Jacks take second match win in doubleheader after falling to Cal State East Bay in the first game
Humboldt State women’s soccer hosted a doubleheader over the weekend against Cal State East Bay and Cal State Monterey Bay. Game one resulted in a loss against East Bay, but the Jacks were able to secure a win against Monterey Bay in overtime.
An early set of goals by East Bay prevented the Jacks from getting on the scoreboard until the last few minutes when redshirt senior midfielder Pikake Hix scored. However, the Jacks did not find another opportunity to score throughout and lost 1-2.
During their match against Monterey Bay, the Jacks were off to a fast start and constantly found players down the field. With the absence of the ball in their zone, HSU goalkeeper Katelin Talbert, and the defense, found control and settled the flow of the game.
“They weren’t pressing our backline as much as other teams so we were able to play more in the back,” Talbert said. “It was a lot easier to relax and get everyone calm.”
Consistency from both teams didn’t let up as the first half winded down. Monterey Bay attempted a shot at goal with eleven minutes left, but Talbert slid and blocked the oncoming shot resulting in a recovery of the ball.
The horn sounded off to signal the end of the first half, and the Jacks did not show any signs of wear. Within ten minutes into the second half, the Jacks set up for another shot on goal but it went over the net. Traffic in the Jack’s zone accumulated and resulted in a goal, but it was ruled offsides and the game remained scoreless.
HSU played Cal State Monterey Bay at College Creek Field and beat the Otters in overtime 1-0. | Photo by Liam Warner
The pressure put on by the Jacks’ offensive tactics were beginning to create disarray in the final minutes of the second half which resulted in Monterey Bay receiving a yellow card.
Conclusion of the second half and a scoreless game resulted in the Jacks going into overtime. When both teams can’t score in two ten minute periods, then the game ends in a tie.
As overtime began, Jacks players began maneuvering the ball down to Monterey Bay’s zone. A quick play set up by midfielder Kelsey Bess resulted in Kendal Spencer scoring the game-winning goal, and ending the match with the 1-0 Jacks win.
After the match, Spencer mentioned that she has been out with an injury for the last three weeks and returned this weekend ready to play.
“We needed this win to set the tone,” Spencer said. “This is my first weekend back from being injured for 3 weeks. I was really fired up and wanted to come out.”
Jacks’ soccer will hit the road this weekend to face Cal Poly and Cal State San Bernardino. With the season winding down, Coach Paul Karver is focused on his players finishing the season strong.
“Right now we’re focused on going down there and getting points out of the games that are left on the table,” Karver said.
Jacks lose sixth straight game, this time against San Francisco State University
The Jacks lost their sixth consecutive game Saturday night. With the 1-3 loss, Humboldt State moves to 1-6 in conference play which leaves them second to last in the CCAA standings as they approach the halfway point of conference competition.
Summer Hansen led the team with 12 kills for the night while Lenox Loving found herself in the double digits again with 10. Odelia Ryan pulled out 30 digs during the match, followed by Loving who had 22.
Riley Tishlarich sets the ball for her teammates during the Jacks’ match against San Francisco State on Oct. 12 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Humboldt State put themselves behind early on in the first set, giving up six straight points to the visitors allowing the score to stretch out to 12-7.
Throughout the remainder of the set, the Jacks never managed to string together consecutive points. San Francisco took the opening set with a score of 25-13 as Humboldt did not respond fast enough to their defense.
Not much changed for the Jacks as they started slow in the second set and conceded the first four points. Humboldt found their offensive groove result in an impressive eight-point run and the Jacks took the second set 25-21.
Outside hitter Lexi Riggs jumps into the air to put the ball back over the net during Humboldt State’s match against San Francisco State on Oct. 12 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Humboldt changed things up and came out swinging hard at the start of the third set. The Jacks were able to hold their lead for much of the set. It wasn’t long before the Gators tied it up at 20-20.
What followed was a blistering back and forth that saw the score at 24-23 in favor of the visitors with 25 points needed to take the set. In a moment that stunned the Humboldt State athletes and fans alike, outside hitter Lexi Riggs hit the ball over the net and was initially awarded a kill before the referee reversed the decision, calling the ball out of bounds and allowing San Francisco to take 2-1 lead over a now frustrated Jacks team.
The home crowd reacts to an overturned call that led to the Jacks losing the second set during their match against San Francisco State on Oct. 12 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
The fourth and final set of the night saw an agitated Humboldt team consistently outplayed as the Gators capitalized on the home squad’s frustration to a much higher degree. In a quick series of plays, San Francisco built themselves an 11 point buffer that almost entirely neutralized any momentum that Humboldt may have established in the previous set. The Jacks only managed a few scoring runs, and the Gators finished off the set 25-14 and took their first win on the road for the season.
After the game, Head Coach Kelly Wood was frustrated with her team’s performance, indicating that there wasn’t enough grit in their play during the match.
“Overall, our team does not have enough of a competitive spirit,” Wood said. “We don’t play with toughness. We’re too nice out there on the court. Great group of girls, but we get out there, and we are just allowing teams to manhandle us basically, and I’m very frustrated right now with our performance.”
For these three athletes, weightlifting is more than just exercise, it’s a lifestyle
While many people are still sleeping or barely getting ready at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning, powerlifter Lecsi Prince opens the doors of Arcata Health Sport and walks towards the weightlifting cage.
Prince warms up in the open-air weightlifting area and slides four 45 pound plates, two 25 pound plates and two 10 pound plates onto a bar. She pauses in front of the bar now loaded with 295 pounds. Prince clears her mind, sucks in a deep breath, bounces on her toes, quickly leans in and heaves the weight up onto her shoulders. Keeping her legs stable and her toes pointed out, Prince dips down slowly and up again. After three reps, Prince sets the bar down and exhales.
Kinseology major Lecsi Prince prepares for her morning workout at HealthSport at 8 a.m. Prince is a powerlifter and has osteoarthritis with a dream of changing the lives of people through exercise. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Twenty-three-year-old Humboldt State University student and kinesiology major Prince has four years of powerlifting experience. At 14, doctors diagnosed her with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the joints. It didn’t stop her from playing tennis in high school, and it doesn’t stop her now.
“I’ll have arthritis flares that will make it hard for me to even hold the bars,” Prince said. “So I’ve hit points where I go to the gym into a bench day and I can’t even wrap my fingers around the bar.”
When her joints are in too much pain and she’s unsure whether to take painkillers, Prince said she decides to not train for a day. Instead, she finds other activities that benefit her health; sometimes she hikes and other times she goes to the sauna as a means of heat therapy.
“On those days, it’s all a mental game,” Prince said. “My thoughts are that I’m so frustrated and I can’t do anything. It’s this draining helplessness. I’m not able to lift, but I can do something else healthy.”
Like Prince, Olympic weightlifter Luis Ruiz and women’s strength and conditioning coach Sierra Lathe are no strangers to overcoming their bodies’ barriers.
The three weightlifters have conditions and injuries they constantly work through to improve their form and records. Ruiz deals with recurring pinched nerves and Lathe has pre-existing injuries she sustained while playing sports in high school. Their injuries become more prevalent if they are not as cautious.
Sierra Lathe, the stength and conditioning coach for womens and mens crew teams, snatches 95 lbs while in the Student Recreation Center at Humboldt State University. Lathe graduated HSU in spring 2019 and now finds herself as a coach teaching athletes how to perform and train well. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Twenty-two-year-old Lathe works as a staff member for the Student Recreation Center at HSU. She graduated spring 2019 with a major in psychology and minor in child development. Lathe has a combined eight years of powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting experience.
As a former HSU athlete, Lathe now finds herself on the other side as the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s and women’s club crew teams.
“I still lift, but not as much because I don’t have time,” Lathe said. “Coaching is a whole other ball game. It’s definitely more fun teaching people how to do it now because I’ve done it for so long.”
She explains that Olympic lifting is more precise movements that use different parts of powerlifting together while powerlifting is “getting real big and strong” through three main exercises: squatting, deadlifting and benching. This is something Ruiz knows all too well.
Ruiz, 24, competes in national Olympic weightlifting competitions such as the USA Weightlifting Nationals, USA Weightlifting American Open and University Nationals. Ruiz placed second at the 2019 University National & placed fifth at the Under 25 championship in March. He can back squat 615 pounds and can do Olympic weightlifting movements like the snatch with 319 pounds and the clean and jerk with 405 pounds.
He says the pinched nerves are something that his body deals with on its own.
“I won’t be able to do everything that I need to and I definitely can tell in my body,” Ruiz said. “Part of it is that doing this for five years, ten years, or however long you do it, it definitely will take a toll on your body.”
Injury and pain is something Ruiz knew would be part of the bodybuilding process, but if given the opportunity, Ruiz wouldn’t change a thing.
“My mom thinks it’s a dangerous sport and she wishes that I wouldn’t put my body through what I do put it through,” Ruiz said. “But they’ve never told me that I needed something else to do. They understand that this is how I stay active and happens to be something I’m good at and so I compete in it.”
Prince and Lathe said they experience different issues as women athletes.
Sierra Lathe, the stength and conditioning coach for womens and mens crew teams, holds 110 lbs over her head while in the Student Recreation Center at HSU. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Lecsi Prince places knee wraps on themselves in preparation for 300lb squat. | Photo by Jose Herrera
Kinesiology major Lecsi Prince lifts and readies to squat 210lbs out in the cage at HealthSport during her early morning workout. Prince has osteoarthitis but continues to exercise because it’s their lifestyle. | Photo by Jose Herrera
“You have all these expectations as a woman,” Lathe said. “If you’re too strong, it’s too much. And if you’re too nice, it’s not enough. So, being able to be an athlete for so long feels pretty good.”
Lathe said people, generally men, stare when she trains, but that she’s used to it as a woman in sports.
“Especially if you’re someone who knows what you are doing,” Lathe said. “You’re either judged or not taken very seriously even though you know what you’re talking about.”
There are also moments where men approach Lathe about random things, sometimes assuming she needs help or to make comments that aren’t appropriate for a conversation with a stranger.
But looking past those moments, Lathe says there’s a lot of community and support in the gym environment, especially from women. And Ruiz says that although weightlifting is an individual act, there’s a lot of teamwork behind the scenes from the coaching and competitive aspect of training partners.
“I think it’s super important to have people that you train with because it pushes you to have friendly competitions within training,” Ruiz said. “To have someone who’s in your same level and train with you, I feel like you benefit more because of the little competition that you guys have.”
If anything, I’d give up free time outside of school and my job to be able to train than to have a social experience. Because the gym at this point has become where I met a lot of my friends.
Luis Ruiz, Olympic Powerlifter
Lathe and Prince share the same sentiment as Ruiz and agree that the people you train with and spend time working with to achieve similar goals become your greatest allies.
“If anything, I’d give up free time outside of school and my job to be able to train than to have a social experience,” Ruiz said. “Because the gym at this point has become where I met a lot of my friends.”
HSU Athletics strength and conditioning coach and kinesiology lecturer Drew Peterson works with a variety of students with different skill levels who come through the Student Recreation Center.
Peterson said that Prince, Ruiz and Lathe achieve great feats of strength and he believes physical strength is the key to activity and fitness.
“Anybody can get stronger and change your physique and increase your physical capacity,” Peterson said. “It just takes getting in here and doing a good job being consistent and staying on a structured program.”
Weightlifting comes with a set of drawbacks just like any other sport, but it remains a therapeutic process for Prince, Ruiz and Lathe. And the next day the three of them do what any average weightlifter does to get better – train again.
“I have a different perspective than most because my body does limit me,” Prince says. “For me it’s more of a therapy. It’s more of that I can push my body to this and nothing else in the world matters other than me just in the moment doing what I love.”
Humboldt State’s Lenox Loving establishes herself as a top volleyball player
Watching the Humboldt State volleyball team this season, it’s impossible not to notice the Jacks’ breakout performer Lenox Loving.
Standing at 5’9″, the sophomore from Fair Oaks, California isn’t the tallest player on her team in a sport that is often dominated by height. Loving makes up for that with pure athleticism and an unrelenting work effort noted by her teammates and coaches. In her second season at the collegiate level, Loving has found a regular home in the Jacks’ rotation and seems poised to solidify her place as one of the team’s top scorers.
While fans of Humboldt State volleyball may find it difficult to imagine the women’s team without the offensive powerhouse of Loving, her decision to play the game in college wasn’t made easily. Her interest in the sport initially came from watching her sister play in tournaments, which made her want to try it out for herself.
With Loving in the center, the Humboldt State volleyball team encourages each other after being scored on in their match against Cal State Bernardino at Lumberjack Arena on Sept. 21. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Loving waits to recieve a serve from Cal State San Bernardino while on the back row during their Sept. 21 match at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Loving takes a moment to prepare for a serve during the second set of the Jacks’ match against Cal State San Bernardino at Lumberjack Arena on Sept. 21. | Photo by Thomas Lal
“I also did soccer and track growing up,” Loving said. “So I didn’t know what sport I wanted to play in college. It wasn’t really until my sophomore year in high school that I really decided that I wanted to play in college.”
Loving began establishing herself in a hitting role during her junior and senior year with Zara Budenbender, her coach at Bella Vista High School. Budenbender coached Loving from the time that she made varsity as a freshman and knew her from coaching Loving’s sister. Budenbender believes that Loving’s ability to adapt to the game situation and be effective from all areas of the court is what put her ahead in a highly competitive club volleyball environment.
“Her senior year we also worked more on her hitting out of the back row,” Budenbender said. “So she was an attack front row or back row. She was just someone who was consistently putting the ball in the court and putting it away. So not just hitting it in, but with force that other teams couldn’t return.”
“She’s a skilled player already. But she’s making big strides because of a combination of being very coachable and having a good skill set and great athletic ability.”
Kelly Wood, Head Coach for HSU’s Volleyball Team
Despite a freshman season for Loving which saw her with only 54 kills, she bounced back and worked hard over the summer and the weeks leading into the preseason. At the time of writing this article, Loving had 104 kills in just 29 sets played. Much of her work in the spring and summer revolved around playing doubles outdoors. Head Coach Kelly Wood feels that this is one area in particular that has proven to be a strength for Loving and allowed her to elevate her game.
“She’s a skilled player already,” Wood said. “But she’s making big strides because of a combination of being very coachable and having a good skill set and great athletic ability.”
Loving acknowledges that her opening season for Humboldt State was not the most successful. But she doesn’t seem overly concerned in hindsight now that she has more experience at the collegiate level.
“I think last season just being a freshman,” Loving said. “I played like a typical freshman. I was just really nervous and I didn’t get a lot of exposure, so I wasn’t really confident in my play.”
First-year struggles behind her, Loving has emerged this year as one of the key pieces for Jacks’ volleyball success in the early stages of the season. Even with the attention directed at her individual effort, Loving often refers to the team as a whole when it comes to finding ways to score. This has not gone unnoticed by teammates who share this sentiment and have nothing but good things to say about Loving.
Lenox Loving passes a ball to her teammates during a scrimmage at practice on Sept. 25 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Junior Lexi Riggs has played with Loving the last two seasons and sees having her on the team as a benefit both in performance and in personality.
“I think her athleticism is a huge advantage for our team,” Riggs said. “She just has a really good attitude and presence on the court. You never are down playing next to Lenox. She always is positive, good energy and she is just super athletic.”
This sentiment is echoed by Loving’s teammate and roommate Juliana Bertolucci, who points to the difficult nature of the outside hitter position and how well Loving can handle the ball in tough situations.
“She does well at bettering the ball,” Bertolucci said. “If there is someone that makes maybe not that great of a set or if there’s not that great of a pass she’s always ready to help out, and she’s always ready to make a better decision on the ball.”
For Riggs, Loving’s athletic success this season is just one more reason why she’s special to the team.
“I think she’s just such a great person,” Riggs said. “Everyone who knows Lenox knows she’s an awesome person and I think she’s a great athlete too. I mean, I can’t say enough. I love Lenox, she’s awesome. And we all do, It makes me super proud watching Lenox out there doing as great as she is.”
Lenox Loving waits for play to continue during a scrimmage at practice on Sept. 25 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Lenox Loving (center) stands with her teammates while listening to head coach Kelly Wood during practice on Sept. 25 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Lenox Loving jumps up to spike a ball for a set play during a scrimmage at practice on September 25 at Lumberjack Arena. | Photo by Thomas Lal
For her coach and teammates, Loving’s current performance is one more step in what is possible for the sophomore with two full years of competition still ahead of her. With opponents beginning to try and lock her down more frequently, Wood remains confident that she will be able to grow even further as a player.
“I’m so optimistic and hopeful to see what she’s able to do in these next couple of years,” Wood said. “Right now just all of a sudden, her confidence has appeared because she’s having the success she’s having, early on in our season.”
With the team as such a big part of her life on and off the court, Loving attributes much of her personal achievement to the whole group showing how confidence in her teammates has allowed her to achieve such high point production on an individual level.
“I wouldn’t have as many kills if weren’t for our defense and our setters,” Loving said. “Everyone on our team is so encouraging and I know that when I’m hitting, I feel confident that my back row can cover me. I’m confident that my setter is going to set me the sets that I need. It’s really nice having a team that I can just rely on so much and that has helped me succeed.”
Humboldt State capitalizes on strong offense and outstanding defense to defeat Warriors
Coming into Sunday’s match, the men’s soccer team had dropped an agonizing match to Chico State, setting the stage for a dominant game against the visiting Stanislaus State Warriors.
Humboldt showed up strong for the home crowd, exhibiting their goal-scoring prowess by netting three. Meanwhile, Stanislaus was unable to make a mark on the scoresheet. With 24 goals on the season, the Jacks now average three goals a game and play with the defense to back up the scoring.
The first half of the match saw fairly even play between the two teams, with both sides rushing forward to test the defenses. The Jacks’ defense allowed six shots in the first half but goalkeeper Robert Quintero stood tall in net, making three saves early on to hold the Warriors scoreless. On the offensive end of things, the Jacks failed to capitalize on a few free and seemed unable to sustain pressure in Stanislaus’ defensive zone putting just 5 shots on the board with all sailing wide of the mark.
Freshman midfielder Nicolas Falco leaps into his waiting teammates as he celebrates his first goal in CCAA competetion for Humboldt State against Stanislaus to make the score 2-0 during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Humboldt State midfielder/forward Angel Rodriguez (14) and mid fielder Israel Gonzalez (10) go to work on a set play from the corner kick during their match against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
HSU midfielder Dylan Tovani throws the ball in during the team’s match against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field as the home crowd watches on. | Photo by Thomas Lal
The second half of the contest saw a much more aggressive start from Humboldt State, who were immediately making deep runs into the Stanislaus side of the pitch. It wasn’t just the offense who came out looking assertive however, with Quintero coming out of the net to make a perfectly-timed tackle in the middle of the Warrior’s attack. With confidence in the defense’s ability, Jacks’ forward, Isaiah Dairo, found the back of the goal just 10 minutes into the half to score his team-leading sixth goal of the season and put Humboldt up 1-0.
The scoring would not stop there. Freshman midfielder, Nicolas Falco, buried the first goal of his college career into the top of the Warrior’s net only 15 minutes later. Following his goal, Falco made a beeline to the Jacks’ sideline jumping into a sea of his teammates all clearly ecstatic to him get on the board.
With a 2-0 score in their favor, Humboldt State eased back just a bit on the offensive front, focusing on making safe plays in the interest of protecting the lead. Even with a more defensive approach for the final stages of the game, Jacks’ midfielder/forward Devin Hauenstein chipped the ball over Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus to score the home team’s third and final goal of the match.
Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein gestures to the hear the crowd cheer louder after scoring the Jacks’ third and final goal of their 3-0 shutout against Stanislaus on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein watches as his shot that cleared Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus’ head goes into the goal during the second half to score the final goal of the day for the Jacks in a 3-0 shutout on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field.
Humboldt State sophomore Devin Hauenstein is fouled by Stanislaus defenseman Carlos Amaya during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Forward Isaiah Dairo challenges Stanislaus goalkeeper Justin Motzkus during the second half as Motzkus tries to clear the ball during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Humboldt State forward Isaiah Dairo squares up to the net before scoring the Jacks’ first goal of the game on the way to a 3-0 shutout against Stanislaus during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | Photo by Thomas Lal
Following his shutout performance for the Jacks, Quintero was very positive, noting that it was a strong overall performance from the team which led to their success.
“The last few games we really stepped up defensively,” Quintero said. “Today we just put it all together. Everyone stepped up, we had each other’s back on the defensive end. No goals, so that’s always good to get a shutout.”
Head Coach Fred Jungemann was also impressed with Quintero’s performance in goal and the confidence that it brought to the whole defensive line.
“Rob’s a senior leader for us and he’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Jungemann said. “When he plays like he did today, he gives the defense so much confidence and self-belief. He’s a big part of everything we’re doing back there, and I’m really happy for them to get the shutout the way they played and, obviously, Rob was a big part of that.”
Humboldt State forward/midfielder Devin Hauenstein battles for the ball with Stanislaus defenseman Adolfo Maldonado during their match on Oct. 6 at College Creek Field. | | Photo by Thomas Lal
With the win on Sunday, the Jacks moved to 5-3 this season and were able to put Friday’s loss behind them in resounding fashion. Jungemann was happy to have picked up the second game but still saw room for improvement from the weekend as a whole.
“I don’t think we can ever get past losing some points,” Jungemann said. “But certainly winning points today will give us a good taste in our mouths and hopefully give us something to build towards for next weekend.”
Soccer and volleyball fall to Sonoma State, cross country prepares for second Oregon meet
For the Humboldt State volleyball and soccer teams, anything regarding the Sonoma State Seawolves is going to leave a bad taste in their mouth. Sonoma State dealt three different Humboldt State teams a loss over the weekend, all on the road in Rohnert Park.
Men’s soccer was the victim of a come-from-behind effort from the Seawolves, women’s soccer lost a tight game and volleyball lost in four sets. Cross country didn’t compete last week as they continue to prepare for their upcoming meet in Salem, Oregon.
Coaches and players from HSU soccer, volleyball and cross country were at the weekly Tuesday press conference at Lumberjack Arena.
Cross Country
After a good showing at the Sundowner Invitational in Monmouth, Oregon the Jacks’ attention turns to another Oregon course at the Willamette Invitational in Salem on Oct. 5. Head Coach Jamey Harris noted that training is going to be lighter going into this week in hopes that his runners are ready for the upcoming meet this weekend. He also noted the women’s race in Salem will be a 5k instead of the standard 6k, which could lead to faster times.
Harris talked about the men being ranked tenth in the NCAA regional rankings and how it motivates his runners to be even better on race day. For junior runner Elliott Portillo the ranking is something to feel good about, but it serves as a spark to push even harder.
“It’s definitely something very validating,” Portillo said. “It means people are beginning to take notice, and we have to show them that we are deserving of the title.”
Another topic of conversation was the passing of legendary former HSU cross country and track coach Jim Hunt. Hunt coached the cross country and track teams from 1967 to 1986 and produced 64 All-Americans and 11 national champion runners. Harris was visibly emotional as he spoke about what coach Hunt meant to Humboldt State and to him.
“The impact that he [Hunt] had on this university, I can’t even put it into words,” Harris said. “I honestly don’t know what to say, because I feel like I can’t say anything that will be adequate.”
Volleyball
The HSU volleyball team played Sonoma State on Saturday as part of their three-game road trip and lost in four sets by a score of 3-1. The Jacks won the second set and tied the score at 1-1 early on, but Sonoma won the next two sets and won the match. For Head Coach Kelly Wood, she feels that this year’s team is a vast improvement over last season’s team as far as talent, but that the team needs to be more consistent throughout the entire match. She talked about needing all of her players to have a great game, not just a few.
“We’re showing good streaks within the match, but we have yet to pull together an entire, consistent match,” Wood said. “It seems like we need to get all of our cylinders firing during a match, we’ve got a couple on and a few that aren’t on.”
Women’s Soccer
For a team that is still getting their footing under them, going down to Rohnert Park and playing a nationally ranked Sonoma State team is going to be a significant challenge. The Jacks fell just short of completing that task, losing to the Seawolves 2-1 with Lindsay Stoner scoring the lone goal. Head Coach Paul Karver had a very positive attitude about the loss, despite the result.
“The Rubik’s cube is sitting in the corner, it’s two turns away and we just gotta get there,” Karver said. “There was so much heart and determination out on the field and our girls were never going to say die in that moment.”
Men’s Soccer
The Jacks lost on Friday to Sonoma State in the cruelest of fashions, losing the game 4-2 despite taking a 2-0 lead early in the game. Isiah Dairo and Gus Baxter scored early for the Jacks but by halftime they were tied 2-2 and then Sonoma State scored two more times to seal the victory for the Seawolves. Jacks’ midfielder Ethan Waters talked about how the Jacks lost focus after gaining the early lead and eventually falling short.
“We lost momentum,” Waters said. “We have to respect them a little bit more, of course we got the two-goal lead but I think overall we didn’t control the game.”
Women’s and men’s soccer win big, cross country performs well in Oregon and volleyball faces some tough competition at home
This past week was successful for Humboldt State Athletics. The women’s soccer team soundly defeated the visiting William Jessup Warriors 4-0 in the friendly confines of College Creek Field. Men’s soccer traveled to Redding and kept their goal scoring barrage going with a 5-1 win over Simpson University. Cross Country traveled to Monmouth, Oregon and reached excellent individual numbers with both the men’s and women’s teams finishing in fourth place. Volleyball started their CCAA conference schedule at home in Lumberjack Arena, winning the first match and then losing the next two to some very tough competition.
Tuesday’s press conference at Lumberjack Arena featured comments from all of the head coaches and selected athletes from each sport.
Women’s Soccer
The Jacks played their home opener on Saturday and played effectively against the visiting William Jessup Warriors. The tone was set early in the match when senior midfielder Lindsay Stoner scored just three minutes in. From there, the Jacks never relinquished control of the game.
Even though, to the untrained eye, there was not much fault in the game for the Jacks, Head Coach Paul Karver noticed that after scoring the first goal his players were losing a bit of focus.
“We had a conversation at halftime about we need to play our style, and we need to have a real identity and we need to get back to that,” Karver said. “And that was a challenge because everyone is trying to do more and get on the scoreboard.”
Men’s Soccer
Right now, the Jacks seem like an offensive force that is going to be very hard to stop. In the last two games the Jacks have outscored their opponents 10-2 and overall this season they are already averaging almost four goals per game. Head Coach Fred Jungemann was happy with the results of his team thus far. He feels that his team is ready for the tough CCAA conference which begins on Friday as the Jacks take on Sonoma State in Rohnert Park.
“Certainly the preseason has helped and brought us to a level of confidence,” Jungemann said. “We’re going to this game on Friday with a self-belief that we can step on the field and compete with anybody we play against whether we score five goals or not.”
Cross Country
In addition to both cross country teams finishing in fourth place, the Jacks had some standout performances. For the men, it was Daniel Tull who finished second in the race and earned himself an all CCAA award for the second time this season. For the women it was Cessair McKinney who had the standout performance for the Jacks, finishing seventh and earning herself student-athlete of the week.
The men’s team also earned an 8th place NCAA regional ranking based on their recent performances and for freshman runner Finn Tyvoll the ranking is a validation of the team’s success.
“It’s fantastic because it shows how much work we’re putting in,” Tyvoll said. “It’s worth it because of the grind and putting Humboldt on the map.”
Volleyball
The Jacks volleyball team went 1-2 on their opening homestand at Lumberjack Arena last week. They won their home opener 3-1 against Cal State Monterey Bay in front of a packed crowd. The next night, the Jacks lost 1-3 to the nationally ranked Cal Poly Pamona Bronco’s. A significant challenge was presented to the Jacks on Saturday as the No. 1 team in the nation, Cal State San Bernardino, played at Lumberjack Arena and swept the Jacks 3-0.
Despite the daunting task, Head Coach Kelly Wood was not phased by the level of competition that CSU San Bernardino presented.
“Overall we went into it very loose, understanding that the pressure is always on the team that’s expected to win,” Wood said. “I think we could have competed harder than we did and maybe we could have played a little better and taken a few more points off of them, but there’s always room for improvement.”
Cross country dominated at home, volleyball won two of three games and soccer had mixed results
The Humboldt State men’s and women’s cross country teams stood out at the Baywood Golf and Country Club on Sept. 6, while women’s soccer lost on the road and men’s soccer started the season with a 1-1 record. The volleyball team won two out of their three games at the Toro Classic in Carson, CA.
The HSU cross country team performed well in front of the home crowd as they walked away with sweeping wins in men’s and women’s competition. Senior Daniel Tull took first place for the Lumberjack men, and freshman Hannah Hartwell nabbed first place for the HSU women.
The HSU volleyball team lost their first match in Carson against Cal St. Dominguez Hills (3-0), but were able to bounce back with sequential wins against Academy of Art (3-0) and Notre Dame De Namur (3-2).
Women’s soccer went 0-1-1 on their Bay Area road trip, losing to Academy of Art (2-0) and tying against Notre Dame De Namur (1-1). Men’s soccer was able to go 1-1 on their San Rafael road trip, pulling off a comeback win against Dominican (4-3) in overtime and falling to Holy Names (3-2).
At the Sept. 10 HSU Athletics press conference, each coach and player from their respective sport spoke on their team’s performance and looked ahead to upcoming matches.
Cross Country
Head Coach Jamey Harris was ecstatic about his team’s performance in front of the home crowd at Baywood, and it helped that the Jacks had a supportive home crowd behind them. Harris noted the fact that HSU President Tom Jackson was in attendance, along with several members of the local running community.
“I couldn’t have asked for the season to start any better,” Harris said. “This was sort of an early-season meet just to see where we are at as we go into more specific training.”
Harris also talked about how important it was to the team that the community came out to support and noted how it works both ways, with the team also wanting to contribute back to the community.
“It shows our runners that the community cares and that the campus cares,” Harris said. “It helps them see the value in investing their time in the community, and it becomes a great cooperative relationship that way.”
The cross country team has a little more than a week to train and prepare before they make their way up to Monmouth, Oregon for the Sundowner Invitational on Sept. 20.
Volleyball
Head Coach Kelly Wood was happy about the Jacks bouncing back after losing the first match against Dominguez Hills. Wood talked about the unforced errors that the team made, but also acknowledged that the season had just started.
“We absolutely looked like a team playing its very first match of the season against Dominguez Hills that first night,” Wood said. “We made 36 hitting errors. That’s an insane amount of hitting errors, and that’s a recipe for disaster.”
Despite a rough first match, the Jacks were able to steal wins against their next two opponents at the Toro Classic. According to junior outside hitter Lexi Riggs who had the second-most kills during the classic with 37, the group raised their energy level for those next two matches.
“Everybody stepped up,” Riggs said. “Every single person on the team stepped up and got themselves going. I think what turned it around for us was the energy.”
The volleyball team will travel to the West Region Showcase in San Francisco for matches Sept. 12-14.
Men’s Soccer
The Jacks had a mixed weekend against Dominican and Holy Names, but the win against Dominican was a season opener that many on the team won’t forget anytime soon.
Going into the 53rd minute, the Jacks trailed 3-1. They were able to score twice and force overtime, and then defender Gus Baxter drew a foul in the penalty box and buried the game-winning goal to complete the comeback.
Baxter gave credit to his teammates for putting him in the position to draw the game-winning penalty. He gave credit to Dalton Rice for his two clutch goals, one in the first and one in the second half of the game.
“There were a couple of good passes around the box and then all of a sudden the ball is at my feet,” Baxter said. “I shoot, and it hits the guys hand. I took a deep breath, stepped up to it and buried it.”
The Jacks will get on a plane early Thursday morning and head to Billings, Montana this weekend where they will play Montana State University at Billings and the University of Mary.
Women’s Soccer
The Jacks weren’t able to get a win on their road trip, but they did get the tie in a hard-fought game against Notre Dame De Namur. Despite the results, Head Coach Paul Karver was able to see early-season improvements in the team.
“I think we saw a lot of the hard work that was put in over the offseason,” Karver said. “Going 2-0 would be super fun, but in a weird way, I’ll take where we’re at. The lessons we learned were really important, and that is what the preseason is all about.”
The Jacks will travel up to Karver’s hometown of Portland, Oregon this weekend for matches against Concordia and Saint Martin’s.
A Q&A with HSU interim Athletic Director Jill Willson
The athletic department at Humboldt State is in a transition phase under the new administration of President Tom Jackson Jr. Previous interim Athletic Director Duncan Robins left his position in June.
While searching for a permanent Athletic Director, President Jackson recruited Jill Willson and her company Double L Consulting for the position. Willson received her degree in biology from West Texas A&M University, then went on to coach the women’s basketball team and later run the athletic department for the university. Willson specializes in Division II athletics, more specifically in community outreach and recruiting and she serves on an NCAA committee for Division II athletics. Willson created Double L consulting to help Division II schools run their athletic department during times of transition.
Could you tell me about your personal background and the company you are with?
I’m a longtime women’s basketball coach and former athletic director at Texas A&M- Kingsville, which is where I spent the majority of my career. In 2007 I started my own company, which is called Double L consulting, two L’s in Jill and two L’s in Willson is how I came up with the name. I really founded the company to help Division II schools across the country. I help schools with the membership process and the transition from NAIA or Division III to Division II programs. I arrange all of the community engagement events for the Division II National Championship events. Three years ago I diversified Double-L consulting to help schools hire athletic directors, and what we do is help fill the seat while the athletic department is doing the search, so they are not down a staff member.
What are your goals, within the athletic department, for the upcoming academic year?
Our job is to help build a quality pool of candidates for the search committee to help find the next Humboldt State Athletic Director. It’s my goal to do a bit of a program review and evaluate what kinds of things we are going well and what things we need to work on so that when the permanent athletic director is hired in January, they can take off and run.
What is your current evaluation of the athletic department and where do you want it to be when you turn the reigns to the next athletic director?
Honestly, what makes Humboldt such an amazing institution is the people, and the athletic department staff is no different. They do a tremendous job at recruiting student-athletes and getting them to be great athletes, helping them do well academically and getting them to graduate. I think this is a great opportunity to help the athletic department to do an even better job at what they already do well.
What qualities are you looking for in the next athletic director for Humboldt State?
You need to have someone come in that is committed to making a difference in Humboldt County and on-campus at HSU. We need to have someone who can help fundraise, and the responsibility of the next athletic director will be to find new revenue streams and open up the athletic department to new boosters and new donors. Being a great leader and leading by example on campus for the student-athletes is crucial, and we need to be able to hold coaches accountable for academic success as well.
Humboldt State sophomore linebacker and Lumberjacks team captain Demetrick Watts II was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference defensive player of the week, Oct. 8, for his performance against Simon Fraser.
The six-foot 225-pound run stopper and pass protector stifled the Simon Fraser offense, with 8 tackles, 1 for a loss, a sack, and the eventual game-winning fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown.
“It brought me back to high school,” Watts said. “It was a beautiful feeling and getting GNAC defensive player means everything to me.”
Watts’ touchdown against Simon Fraser wasn’t the first of his career. A young Watts always wanted to be an NFL star.
“He had passion as a seven-year-old,” Watts’ grandmother, Barbera Numan said. “He needs to keep swinging those doors open and stay motivated like he is and I believe it’s possible.”
At Hillcrest High School in Riverside, California, Watts stood out as a two-way player. His running back strength and quickness showed through his original offensive position. On defense, he was the best linebacker in the league winning MVP twice. Watts also earned All-River Valley League Honors and the Athlete of the Year Award for the Citrus Belt League in 2015.
Like the love for football, Watts shares many things with his father, including his name. Watts’ father passed away when he was a freshman at Hillcrest High. His passing was due to a blood clot in his leg. Watts moved in with his grandmother who lived down the street and continued at Hillcrest for the remainder of high school.
“His dad was also an athlete,” Numan said. “He played football at Sonoma State. But you know, he had a family and he lost the vision. He was a family man now.”
Watts’ father worked with him on drills, conditioning, and different aspects of what it meant to be an athlete, let alone a football player. They were very close, his father helped mold Watts both on and off the field.
“Demetrick won many awards but he was always so humble,” Numan said. “That made me happy. He was a positive child, and became a respectful adult.”
Coming into Humboldt State, Watts redshirted his freshman year but was always at practice and his favorite spot, the weight room. The recreation administration major would routinely be in the gym for two-a-days. Coaches talk about the discipline and work ethic behind Watts, and how much time he puts in off the clock.
“Monday is my ideal day, I get my big lifts in,” Watts said. “Getting my legs under me and grounded makes me feel great.”
Samuel Barfield, Watts’ cousin, was an incoming freshman this year and plays tight end for the Jacks. Sam is new to football, playing mostly basketball, but he still loves the sport.
Barfield gets to witness the daily grind of Watts’ work ethic and looks up to him as his older cousin. Football became an avenue to help Barfield get out of the crime area of Riverside that they both call home. He thanks his older cousin for this.
“I’ve always wanted to play aside my cousin,” Barfield said. “Whatever he does I want to copy. I know I’ll be good if I follow him. Our city is bad right now. People don’t get out and football is all we got.”
Just like Watts, Barfield plans to continue his football career at another university considering Humboldt State recently decided to cut the program due to financial issues.
“I love football and I put my everything into this,” Watts said.
The Humboldt State Lumberjacks will play their very last football game Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Redwood Bowl against rival Azusa Pacific at 1 p.m. The seniors will be honored in remembrance of their journey here as a Jack.
Lumberjacks men’s soccer celebrated after a 2-1 victory against Cal State Monterey Bay in its second to last game at College Creek Field Oct. 25.
The majority of the second half was tied up at one until forward Isaiah Dairo sent a header straight into the net at minute 86:13 as the Monterey goalie trailed behind.
“As I was going for the header I had no energy left,” said Dairo. “The people who gave me energy was my team and I’m very thankful for that.”
HSU started off strong while Monterey’s offense pressured the Jacks in the first half. HSU’s offense continually fired shots at goal. Jacks junior defender Dalton Rice scored the first goal of the game early on at the 11:37 minute.
The Jacks defense fought hard throughout the rest of the first half keeping the Otter’s off the scoreboard until the 33rd minute.
“In the first half we played really well,” sophomore midfielder Marco Silveira said. “We dominated the first 15 minutes. We kind of slowed down a bit and they scored, then we picked it back up.”
Going into the second half, the Jacks focused on pressuring Monterey while creating opportunities on the field for plays. Both teams took several shots on goal, testing each other’s defense. The Otter’s continued to fight back but were unable to put another one in the net.
The Jacks will continue preparing for their game against Cal State East Bay on Oct. 27 at 2 p.m, as this will be the last game for many of the seniors.
“We’re going to come out strong for our seniors,” said sophomore midfielder Chico Cortes. “We want them to leave on a good note.”
Students, families and the community gather at the West parking lot with food, drinks and game day excitement. A normal tailgate to some, but to others it was an opportunity to help save HSU athletics.
As The Lumberjack previously reported, the Lumberjack football team may be in its last season. The school’s reason for cutting the team reflects budget cuts across the board.
Yet students, their families and locals got together for some time in the sun before Saturday’s game.
Food was all around, and faces were getting painted. Notably, there was a group with a large following called Save HSU Athletics. Raising money through fundraising and donations, the tailgate provided an additional opportunity to do just that.
Saturday was an example of our HSU community meshing with the Humboldt community. No ill will, just a bunch of fans with the same mindset: To have fun and support our Jacks.
More fans lobbying for ‘Save HSU Athletics’
Kristina Tobin, 12, gets her face painted in the SBS Parking Lot during the HSU homecoming tailgate on Oct. 14, 2017.
Connor (LEFT), 10, and Luke Jones (RIGHT), 8, argue with eachother while playing cornhole in the SBS Parking Lot during the HSU homecoming tailgate on Oct. 14, 2017.
Folks gathered around the Tiki bar at homecoming.
Lumberjack fans tailgating before the football game on Oct. 14, 2017
PepsiCo and HSU have spent the last five years in a contractual partnership. PepsiCo pays HSU athletics $35,000 a year in scholarships, HSU gives PepsiCo 80 percent of available shelving space for its drinks, and the students are left to choose between diet or original.
The current five year pouring rights contract ends June 30, and many around HSU’s campus would like to see HSU break away from its corporate ties with PepsiCo. The Associated Students council has taken up the fight, urging HSU administration to explore alternate partnerships with more reputable companies – preferably local ones.
AS representative Tessa Lance has been working to rally her fellow students in support of breaking away from PepsiCo. “At first there was little interest, but since the start of this semester, students have been increasingly involved,” Lance said. “ PepsiCo has a long history of committing environmental injustice. The values HSU claims to represent, the values that students come here to uphold, have nothing in common with PepsiCo,” Lance said. Lance along with the help of other students brought their concerns to Joyce Lopes, Vice President of Administration and Finance. Lopes in turn set up a “Pepsi Task Force” to meet regularly and discuss the impact PepsiCo has on HSU.
The Task Force included representatives from Dining, Athletics, upper Administration, and a few students, including Lance. These meetings found that administration and students have a lot of common ground, and both are in favor of a more sustainable contractual obligations.
On Monday, April 17, the AS council held a town hall in the Nelson Forum for students and community members to voice their concerns over the PepsiCo contract. Dozens of students showed up to have their voices heard by members of the Pepsi Task Force, including Lopes and Athletic Director Tom Trepiak. Meredith Garrett, a HSU student, was the first to speak. She first recited the HSU graduation pledge found posted in large font on the wall above her. Garrett said that the reasons students came to HSU were being abandoned within the PepsiCo contract. One of the main concerns echoed again and again by students was that PepsiCo and the Athletics were in a mutually beneficial partnership that left the majority of students out. PepsiCo funds roughly eight athletic scholarships a year under the current contract. Additionally, PepsiCo gives money to athletics for one time expenditures such as new scoreboards, totalling roughly $20k a year. There are about 400 athletes at HSU, and around 200 athletes receive partial or full scholarships a year. Although PepsiCo only covers a small percentage of scholarships, losing PepsiCo’s money would only add to the deficit problem within the Athletic Department and subsequently HSU as a whole.
Senior communications major and Lumberjack football player Jared Layel attended the meeting and expressed a sentiment in stark contrast from the general tone of the meeting. “AS never asked athletes if they wanted to see PepsiCo go,” Layel said. “Breaking ties with PepsiCo would only force HSU to again raise tuition, and it would worsen the deficit.”
HSU cannot begin the process of exploring a new contractual agreement with a different vendor until the last 30 days of the current contract; that period begins June 1. Until that time, Tessa Lance, the AS council, and the Pepsi Task Force will continue exploring ways in which HSU might find a sustainable alternative to PepsiCo. As of now, there is no concrete plan to replace PepsiCo and the money it brings HSU.
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