Welcome back Cougars! While we’re still days away from the start of a new season, there are some things you may have missed over the summer.
On June 5, 2024, CSUSM placed third in the CCAA Robert J. Hiegert Commissioner’s Cup. The award is granted to the CCAA member institutions achieving high aggregated rankings in eight of thirteen CCAA recognized championship sports.
While we did cover CSUSM softball’s CCAA (California Collegiate Athletic Association) tournament victory, it was far from the end for the Cougars. The next tournament on the list was the 2024 NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) Division II West Regional.
CSUSM started with a dominant 9-1 win over familiar opponents Cal State East Bay. Unfortunately, their next challenger, Western Washington was a bit more challenging. Despite winning the first game 4-3, they were unable to succeed in the final two games.
In late June, head coach Stef Ewing stepped down as head coach. Nonetheless Coach Ewing’s efforts leading to three NCAA West Regional runs will not be forgotten.
The next month, assistant coach A.J. Robinson was selected to be the next head coach of CSUSM softball. Coach Robinson’s contributions to the recent success of the team indicate positive aspirations for the future of the program.
CSUSM baseball went on to participate in the NCAA Division II West Regional. Unfortunately, the Cougars came out empty handed after a pair of losses, 5-13 against Cal Poly Pomona, and 2-4 against Point Loma.
Last time we checked on CSUSM Women’s golf we were celebrating their CCAA championship victory. Next up was an appearance at the NCAA West Regional where they placed 5th before going on to the NCAA Championships and finishing 12th.
Following their third-place finish at the CCAA Championships, Men’s golf headed off to compete in the NCAA West/South Central Regional where they finished tied for sixteenth.
Both Men’s and Women’s Track and Field participated in the CCAA championships on May 2, 2024, through May 4, 2024, as both Men’s and Women’s teams placed 5th with 73 and 85 points respectively.
Concluding the season at the NCAA Championships, our Cougars worked hard with exceptional performances from Rasha Badrani and Nick Melanese. Badrani qualified for the final of the women’s 400m, and Nick Melanese placed nineteenth in the 1500m.
Earlier in the day, Melanese received the NCAA Elite 90 award for achieving the highest cumulative grade-point average amongst the rest of the Men’s participants.
That wraps up the summer in CSUSM sports, be sure to check back regularly for updates throughout the semester. We’re wishing all our athletes the best of luck in the coming season. Go Cougars!