Cal State Fullerton

Nick Posthuma's soccer career has evolved in his four years on Cal State University Fullerton's men's soccer team. Now, entering his senior season, he's hoping his team can transform the Titans' soccer program. The St. Francis High graduate and Pasadena native came into the 2010 season hoping to crack Cal State Fullerton's starting lineup. Posthuma did just that and drew attention from TopDrawerSoccer.com, which has him ranked No. 84 on its list of the Top-100 pro-soccer prospects among 2011 collegians.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level .   Brett Kanda (Flintridge Prep, 2005) senior, UNLV men’s golf: Kanda, the 2005 All-Area Boys’ Golfer of the Year, and the Rebels have begun the season on the right note. On Saturday, Kanda helped UNLV capture the 55th annual Tucker Tile for the second year in a row. The La Crescenta resident was among the top-10 finishers in the 17-team event which took place at the University of New Mexico’s Championship course in Albuquerque, N.M. Kanda, who advanced to the second round of match play at the 109th annual United States Amateur Championship at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.

Glendale baritone gives recital GLENDALE -- A recital by faculty baritone and longtime Glendale resident Andrew Parks will be presented by the Department of Music at 8 p.m. Saturday at Cal State Fullerton. The recital will include works by Schubert and Beethoven. Parks' appointment since 1998 with Cal State Fullerton is a joint one with both the departments of music and theater/dance as an instructor of voice. Parks' collegiate education began at Occidental College, from which he received his bachelor's degree.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level. Amanda Peek (Crescenta Valley High, 2004) sophomore catcher, Cal State Northridge softball: The 2004 All-Area Softball Player of the Year has been on a tear as of late, right along with the Matadors. CSUN has won six of its last seven games, including Monday's doubleheader split with Tennessee-Martin, as it has improved to 8-8-1. On March 5, Peek was named CSUN's Athlete of the Week, after hitting .615 with seven runs batted in during a week of games that saw the Matadors go 4-0. For the season, Peek is hitting .354 and has started in all 17 of her team's games.

Charles Rich It's time to make some noise with a little help from the pings of the aluminum bat. Two local athletes helped their teams receive a regional berth in the 2004 NCAA Baseball Championship, which will begin Friday. Hoover High graduate Tito Cruz and St. Francis High graduate R.J. Brown will compete for Long Beach State University and the University of California, Irvine, respectively. Second-seeded Long Beach State (36-19), which finished second in the Big West behind Cal State Fullerton, will take on third-seeded St. John's University (36-21)

GLENDALE - David Olmedo-Barrera still remembers when Cal State Fullerton's baseball team won the College World Series in 2004. Olmedo-Barrera, who's entering his senior season with St. Francis, will hope to be a part of another Titans national championship team now that he verbally committed to play for Cal State University Fullerton on Monday. "They have a really rich tradition in Omaha and everything," said Olmedo-Barrera of the Titans' history of advancing to the College World Series in Omaha.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes in college. Nathan Sellers (Crescenta Valley High, 2006) Junior, Adams State College men's cross-country: While the former Falcons and Glendale Community College standout has more than his share of individual and team success in his past local endeavors, Sellers has become a crucial part in the Grizzlies' bid for a third consecutive NCAA Division II national title. Adams dominated the field on Saturday at Wayne State College in Nebraska, scoring 29 points to second-place Western State's 58, to win the Division II Central Regional.

The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene. MARTIN HOLDS HIS OWN James Martin , a 2006 Crescenta Valley High graduate and Falcons standout in the pool, held his own this weekend in Mission Viejo at the 2007 TYR Swim Meet of Champions. Swimming the backstroke and representing the Trojans Swim Club, the current USC student took 11th and 14th in the 200-meter backstroke and the 100 backstroke, respectively. On Friday, Martin took 15th in the 200 prelims, finishing in 2 minutes 10.40 seconds.

Erik Boal GLENDALE -- o7 In an effort to keep track of local high school athletes who now compete in college, the News-Press will devote space to a weekly update:f7 Melinda Moulden (Crescenta Valley, 1999) junior first baseman/outfielder, University of Michigan softball -- The Wolverines (46-9) cruised through the Big 10 Tournament this past week, beating Penn State, 4-3, before recording a pair of wins against Ohio State, 5-0, and, 2-1. Moulden collected a two-run single in the championship game, finishing two for three in the game and three for nine in the tournament with three runs batted in. Michigan is hosting Regional 6 and is the No. 2 seed in the six-team regional in Thursday's NCAA Division I Tournament after finishing the regular season ranked No. 11 in the country.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level. Michelle Summers (Hoover High, 2004) junior third baseman, Southeast Missouri State softball: Summers led the Redhawks in hitting during their weekend series against Ohio Valley Conference counterpart Jacksonville State. On Saturday, Summers finished three for three with a home run, one run batted in, two runs scored and a walk in the Redhawks' 11-3 loss. The home run was the seventh of the season for the junior.

Nick Posthuma's soccer career has evolved in his four years on Cal State University Fullerton's men's soccer team. Now, entering his senior season, he's hoping his team can transform the Titans' soccer program. The St. Francis High graduate and Pasadena native came into the 2010 season hoping to crack Cal State Fullerton's starting lineup. Posthuma did just that and drew attention from TopDrawerSoccer.com, which has him ranked No. 84 on its list of the Top-100 pro-soccer prospects among 2011 collegians.

GLENDALE - David Olmedo-Barrera still remembers when Cal State Fullerton's baseball team won the College World Series in 2004. Olmedo-Barrera, who's entering his senior season with St. Francis, will hope to be a part of another Titans national championship team now that he verbally committed to play for Cal State University Fullerton on Monday. "They have a really rich tradition in Omaha and everything," said Olmedo-Barrera of the Titans' history of advancing to the College World Series in Omaha.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes in college. Nathan Sellers (Crescenta Valley High, 2006) Junior, Adams State College men's cross-country: While the former Falcons and Glendale Community College standout has more than his share of individual and team success in his past local endeavors, Sellers has become a crucial part in the Grizzlies' bid for a third consecutive NCAA Division II national title. Adams dominated the field on Saturday at Wayne State College in Nebraska, scoring 29 points to second-place Western State's 58, to win the Division II Central Regional.

His timing has often been perfect on the field. Nick Posthuma could speed past a vulnerable opponent and direct a crisp pass from a teammate into the back of the net. In addition, a reputation for developing an impeccable work ethic helped Posthuma get places and receive recognition, leading to him picking up his annual share of postseason accolades while starring for St. Francis High. Posthuma's style hasn't changed that much, as he's now a junior forward on the Cal State Fullerton men's soccer team, but by his account his skills have.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level .   Christine Cho (Crescenta Valley High, 2008) Harvard sophomore golfer : Cho was sensational to the tune of a one-under-par 70 on Sunday en route to a two-day two-over-par 144 to take home individual championship honors at the Dartmouth Spring Invitational at the Cape Cod Country Club. It was one of only two rounds turned in over the two-day tournament that was below par. Cho’s efforts, which left her four strokes in front of teammate Claire Sheldon in second place, led Harvard to a 38-stroke win over second place Siena.

The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene. MARTIN HOLDS HIS OWN James Martin , a 2006 Crescenta Valley High graduate and Falcons standout in the pool, held his own this weekend in Mission Viejo at the 2007 TYR Swim Meet of Champions. Swimming the backstroke and representing the Trojans Swim Club, the current USC student took 11th and 14th in the 200-meter backstroke and the 100 backstroke, respectively. On Friday, Martin took 15th in the 200 prelims, finishing in 2 minutes 10.40 seconds.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level. Michelle Summers (Hoover High, 2004) junior third baseman, Southeast Missouri State softball: Summers led the Redhawks in hitting during their weekend series against Ohio Valley Conference counterpart Jacksonville State. On Saturday, Summers finished three for three with a home run, one run batted in, two runs scored and a walk in the Redhawks' 11-3 loss. The home run was the seventh of the season for the junior.

GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level. Amanda Peek (Crescenta Valley High, 2004) sophomore catcher, Cal State Northridge softball: The 2004 All-Area Softball Player of the Year has been on a tear as of late, right along with the Matadors. CSUN has won six of its last seven games, including Monday's doubleheader split with Tennessee-Martin, as it has improved to 8-8-1. On March 5, Peek was named CSUN's Athlete of the Week, after hitting .615 with seven runs batted in during a week of games that saw the Matadors go 4-0. For the season, Peek is hitting .354 and has started in all 17 of her team's games.