Azusa Pacific University

COSTA MESA - The Vanguard women's soccer team, which finished third in the Golden State Atletic Conference, earned a No. 3 seed in the NAIA Region II Regional Tournament and will host a first-round game Saturday. The Lions, who face No. 6 Notre Dame de Namur, completed the regular season Saturday with a 9-7 overall record and a third-place finish in GSAC, at 7-3. The NAIA Region II playoffs will also include Azusa Pacific (#1), Westmont College (#2)

Marilyn Miller Dickson of Costa Mesa was recently nominated in the education category for the 11th annual Clara Barton Spectrum Awards ... Merle Hatleberg, Diane Tesch and Carol Schroeder Wold of Newport Beach were recently nominated in the humanitarian category for the 11th annual Clara Barton Spectrum Awards ... Layla Abdul of Costa Mesa was recently nominated in the personal achievement category for the 11th annual...

For some involved in the embezzlement scandal of 10 years ago, much has changed. Others are still on the same path. John Nicoll: Superintendent of Newport-Mesa Unified School District, now a professor of education at National University. Mr. X: The man who blew the whistle and got the investigation going against Wagner. He worked several years more with the district before taking a job in another school district. Tom Godley: Assistant Superintendent, now the director of education programs at Azusa Pacific University Gang of Five: Dana Black, current trustee and real estate agent Alicia Erickson, active local mom Sherry Kallab, works for the Mesa Consolidated Water District Phil Richardson, works for a local technology company Margie Gardner, lives in Austin, Texas

Noted researcher and authority on modern language Maximo Rossi Jr. has been named the new provost for Vanguard University in Costa Mesa. Rossi has spent the last seven years at Azusa Pacific University as professor of modern languages, associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and, most recently, as director of Azusa Pacific's Center for Intercultural Programs. In addition to his work at Azusa Pacific, Rossi spent three years as associate professor of foreign languages at Jamestown College in North Dakota, and six years as assistant professor of modern languages and associate dean for international studies at King's College in New York.

Azusa Pacific University was a 70-56 Golden State Athletic Association winner over visiting Vanguard University Saturday night in women's basketball as the hosts stormed to a 44-26 halftime lead and were never threatened in the second half. The Cougars, No. 23 in the NAIA, were led by Jacqueline Godoy's game-high 22 points. The Lions were led by Kelly Boeke, who scored 12 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Deborah Candelaria scored 10 points. Azusa Pacific improves to 12-4, 6-2 in the GSAC.

AZUSA - The host Azusa Pacific University women's basketball team defeated Vanguard, 87-83, in triple overtime Saturday afternoon in the championship semifinals of the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament at the Felix Event Center. It was the second time in a week the Cougars (24-7) and Lions (17-11) needed more than 40 minutes to decide a GSAC outcome. In the third overtime, neither team made a field goal, but APU outshot the Lions at the foul line, 5-1. It was tied at regulation, 66-66.

Coach Ryan Schachter figured the Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball team would hit a bump or two because of its grueling schedule. But not during Pacific Coast League play. The Sea Kings will look to return to their winning ways in a league game at Laguna Hills tonight at 7, four days after seeing their eight-game winning streak end in a 66-51 nonleague loss to Etiwanda, the No. 1-ranked CIF Southern Section Division I-A program, at the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific University.

Teams like Azusa Pacific University are ranked No. 1 for a reason. The Vanguard women's soccer team lost at home to Azusa Pacific on Saturday, 2-0, in a Golden State Athletic Conference match. APU controlled the pace of the match, outshooting Vanguard, 13-7. The Lions kept the Cougars scoreless in the first half. In the second half, APU finally made its shots. In the 57th minute, the Cougars' Shannon Coe made a cross from the right end line. Randie Massro, standing in front of the net, flicked the ball to her left to an open Brooke Williams, who scored.

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- Bienvenido senor. Bienvenu messieurs. Benvenuto senor. Vanguard University officials are wholeheartedly welcoming new Provost Maximo Rossi, a proven collegiate leader and master in Romance languages. The new provost received his bachelor's degree from King's College, masters from both Syracuse and Azusa Pacific universities, his PhD in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature was conferred by City University of New York and he did post-graduate work at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and the Universidad Nacional Evangelica in the Dominican Republic.

Newport Beach resident Kurt F. Strassmann was named executive vice president and managing director of Grubb & Ellis' Orange County office. Grubb & Ellis is a business advisory firm with expertise in real estate. Strassmann has been executive vice president and managing director of Grubb & Ellis' Anaheim office since 1999. He will now be responsible for both the Anaheim and Newport Beach offices. Orange County is the firm's largest and most profitable region nationally.

Christian Okoye, the former Kansas City Chiefs running back, made a habit of causing pain with his bruising style. But now Okoye, once known as the “Nigerian Nightmare,” is all about trying to make dreams come true, giving back for the greater good. When he heard about Irrelevant Week and its help with charities, Okoye was happy to be a part of the festivities. There’s also the fact that he won’t be the only Chief during the weeklong party. Ryan Succop, a kicker out of the University of South Carolina, became Mr. Irrelevant XXXIV when the Chiefs picked him with the dead-last pick in the NFL Draft.

Corona del Mar High senior Stefan Kaluz has been named the Pacific Coast League MVP for the second straight season. Kaluz, a 6-foot-9 center who shared the top honor last year, helped the Sea Kings claim their second straight league title by going 8-0 in league. Last year, Corona del Mar shared the Pacific Coast League championship with Laguna Hills. Kaluz led Corona del Mar (21-8) to the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division III-A playoffs. He averaged 17.7 points, 11 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game, and made 54% of his field-goal attempts.

Coach Ryan Schachter figured the Corona del Mar High boys’ basketball team would hit a bump or two because of its grueling schedule. But not during Pacific Coast League play. The Sea Kings will look to return to their winning ways in a league game at Laguna Hills tonight at 7, four days after seeing their eight-game winning streak end in a 66-51 nonleague loss to Etiwanda, the No. 1-ranked CIF Southern Section Division I-A program, at the Southern California Shootout at Azusa Pacific University.

Teams like Azusa Pacific University are ranked No. 1 for a reason. The Vanguard women's soccer team lost at home to Azusa Pacific on Saturday, 2-0, in a Golden State Athletic Conference match. APU controlled the pace of the match, outshooting Vanguard, 13-7. The Lions kept the Cougars scoreless in the first half. In the second half, APU finally made its shots. In the 57th minute, the Cougars' Shannon Coe made a cross from the right end line. Randie Massro, standing in front of the net, flicked the ball to her left to an open Brooke Williams, who scored.

Marilyn Miller Dickson of Costa Mesa was recently nominated in the education category for the 11th annual Clara Barton Spectrum Awards ... Merle Hatleberg, Diane Tesch and Carol Schroeder Wold of Newport Beach were recently nominated in the humanitarian category for the 11th annual Clara Barton Spectrum Awards ... Layla Abdul of Costa Mesa was recently nominated in the personal achievement category for the 11th annual...

Randy Palmer of Newport Beach won Second Best of Show and the award for Best Modified Engine with his 1965 Plymouth Belvedere during the fourth annual Strawberry Sunday Funfest and Classic Car Show at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa. Palmer won a $200 cash prize and two trophies ... Evan C. Cooper of Costa Mesa received academic honors at Northeastern University when he was named to the university's dean's list for the winter quarter ... Taylor and Associates Architects, a Newport Beach-based company, promoted Brad Smith to principal.

If you were to base choosing Lion of the Week on picking an athlete with a tremendous work ethic, attitude, and spirit, it would be hard to find a better choice than Robbin Dittenbir. The senior guard from Dinuba is in her fourth and final season with the Lions and is the heart and soul of the women's basketball team at Vanguard University. If you go by production on the court, she is having the best season of her career statistically and is one of the main reasons the Lions are off to an 8-1 start in Golden State Athletic Conference play.

For some involved in the embezzlement scandal of 10 years ago, much has changed. Others are still on the same path. John Nicoll: Superintendent of Newport-Mesa Unified School District, now a professor of education at National University. Mr. X: The man who blew the whistle and got the investigation going against Wagner. He worked several years more with the district before taking a job in another school district. Tom Godley: Assistant Superintendent, now the director of education programs at Azusa Pacific University Gang of Five: Dana Black, current trustee and real estate agent Alicia Erickson, active local mom Sherry Kallab, works for the Mesa Consolidated Water District Phil Richardson, works for a local technology company Margie Gardner, lives in Austin, Texas

Lolita Harper COSTA MESA -- Bienvenido senor. Bienvenu messieurs. Benvenuto senor. Vanguard University officials are wholeheartedly welcoming new Provost Maximo Rossi, a proven collegiate leader and master in Romance languages. The new provost received his bachelor's degree from King's College, masters from both Syracuse and Azusa Pacific universities, his PhD in Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature was conferred by City University of New York and he did post-graduate work at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain and the Universidad Nacional Evangelica in the Dominican Republic.

Noted researcher and authority on modern language Maximo Rossi Jr. has been named the new provost for Vanguard University in Costa Mesa. Rossi has spent the last seven years at Azusa Pacific University as professor of modern languages, associate dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and, most recently, as director of Azusa Pacific's Center for Intercultural Programs. In addition to his work at Azusa Pacific, Rossi spent three years as associate professor of foreign languages at Jamestown College in North Dakota, and six years as assistant professor of modern languages and associate dean for international studies at King's College in New York.