OTHER SPORTS : If New Basketball Coach at Master’s Is Truly Heaven Sent, He May Seek Divine Intervention

In a prepared statement at a press conference announcing that The Master’s College had hired Mel Hankinson as its new basketball coach, Athletic Director Geoff Zahn said: “Mel is an established winner . . . We thank God that He has called Mel to accept the challenge to build a strong basketball program while maintaining the Biblical standard of The Master’s College. We look forward with great anticipation to what the Lord will accomplish in our basketball program through Coach Hankinson . . .”

After being asked why he would come to Master’s to coach when he had offers to become an assistant coach at two Division I schools and an NBA team, Mel Hankinson said: “I am here by the prodding of God.”

Said John MacArthur, president of the Christian school and a pastor: “It seems like God has brought together a staff here that we couldn’t have imagined.”

Now, Hankinson and MacArthur are hoping for divine help to improve Master’s record over the past two seasons--an ungodly 11-47.

Unfair comparisons: When two brothers compete in the same event, comparisons are inevitable. But when your brother is Dave Laut, the 1984 Olympic bronze-medalist in the shotput, it seems almost unfair.

Moorpark College’s Donnie Laut established some credit of his own, however, throwing a personal best 54-6 1/2 and winning the state community college shotput title at American River College on Saturday.

Donnie, a 6-0 220-pound freshman, played two seasons as a linebacker on the Raiders’ football team before becoming the Western State Conference shot put champion this season. Dave set the school record of 56-10 as a freshman in 1976, and twice won the NCAA Division I championship while at UCLA.

Moorpark Coach Manny Trevino said Donnie didn’t participate in track his freshman year because of Dave’s feats. However, the brothers have worked together at Moorpark this season, Trevino said.

“Donnie feels a lot better about being himself,” Trevino said. “His brother has been a great support to him.”

Add track: Sophomore Renee Hembree finished second in the heptathlon (4,279) and Rhonda Rebar finished fourth in the 5,000 meters (17:50.97) for Moorpark. Rebar, a sophomore, had finished fifth in the conference final, but improved her personal record (18:08) by almost 20 seconds in the state meet. Raider freshman Ken Lowther placed seventh in the shotput (51-8). Glendale College’s Scott Schain, a sophomore from Granada Hills High, placed third in the shotput (53-5).

The California Collegiate Athletic Assn. can back up its motto of “Conference of Champions.”

CCAA teams have won six Division II national championships in the 1986-87 school year. Cal State Northridge won titles in women’s swimming and softball; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in women’s cross country; UC Riverside in women’s volleyball; Cal State Bakersfield in men’s swimming; and Chapman in men’s tennis.

There could be an addition or two by the end of the week. The Cal State Dominguez Hills baseball team is one of the favorites in the Division II World Series and the Northridge golf team and San Luis Obispo women’s track team are also expected to be in contention for national championships at stake this week.