Big West Athletes of the Week (9/6): Heath Reedy & Rosa Del Toro

Long Beach State 49ers Heath Reedy and Rosa Del Toro had great success in each of their respective races at the Asics Fullerton Season Opener. Both runners won their events and earned this season's first Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors.

Heath Reedy returns for his second year at Long Beach State with a great start being the first to finish with the top time of 25:0.4, 11 seconds ahead of second place Tyler Reed of Cal State Fullerton. 

Senior Rosa Del Toro led the 49ers women's cross country team to a second place finish after winning the women's 6K with a time of 22:03.7. Del Toro bested the second place finisher, Karen Rosas of Glendale, by nearly five seconds.

Cross country returns to action this week at the UC Irvine Invitational September 10th. Please visit longbeachstate.com for more information!

AVCA National Player of the Week: Josh Riley

Leading up to the MPSF tournament, senior outside hitter Josh Riley was named Sports Imports/ AVCA National Player of the Week. We recently caught up with Josh and asked about the award and his time at Long Beach State.

Black and Gold Insider: How did it feel to be named national player of the week?

Josh Riley: It was an honor to be named player of the week, but it was better to get the win up at Stanford. I would not have gotten the award if it was for not the team winning.

Can you give a bit of a recap of the season?

Josh Riley: The season was a great turn around from the 2010 season and we were very close as a team. We had some emotional wins and some emotional losses but over all the season was great.

What was your favorite part about playing volleyball at Long Beach State?

Josh Riley: My favorite part about playing volleyball at LBSU was hands down playing in the Pyramid and the guys on the team.

Does one memory in particular stand out over your career here?

Josh Riley: Going to the final four, or winning that first playoff game against Stanford.

What does it mean to bleed Black and Gold?

Josh Riley: It means the world to me because no one works harder than we do.

LBSU Athlete of the Week: Monica Villareal (4/25/2011)

Junior Monica Villareal finished in second place at the Big West Championship after recording a career-low 67 in the first round en route to earning this week's Long Beach State Athlete of the Week Award. The Black and Gold Insider sat down with Monica to talk about her impressive weekend.

Black and Gold Insider: How does it feel to be named the Long Beach State Athlete of the Week?

Monica Villareal: It is both an honor and privilege! I am very proud of our school, and the fact that I am the athlete of the week here at Long Beach State is a great feeling.

What was working well for you over the weekend when you were able to shoot a career low 67 at the Big West Championships?

Monica Villareal: I went out there with an open mind and no expectations, just another walk on the course for me. I was confident in my shot making and I made a lot of clutch putts. I have been practicing hard these past few weeks, and everything just seemed to fall into place at the tournament.

Who inspired you to play golf?

Monica Villareal: My awesome dad.

Do you have any pre-match rituals?

Monica Villareal: I mark all my golf balls with pink flowers, listen to classical music while warming up, practice my breathing exercises and say a prayer.

What does it mean to Bleed Black and Gold?

Monica Villareal: It means to play hard and work hard no matter what! Bleeding Black and Gold means having great honor and pride in Long Beach State and representing to the best of my ability- win or lose I Bleed Black and Gold.

Big West Athlete of the Week (4.11): Colin Dunbar

Colin Dunbar is selected as the Big West Athlete of the Week for his performance in the Big West Cup Challenge on 4.8.11. Dunbar's performance in the hammer at the event earns his spot in the LBSU history books as he is second only to Bill Green. Watch Colin talk about representing LBSU and how to throw shot put.

Student Athlete of the Week: Ceasar Puga (4.11.11)

Track and Field Discus and Shot Put extraordinaire Ceasar Puga is this weeks Long Beach State student athlete of the week. Puga's impressive performance helped lead LBSU set a meet record at the Big West Challenge Cup. Ceasar gave the Black and Gold Insider a few moments of his time to talk about his accomplishments on the track.

Cesar, you are Long Beach State's student athlete of the week for your performance at the Big West Challenge Cup, how does it feel to receive these honors?
It feels great, I was really happy when I found out that I was athlete of the week. I know that there were a lot of other athletes excelling in their sport and for me to get the award makes me feel good.

Not many people are familiar with your events, shot put and discus, how do you prepare for them?
One very important aspect of our training is our weight training. We spend almost as much time lifting weights as we do practicing our technique and throwing. We spend a few hours going over our technique, and a few hours throwing. It is important to be strong and explosive and it is also important to have technique.

Outside of track, what are your passions in life?
Well, one of my passions is exploring different restaurants from many different cultures. I enjoy trying all sorts of different food. I would have to say my favorite foods would have to be steak and seafood.

What is your major, what do you plan to do after graduation?
My major is Communication. What I plan on doing is working in the police force, but not as a regular patrol officer. I want to work for either the SWAT or the FBI or something along those lines.

What does it mean to bleed Black and Gold?
Bleeding Black and Gold means having pride and loyalty in my school and giving 100 percent effort in competitiveness.

LBSU Athlete of the Week: Ino Patron (4/4/2011)

This week's Long Beach State Athlete of the Week award was nabbed by freshman infielder Ino Patron. Patron was an integral part of a potent Dirtbag offense that exploded for 20 runs last Friday night. Coupled with a win on Saturday, the Dirtbags won their conference opening series against Pacific by outscoring the Tigers 30-7.

On the weekend Patron hit .667 and had an OBP of .786

 

Black and Gold Insider: How does it feel to be named Long Beach State Athlete of the Week?

Ino Patron: It is an honor to be named Long Beach State Athlete of the Week. A lot of guys on our team had a great week so I feel lucky to get this award.

How do you explain the 20 run outburst you guys had at Pacific? Were you surprised at all? How do you build on a highly successful day like that?

Ino Patron: We had a good game plan going into that game and Coach Gilbert prepared us really well for their pitchers. I think you will always be surprised when you put up 20 runs on a team, but I felt like we were due to have an offensive outburst because we were in tight ball games all year and never really got the bats going yet. You build on a successful day like that by continuing to work hard and preparing the right way and not worrying about results by staying in the present and focusing on winning every pitch.

What did you guys learn about your team playing the very tough non-conference schedule, and how do you think that experience will help you in conference play?

Ino Patron: We learned that we can compete with any team in the country and that we are not afraid what the other team’s jersey says. We go out there and play the game of baseball. This non-conference play will help us in conference play because we know how to win in tight games and we stick together throughout everything that happens in a game.

What's the atmosphere like around the team in the clubhouse and dugout?

Ino Patron: The atmosphere around the team and in the clubhouse and dugout is pretty loose. We all like to joke around and have fun. I think we have taken on the personalities of the coaches in a way and they keep us loving the game and getting down to business. When it comes to game time and practice we have to go to work and get it done.

What does it mean to be a Dirtbag?

Ino Patron: It is a privilege to be called a Dirtbag. It means to play the game hard and the right way. To bleed black and yellow and by the end of the game have some dirt on your jersey.

MPSF Athlete of the Week: Antwain Aguillard (3/28/2011)

Senior Antwain Aguillard locked up this week's MPSF and Long Beach State Athlete of the Awards by hitting a blistering .695 (41-0-59) with no errors in two wins over Pacific and Stanford on the road last weekend, setting a career-high with 24 kills against the No. 2 Cardinal in the win. The Black and Gold Insider caught up with Antwain to hear about his impressive weekend.

Black and Gold Insider: How does it feel to be recognized as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Molten Player of the Week?

Antwain Aguillard: To be recognized as the MPSF player of the week is a great honor to have. It is an award that our team shares together because it was not just an individual effort. We rely on each other a great deal to succeed and compete on a high level like we do.

You helped defeat No. 2 ranked Stanford with a career-high 24 kills, what was the key to that victory?

Antwain Aguillard: The key to this victory was sticking together, and staying cohesive after going down two games to one.

What do you think this team needs to continue to do in order to compete at this level?

Antwain Aguillard: For us to keep competing at this level, I think it is important that we take care of our side of the net. Hit our good serves, and get over the net to make good blocking moves.

You are a geography major, what is one place in the world you would love to have the opportunity to visit, and why?

Antwain Aguillard: I'd like to visit Chengdu, China because of my high interest in culinary arts. Chengdu is known for its extraordinary food.

How does your school pride affect your on the court performance?

Antwain Aguillard: My school pride affects my on the court performance for many reasons. First being that it is my last year and I want our program to be seen as powerful once again, therefore helping our future teams get highly rated recruits. Second, my school pride helps me to keep going because I, as well as my team, want to be national champions once again.

Even more Big West Athletes of the Week honored

So many Big West honors, such little time! Coriann Snyder and Klaudia Malenovska were the latest 49ers to garner conference recognition this past week.

Snyder, a freshman 2-Meter helped lead the 49ers to a 3-1 record at the LMU Invitational this past weekend.

No. 10 Long Beach State played four matches at the LMU Invitational, but Snyder was at her best when the team needed it the most, in a win over No. 18 Princeton and a near-upset of the host Lions, ranked No. 6 in the nation.

In the first match of the weekend against the Tigers, Snyder scored a pair of goals as the 49ers defeated Princeton 7-5. The freshman from Porterville, Calif., also scored a pair of goals as No. 10 Long Beach State nearly toppled No. 6 LMU on the road, losing 5-4, leading all scorers. In blowout wins over Sonoma State and CS San Bernardino, Snyder scored an additional goal while the 49ers primarily went to the bench throughout the second half of each contest.

 

Sophomore Malenovska earned Big West recognition after completing her first full week of competition, and won four matches for Long Beach State as the 49ers defeated Louisville before getting nipped by No. 30 Pepperdine 4-3.

Malenovska remained unbeaten in singles play, improving to 4-0 by winning two matches at No. 2 singles. First, Malenovska defeated Louisville's Mandy Brown 6-0, 6-3, before taking down Pepperdine's Ale Granillo 6-3, 6-4.

Malenovska also paired with Anais Dallara to win twice in doubles against both teams, helping the 49ers win the doubles point in each of their matches last weekend. The pair topped Fellerhoff/Shine of Louisville 8-5 before clinching a 2-1 doubles win against Pepperdine with a win over Issara/Zalameda 8-6.

Big West Track and Field Athletes of the week (3/21/2011)

For back to back weeks, Colin Dunbar and Tara Ross were named the men's and women's Big West Field Athletes of the Week the conference office announced Wednesday afternoon.

At the USC Invitational last Friday, Dunbar finished third overall in the hammer throw with a lifetime-best 213-06. That mark also ranks him third in school history. The following day, Dunbar competed in the shot put, discus and javelin at the Aztec Invitational. The Santa Barbara, Calif., native notched a runner-up performance in the shot put with a personal-record 54-05.50, while placing 12th in the javelin (159-00) and 13th in the discus (149-00).

Ross, meanwhile, was Long Beach State's top finisher in the women's javelin at the Aztec Invitational as she took second with a season-best 160-00. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native now ranks fourth on the 49er all-time charts.

Big West Pitcher of the Week: Erin Jones-Wesley 3-21-2011

Freshman phenom Erin Jones-Wesley continues to roll, as she picked up her third Big West Pitcher of the week award following a week of going 2-0 with an 0.47 ERA for the 49ers last week, including throwing a one-hitter in a 1-0 win over Illinois.

Here is a video interview with the young pitcher following another complete game shutout that she handed the Ohio Bobcats on March 23 in mid week action.

Athlete of the Week: Deborah Armstrong

Long Beach State senior, Deborah Armstrong, won her second Student-Athlete of the Week honor on the season as she won her 174th career match (against Colombia), making her the school’s all-time leader in victories.

Armstrong is a finance major, originally from England, who has been recognized with numerous accolades on the court since High School. Her High School World Junior ranking was 238, and she competed in 2006 Wimbledon Junior Championship. She has continued to impress since setting foot on the Long Beach State campus where she has received Big West honors every season.

Deborah came into the season 30 wins behind Hannah Grady for the all time combined (singles and doubles) category. Deborah has lead the Women’s team to an impressive 10-3 record on the season, while accumulating her own fantastic statistics and leaving her mark on school history by besting Grady’s record with 9 schools left to face this season.

During her interview with the Black and Gold Insider last month Deborah stated, “to bleed black and gold is to fight for every game and stay out on the court as long as it takes.” This past week’s performance proves that she will continue to do just that, while setting school records.

Big West Pitcher of the Week- Andrew Gagnon

LBSU pitcher Andrew Gagnon received multiple accolades this week for his stellar performance against #16 Arizona. Andrew struck out 7 over 7.2 innings, leading the Dirtbags to victory. Andrew is a junior majoring in communications who won the Friday Night Starter position last season. He sat down with the Black and Gold Insider to discuss his awards, the pronunciation of his last name, and his Beach Pride.

Big West Pitcher of the Week: Erin Jones-Wesley 2-28-2011

Another week, another Big West Conference Pitcher of the Week award for freshman phenom Erin Jones-Wesley. This past weekend in Palms Springs, Erin pitched three outstanding games; her first coming in an eight inning, five hit, one run (unearned) performance against Utah in which Long Beach State won 5-1. 

Erin then added taking down a top 10 team to her young resume, throwing a complete game, six strikeout performance against No. 6 ranked Oklahoma in route to a 2-1 victory for the 49ers over the Sooners.

Erin wrapped her weekend with a solid performance against Oklahoma State, but the 49ers fell 5-3.

This impressive weekend brings Erin's season stats to a 5-1 record with an ERA of 1.59.

The Black and Gold Insider caught up with Erin before she and them head off to San Diego to face another stacked tournament field.

Black and Gold Insider: You had another great weekend on the mound, what has been the key to your early success?

 

Erin Jones-Wesley: I think I have been successful so far because of the smart pitch selection chosen by my coaches, the great defense and offense my team has supported me with, and the connection I have with both catchers that allows me to feel confident with each pitch of the game.

Do you think your first outing where you pitched a complete game shutout helped boost your confidence and carry over to the other starts you have made so far?

Erin Jones-Wesley: Pitching a shut out in my first college outing definitely helped me believe I can do it, but I don’t really look at past games for confidence; in softball you really have to take it one pitch at a time. Softball is a really humbling sport, a person can be really hot one day, and the next day go 0 for 4 or pitch a bad game and get taken out. I’ve learned to never live through the past, and just to look forward to the future.

What's your favorite part of traveling to the different tournaments and getting to hangout with your teammates?

Erin Jones-Wesley: My favorite part of traveling would have to be the actual traveling part, sitting on a bus for long periods of time may seem terribly boring, but we all find a way to make it entertaining. The other freshmen and I get really silly and just talk in different accents and give everyone on the team and our coaching staff funny names. Oh, and of course, eating with the team. I love food!

What music do you like to listen to before you pitch?

Erin Jones-Wesley: It really just depends on my mood; sometimes I can just put my iPod on shuffle and just let anything play, which can range from: country to hip-hop to pop to songs performed by the cast of the TV show Glee. If I feel the need to really get pumped up though I play “I Made It” by Kevin Rudolf or “Successful” by Drake.

Who's the funniest girl on your team?

Erin Jones-Wesley: Everyone really has their funny moments, but I think the one person who makes everyone laugh if Christina Schallig without a doubt.

Are you excited for March Madness?

Erin Jones-Wesley: I usually stick to just watching the NBA, but I’ll be more excited if our basketball team goes through a few rounds! The only college basketball team I watch, or am interested in is Long Beach State. GO BEACH!

Big West Athlete of the Week- Megan Denio

Softball left fielder, Megan Denio, was awarded Big West Athlete of the Week honors for her performance in the Louiseville Slugger Desert Classic. Denio brought the team to a 2-3 record, and hit her first career home run. Her home run happened to be a grand slam, as she set the school record for most RBI in a single game with six.

Big West Pitcher of the Week: Erin Jones-Wesley 2-14-2011

Talk about a debut. After word came that Long Beach State starter Brooke Turner would not be ready to open the season because of injury, freshman Erin Jones-Wesley was asked to fill in the All-American's shoes and did she ever respond.

Erin took the hill in Saturday afternoon's game against Boise State, throwing a complete game shutout while striking out eight batters. Sunday, she was called upon to deliver again, facing off with the same Boise State team and delievered an eerily similar performance, again shutting out the Broncos and striking out eight batters.

The Big West Conference took notice of this outstanding debut, tabbing Jones-Wesley as their softball pitcher of the week.

The Black and Gold Insider caught up with Erin and asked about her big debut.

Athlete of the Week: Deborah Armstrong

Very quietly, the Long Beach State tennis team has become one of the most dominant and successful programs in school history. Over the past ten years, Beach Tennis has won seven Big West Titles and been a part of the NCAA tournament seven years as well. 

Leading this year's team is senior Deborah Armstrong. The Newcastle, England native was named to the All Big West Honorable Mention team last year, and is already off to a strong start to her 2011 campaign. This past week, Deborah tied the Long Beach State school record with 83 career doubles wins. She also had two wins in singles play, leading to a perfect 4-0 weekend and team wins over LMU and Cal State Fullerton. 

Deborah took some time out from dominating the tennis court to answer a few questions for the Black and Gold Insider.

Black and Gold Insider: How does it feel to be named LBSU Athlete of the week?

Deborah Armstrong: It feels good to be named Athlete of the week. There are so many great athletes at LBSU who compete hard every weekend too and it is nice to see that my hard work is recognized!

Your last doubles victory tied you as the all time leader in doubles wins at Long Beach State, what is it like to set a record like that, and what kind of approach do you need to take in doubles matches to be successful?

Deborah Armstrong: It means a lot to me to have tied this record.  I have been really lucky to have had awesome partners while I've been at LBSU so I have really enjoyed my doubles experience here. I think to be successful in a doubles match you need to have good communication with your partner and be able to pick each other up when things aren't going well.  

What has your experience been moving from England to the US and playing tennis here at Long Beach?

Deborah Armstrong: It's been an amazing experience! Living over here was a lot to get used to at first but I love California now.  Playing tennis here has also been a great experience! I've really enjoyed being on a team with people from all over the world and I'm really grateful that I get the chance to compete every weekend in amazing weather in such a nice place.  

What do you think has led to the success that Beach Tennis has had recently, and what do you guys need to do to keep getting even better?

Deborah Armstrong: I think that everyone on the team is really determined to do well this season and to prove how good we are as a team.  We have all worked hard over the fall to improve on different things from last season and it has been paying off recently.  

What does it mean to Bleed Black and Gold?

Deborah Armstrong: To bleed black and gold is to fight for every game and stay out on the court as long as it takes.

Antwain Aguillard- AVCA National Player of the Week

Antwain Aguillard was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week for January 31, 2011. The impressive middle blocker helped the 49ers to victory over Pacific and then No. 2 ranked Stanford. He had a season high 12 kills, and posted a .611 hitting percentage. Long Beach State is currently 6-3 overall, and 5-1 in conference play.

Hear Antwain discuss the team, his fondest volleyball memories, and what it means to play at Long Beach State below:

>

Athlete of the Week: Greg Plater

With so many teams and athletes competing in Division 1 NCAA basketball, leading the nation in any particular stat is impressive in and of itself, but when that stat is something as important and difficult as total three point shots made, the fact becomes even more remarkable.

Long Beach State's Greg Plater has that distinction, having currently made more three point shots than any other player in the country with 34 through his first 9 games. Plater poured in 11 three balls this past week on his way to setting a new career high in points with 22 against BYU-Hawaii last Thursday, and then chipping in 21 big points to lead LBSU in a come from behind victory against the previously unbeaten Boise State Broncos this past Sunday.

His outstanding outside shooting, and career nights made the senior from Salem, Oregon an easy choice for this week's Long Beach State Athlete of the Week. Check out this promotional video Greg shot with Coach Monson in the Long Beach State athletics offices. Coach Monson learns it takes a lot of work on and off the court for Plater to be the three point marksman that he is.

Big West Athlete of the Week: Caitlin Ledoux

Caitlin Ledoux led LBSU to two key victories over the weekend, averaging 4.22 kills and 2.44 digs per set while hitting .21 and along the way earned Big West Player of the Week honors.

Check out her Thanksgiving themed Athlete of the Week video below.

Big Week For Cross Country Athletes

Last week the cross country team took home three big honors as they took home three Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week awards in 2 weeks.

Raul Arcos and Kelly Caufield were named Big West Cross Country Athletes of the Week (10-27-10) for their performances at the Titan Invitational in Fullerton. Arcos posted a personal best 24:54 in the 8,000 meter-race. Caufield also posted a personal best of 18:46.2 for the 5,000 meter-race.

The week before, Rosa Del Toro was named Big West Cross Country Athlete of the Week (10-20-10) for her run at the Bronco Invitation in Sunnydale. Del Toro also competed in a 5,000 meter-race as she posted her own personal best of 17:16.6.

Watch to see the impressive trio interview each other:

This week LBSU named Cross Country star Matt Maldonado Athlete of the Week for his fourth place finish in the Big West Championships. In addition to being an impressive athlete, Maldonado also balances his school work and has been awarded multiple accolades for his successes on the field and in the classroom.

Watch him discuss his pre-race rituals here: