Backstroker From Agoura Ranked 8th

Agoura High junior Jason Stelle is the highest-ranked Valley-area swimmer in the recently released Swimming World All-American rankings. Stelle, ranked eighth among public-school swimmers in the 100-yard backstroke, set a Southern Section 2-A Division record with a time of 51.93 seconds and is also a member of Agoura’s 200 medley relay team, which earned honorable-mention status.

Thousand Oaks High also placed a relay and an individual on the All-American lists. Junior Lauren Droshe swam the 21st-best time in the 50 freestyle and the 22nd-best time in the 100 backstroke. The Thousand Oaks girls’ 200 medley relay team was ranked ninth.

Westlake senior Shauna MacEwen, 12th in the 500 freestyle and 19th in the 200 freestyle, and the Hart boys’ 400 freestyle relay, ranked 20th, also earned All-American status.

Calabasas senior Michael Litter, 46th in the 100 breaststroke, and Burbank senior Casey Grigg, 37th in the 200 individual medley, earned honorable-mention All-American honors.

Harvard senior Larry Bercutt was a fifth-team All-American in water polo.

Another Harvard senior, Mike Chang, swam the 14th-best time among independent-school students in the 100 butterfly.

Emilee Klein of Studio City shot an eight-over-par 80 and faded to a tie for fifth place after two rounds in the Betsy Rawls girls’ junior golf championship Wednesday in Wilmington, Del.

Klein, who was a stroke off the lead after opening with a 74 Tuesday at the 6,015-yard Hercules Country Club, trails leader Tonya Blosser of Athens, Ohio, by eight strokes.

Vijay Amritraj of Encino lost to No. 8 seed Todd Witsken of Carmel, Ind., 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, Wednesday in the third round of the $417,500 U. S. Hardcourt tennis championships in Indianapolis.

Tish Johnson of Panorama City qualified second for tonight’s stepladder finals of the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour Michigan Classic in Dearborn, Mich.

Aleta Sill rolled back-to-back games of 276 and 278 Wednesday to qualify as the top-seeded bowler. Robin Romeo of Van Nuys qualified fifth.

First prize is $5,000.

Scott Sharts of Simi Valley drove in two runs Wednesday as host Wichita, Kan., became the first team to win three games in the National Baseball Congress World Series with a 7-1 victory over over Jackson, Miss.

In a first-round game, former Cal State Northridge pitcher Dan Penner scattered six hits through eight innings to lead Santa Maria to an 8-2 victory over Seattle. Penner allowed only one earned run.