COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Irvine Freshman Tardif Wins, Reaches Semifinals

UC Irvine’s Marc-Andre Tardif advanced to today’s semifinals of the ITA Southern California Championships tennis tournament by defeating teammate Fred Bach, 6-4, 6-4, Friday at UC Irvine.

Tardif, a freshman, is the first UCI player reach the semifinals since Brett Hansen-Dent in 1990. He will face Pepperdine’s Ari Nathan today.

No. 1-seeded Sargis Sargasian of Arizona State and No. 3 Robert Janecek of UCLA both won to advance to the other semifinal. Sargasian defeated teammate Eric Brunner, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, and Janecek defeated Pepperdine’s Charles Auffrey 7-5, 6-3.

Both singles semifinals are at 9 a.m.

In doubles, Irvine teams of Tardif and Kenny Cruz and Chris Tontz and Bach reached today’s quarterfinals. Tardif and Cruz defeated UCLA’s Chong Cho and Lev Shvarts, 6-3, 6-4, and Tontz and Bach defeated UCLA’s Sergio Rico and Jon Parker, 6-4, 6-2.

Doubles competition begins at 1 p.m.

Pacific Christian pulls upsets--Pacific Christian upset No. 1-seeded Maranatha of Whitewater Wis., the three-time defending champions, 15-13, 5-15, 10-15, 15-11, 15-11, to advance to today’s championship match in Toccoa Falls, Ga.

Pacific Christian also upset third-seeded Central Bible College of Springfield, Mo., 12-15, 15-13, 6-15, 15-12, 15-12, in the quarterfinals.

In the NCCAA Division II men’s soccer championships:

Pacific Christian eliminated--Baptist College of Clark Summit, Pa., knocked Pacific Christian out with a 5-1 semifinal victory in St. Petersburg, Fla.

In nonconference men’s swimming:

UCLA 158, UC Irvine 68--Irvine was unable to win an event at UCLA. Irvine’s top finishers were second: Jackie Ervin in the 200 butterfly (2 minutes 14.29 seconds) and Jason Sakamoto in the 200 breaststroke (2:15.06).