Sports DIGEST : CSUN Doubles Team Bounced From Ojai

The Ojai Invitational Tennis Tournament, which is the oldest and largest amateur tournament in the country, was too tough for participants from Cal State Northridge.

Five of eight Matador tennis team members were eliminated on Thursday--the tournament’s first day--and the other three were eliminated Friday.

The Northridge men’s doubles team of Ed Charles and Robert Burns dropped a second-round intercollegiate match to a team from UC San Diego, 6-3, 6-1.

Marla Reid was the only Matador singles player to advance to the second round of the intercollegiate competition, and she accomplished that courtesy of a first-round bye. Reid lost, 6-1, 6-2, to Clare Thompson of U.S. International University in the second round.

On Thursday, Sherri Gronlund of Cal Lutheran College lost to Debbie Delgado of Loyola Marymount College, 6-4, 6-0, in the first round of women’s intercollegiate singles competition.

Robin McRae and Jennifer Berns of Pierce College advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s community college doubles competition Friday after defeating Jay Perez and Valerie Deprae of Fresno City College, 6-3, 6-4.

Lynne East of Moorpark College lost in the quarterfinals of the women’s community college singles competition Friday to Michele Hain of Riverside City College, 6-1, 6-1. On Thursday, East had defeated Deborah Rogers of Santa Ana College, 6-1, 6-0, and Lisa Babagian of the College of the Sequoias, 6-1, 6-0.

Moorpark’s Colleen Lynch lost a second-round singles match to Anna Castaneda of Santa Monica City College, 6-0, 6-0. McRae also dropped a second-round singles match, falling to Mona Van Linge of Golden West College 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

The four-day tournament attracted 900 players.

Reese Follows Father at Cedarville

Chris Reese of Saugus was honored last week for being the first freshman in 28 years to lead the Cedarville (Ohio) College basketball team in scoring.

The last freshman to lead the team? Reese’s father, Pete, who is now the basketball coach at L.A. Baptist College in Newhall.

Chris, a 6-2 guard/forward, was one of three freshman starting on the 14-15 Cedarville team this season. He averaged 12.4 points per game, including a 26-point game and a pair of 24-point efforts. He shot 49.2% from the floor and 82.5% from the free-throw line and played in all 29 games.

Track Competition for Blind Athletes

Legally blind and visually handicapped athletes, ages 6 and up, have been invited to compete in the Braille Institute Track and Field Olympics May 11 at the Braille Institute Youth Center on Cahuenga Boulevard in North Hollywood.

Applicants will compete for bronze, silver and gold medals in up to five events--including the overhead soccer throw, 200-yard and 400-yard shuttle runs, broad jump, shot put, long jump, high jump, obstacle course and 50- and 100-yard dashes.

Information: (213) 851-5739.