Burnham and Miller Get to Know Each Other in Fast Lane

The rivalry between Angela Burnham of Oxnard Rio Mesa and Inger Miller of Pasadena Muir opened a new chapter Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational. Burnham got her first victory of the season over Miller in the 200 meters, only after losing in the 100.

Last season, Burnham was the nation’s top prep sprinter as a junior, while going undefeated against Miller. This season, however, the Muir junior holds a 2-1 edge, having defeated Burnham in the 100 meters at the Northridge Relays in March.

Miller has the best times in the 100 (11.59) and 200 meters (23.62) in the nation this season, with Burnham holding the second-best marks (11.64 and 23.63).

Despite the rivalry, both sprinters downplay any conflict.

“Inger is a very nice person, who is not up there,” Burnham said while holding her right hand above her head. “We are both competitors who want to win.”

Miller feels the same toward Burnham.

“Angela wants to win as much as I do, it is just the competition,” Miller said. “Over the summer, we were in different age groups but ran in the same meets and we spoke to each other at times.

“We do not speak before our races, but no one really does. I am always nervous before a race, so I do not speak at all anyway.”

Said Burnham: “I do not see it as a big rivalry. Win or lose, I have nothing to complain about because I just go out there and run my best.”

After losing to Miller twice, Burnham tried discredit her loses as motivation for her victory over Miller in the 200 at Arcadia.

“No, I did not have any extra motivation to win,” Burnham said. “I just tried to relax and run my best race and not because I had to prove anything.

“I definitely did not expect to run this fast so early,” said Burnham, who ran 11.28 and 23.45 in the 100 and 200 meters last season. “I guess the competition has helped put that little spark back into my eyes.”

The first official day for high school basketball seniors to sign national letters of intent is Wednesday, but Tracy Murray of Glendora, the state career and single season scoring record-holder, announced Sunday after weeks of indecision that he will attend UCLA.

Glendora Coach Mike LeDuc, who led the Tartans to State Division II final, is pleased with Murray’s decision.

“I think his choice is a great one because UCLA has such a fine tradition with its academic and athletic programs,” LeDuc said. “I am sure that he will make local people really happy.”

Whereas Murray made his college decision over the weekend, other prep seniors were playing in all-star games trying to impress college scouts.

One player who has not decided is Terry Cannon of Crenshaw, City 4-A Division player of the year. He was the star of the sixth annual Southern California All-Star prep basketball game at Cal State Dominguez Hills last Friday night, scoring 28 points, to lead the City boys team to a 108-99 victory over the Southern Section.

The 6-foot-1 Cannon, who in March led the Cougars to the City 4-A division title and their fourth state title, dominated play as he led the City to its fourth victory in six years.

Cannon impressed college scouts with his ball-handling and outside shooting, making four three-pointers.

Other top City performers were Westchester forward Renaud Gordon, who scored 14 points, 12 coming in the second half, and Maurice McKinzy of Fremont, who scored 11.

Leading the way for the Southern Section was John Hardy of Rolling Hills, who impressed scouts while playing as a shooting guard. The 6-4 Hardy, who played forward this season, was his team’s top scorer with 14 points, with Malru Dottin of Santa Ana Saddleback and Brian Camper of Lakewood each scoring 13.

In the girls’ all-star matchup, the Southern Section routed the City, 97-54, with four players scoring in double figures. Heidi Burge of Palos Verdes and Susan Peters of Los Altos had 14 and 13 points, respectively.

In the Dapper Dan game in Pittsburgh, Arizona-bound Ed Stokes of Playa del Rey St. Bernard scored 13 points and USC-bound Harold Miner of Inglewood added 12, for the West all-star team in its 96-84 loss to the East last Friday night.

Prep Notes

In last week’s Southern Section baseball poll, Lakewood of the Moore League, with pitcher Chris Miller and catcher Keith Tripp, topped the 5-A Division rankings, ahead of Riverside Poly and Simi Valley. In the 4-A division, Newhall Hart, with catcher Casey Burrill, earned the top ranking ahead of Cerritos. Artesia, behind the pitching of returning All Southern Section selection Joel Adamson, is the top team in the 3-A Division. . . . In the boys’ team tennis poll, Beverly Hills was ranked second behind Santa Barbara in the 4-A Division, with Brentwood ranked second to Pasadena Poly in the 1-A Division.