U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : Roundup : Bray Wins Gold on Split Decision

John Bray knew what he wanted to do and he knew what he had to do.

Unfortunately, the two didn’t coincide.

Bray wanted a knockout. What he got was a split decision and a U. S. Olympic Festival gold medal in the 201-pound division.

And at the end of three rounds, he felt fortunate enough to have that. Bray, who fights out of Van Nuys, defeated Javier Alvarez of Austin, Texas, 3-2, in a decision that was greeted unenthusiastically by a crowd of 6,632 at the Myriad Exhibit Hall.

Neither fighter was particularly impressive at any stage of the fight. Bray, who ran his record to 76-8 with 50 knockouts, was most effective in the second round, when he circled Alvarez and scored with jabs.

That strategy was in stark contrast to the way he started the fight--by throwing roundhouse punches in search of a quick knockout.

“He was trying to take me out,” said Alvarez, a 27-year-old veteran of more than 300 amateur fights. “We he found out he couldn’t do that, he played it smart.

“It was a close fight, and he deserved it. He was working harder than me.”

Said Bray: “I got away from my game plan. He made me lose my composure. He got me upset and I let emotions take over the fight. I let ego come into play. I should have fought three rounds like I fought the second.”

Bray’s victory avenged a 5-0 decision he lost to Alvarez in the semifinals of the U. S. Amateur championships. More importantly, it gained Bray a berth in the U. S. Olympic Box-Off in Concord, Calif., next week. The winner of the box-off will represent the United States at the world championships in Moscow, Sept. 17-30.

The Festival champion automatically qualifies for the box-off against a boxer from his weight category chosen by a selection committee to be “the most worthy opponent.”

Alvarez is expected to be that boxer for Bray.

BASEBALL

Jason Evans of Chatsworth singled and scored a run, but the West dropped an 8-3 decision to the North in its first game of the tournament.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Alexandra Feldman, the current national champion, is third in the all-around standings after two rounds of competition.

Feldman, 18, of Encino, is first in the ribbon event, third in rope, third in ball and fourth in the hoop standings.

Valencia’s Jennifer Haase, 14, is fourth in the all-around, third in hoop, fifth in ribbon, tied for fifth in ball and tied for 10th in rope.

TABLE TENNIS

Carol Davidson of North Hollywood and partner Jim Butler of Iowa City, Iowa, won a bronze medal in mixed doubles with a 21-16, 21-15 decision over Dhiren Narotam of Ames, Iowa, and Kerry Terrel of Richland, Wash.

FAST-PITCH SOFTBALL

Former Burbank high standout Debby Day was the losing pitcher as the West fell to the South, 1-0, behind the two-hit pitching of Rhonda Wheatley.

Day allowed five hits, struck out three, walked one, and benefited from a spectacular catch by center fielder Priscilla Rouse, a former Cal State Northridge standout. Rouse jumped above the fence in the sixth inning to prevent a home run.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Dijon Douphner of Newbury Park had 26 kills as the South defeated the North, 14-16, 15-7, 15-11, 15-9, in the tournament opener for both teams.

Douphner, a Pepperdine junior, played a key role in defeating a team coached by Rod Wilde, a Pepperdine assistant.

Coley Kyman, the City 3-A player of the year last season at Reseda High, started at middle blocker for the North and recorded 18 kills.