Borchard to Stanford, Nielsen Chooses USC

Two of the top football recruits in Ventura County have made their college commitments.

Camarillo quarterback Joe Borchard, who led the Scorpions to the Southern Section Division III title, committed to Stanford on Friday.

Borchard, 6 feet 4 and 202 pounds, chose the Cardinal over California. He was also considering Nevada Las Vegas, San Jose State and Oregon State.

Borchard threw for 6,047 yards and 51 touchdowns as a three-year starter for Camarillo.

Although the scholarship will be for football, Borchard also will play baseball for the Cardinal. He batted .341 with 31 runs batted in as a junior and was 3-1 with a 2.48 earned run average.

“The academics and facilities are just unbelievable,” Borchard said. “[Stanford] just has a great atmosphere to go to school.”

Ryan Nielsen, a Royal High defensive end who led area players with 19 sacks, has made a commitment to attend USC.

Nielsen made the decision after visiting Miami, Arizona State and USC. He canceled trips to Stanford and Texas.

“I knew I wanted to go to USC after I returned from Miami,” he said. “I went back to USC, talked with everyone again and made the decision when I got home.”

The 6-5, 238-pound Nielsen made 129 tackles, caused seven fumbles and had two interceptions this season. He said USC coaches told him he would play a backup role as a freshman and have three seasons as a starter.

“I wanted a chance to play my freshman year, and I’ll have that,” he said. “Plus, it’s close to home. Everybody gets to see me play.”

Nielsen, a three-sport athlete the last three years, will not play baseball this spring. Instead, he will try to bulk up to the 250 pounds that Trojan coaches want him to weigh by the fall.

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Sidelined: Nicole Campbell of Ventura High, who was fourth in the 800 meters at the 1995 state track and field championships, will miss the 1997 season after undergoing surgery Monday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee.

Campbell, who set a school record of 2:13.46 as a sophomore in the 1995 state meet, was hurt playing basketball for Ventura in the Simi Valley tournament last month. She hoped to run track before having surgery, but said Thursday that the season was lost.

“I’ve second-guessed myself a little bit [about playing basketball] because track is the most important thing in my life,” Campbell said. “But there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

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Moving on: Oak Park High baseball Coach Bill Springman said this season likely will be his last. He has guided the Eagles to a 26-15 record and two Tri-Valley League titles in two seasons.

Springman, a college assistant from 1982-93, said he will interview for an assistant’s position at Oklahoma State and for the manager’s position with the Minnesota Twins’ Class A team in Fort Wayne, Ind.

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Starting over: Tracy Clark, a former softball player at Cal State Northridge and Hart High, accepted a partial scholarship from Mississippi State, which will play its inaugural season this year.

Clark, 20, a sophomore outfielder, quit the team at Northridge after she played sparingly last season. Clark had four singles in 10 at-bats and scored four runs in 26 games.

“It’s weird,” Clark said. “I wasn’t planning on playing anymore.”

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Out of sight: Cal State Northridge men’s soccer player Kris Swanson has left the team and dropped out of school, Matador Coach Marwan Ass’ad said.

Ass’ad said Swanson, a junior transfer from Mission College, did not take his final exams and will not return to the team.