Orange County Roundup : Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Irvine
The seventh United States Wheelchair Tennis Championships will be held today through Oct. 19 at the Racquet Club of Irvine.
The tournament will feature more than 250 players representing the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Israel, Japan and Australia. The event will include a Davis Cup-style international team competition this weekend, followed by match play starting Monday.
Highlights include a pro doubles exhibition Saturday, in which Rod Laver and Bob Lutz will team with top wheelchair champions.
Brad Parks of Laguna Niguel, the 1985 men’s open champion and the world’s No. 1-ranked wheel chair player, will compete.
The event is open to the public and admission is free. For further information, contact the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis at 259-1531.
The 12th Steve Garvey Celebrity Tennis Tournament, a two-day event that benefits the Multiple Sclerosis Society, is scheduled for Nov. 1-2 at the John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach.
Celebrities scheduled to participate include Bruce Jenner, Orel Hershiser, Steve Sax, Kristy McNichol and Bob Seagren.
More than 1,000 runners are expected to compete in the Fullerton City 10 kilometer run Oct. 18, which starts at 5:30 p.m. The race is a fund-raiser for the city’s recreation programs for physically and mentally disabled children and young adults.
The flat course starts at the intersection of Commonwealth and Pomona avenues at Fullerton. Preceding the race, fitness instructors from Racquetball World in Fullerton will conduct an aerobic warm-up session.
After the race, runners will be treated to pizza, beverages and dancing. Plaques will be given to the top three finishers in each division and special awards will be given to the overall male and female runners.
Deadline for preregistration is Saturday. Fees are $12 with commemorative long sleeve T-shirts, and $6 without. Registration forms may be obtained at Racquetball World, 1535 Deerpark Dr., or at the Community Services Dept. in the basement of the Fullerton City Hall, 303 W. Commonwealth Ave.
Race-day registration starts at 3 p.m. at race headquarters at the corner of Wilshire and Pomona avenues. For further information call, 738-6575.
The Friends of Newport Bay will give the first tour of the season of the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve Oct. 18 to start the 19th season guided walking tours.
In addition to observing the bay’s abundant bird life, tours will include a look at the history, geology, fossils, the fresh water and salt water marsh plants and the intricate bay food chain.
Tour groups start every 15 minutes from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., beginning at the corner of East Bluff Dr. and Back Bay Road.
Tours last about an hour and a half and move at an easy pace. The tour route is paved but participants are advised to wear comfortable shoes and a hat for protection from the sun. A camera, binoculars and a bird book are advisable. For further information call Fran Robinson at 646-8009.
Dr. Ray Thornton of UC Irvine will receive the Outstanding Achievement Award at UC Santa Barbara’s 19th annual Athletic Hall of Fame award ceremony Saturday.
Thornton is the only remaining member of the original UCI athletic faculty. Thornton’s award comes as a result of his work as administrator and coach at Santa Barbara, where he graduated from in 1953.
Thornton was UCI’s second athletic director from 1967 to 1977.
Around the Area
Steve Clark has been hired as an assistant coach for the UC Irvine men’s tennis team. Clark is a 1985 graduate of UC Davis, where he was an All-American competing at No. 1 doubles and No. 3 singles. He also was a three-time all-conference selection . . . The second annual Super Duper Bowl of Flag Football will be held at UC Irvine, Nov. 1-2, and Nov. 8-9. Registration is $210 for a squad of 13. For further information call 495-4336 or 495-6457 . . . UCLA’s women’s softball program will host a one-day clinic for players and coaches Saturday. The clinic goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enrollment is $35. For further information call (213) 825-8699.