Napa star Harrison off for UNLV

By Marty James

NOTES AND QUOTES for a Thursday in the Napa Valley:

Macy Jo Harrison looks at transferring to a new  school for her sophomore year of college soccer as an opportunity and a new start.

“Not many kids get to go to two colleges and see how it is in different areas,” Harrison said from her home Wednesday at Lake Berryessa.

Harrison, the 2008 Napa County Player of the Year as a standout forward for Napa High School, signed a national letter-of-intent in the spring with UNLV and will play for the Rebels this fall. She has been accepted academically and will join the UNLV team for preseason practices in August.

Harrison started seven games and had two assists as a left midfielder for Oregon State last year, but her scholarship wasn’t renewed.

“Coach (Linus Rhode) called me in at the end of the season and told me I didn’t perform. He took the scholarship away,” said Harrison.

“I think I’m part of the reason — it was deserved in a way, because I didn’t play how I should have played. I didn’t communicate how I should have communicated on the field. I was very nervous all the time and I’m usually not very nervous. I’m usually very, very vocal on the field.”

Harrison, a four-time all-Monticello Empire League selection and two-time MEL Offensive Player of the Year, continued at Oregon State through the winter and spring.

“It was really hard at first, but I’ve moved on now,” said Harrison, a three-time Napa team MVP and a First-Team all-Metro selection (2007, ’08) by The Sacramento Bee. “I’m going to a new school ... better things.”

Two other schools, Long Beach State and Idaho, contacted Harrison. She visited UNLV earlier in the year and plans to major in fitness management.

The Rebels plan to play Harrison at center midfield. She has been training twice a week with her former club team, Marin FC out of Marin County, focusing on her foot skills and playing in small sided games.

“I’m not where I need to be, but I’m getting there,” Harrison, 18, said. “I’m working on it.”

UNLV’s 2008 season ended in a 4-0 loss to BYU in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Women’s Soccer Championship. The Rebels finished with an 11-7-3 record.

Harrison was in the Olympic Development Program, playing with the Cal North State team for four years, the regional team for two years and the national team for a year. She was a four-time Golden Boot award winner for Napa High.

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Danny Cacho, a Justin-Siena graduate who plays golf for Santa Clara University, shot rounds of 79 and 75 for a 154 total, but didn’t advance from stroke-play qualifying at the California State Amateur Championship at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City.

Only 32 players moved on to single-elimination match play.

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UC Berkeley continues to receive national recognition in advance of the 2009 college football season.

The Bears are ranked No. 9 in Phil Steele’s 2009 College Football Preview, which was recently released.

They are also ranked by additional media outlets previewing the season: No. 11 (Athlon), No. 12 (Lindy’s), No. 13 (ESPN.com), No. 21 (Sporting News).

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The American Junior Golf Association is set to stage the Trader Joe’s Junior Championship hosted by Pat Hurst at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton July 20-23. The country’s top junior golfers, ages 12-18, will travel to compete in the top-tier tournament. It will be held on Castlewood’s Hill Course.

E-mail Executive Sports Editor Marty James at mjames@napanews.com or call 256-2223.

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