Facts, Figures and Comments From Area Events : PREPS

The La Canada High boys’ basketball team clinched the Rio Hondo League championship.

So what else is new?

The Spartans have won five consecutive Rio Hondo League titles under sixth-year Coach Tom Hofman.

La Canada made four consecutive three-point baskets at the start of its league-clinching 81-52 victory over Monrovia on Friday at La Canada.

“That was a solid team effort,” Hofman said. “We seem to get a different person stepping up and playing a pivotal role in each game.”

Indeed, while most of the attention has been focused on 6-foot-11 junior center Richard Mandeville, the Spartans have gotten outstanding play all season from Ryan Asplund, Brent Ballard and Jimmy Evans.

La Canada concludes its regular season schedule Thursday night at South Pasadena and probably will open the Southern Section playoffs as the top-seeded team in Division III.

The La Canada boys’ soccer team clinched its second consecutive Rio Hondo League championship on Friday with a 1-0 victory over Monrovia.

David Rivero scored his 22nd goal to give the Spartans the victory.

La Canada is ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section 1-A and entered the week 17-0-1.

The California Interscholastic Federation and Reebok will award $2,000 scholarships to the boy and girl who are selected Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Applications for the awards are available at high school counseling offices. Each school can nominate two athletes.

The application deadline is April 3 and judging will be completed May 11. The awards will be presented June 6 at the state track meet June 6 in Cerritos.

Information: (714) 521-5711.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES

With three games left in the regular season, the Glendale College men’s basketball team is still looking like a playoff team.

Glendale was 13-12 overall and 3-3 in the Western State Conference Southern Division after Saturday’s overtime loss to College of the Canyons.

The Vaqueros played Santa Monica Wednesday night and will travel to Bakersfield Saturday. Glendale concludes its season next week against Valley and Canyons.

Glendale Coach Brian Beauchemin is confident that the Vaqueros will be among the 26 teams chosen for the Southern California regional playoffs.

Sophomore forward Juwan Smith is averaging 20 points a game during WSC Southern Division play for the Vaqueros.

“We’re still optimistic,” Beauchemin said. “Our problem has been with anyone that has size. We just need to do a better job against those teams by keeping their big people off the boards.”

COLLEGES

The struggling Occidental men’s basketball team suffered another big loss on Friday when Blair Slattery, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, suffered a season-ending hand injury when he punched a wall in frustration during practice.

Occidental, which is 7-12 overall and 1-7 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, had lost to Claremont, 81-79, in overtime the night before Slattery’s injury. The 6-6 sophomore from San Marino was averaging 21.9 points and 11.5 rebounds a game.

Without their leading scorer, the Tigers made only 27% of their shots in a 74-55 loss to Whittier on Saturday.

Slattery is the second Occidental player to suffer a season-ending injury.

Senior forward Sandy Brown, the team’s leading scorer last season, injured his knee early in the season and was granted an extra year of eligibility.

Four Occidental athletes won events on Saturday in the Tigers’ first track meet of the season.

Becky Kopchick won the 1,500 meters in 4 minutes 46.15 seconds and the 3,000 in 11:28.3 for the Occidental women’s team, which lost to San Diego State, 91-34. Jacqui Dent won the 800 meters in 2:19.9 and finished second in the 100 in 12.50 seconds.

Konstantine Kindreich of the Occidental men’s team won the 1,500 in 3:56.22 and Jose Garcia won the 5,000 in 15:06.6. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo won the triangular meet with 125 points. San Diego State was second with 57 and Occidental finished with 22.

PREP ATHLETE OF WEEK

Dave Ulloa, Hoover--Ulloa, a senior guard, gained national exposure when his 70-foot, buzzer-beating shot gave the Tornadoes a 58-56 victory over Pasadena on Feb. 4. The shot was replayed on national cable networks and local television stations.

Ulloa is averaging 20 points a game for Hoover, which concludes the regular season Friday against cross-town rival Glendale.

COLLEGE ATHLETE OF WEEK

Tanisha White, Occidental--White, a freshman, scored 13 points and had seven rebounds for the Tigers’ women’s basketball team during a 47-45 overtime victory over Pomona-Pitzer.

White helped the Tigers improve to 8-10 overall and 4-3 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW

Ryan Cartnal--Cartnal, the most valuable player for the Occidental basketball team last year, is playing professionally in France for the L’Entente-du-Vallespir Basketball Club in Amelie-Les-Bains.

Cartnal averaged 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds last season for Occidental.

MISCELLANY

Chris Hemela, a Times’ All-Glendale linebacker from St. Francis High, signed a national letter of intent with Oregon State. . . . Sara Dien and Carlene Pengra of La Canada will compete in one of two girls’ rated-mile races at the Sunkist Invitational indoor track meet Saturday at the Sports Arena. . . . The Amateur Athletic Foundation Rose Bowl Aquatic Center in Pasadena is sponsoring a triathlon on Feb. 23. The event features a three-mile run, 10-mile bike race and 400-meter swim. Information: (818) 792-9512. . . . The Crescenta Valley High drill team is in the midst of a fund-raising drive to help finance its trip to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The 24-member team has been invited to perform at the Games with teams from Utah, Texas and Florida. Information: (818) 249-5871.