Behind conference championships in twice as many sports as any other conference school, Ventura College has won the Western State Conference Supremacy Award yet again.

Ventura won 2011-12 WSC titles in eight different sports -- women's basketball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and water polo, as well as men's swimming and tennis.

"We're very proud of the diligence of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, which produced such success on and off the playing field," said Ventura athletic director Will Cowen, "despite the strenuous fiscal climate."

Twelve of Ventura's 18 programs achieved a cumulative 3.0 grade point average. Several of its programs combined to raise more than $10,000 for local anti-cancer charities. Ventura was forced to make $125,000 in budget cuts for the 2011-12 school year.

The Pirates have won the award, which measures school's combined competitive prowess, for 14 straight seasons and 19 overall, both WSC records.

Ventura earned 116.0 points from 18 sports, topping Canyons (89.0), Santa Barbara City (81.0) and Cuesta (77.5). Moorpark finished seventh with 58.0 points. Oxnard finished 14th with 19.0 points.

On a statewide level, Ventura finished sixth in the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) Cup for the 2011-12 academic year.

Fresno City College took the statewide and national award, which measures how an athletic department achieves in regional and state competition.

"We're not there yet," said Cowen, "but we're approaching elite status as an intercollegiate athletic department on both the state and national levels."

Ventura won its first state championship in women's tennis in 2011-12, when women's swimming (third), women's basketball (tied for third) and men's swimming (fourth) also had impressive seasons.

Among CCCAA schools, Fresno was followed by Mount San Antonio, Orange Coast, Santa Rosa, Riverside and Ventura.

Ventura College women's volleyball coach Mandy Rodriguez cited family reasons when she resigned last month after seven seasons.

"I am at a place in my life where I am excited about watching my daughters grow up and being actively involved in their lives and extra curricular endeavors," said Rodriguez in a statement. "I have been very lucky to be a part of an amazing school and athletics program and for that I will always be thankful."

Rodriguez guided Ventura to a 72-74 record and the 2005 WSC North title after taking over from Miki McFadden in 2005. The Pirates were 4-18 last fall, its lowest win total since failing to win four matches four straight seasons from 1986-89.

"We are very appreciative of Mandy and her seven years of service at the College," Cowen said.

Oxnard College has hired assistant coach Allen Prieto as its third softball coach.

Prieto succeeds his former head coach Paul Garziano, who resigned after four seasons in charge.

The Condors were 65-76 in Garziano's four years, including third-place finishes in 2009 and 2010.

Despite swimming in three qualifying events, 19-year-old Ventura College swimmer Henry Chung came up just short of qualifying for this summer's Olympics in London.

"He gave great efforts," said Ventura coach Larry Baratte of the Pirates' triple state champion. "It's tight. That's why it's the Olympics. It's fast."

Chung, who competed in the Irvine Grand Challenge, Santa Clara Grand Prix and Hong Kong Olympic trials, was within a second of reaching Olympic qualifying standards for the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke.

"He's 19, he's very competitive and he has big goals," Baratte said of Chung. "He's got a bright, bright future

From being informed of the program's imminent suspension because of budget cuts to starting the season 3-9, the Moorpark College baseball team faced atypical obstacles this spring.

Yet the Raiders persevered to clinch a share of the Western State Conference title in the program's final scheduled game April 28.

Moorpark coach Mario Porto was rewarded for that run by being named Southern California Coach the Year by the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association.

"I've known Mario forever and quitting isn't part of his makeup," said Ventura coach Don Adams. "They had the (budget decision). That puts you behind the eight ball. Then came the bad start and it's getting worse, but he somehow kept them together and guided them to that championship."

Porto ended his tenure as Moorpark coach the same way he started it in 1990, with a WSC North title.

"Mario has always said it's about the kids," said Adams. "The kids did a great job, but they had to have a leader to guide them. He kept the team together. That was his part."

Porto, who is spending the summer coaching the Bethesda (Md.) Big Train of the Cal Ripkin Collegiate Baseball League, said the honor was special because of who bestowed it.

"When your peers give you something like that, it means something," said Porto. "I feel good because they did that. As I told them, I just did what anybody else would have done. Regardless of the situation, you coach baseball."

Moorpark won 10 of 12 games from March 23 to April 17 to chase down first-place Cuesta and earned a share of the title with a come-from-behind 6-5 home win over Hancock April 28.

"Coach Porto is tough as nails," said sophomore Matt Toczynski. "He convinced us that we had a season to play and we came together... All we could do was battle and we started putting things together.

"This was probably one of the best teams I've ever played on, just because of that feeling."

Moorpark freshman Nick Rogowski joined Porto on the honor roll. The Virginia native, who led the Raiders in both hitting (.336) and pitching (3-5 with a WSC-best 1.65 ERA), was named to the CCCBCA All-American team.

The WSC Gold champion Ventura College softball team placed two stars on the All-State team and another on the All-Southern California team.

Teresa Lemos was 26-6 with a 1.30 ERA and also hit .403 with a state-best 11 triples. The Rio Mesa High product was also named WSC Gold Pitcher of the Year.

Clarissa Samaniego hit a team-high .449 with eight doubles, five triples and four home runs

Raelene Moreno, the freshman third baseman from Oxnard High, was named to the All-SoCal team after hitting .430 and leading the team in doubles (11), home runs (6) and RBIs (40)

Moorpark may not play baseball next spring, but plenty of Raiders will. The sophomore trio of Toczynski, Taylor Kahanowitch and Kevin Brown have committed to Cal State Dominguez Hills.

All three are Marmonte League products. Toczynski, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound slugger from Simi Valley High, hit one of the team's three home runs. Kahanowitch, an outfielder from Westlake High, had nine doubles and several clutch hits, including the game-tying single in the final-day win over Hancock. Brown, a 6-foot-3 pitcher from Newbury Park, was 4-3 with a 3.83 ERA and was heroic on the final day, retiring 14 of the final 15 batters he faced to pick up the win.

Ventura only had a handful of sophomores this spring, but they are also moving on. Scott Zeman, the shortstop from Buena High who picked up four saves as a closer, will transfer to the University of San Diego. Lefty Dennis Doherty will pitch for Nebraska-Kearny. Also, Ryan Jones, an All-Southern California outfielder for the Pirates in 2011, is transferring from Concordia to Chico State.

Oxnard's outgoing transfers include shortstop Kevin Minjares (Oregon), outfielder Westley Wright (Chico State) and outfielder Jordan Yallen (Cal State Dominguez Hills). Closer Cody Kurz, a seventh round draft pick of the Oakland Athletics, has already signed a professional contract.

Cal FC's memorable Open Cup run enabled a band of free agents like Danny and Diego Barrera to step back into the spotlight and remind professional clubs of their capabilities.

The fourth-round match with Seattle Tuesday also allowed Cal FC coach Eric Wynalda, the Westlake High product, to go head to head with the man he credits with starting his playing career, Seattle coach Sigi Schmid.

"If you want to talk about the most ironic part about all of this," Wynalda said, "I don't have a career without Sigi Schmid."

Wynalda retold the story of how Schmid pulled a 16-year-old Wynalda into the Olympic Development system after he had been overlooked.

"I would have never been a soccer player if he didn't show up on a Saturday morning in Simi Valley in 1986, sit in a lawn chair and watch me play," Wynalda said. "That was the very beginning of my career.

"If there was any lesson I learned from Sigi Schmid, it was to trust your instincts, never give up on people and never stop looking because they're out there."

Schmid, who recommended the future all-time leading scorer to U.S. coach Bob Gansler, told his side of the story to the Seattle-area press.

"I've always felt he's had a ton of talent," Schmid told the Tacoma News Tribune.

"Eric's always been a very free spirited and independent individual, which, as a forward, was a very good quality to have because he had the little bit of independence of mind and thought and determination and belief in himself and it carried him an awful long way."

Following Seattle's 5-0 win, Schmidt recommended Wynalda yet again, telling Fox Soccer Channel cameras that the Cal FC coach had shown he could be a professional coach.

"Eric has shown that he can do a great job," Schmid said. "One of the biggest parts of coaching is recognizing talent and being able to bring players in that you think can play, then you have to give them belief. As a manager he's done that."

FC Hasental hosts one of its biggest matches of the season Saturday at Rancho Santa Susana Park in Simi Valley, when it hosts Western Conference-leading San Diego Flash at 5 p.m.

Hasental (3-5-1) is stuck on a three-match losing streak. Unbeaten San Diego (8-0-1), coached by Fox Soccer Channel analyst and former Newcastle United defender Warren Barton, has won seven straight.

"They're a tough team to play," said Hasental coach Eric Warner. "I think they're a lot like the Fusion, real direct with athletes all over the pitch. They just go at you for 90 (minutes)... It appears to be daunting."

But Warner hopes a big opponent will pull a big performance out of his team.

"We usually play better against better teams," said Warner. "I'm sure everyone will be focused... I know we'll show up to play. From that sense, it'll be a good game to watch."

The Ventura County Fusion regained first place in the Premier Development League's Southwest Division Wednesday by winning 5-1 at the Southern California Seahorses.

The Fusion (5-1-1) has won five straight PDL matches by an average margin of more than three goals per game.

"We've have a run of good scoring games," Fusion coach Ole Mikkelsen said.
With 16 points from seven matches, it holds a slender lead over FC Tucson (15 points, six matches) and Orange County Blue Star (14 points, eight matches).

That means tonight's trip to face the Blue Star at Concordia University in Irvine is a key match.

"It should be a tough game and the start time (5 p.m.) offers a few challenges," said Mikkelsen.

The Fusion was without many of its college stars Wednesday because of finals.

"It's really a critical time for their education," Mikkelsen said. "I do believe we'll have some of them available (tonight), not sure which ones yet."

Given the opportunity, several players made a case for more playing time.

"We had a lot of guys step up and played well," Mikkelsen said. "It's a testament to the depth of the squad and our ability to play different players every game, but still manage a good team outcome."

Bruising forward Chris Tsonis had a goal and an assist. Skillful attackers Tochukwu Nwankwo and Jamiel Hardward also scored fine individual goals.

"(Nwankwo) stepped right up and calmly bent the ball over the wall and into the goal," said Mikkelsen of the Nigerian's free kick. "It was almost comical how simple he made it look.

"Jamiel came in and really was electric at times when he was on the ball."