Notebook / Mitch Polin : 4 Cal State Runners Seeking World Titles in Rome Games on Saturday

Cal State Los Angeles will be well represented at the second annual World Track and Field Championships that start Saturday in Rome.

The Golden Eagles will have four former athletes competing. Three will represent the U.S.--sprinters Denean Howard and Diane Williams and long jumper Jennifer Inniss--and hurdler Sandra Farmer will run for Jamaica.

Williams, who will compete in the 100-meter dash and the 400-meter relay, won a silver medal in the 100 meters two weeks ago at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis and also won the 1987 TAC title in the event.

Inniss, who competed for Guyana at the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics before becoming a U.S. citizen, holds the Cal State record in the long jump at 22-4 1/2 and qualified for the world championships by finishing second in the 1987 TAC meet.

Howard, who will participate in the 400-meter run and 1,600-meter relay, won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. 1,600-meter relay team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She qualified for the world meet by winning the 400 meters at the TAC meet, defeating Olympic gold medalist Valerie Brisco.

Farmer, entered in the 400-meter hurdles, has finished second in the event at the TAC meet the last two years and also placed second for Cal State at the NCAA finals in 1984.

Pomona-Pitzer College of Claremont has named coaches for its tennis and football teams for next season.

Michael Messer has been selected as an assistant football and baseball coach and Lisa Beckett as women’s tennis coach and coordinator of tennis.

Messer coached for the last three years at Lakeland College in Wisconsin where he was defensive coordinator in football, assistant women’s basketball coach and head baseball coach. He has also coached football and tennis at Bimidji State University in Minnesota and Emporia State in Kansas.

Under Pomona-Pitzer Coach Clarence Thomas, Messer will be defensive coordinator and recruiting director.

Beckett was women’s tennis coach and assistant women’s volleyball coach at Sonoma State in Rohnert Park the last two seasons. She was also an assistant tennis coach at Washington State for three years and office manager for Court Sports Productions of Carlsbad for two years.

Three San Gabriel Valley youths will be trying to end their summer vacation in memorable fashion.

Six-year-old Alan Milbourn of Valinda; Ken Lawson, 13, of La Puente and Anthony Salib, 16, of La Verne will represent Southern California at the national finals of the Avco National Family Bowling Tournament on Sept. 4-7 in Washington, D.C.

Milbourn is competing in the prep division for ages 11 and younger, Lawson is representing juniors ages 12 to 14, and Salib is in the major division for ages 15 to 18.

Winners in each division will receive a $5,000 college scholarship. Milbourn, Lawson and Salib have already received $500 scholarships by winning in the Southern California finals.

Don’t look now but the prep football season is just around the corner.

CIF Southern Section teams open full-contact practices today after completing a three-day conditioning period.

The regular season runs from Sept. 10 through Nov. 14 and there are several outstanding non-league match-ups in the first week.

Among the most intriguing games Sept. 11 are Temple City at Arroyo, Muir vs. Blair at Pasadena City College, San Gorgonio at Damien, Bishop Amat at Rubidoux and Wilson at Bell Gardens. Diamond Bar visits Walnut on Sept. 12.