After a long career as SBCC‘s cross-country and track coach, Robin Paulsen came out of retirement to serve one season as interim track coach and it turned out to be a memorable one.

Before the 2008 campaign, he was inducted into the California Community College Hall of Fame and after the season, Paulsen was named the WSC Men’s Coach of the Year. “It was humbling but neat,” said Paulsen, whose Vaquero men took fourth in the WSC meet.

Paulsen said he didn’t know what to expect when the season began. “I knew my relays should be strong and the hurdles deep and strong,” he said, “but there were clearly holes in jump quality and depth. We had a ‘stopper’ in the PV with David Williford, in the TJ with Julian Young. The throws (shot and discus) were limited and not real strong. We received a godsend when Tommy Sheriff transferred from the University of Wyoming for the hammer and javelin. He placed 15th in the SoCal Decathlon, his first ever. So he picked up points in a variety of events in mini-meets. The distances were not strong, except for David Meyer.”

Sprinter Matt Crego had a spectacular day at the WSC Finals, taking first in the 400 in a season-best 48.78, third in the 200 (22.58), running the second leg on the victorious 4-by-100 relay squad and anchoring the 4-by-400 unit to a third-place finish. Crego was voted MVP of the track team and SBCC Male Athlete of the Year for all sports. Magnus Moa won the Coaches Award after recording the fastest 100-meter time for the Vaqueros this year (11.13) and the second-fastest 200 (22.83) behind Crego’s 22.34. Crego’s 48.78 in the 400 was the fifth-fastest in school history.

The women’s team struggled with numbers and talent. “I usually recruited on campus and did very well, but I didn’t have time to do that,” Paulsen said. “I did round up a number of girls, only to have them quit when they found out the intensity of the work.”

Angelica Smith had a solid season in the hurdles, and her 1:07.63 in the 400 hurdles was No. 4 on SBCC’s all-time list. Kelli Johnson cleared 5 feet, 2 inches in the high jump (No. 6 in Vaquero history). She was first in Southern Cal and ninth in the state meet with a 5-foot-1 clearance. “Veronica Balue came from nowhere (she had never thrown before) to third on the Top 10 in the hammer (113-2),” Paulsen said. “Milocka Tshibingu did OK in the javelin (eighth all-time, 108-10) and hammer before dislocating her shoulder.”

Paulsen said most of the team will return next year, although they are losing Crego, Moa and Meyer. Sprinter Ernest Walker is moving on to UCSB. Angelica Smith may compete in Europe in the spring. Ex- Cal Lutheran coach Scott Fickerson was named SBCC’s cross country and track coach in May.

“My goal was to not let the kids get ‘interimed,’ ” Paulsen said. “They deserved excellent coaching. … As you remember, I retired angry (the first time). The program was being undermined, and I didn’t want to be a part of its destruction. What happened this season is that I got the positive closure I missed then and felt a great sense of personal worth that often is missing in retirement. Hall of Fame recognition, a chance to do what I loved. For a while, I was 45 again, not 66, though I often went home feeling 105. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to do it one more time. I will miss working with the kids.”

Dave Loveton is SBCC‘s sports information specialist.

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WSC FINALS
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Men: Moorpark 194 pts, Canyons 145, West L.A. 125, SBCC 82, Santa Monica 67, Ventura 63, LA Valley 43, Bakersfield 42, Glendale 40, Citrus 38, Cuesta 35, Onxard 34, Hancock 8.
Women: West L.A. 207.5, Glendale 140.5, Bakersfield 119.5, Moorpark 87.5, LA Valley 76, Ventura 70, Canyons 67, Cuesta 57.5, Santa Monica 21.5, Hancock 21, Citrus 16, SBCC 15, Oxnard 10.