Monarchs’ JoJo Picks Kansas U. to Be Close to Family

When it came time to select a college, Morningside basketball star JoJo Witherspoon wanted the school to be close to her family.

So she picked Kansas University.

“I have a lot of relatives who live in Kansas,” Witherspoon explained. “Our family reunion is there this summer.”

Witherspoon, the only senior on Morningside’s state Division I champion team, chose the Lady Jayhawks over Auburn, USC and San Jose State. She will sign a letter of intent next week.

Witherspoon said she didn’t think twice about leaving California. She was raised in Arkansas and spent two years in Milwaukee before moving to Inglewood before her freshman year at Morningside.

“California is OK,” she said. “I could have gone to school here, but I decided to leave.”

The 5-9 point guard averaged 16.8 points and a team-high 10 assists last season. She played a pivotal role in the Lady Monarchs’ drive to the Southern Section 5-A, regional and state titles, and she set a school record with a 68-point outburst against South Torrance.

Witherspoon said Kansas returns its entire team next season, but she hopes to get playing time as a freshman.

“It doesn’t bother me,” she said of the competition. “That’s the way I like it. I like to move up. When I came to Morningside, we moved up each year. I feel the same way about college.”

And Witherspoon is looking forward to watching the Kansas football team. Her cousin, Doug Terry, plays for the Jayhawks.

Witherspoon said Kansas is also recruiting Morningside’s Lisa Leslie, a 6-5 junior whom many consider the No. 1 center prospect in the country.

But she said Leslie, a native Californian, is leaning toward USC.

“I don’t think Lisa wants to leave California,” Witherspoon said. “Lisa can’t take the cold weather.”

An old acquaintance helped Cal State Dominguez Hills basketball Coach Dave Yanai land Ray Bennett, a Times South Bay All-Star guard from Carson High.

Bennett signed a letter of intent with the Toros on Wednesday, the first day of the spring signing period.

Bennett’s father, also named Ray, attended Fremont High when Yanai was the baseball coach at the South-Central Los Angeles school. They had not seen each other since, until Yanai paid a recruiting visit to the Bennett home.

“The minute he walked in the door I recognized him,” said the elder Bennett, who was a tennis player at Fremont. “It’s funny. I had no idea he was coaching right here in Carson.”

Bennett, a 6-foot sharpshooter, averaged 16.5 points and helped Carson win the Pacific League title and reach the semifinals of the L.A. City Section 4-A playoffs. He was the Colts’ top three-point shooter.

Westchester forward Zan Mason, who signed a letter of intent with UCLA in November, couldn’t have been happier when Tracy Murray of Glendora announced that he’s also headed to Westwood.

“I think it’s great,” Mason said. “He makes our freshman class one of the strongest in the country. Plus, he’s a friend of mine.”

The signing of Murray, a 6-8 forward who averaged 44.3 points a game last season, gives UCLA a solid quartet of recruits, all at different positions.

Murray will most likely play small forward in college, the 6-7 Mason is a power forward, 6-5 Mitchell Butler of North Hollywood Oakwood is projected as an off guard and 6-10 Rodney Odom from Texas plays center.

Pitcher-first baseman Dan Melendez of St. Bernard will sign a letter of intent today to play baseball for Pepperdine where the versatile left-hander figures to get a chance to crack the starting lineup as a freshman.

“We see Danny as one of those rare impact guys who can come in and make an impression his first year,” said Pepperdine Coach Andy Lopez. “We’ll use him in whatever area seems the most appropriate for the team.”

Lopez, former coach at Mira Costa High and Cal State Dominguez Hills, compares Melendez to Rick Hirtensteiner, the Pepperdine senior who plays outfield and is also the Waves’ No. 1 reliever.

Senior midfielder Lance Haworth, who helped Palos Verdes to a 33-0 record and the Southern Section 4-A soccer title, has been selected the 4-A Offensive Player of the Year by the Southern California Soccer Coaches Assn.

Six of Haworth’s teammates were named to the all-division first and second teams, and Palos Verdes Coach Alan King was chosen 4-A Coach of the Year.

Palos Verdes players named to the first team are forwards Paul Kaemmerer and Doug Kay and defender Greg Swartz. Second-team honors went to goaltender Mark Antrobius, forward Jeff Bowers and midfielder Brandon De Mott.

Other South Bay players honored are first-team selections Ken Alexander of Hawthorne, Matt Arnett of Bishop Montgomery and Shaun Carpenter of Rolling Hills. South Torrance’s Brad Jorgensen and Danny Meyer and Dan Dougherty of West Torrance were named to the second team.

Serra ran into a hot pitcher Saturday in a 9-7 Camino Real League baseball loss to Bosco Tech of Rosemead.

Senior reliever Eddie Marquez set a CIF-Southern Section record against the Cavaliers by recording his 15th career save. He retired all nine batters--five by strikeout--in three innings to hand Serra its first league defeat.

Marquez has pitched 16 innings in 10 appearances, allowing just eight hits and no earned runs. He has six saves for 7-5 Bosco Tech.

PREP NOTES--Duke Dulgarian has resigned as football coach at St. Bernard. No replacement has been named. . . . Ten South Bay players have been named to the All-Southern Section 4-A Division girls soccer team. First-team selections are seniors Amy Fowler of South Torrance, Robyn Kropp of Mira Costa and Jennifer Stone of Hawthorne. Named to the second team were juniors Teresa Bateman of West Torrance and Kristi Blankenship of Torrance, sophomore Gillian Boxx of South Torrance and senior Amy Rubin of Hawthorne. Third-team honorees include sophomore Jaymie Bradford of Hawthorne and seniors Robbin Bronner of Palos Verdes and Laura Schlom of West Torrance. Miraleste had three seniors and El Segundo two selected to the All-Southern Section 1-A girls soccer squad. Miraleste’s Angela Guerrero and Lisa Parsons were named to the first team with Dena Telfar of El Segundo. Julie Filson of El Segundo and Alice Mansfield of Miraleste are second-team picks. Chadwick placed two boys on the All-Southern Section 1-A team--seniors Peter Swartz and Rajish Singh. . . . Tim Harris, a former soccer goalkeeper for South Torrance, UCLA and the U.S. national team, will conduct a goalkeeper camp this summer at South. For more information call 206-6899.

South Bay’s Baseball Top 10 Selected by Times Sportswriters Through Tuesday’s Games Rank, School, League: Record

1 St. Bernard (Camino Real): 10-3

2 El Segundo (Camino Real): 11-3

3 Mary Star (Santa Fe): 10-5

4 Banning (Pacific): 10-6

5 Rolling Hills (Bay): 8-6

6 Hawthorne (Bay): 8-6

7 Leuzinger (Bay): 10-6-1

8 Miraleste (Santa Fe): 9-5

9 Bishop Mont. (Angelus): 9-5-1

10 Westchester (Western): 9-10