Lawndale’s Joe Bravos Keep Softball Titles

A pair of teams from Lawndale by the name of Joe Bravos successfully defended their world age-group titles at the Las Vegas Slow Pitch World Softball Tournament.

Bravos posted a 6-2 mark in winning the 55-and-over division. It was the third world title for the team.

And the over-60 Bravos team captured its fourth consecutive world title with a 6-1 mark.

Bob Perry of the 55-and-over team won a home run hitting contest. He was the only player to hit 1 of 5 pitches over the fence.

Both teams are sponsored by Joe Bravo of Lawndale, a retired auto body shop owner.

The Palos Verdes Breakers, a team composed of high school-age girls and college-age women, captured the Los Angeles Tri-League Division title of the California Youth Soccer Assn. with a 4-1 playoff victory over Torrance United.

The club team finished the regular season with a 10-1 record. It outscored opponents, 45-4, during the year. Leading scorers and their number of goals included Amy Rubin (Hawthorne) 16, Polly Hackathorn (Palos Verdes) 14, Heather Foote (South Torrance) 7 and Liz Walsh (Palos Verdes) 4. El Camino College freshman Kris Massaro was the goalie.

Defensively the team was led by co-captain Diane Dieter, Kelly Conrad (Bishop Montgomery), El Camino’s Braidie Johnson and Jennifer Molter (Palos Verdes). At mid-field the club featured co-captain Cathy Lord (USC), Heather Foote (South Torrance), Alegra Danna, Liz Walsh and Mirian LaForest (all Palos Verdes), Miriam Penna (Bishop Montgomery) and Suzanne Bryan and Kerry Bertoldo (both of Cal State Dominguez Hills).

A new route designed for better speed is planned for the Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10-K run Jan. 22.

The route, pending TAC (The Athletics Congress) approval, begins and ends in King Harbor, but “we’ve eliminated several tight turns through narrow residential streets,” said Ernie O’Dell, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. He said the finish line will be moved closer to the starting line. To enter call 540-5001.