Ned Mircetic became the first coach from a California school named community college national Coach of the Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association on Monday night at a banquet in Salina, Kan.

Also named the California state co-Coach of the Year for the third time and the WBCA Region 8 Coach of the Year, Mircetic will be honored next month at the NCAA Division I Women's Final Four in St. Louis.

From today's paper.

Ventura freshman Erika Ward, a Royal High product, earned a place on the Great Eight's all-tournament team for her team-high 15- and 31-point performances in the Pirates' games with Foothill and Pasadena.

MVP -- Kinyada Johnson, Pasadena
Melia Basavand, Pasadena
Easter Faafiti, Pasadena
Natalie Montes, San Joaquin Delta
Jessica De La Cruz, San Joaquin Delta
Erika Ward, Ventura
Jazmin Holmes, CCSF

Ventura College women's basketball coach Ned Mircetic was named the state co-Coach of the Year for the third time this morning at a meeting of the California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

San Francisco coach Jamie Wong was honored as the co-Coach of the Year from Northern California.

Ventura and San Francisco have combined to with their first 50 games this season. Ventura is 34-0 and CCSF started 26-0 before finishing 33-3 after Friday's loss to Pasadena City.

Had the Rams prevailed in the overtime contest, the two Coaches of the Year would be matching wits tonight.

Mircetic previously won the award in 1996 and 1998.

Former Ventura College star Indira Kaljo, averaging 9.2 points per game for Tulane despite playing the sixth-most minutes on the team, was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year Wednesday.

The preseason Lou Groza Award watch list includes USC senior David Buehler, who scored 100 points last season and converted 16 of 19 field goals.

The Anaheim Canyon High graduate played against Moorpark College when he kicked for Santa Ana College.