El Camino Hurdler Is Top Scholar-Athlete

El Camino College hurdler James Ferreira has been named the California Community College scholar athlete of the year.

Ferreira, 19, was selected from 17 finalists in a field of 20,060 athletes who had completed in a sport for two semesters while maintaining a minimum 3.5 grade average. He had a perfect 4.0 average in four semesters while competing in track for two years.

The 1983 North Torrance High School graduate was the 400-meter state hurdles champion in 1984 but missed 1985 postseason competition with a hamstring injury. Ferreira plans to hurdle at Cal State Long Beach, where he received a full scholarship to study human resources in the fall.

The annual award, sponsored by Wilson Sporting Goods Co., is given by the California Assn. of Community Colleges Commission on Athletics.

Banning High volleyball standout Claudia Johnson will represent the United States as a member of the Tiger Volleyball Club Gold Team of Santa Fe Springs in the Pacific Rim Championship, sponsored by the U. S. Volleyball Assn., in Hilo, Hawaii, from Aug. 15 to 21.

Johnson, 16, a middle hitter and a senior last season, was the 1985 Marine League most valuable player for league champion Banning.

The 10-member Tiger Gold team qualified for Pac Rim by defeating Sports Performance of Chicago to claim the USVBA Junior National Championship in the girls intermediate division in June in St. Joseph, Mo. Johnson and teammates Erin Tomblin of Edison High in Orange County, who was tournament MVP; Keba Phipps of Long Beach Jordan and Carrie Janisch of Long Beach Wilson were named to the All-American team.

Coach Mollie Kavanagh of Santa Fe High in Santa Fe Springs will lead the team to the Pacific Rim tournament, which features teams from Korea, Japan, Canada, Panama, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Mexico and Peru.

Other U. S. team members include Jamie Hatchett of Sunny Hills High in Orange County, Susan Wood of La Habra, Missy Kurt of Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks, Pam Lance of Edison, Chrissy Hooper of Garden Grove in Orange County and Catlina Suarea of Santa Fe High.

Six amateur boxing matches and the scheduled appearance of Olympic gold medalist Paul Gonzales and former heavyweight champion Ken Norton and other boxing and entertainment celebrities highlight Carson’s sixth annual “Friday Night at the Fights” sponsored by the Carson Parks and Recreation Department at 6 p.m. Friday at Carson Community Center, 801 E. Carson St. The $12.50 ticket covers boxing, dinner and entertainment. Tickets are available at the Fabela Chavez Boxing and Weightlifting Center, 424 1/2 E. Carson St.; City Hall, 701 E. Carson St., and at the door.