U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL: ORANGE COUNTY’S DAY : LOS ANGELES 1991 : NOTEBOOK : County Athletes Keep Winning and Adding to Heavy Medal Collection

Orange County athletes have had an impact on the Festival, to put it mildly.

Computer generated tabulations through Friday’s competition showed they had won 55 medals--30 gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze. This was more than the totals listed for all but three states outside California--Texas (62), Pennsylvania (57) and Florida (57).

To no one’s surprise, Californians have dominated, with 279 medalists through Friday, including 110 gold.

Huntington Beach swimmer Scott Wester led the way for Orange County with six medals: three gold, two silver and a bronze. Kayaker Mitch Kahn of San Clemente finished with five gold.

Also fattening the county medal totals were Newport Beach canoeist Jim Terrell (four gold), Anaheim bowler Steve Smith (three gold), Huntington Beach kayaker Cathy Marino (three gold), Huntington Beach swimmer Steve West (two gold, one bronze) and Huntington Beach bowler Julie Gardner (one gold, two silver).

A few county medalists might have been overlooked in the total. Terrell, who recently moved from El Toro to Newport Beach, was not on the California list and was discovered only because he was such a glaring omission; as far as the computer is concerned, he still lives in Milford, Ohio.

More to come: Erika Von Heiland of Anaheim will add to those medal totals in badminton today, having advanced to the gold-medal match in women’s singles and doubles.

Von Heiland, 25, reached the championship match by first routing Kathy Zimmerman of Denver, 11-1, 11-5, and then defeating Joy Kitzmiller of Manhattan Beach, 8-11, 12-11, 11-5, in the semifinals. She will play Linda French of Elmhurst, Ill., for the title at 1 p.m.

In doubles, Von Heiland teamed with Ann French of La Jolla for a 15-9, 15-9 semifinal victory over Nancy Acuna of Hermosa Beach and Terry Lira of Lakewood. She and French will play Linda French and Kitzmiller for the championship at 3 p.m.