BRIEFS

UCI RUNNERS HONORED

UC Irvine senior Ricky Barnes and sophomore Laura Olvera have been named the Big West Conference Athletes of the Week in men’s and women’s cross country, respectively.

Both won individual titles at the UC Irvine Invitational, Saturday at Central Park in Huntington Beach.

Barnes, coming off a redshirt year, won the men’s five-mile race in 24 minutes, 49.3 seconds in the field of 180 runners.

His title helped the Anteaters finish second as a team.

Barnes was an all-conference runner in 2004 when he finished fifth at the Big West Championships.

Olvera, the 2005 Big West Freshman of the Year, traversed the 3.1-mile course in 17:07.7 to top a 185-runner field.

Her victory propelled the Anteaters to the team title.

‘EATERS ADD SOLIDAY

Rhett Soliday, an assistant the past four seasons at Concordia University in Irvine, has been named men’s assistant basketball coach at UC Irvine.

Soliday also played at Concordia, where he started for two seasons, scoring 620 career points after transferring from Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash. Soliday made 113 three-point field goals and shot 40.5% from the field at Concordia, where he served as captain his senior campaign.

At Big Bend, he was a two-time All-Northwest Athletic Assn. performer.

“Rhett comes from a successful program at Concordia and he has experience in all phases of college coaching,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “His playing experience as a point guard will assist us in teaching a young backcourt this season.”

Soliday and Ross Land, who was hired in July, join Tod Murphy as UCI assistants. Murphy, a former star player for the Anteaters, is entering his fourth season on Douglass’ staff.

SCALZO-OLSEN TRIUMPH

Newport Beach residents Nick Scalzo and Jeff Olsen captured the doubles title at the eighth annual Costa Mesa Wood Racquet Classic, held Sept. 2 at the home of Costa Mesa hosts Clay Peterson and Johnny McCray.

Scalzo and Olsen beat Sam Lovell of Costa Mesa and Mark Metcalf of Newport Beach in the final.

Participants on 16 teams were required to use wooden racquets and wear vintage clothing.

Proceeds benefit the Hoag Cancer Center.