Village Christian Duo on Baseball Team Touring Soviet Union

Matt Smay and Mark Vail of Village Christian High are members of a baseball team that is touring the Soviet Union through the end of the month. The team, sponsored by Amateur Sports Development USA, will play games in Moscow and Leningrad.

Smay posted a 4-4 pitching record and batted .395 last season. Vail was 5-0 with two saves and batted .413.

Steve Gazzaniga, the women’s volleyball coach at Pierce College, announced that five high school seniors and two college transfers plan to play for the Brahmas next season.

Kelly Coyle of Chaminade, Keri Elman of Calabasas, Stephanie Burns of Notre Dame and Chatsworth teammates Lori Mertes and Marie Mariano are the high school recruits, and Marvette Williams of Santa Monica College and Nathalie Zodan of Cal State Northridge are the transfers.

Coyle, Mertes, Mariano and Williams are middle blockers, although Gazzaniga will employ Mariano as an outside hitter at Pierce. Elman is also an outside hitter.

Burns was an outside hitter-setter at Notre Dame and Zodan, who redshirted at CSUN last season, was a setter-middle blocker at University High.

Brent Christenson and Scott Barkman of Thousand Oaks High have both accepted NCAA Division I baseball scholarships.

Christenson, a Times All-Ventura County outfielder who batted .444 this season, will attend Brigham Young. Barkman, a second-team all-county choice who posted a 6-4 pitching record, will attend Indiana.

Pitcher Alicia Zinner and catcher Tricia Gregoire of Thousand Oaks High will both play next season at UC Riverside. Zinner was 21-7 with an 0.85 earned-run average this season; Gregoire batted .242.

Terry Vernor, Palmdale High baseball coach, has resigned after two seasons at the Falcons’ helm.

Vernor cited personal and financial considerations. He will continue to teach health at Palmdale.

Vernor also served as coach in 1985 and skippered the Falcons to the Southern Section 3-A Division playoffs the past two years. In three seasons, his teams compiled a 35-32 record.

Mike Van Cheri has resigned as baseball coach at Antelope Valley after one season to start a baseball program at Highland High, a new school in Lancaster.

“I’ve always thought about taking over at a new school and starting a program from scratch,” Van Cheri, 40, said. “When the opportunity arose, I thought I should take advantage of it.”

Despite a 2-8 start, Antelope Valley finished 12-13 this season and second in Golden League play at 8-7.

“It would be easier to stay where I am and keep building on what I’ve started this year,” he said, “but I’m not afraid of hard work.”

Jamie Heggen, a Moorpark College center fielder, has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Arizona. Heggen, a freshman from Thousand Oaks High, was Western State Conference Player of the Year and an all-state selection.

Heggen led WSC players in stolen bases with 37 and batted .358 for Moorpark (30-11), which finished fifth in the state.

All-comers cross-country and track and field meets at College of the Canyons will begin in July and continue through August.

The cross-country series begins July 5 and will be held each Thursday until the championship meet Aug. 16. Track and field meets will be held July 10 and 24 with the finals scheduled for Aug. 7.

All running events will start at 7 p.m., field events will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Information: 805-259-7800, ext. 205.

Brian Brison, 16, has qualified for the state age-group track and field championships that will run today through Sunday at Diablo Valley Junior College in Pleasant Hill, Calif. Brison, who competed for the L.A. Jets youth track club, qualified in the 100 meters, 200 and long jump at a meet at Saddleback College last Sunday.

The Harvard High wrestling team was honored as academic champion in the Southern Section at a recent Angels’ home game. The Saracens posted a 3.31 grade-point average, the highest of any team in any sport in the section.

Harvard posted a 27-3 record and 11 members qualified for the 1-A Division tournament.

Pat Huston, a Pierce College infielder, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 27th round of the baseball draft, Pierce Coach Bob Lofrano said. Huston plans to remain at Pierce for his sophomore season, Lofrano said.

Marie Meyers of Newbury Park has been named to the U.S. dressage team for the World Equestrian championships July 24-29 in Stockholm.

The Sylmar Hang Gliding Club will play host to the Southern California regionals that will run Saturday through Thursday in Sylmar.

Information: 818-367-6050.

Michael Jones, the Montclair Prep Parade All-American headed to USC in the fall, has been added to the South roster for the Shrine North-South High School Football Classic to be played July 28 at the Rose Bowl.

Jones rushed for 1,760 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior.