May 1, 2006 4 min read

Football

Bagwell signs with Rams

California University of Pa’s two-time NCAA Division-II All-American running back Antoine Bagwell signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams Sunday after the completion of the annual NFL draft.

He is the first Vulcan ever invited to play in the Hula Bowl and is just the third to play in a predominantly Division-I all-star game in this decade. He is also the second Cal player to be named a first-team AFCA All-American, along with wide receiver Perry Kemp in 1983. Kemp went on to a long and distinguished career in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns.

Bagwell ranked third in the country in scoring (15.2 points per game), fifth in rushing (158.8) and fifth in all-purpose yards (206.2) this season. He raised his 20-game career totals to 3,353 rushing yards, 3,956 all-purpose yards and 45 touchdowns and ranks second in Cal history in all three categories.

He tied a team record with five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in a game vs. Clarion, and he broke the Cal records for single-season touchdowns (25) and points (152) this season.

He rushed for more than 100 yards in 18 of his 20 career games (nine each season) and eclipsed the 200-yard rushing barrier six times. He also registered more than 200 all-purpose yards eight times while wearing a Cal uniform.

The only player in Cal history to be selected in the NFL draft is Elmo Natali (Cleveland, 10th round in 1953).

Other Vulcans who have played in the NFL after signing as free agents include Kemp, Terry O’Shea, a tight end for two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and defensive back Bob McDonough, who played for the Detroit Lions during the 1987 strike season.

Tennis

Chilingaryan wins PSAC

California University of Pa.’s Inga Chilingaryan avenged her only singles loss of the season with a shutout victory in the title match in the PSAC Singles Championship Tournament at Bloomsburg University.

Chilingaryan, the top seed in the tournament, downed third-seeded Lina Pavilonyte of Shippensburg in a semifinal match Sunday, 6-3, 6-2, then downed second-seeded Kerstin Kloeffer of Kutztown in the championship match, 6-0, 6-0.

Kloeffer downed Chilingaryan in the singles bracket championship at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) championships in the fall season. It is Chilingaryan’s only singles setback during the 2005-06 season.

Chilingaryan also beat Kloeffer in Cal’s 5-4 victory over Kutztown in the PSAC team tournament semifinals on April 23 at Shippensburg.

The two players will likely meet again Friday when third-seeded Kutztown and sixth-seeded Cal battle in the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament at Bryant College in Smithfield, R.I.

Baseball

Vulcans clinch first place

Robert Hedrick was the hero for California University of Pa. in its third-straight game vs. Slippery Rock, and senior Chris Doerschner finished the sweep of the four-game series with a complete-game victory as the Vulcans baseball team won twice at SRU and clinched the 2006 PSAC West title.

Hedrick knocked in what proved to be the game-winning run with a first-inning sacrifice fly, then moved from third base to pitcher to get the last out in the seventh inning as Cal won the opener 3-1. That win clinched the team’s fourth PSAC West regular-season crown in the last six years.

In the nightcap, Doerschner threw a three-hit shutout, allowing two walks while fanning eight in a 6-0 victory. The senior right-hander improved to 4-1 for the season.

Cal, ranked ninth in the region, improved to 33-16 overall, 17-3 in the PSAC West. The Vulcans broke the team record for wins in a season (32, set in 1994 and equaled in 2004), and set the team mark for most PSAC West wins in a season (previously 16 in 2001 and 2002).

The Vulcans will be the top seed from the West at the double-elimination 2006 PSAC championships, which begin Thursday at Boalsburg. Cal will face Mansfield, the third seed from the East, in the opening game at 9 a.m. Cal lost twice at Mansfield during the regular season, 2-0 and 6-5.

Volleyball

Myers coach of the year

California women’s volleyball coach Melissa Myers was named the College Women’s Coach of the Year at the Tri-County Sports Banquet Saturday.

Myers, a first-time winner of the award, guided the Vulcans to a 33-3 overall record in 2005, the second-highest win total in team history.

Cal upset defending champion Lock Haven in the PSAC Tournament for it’s first volleyball title in more than a decade. The Vulcans then advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.

Myers was also named the PSAC West and AVCA Regional coach of the Year each of the past two seasons.