FOR NOW, NORTHRIDGE MEN ARE JUST TREADING WATER.Byline: Marc J. Spears Daily News Staff Writer After deciding he couldn't remain silent anymore, Ismael Perez walked up to the microphone. He would be the last speaker at Cal State Northridge's recent open forum. As the Northridge swimmer spoke, he presented an invitation to his fellow male athletes - an invitation to show CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Paul Bubb the faces of the lives affected by the June 11 decision to cut four men's sports, including swimming. Afterward, a parade of athletes, including many women, walked past Bubb and met his eyes, expressing their disdain and pain. ``I wanted him to look in the eyes of the players on the teams that were cut,'' Perez said. For this season, at least, the members of the four men's sports have the opportunity to continue their athletic careers, thanks to a one-time state bailout bailout The financial rescue of a faltering business or other organization. Government guarantees for loans made to Chrysler Corporation constituted a bailout. of $586,000. However, the future of the men's swimming team and the other three sports - volleyball, baseball and soccer - is in limbo limbo In Roman Catholicism, a region between heaven and hell, the dwelling place of souls not condemned to punishment but deprived of the joy of existence with God in heaven. The concept probably developed in the Middle Ages. as they await a spring decision by university president Blenda Wilson. ``A lot of the guys are kind of stuck. They don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if they need to look somewhere else. It is their athletic careers that we are talking about,'' said Perez, a senior who competes in the 100 freestyle The code name for the MCE version of Windows. See Media Center Edition. , butterfly and breaststroke. ``I didn't think I was going to go up and say anything. But something inside told me I couldn't leave without saying something. I don't regret it; not at all.'' From 1969-90, the Northridge men's swimming and diving team was an NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II power and never finished below ninth nationally. During that span, the Matadors won nine national titles - including five straight from 1980-81 to 1984-85 - and finished as runners-up on four occasions. They also won 10 consecutive conference titles from 1969-70 to 1978-79. But the success came to an abrupt end when CSUN moved to Division I beginning with the 1990-91 season. The team didn't have the scholarship money needed to be competitive on that level. Last season, the Matadors finished fifth in the Pacific Coast Swimming Conference Championships. Today, of the four men's sports in jeopardy, men's swimming is the least expensive and has the lowest number of scholarships. It will be run on a budget of $50,828 this season, with 1.5 scholarships that coach Barry Schreifels divides ``with a razor blade ra·zor·blade also ra·zor blade n. A thin sharp-edged piece of steel that can be fitted into a razor. razor blade n → hoja de afeitar razor blade .'' Schreifels scrounged up approximately $13,000 in donations and equipment from alumni and local companies. The women's swimming and diving program receives 7.5 scholarships and has an operating budget Noun 1. operating budget - a budget for current expenses as distinct from financial transactions or permanent improvements budget items, operating cost, operating expense, overhead - the expense of maintaining property (e.g. of $126,576. Men's swimming is neither profitable nor well-attended at CSUN. The people who seem deeply concerned about its continuing existence - other than the current members of the team - are former Matadors swimmers. ``The swimming alumni had a great tradition here and we have heard from them,'' Bubb said. ``They have not been as vocal publicly as the other groups have. But through letters that they have written and through phone calls that they've made, the swimming alumni has been heard. Of the four head coaches whose sports are on the chopping block, only Schreifels' job is safe because he coaches the women swimmers, too. Schreifels said that he is not aware of any swimmers looking to leave and he hasn't been asked to release anyone. Also, he hasn't overtly looked for another job. The coach can't offer any scholarships until a decision is made. But he is still talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to recruits and hopes that he will know about the future of his team soon after the task force gives Wilson its recommendation in December. ``If we have a program, it won't be a temporary thing, and that is what we are going on,'' said Schreifels, whose team won't compete again until the Irvine Invitational in·vi·ta·tion·al adj. Restricted to invited participants: an invitational golf tournament. n. An event, especially a sports tournament, restricted to invited participants. Adj. 1. on Jan. 3-4. ``As for recruiting, I don't want to be c9aught with my pants down. I'm planning on having a team, but I'm just not spending right now. I think we will know something by January, and I don't want to start from ground zero.'' CAPTION(S): Photo |
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