Former Hollywood High School Cager Drops Sport at UCLA to Hit Books

Tony Wang, the former Hollywood High School star basketball center who was on the UCLA practice team as a walk-on, has walked off--but not in a huff.

Wang, an immigrant from Taiwan who was a Times All-Westside selection in 1983, was seen watching his brother Luis play for the Hollywood junior varsity against Fairfax. Asked if he was still a member of Coach Walt Hazzard’s practice squad, he said he had recently quit, not because he was upset that he wasn’t playing for the Bruins but because he wanted to devote more time to premedical studies.

He said that in high school it was possible for him to play basketball and stay up all night studying. But he said he found it impossible to continue the routine at UCLA, where his classes include heavy doses of physics and chemistry.

The 6-6 Wang said he does not plan to transfer to a small college, even though he could probably start for some of them, because he likes UCLA and hopes to be accepted into its medical school.

He also has no regrets about being with the Bruin practice squad. “I learned a lot about basketball,” he said.

Pepperdine sophomore pitcher Mike Fetters, who led the Wave staff last year with a 10-2 record and a 2.84 ERA, has been named a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

Coach Dave Gorrie said that Fetters, a 6-3, 190-pounder from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, “started out strong last season, but I thought he finished impressively too.”

“He possesses a great amount of poise and confidence when he is pitching, and Mike mixes his pitches and speeds well. More importantly, he keeps the ball down and lets his defense work for his benefit.”

Fetters said that making All-American “is quite an honor. If I can keep the ball down and near the plate, I expect to have another good season. I know that I will have an excellent defense behind me.”

World class half-miler Johnny Gray of the Santa Monica Track Club, Alpine skiing Olympic gold medalist Bill Johnson of Malibu, UCLA tennis player Jeff Klaparda of West Los Angeles, San Diego State tennis player Linda Howell of Venice, champion board sailor Rich Myers of Santa Monica and Diana Todd, a record-setting Masters (adult age group) swimmer from Pacific Palisades, were among 73 recipients of 1984 Outstanding Achievement Awards presented by City Sports magazine and ACCUSPLIT Inc.

Dan Vendl, a junior college All-American backstroker who transferred to Pepperdine from Diablo Valley College, has been declared eligible to compete this season, Pepperdine Coach Rick Rowland announced.

Vendl’s best times of 51.69 in the 100 backstroke and 1:52.76 in the 200 back would have been the best last year in Pepperdine’s conference, the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. And Rowland said he “should be a threat to win the backstroke events at the PCAA championships.”