MOORPARK COLLEGE NOTEBOOK: BAKERSFIELD IS WSC PREVIEW.

Byline: Richard Hammond Staff Writer

Moorpark College's quest to claim conference championships in men's and women's track can take a big step forward Friday when the Raiders host Bakersfield and Citrus in a minimeet.

The meet is really a showdown between Moorpark and Bakersfield, the only two remaining undefeated teams. The regular-season champion earns 20 points going into the Western State Conference finals later this month; the second-place team gets 18 points.

``It's just a little bit of a head start going into conference finals,'' Moorpark coach Doni Green said. ``Last year our girls finished first, but previous to that I always thought it was kind of a dumb rule. Now I don't think it's too bad.''

For the Raiders' men to do well, Green said they will need strong performances in the sprinting and throwing events because Bakersfield is strong in distance events.

``A lot of these events are going to be very competitive,'' Green said. ``I really see the distance events as kind of a toss-up.

``I really don't know how good Citrus is, but I know they have a lot of good athletes.''

The Raiders are coming off a strong performance last Saturday, when both the men's and women's teams took first in the three-team U.S. Track and Field Coaches Association event at Long Beach City College. The Moorpark men finished with 141 points, followed by Long Beach (135.5) and San Diego Mesa (85.5). The Moorpark women totaled 159 points to top Long Beach (132) and Mesa (29).

``That was a very strong meet for our women because Long Beach was first in state last year,'' Green said.

Moorpark's women dominated the field events as Amy Thiel earned victories in the discus, hammer throw and shot put, and teammate Angela Foster finished second in each of those three events. Also, Ika Eliashuilli finished first in the triple jump.

On the track, Melissa McBain was a double winner in the 800 meters (2 minutes, 25 seconds) and the 1,500 (4:48). Jeanene Gerry finished second in the 1,500 and took first in the 3,000.

Three football players made a big impact for the Raiders. In the 100 meters, perhaps the most-competitive event of the meet, Ray Carmel tied for second in 10.84 seconds. In the javelin, Emmanuel Evans took first with a throw of 163-7, followed by Nick Lewis (151 feet).

Aaron Sharp and Pablo Gallegos finished second and third in the 3,000, and Ross Wood and Coby King finished second and third in the steeplechase. In the high jump, Jeremy Jackson (6-8) took first and Aaron Jones (6-6) finished second.

--Hangin' around: Moorpark's baseball team faces an important battle for position Saturday. The Raiders play Oxnard in a matchup of the Northern Division's third- and fourth-place teams.

The Raiders have two of the conference's top 10 hitters in Brian Fatur (.438) and Brandon Voorhees (.431), who is also eighth in the conference with 18 RBI. Jared Edrosolin and Tyler Johnson are each 3-0, but the rest of the pitching staff has struggled of late.

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Photo: (color) Andrew Corona of Moorpark College will try to help the third-place Raiders get past fourth-place Oxnard in a key Western State Conference Northern Division game Saturday. David Crane/Staff Photographer