San Diego Roundup : Two U.S. Cycling Events Set for This Weekend

Two of the biggest U.S. Cycling Federation races in Southern California will be this weekend in San Diego County.

U.S. Olympian Nelson Vails headlines the field in the 14th annual Willows Road Races, which will be Saturday in Alpine. More than 500 racers are expected to compete in nine races of distances from 6 to 75 miles on a hilly 6.3-mile loop. The start-finish line is on Willows Road. There also will be a 12-mile race for novices.

The eighth UC San Diego Criterium will be Sunday on UCSD’s Warren Campus. More than 600 riders are scheduled to race in eight USCF races and five public races. The start-finish line of the 1.3-mile course is on Gilman Drive near the Veterans Hospital. The two-lap celebrity race begins at 12:30.

Races begin at 12:45 p.m. both days.

Point Loma High School junior Terri Mann was selected by coaches of nationally ranked women’s college basketball teams as a third team All-American.

Mann, a member of The Times’ all-county team for the third consecutive year, led San Diego County in scoring (27.0 points) and rebounding (17.0). The 6-foot 2-inch forward had a season high of 55 points.

The Pointers will play Grant High of Sacramento in the Division I girls’ state final Saturday in Oakland.

Members of the United States International University women’s basketball team won three awards given by the West Coast Athletic Conference coaches.

Senior Toya DeCree, a 6-1 forward from Pacoima, was named the conference’s Most Valuable Player. DeCree averaged 21.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. DeCree shot 54.8% from the floor and led the conference in steals (3.3). DeCree is the school’s all-time second-leading scorer with 1,790 points and the leading rebounder with a career average of 11.2 per game.

Cassie Macias, who coached the Gulls (11-1 in the conference, 23-7 overall) to the WCAC title, was named the Coach of the Year. Macias is in her third year at USIU and her teams have an overall record of 52-34.

Sonya Carter, a 5-10 guard, was the conference’s top freshman. Carter, who was a high school All-American in Gary, Ind., was the Gulls’ second-leading scorer with a 16.2 average.

The seventh Mission Bay tournament, which claims to be the largest youth soccer tournament west of the Mississippi River, begins Saturday at various sites around the county.

Tournament director Hank Berthiaume said that 3,300 boys and girls, ages 8-18, will participate on 220 teams from all of the western states. The La Jolla Nomads and the El Cajon Hot Spurs as well as host Mission Bay Soccer Club will be among the local teams entered.

Games will be played at Madison High School, Hickman Field, UC San Diego, Allen Field in La Jolla, Clairemont High and Kearny High. Games will be all day Saturday and Sunday. The tournament continues next Friday, with the finals next Saturday.