Top Preps Compete at Arcadia

The 19th annual Arcadia Invitational, the top regular-season high school track meet on the West Coast, will include two top distance races and two stellar field events when competition begins today at 4 p.m. at Arcadia High School.

The boys’ 3,200-meter race will include the best in California, from Sacramento to San Diego. Eric and Mark Mastalir of Sacramento Jesuit High, no strangers to L.A.-area runners, will come from the North. Mark Dani of El Cajon Valhalla ran an impressive 8-minute 49.1-second two-mile this year indoors. Daren Stonerock of Saugus is the top hope from the Southern Section.

In the girls’ version, defending state champion Rebecca Chamberlain of San Jose Leigh, the nation’s fastest returnee in the event after clocking a 10:23.85 last year, will match up with the 1986 leader, Laurie Chapman of San Jose Gunderson, who has run 10:32.4. Tracey Williams of El Monte Mountain View, 10:40.58, and Christy Farrell of Thousand Oaks, 10:41.14, are among four others under 10:50.

The boys’ discus will have one of the top out-of-state performers in Kamy Keshmiri of Reno, the national leader this year with a best of 196-6. Jeff Hooper of Fair Oaks Del Camp will also be in the field. Hooper defeated Keshmiri this season with a throw of 193-3. Lil Ili of La Puente Nogales is No. 1 in the country in the girls’ discus at 162-2.

Brent Burns of Lafayette Acalanes is the defending state champion in the pole vault at 16-4 1/2, but Steve Williams of Anaheim Servite increased his personal best by three inches to 16-0 last Saturday in the Corona-Norco Invitational and could make things interesting.

In all, 300 schools from California, Arizona, Oregon and Nevada will be represented.

Prep Notes Guard Joe Hudson of Playa del Rey St. Bernard, a second-team All-Camino Real League selection in basketball, signed with Alabama. . . . UCLA is lining up trips for basketball prospects this weekend, but the Bruins have landed some major recruits in other sports: Ray Fernandez of Torrance, a Parade magazine All-American and two-time All-Southern Section pick in soccer; pitcher Tim Lindsay of Arcadia; J.B. Saunders of Palisades, a highly rated volleyball power hitter; swimmer Kim Rosso of Fullerton Sunny Hills, the defending Southern Section 3-A champion in the 100 and 200 freestyle; hurdler-long jumper Kelley Peacock of Van Nuys; and three-time All-Southern Section pitcher Lisa Longaker of Lakewood Mayfair and outfielder-first baseman Michelle Montgomery of Orange El Modena for the softball team.

Lou Cvijanovich, basketball coach and athletic director at Oxnard Santa Clara, has been selected as coach of the year for Region 8, which includes five Western states, by the National High School Athletic Coaches Assn. He will be honored June 27 at the organization’s national convention at Orlando, Fla., and becomes one of the nominees for the 1986 national award.