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Two future Wildcats to play for NorCal prep titles Saturday at ARCO

Jordan Barton (left) and Nate Appel.

3/17/2010 5:11:36 PM

SACRAMENTO – Chico State men’s basketball fans can glimpse of the program’s future by making the short drive south to ARCO Arena for the Northern California High School Basketball Championships Saturday. Nate Appel, a 6-foot-8 De La Salle High School product, will help lead the Spartans against Newark Memorial in the Northern California Division I title game at 8 p.m. Jordan Barton, a 6-foot-7 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) product, will lead the Dragons against Sacramento High School in the Division III title game, scheduled to tip at noon.

Appel, a First Team All-East Bay Athletic League selection, scored 11 points and grabbed nine boards in the Spartans’ North Coast Section Championship game victory against Newark Memorial and again scored 11 in the team’s victory against San Ramon Valley in the NorCal quarterfinals. De La Salle is 29-2 on the season and won the EBAL with a 14-2 mark. Appel’s De La Salle teams have gone 95-5 from his freshman season through the present.

Barton had a monster game in the Dragons’ win against El Cerrito in the NorCal quarterfinals, scoring 16 points and pulling down 14 boards. He’s averaging 11 points per game and leads the team in rebounding. The Dragons were a perfect 16-0 in the Hayward Area Athletic League and are 29-3 on the season.

“Jordan and Nate add size, athleticism, and versatility to our team,” said Wildcats Head Coach Greg Clink after Barton and Appel committed to Chico State back in November. “Jordan is a relentless rebounder who can score in the post and attack off the dribble. Nate has the ability to stretch the defense with his 3-point shooting range and can also guard and score on the inside. Coach Allocco at De La Salle and Coach Vierra at Bishop O’Dowd run great, winning programs, and their coaching has obviously rubbed off on Jordan and Nate. We are very excited to have these two quality student-athletes as part of the future of Chico State basketball.”

Clink and his staff have signed 14 Northern California players since taking the reigns of the program following the 2007-08 season, including six from San Francisco Bay Area schools. They hope to add to that list when the signing period begins again in mid-April.

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Wildcats of the Week

Mike Janjigian

Men's Soccer

Mike Janjigian’s job is, first and foremost, to keep the ball out of the net. But so far this year, he’s made headlines by putting the ball in it. The Chico State freshman defender scored the game-winning goal in the Wildcats’ season-opening 2-1 win against Western Washington Thursday night and then assisted on the team’s lone goal in a 1-0 win against Seattle Pacific on Monday night. He’s been named the inagural 2010-11 male Wildcat of the Week for his efforts.

Oh yeah, and Janjigian has helped Chico State’s defense hold its two opponents to a total of one goal on just 12 shots. Not a bad start to his career.

Janjigian, who redshirted last season, is now tied with returning All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selection Chris Akwaja for the team lead in points, goals and assists.

His first collegiate goal came in the 88th minute Thursday when he knocked home a deflected header from the top of the six-yard box to lift the Wildcats to a thrilling 2-1 victory over Western Washington in the season opener for both teams.

Urged by Wildcats Head Coach Felipe Restrepo to move into the box for a corner kick more than likely because of his strapping 6-foot-3 frame, Janjigian was there to pounce after Western Washington goalkeeper Christian Warman was unable to corral Akwaja’s header at the far post. It bounced twice to Janjigian, who jammed it home.

Monday, Janjigian tallied his first collegiate assist. He just got the top of his head on Ryan Nevarez’s long throw in and it skimmed off to the near post where Ferid Celosmanovic waited. He let it get beyond him and clear the post before looping his right foot behind his left leg and directing the ball into the net to make it 1-0 in the 61st minute.

Janjigian and the Wildcats will open CCAA play on the road next weekend. The Wildcats will travel to Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday and San Francisco State Sunday.

Jessica Leek

Women's Volleyball

Sophomore Jessica Leek served as the Chico State volleyball team's top offensive weapon as the Wildcats opened the 2010 season with a 3-1 record at the Sonoma State-hosted Seawolf Spike Tournament. Leek pounded out a team-high 55 kills, adding 20 digs, four service aces, two solo blocks and seven block assists to earn Seawolf Spike All-Tournament team honors. She's also the Wildcat of the Week.

Leek’s best match of the tournament was Chico State’s four-set victory Friday over BYU-Hawaii. The Laguna Niguel native piled up 22 kills and posted a .459 hitting percentage against the Seasiders, and contributed eight digs, one solo block and one block assist. Leek recorded 11 kills in Friday’s season opener against Dominican and another 15 kills Saturday as the Wildcats downed Grand Canyon.

Leek enters the week ranked fourth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) in kills, fourth in hitting percentage (.364), seventh in kills per set (3.44) and seventh in points per set (4.03).

Chico State takes on William Jessup University Tuesday at Acker Gym before opening CCAA play Friday and Saturday on the road against Cal State L.A. and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

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3.26.10 | Men's Basketball

Barton’s next game is for state title; one after that will be with the Wildcats

CHICO – Chico State Head Basketball Coach Greg Clink knew he was getting a special player when Jordan Barton signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Wildcat program last November. Now everyone familiar with California prep basketball knows as well. Barton has led Bishop O’Dowd on a postseason run all the way to the State Championship Game, which takes place Saturday at 3:30 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield against Southern California champ Serra High School of Gardena.

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3.17.10 | Men's Basketball

Two future Wildcats to play for NorCal prep titles Saturday at ARCO

3.5.10 | Men's Basketball

Magical season comes to an end for the Chico State men's basketball team

ARCATA – The Chico State men’s basketball team has climbed from the deepest valley of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) to its upper echelon in just two seasons under Head Coach Greg Clink. The Wildcats’ quest to reach the conference’s highest peak will have to wait at least one more season. A remarkable comeback came up just short as the reigning king of the conference mountain, Cal Poly Pomona, defeated the Wildcats 80-77 in the CCAA Championship Tournament semifinals Friday night at Humboldt State’s Lumberjack Arena.

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