SAN DIEGO COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : NAIA Is Questioning Boyum’s Eligibility

SAN DIEGO â€”  With only one match remaining in its finest soccer season, Point Loma Nazarene (6-6-1) might have to forfeit five of its victories because of the use of an ineligible player.

The National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics is expected to rule sometime this week on the eligibility of midfielder Charles Boyum, who played in 10 matches and scored only one goal.

At question is the interpretation of the rules and whether Boyum should have been treated as an incoming freshman or a transfer.

PLNC contends that Boyum is a transfer because he attended a community college--College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill.--for a semester before coming to PLNC. The NAIA District III eligibility committee, which originally cleared Boyum to participate before the season, contends that Boyum should have been classified as an incoming freshman since he did not complete the necessary two terms to be considered a transfer. As an incoming freshman, Boyum does not meet NAIA eligibility requirements. He does as a transfer, however.

“There was an oversight on the form that stated the number of terms he completed at the other school,” said Nate Wright, chairman of the NAIA District III eligibility committee. “We’re a screening process, but if there is an oversight, that does not whitewash the incident.

“We’ve made our recommendation to the national committee. What they choose to do with it is their business. The recommendation is that (PLNC) played with an ineligible player and they should forfeit the games in which he played. I’m sure our recommendation is not popular with Point Loma Nazarene, but we have to stay within the rules.”

Wright categorized the incident as “an opinionated case.”

A PLNC spokesman said, “It is a matter of the interpretation of the rule.”

When Lesle Gallimore took over as San Diego State women’s soccer coach before this season, Chuck Clegg, the men’s coach who headed the women’s program in its inaugural season last year, good-naturedly informed her about a certain streak the Aztecs have: Never has the school had a losing soccer team.

Last week, with the women’s team assured of a winning record--it finished 7-5-2 after going 5-4 in 1989--it was Gallimore’s turn to rib Clegg, whose team was 7-5-2 at the time. “Now, Chuck, the pressure’s on you.”

Clegg and the Aztecs held their own, winning two of three matches during the week. And with three matches remaining, against St. Mary’s, Santa Clara, which tied for the NCAA championship last year, and perennial power UCLA, the Aztecs are 9-6-2.

Even if SDSU wins those three remaining matches, it probably will not make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, but 1990 will not be a disappointing season for Clegg.

“I’m very pleased with this year,” said Clegg, in his ninth year at SDSU. “We had eight new (starters) this year, and we lost some really top-notch players. We haven’t really been dominated by any one team this year.”

Among the seniors last year, Clegg lost World Cup participants Marcelo Balboa and Eric Wynalda, goalie Bryan Finnerty and defensive captain Brad Walsh.

As for the women’s team and Gallimore, Clegg said: “She did a great job. It was hard for her because she didn’t have any time to recruit. She had to go with what was already here. I look for them to achieve the success the men’s team has had.”

The University of San Diego, 16th in one national poll, will play sixth-ranked Santa Clara (10-2-3) Friday night at Torero Stadium in a key West Coast Conference soccer match.

A big part of the PLNC women’s volleyball team’s success this season has been the Simpsons.

Not the TV show, but sisters Roberta and Debbie. Roberta is leading the team, which last week clinched its first Golden State Athletic Conference title, with 210 kills and 72 blocks. Debbie is leading in digs (316) and is third in kills (177).

Now they might not be as twisted as Bart and Homer, but things can get rather confusing with the Crusaders’ Simpsons.

Roberta, a sophomore, is younger but taller than Debbie, who is a freshman.

Explanation: Roberta, 18 and 6 feet, skipped a grade in junior high school and played for PLNC last year. Debbie, 19 and 5-9, redshirted last year.

“Now that I stopped growing and I’m not so dopey, I might be catching up,” Roberta said. “But she has always been better in sports. She always got MVP, and I never did. Maybe I would have had I stayed with my age group, but I guess we’ll never know.”

Demetrius Laffitte, a standout forward for U.S. International, Grossmont College and Monte Vista High, begins his professional basketball career this week in Argentina. Laffitte, 6-6, set a USIU record by shooting more than 57% from the field and averaging double figures in points and rebounds the past two years.

John Jerome, who in his one season at USD set the Toreros’ single-season scoring record with 504 points, is playing in Holland.