning the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association team title at the Sac State Aquatic Center.
Not to be outdone, the men’s golf team provided the third crown by winning the Div. I Independent Golf Championship by 11 strokes. The final title came from the women’s tennis team which defeated Northern Arizona 4-0 for the Big Sky championship.
Overall, of Sac State’s 20 intercollegiate athletics programs, eight captured a conference championship during the 2006-07 season. The four winners on April 28 were joined by volleyball, men’s indoor track and field, and women’s golf, which each won Big Sky titles. Gymnastics also added its second consecutive Western Athletic Conference championship.
Sac State won its second straight Western Athletic Conference title and its seventh conference championship in the last eight years. Seven Hornets were named first team all-WAC, including Melissa Genovese, who had the highest individual finish at the NCAA West Regional in school history.
Sac State finished the 2007 season with a Big Sky Tournament championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. The Hornets have now won six Big Sky titles in the last 10 years. Freshmen Xavier Barajas-Smith and Anton Stryhas both were named first team all-Big Sky.
Despite a roster that featured just one senior, Sac State finished the 2007 season with the team’s sixth consecutive Big Sky Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Since 2002, the Hornets have won 42 straight Big Sky matches.
The Sac State women’s golf team claimed its first Big Sky Conference title and qualified for the NCAA West Regional. The team shattered the conference record for lowest score and won the event by an amazing 25 strokes. Senior Margaux Sheehan won the individual title.
The Hornet men won their first Div. I Independent Championship in April. Sac State finished 11 strokes ahead of the nearest team and was led by freshman Grant Norton. The team also finished first at the Diablo Grande Invitational where Scott DeBorba posted the lowest score. After winning the Big Sky indoor team title, the Hornet men nearly completed the sweep but finished second at the outdoor championships. The men had three individual champions— Raphael McFarlane in the 100, Jody Johnson in the 200 and Daniel Imlach in pole vault—and also won the 4x100 relay.
The Hornet women’s outdoor track and field team scored the second highest point total in school history at the Big Sky Championships. Nancy Searcy broke the school record in the 100-hurdles and was the conference champion.
Sac State won its second consecutive Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association team title. The team will lose just five studentathletes from a roster of 46 that was already considered one of the deepest in school history.
Sac State placed a school-record eight players on the all-conference team after finishing in second place with an 11-8 record in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. Overall, the team was 20-33, but finished the season strong, winning nine of the last 12 games.
Sac State qualified for the Western Athletic Conference tournament for the second straight season. Sophomore Gabe Jacobo emerged as the team’s top hitter, leading the team in average, hits, runs, RBIs, doubles and home runs. The season also featured a 6-0 victory at Stanford.
