University President Alexander Gonzalez will begin to comprise an athletics task force this week to examine the current state of Sacramento State athletics.

The task force will consist of approximately ten people, students, administrators and faculty. Gonzalez announced the task force at a speech given to faculty and staff on campus Thursday.

“(The task force) will basically give me an assessment of where we are in athletics,” Gonzalez said in a telephone interview on Friday.

Gonzalez expects the task force will report its findings within seven to eight weeks and no later than the end of the fall semester.

The task force will focus on a general overview of the athletics department including; how students feel about the athletic program, if the program is running effectively and efficiently and if the level of competition is meeting expectations.

Gonzalez says the task force will not initially focus its attention on the budget.”This is just a general assessment (of the athletic program),” Gonzalez said. “Budget ideas will follow. Once I get feedback, then I will be able to draw where we are going to go from there.”

Other Summer News…

Men’s Basketball: The Hornets signed sophomore Mark Schmidt, a 6-foot-9 forward from Yuba College who played his high school ball locally at Rocklin.

Women’s Basketball: Karen Piers, who played for three seasons (1998-2000) at the University of Oregon under new Sac State head coach Dan Muscatell, was hired as a new women’s basketball assistant coach. Lindsey Dion was also brought on to the coaching staff as an assistant. She comes from Seattle-Pacific University, where she was an assistant last season. The team brought in three new players, including junior college transfer Samania Black. Other signees include Casa Robles graduate Ashley Jackson (6-foot-2, center) and San Jose State transfer Kim Sheehy. The 5-foot-9 guard will have to redshirt the 2003-04 season.

Track: Brandon Parker was the only Hornet to qualify for the NCAA Track and Field Championships. He earned an automatic berth to the championships held at Sac State after a fourth place finish in the long jump at the NCAA Western Regionals.His jump of 24 feet, 9 1/4 inches in the preliminaries did not advance him to the finals.

Women’s Soccer: Katie Sheppard, a former player from UC Irvine and Santa Clara University, was hired as a new assistant coach. She was formerly an assistant coach at Azusa Pacific University.

Softball: Center High School graduate Amy McKenzie of Elverta, Calif, signed with the Hornets. The 5-foot-8 utility player was a four-time Capital Valley League selection.

Baseball: Steve Correa, Mikela Olsen, Jesse Schmidt and Chris Kinsey were all signed to single-A affiliates of MLB teams.