Masters Gets Dual Coaching Post

Ardyce Masters will return as the coach of the Canyon High girls’ volleyball team in the fall, replacing Linda Johnson. Masters, who serves as Canyon’s athletic director and coaches the boys’ volleyball team, coached the girls’ program for 17 years before stepping down after the 1988 season.

Masters led Canyon to five consecutive Golden League girls’ titles (1984-88) and 12 overall. Masters, who will remain as boys’ coach, has guided the Cowboys to four consecutive Golden League boys’ championships since she joined the program in 1988.

Canyon will join the Foothill League next fall, with Hart, Saugus, Burbank and Burroughs. Masters said the decreased travel load was a major factor in her decision to return. The current Golden League includes Ridgecrest Burroughs, Antelope Valley, Palmdale, Quartz Hill and Saugus.

“I got tired of traveling to (Ridgecrest) Burroughs,” Masters said. “With the new league, we will be traveling a lot less.”

Johnson, who had helped Canyon win three Golden League girls’ championships, stepped down to spend more time with her family.

Freshman D.J. Jackson of Antelope Valley College and sophomores Randy Brown of Valley and Shawn Talley of Oxnard have been named to the J. C. Athletic Bureau All-State men’s basketball team.

Sophomores David Langley of Canyons and Derrick Pugh of Ventura were honorable-mention selections.

Jackson, a 6-foot-8 forward, led state players in scoring during the regular season with a 30.1 average and he averaged 13.1 rebounds.

Brown, a 6-6 forward, averaged 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds, and Talley, a 5-10 point guard, averaged 17.6 points and 4.2 assists.

Langley, a 6-2 point guard, averaged 17.2 points and 5.5 assists for Canyons, which advanced to the third round of the state tournament.

Pugh, a 6-4 forward, averaged 7.7 points and a team-high 7.9 rebounds for Ventura, which advanced to the semifinals of the state tournament.

John Kunishima and Erin Morris have been named Cal State Northridge athletes of the month for February by the school’s athletic council.

Kunishima led the men’s swimming team to a second-place finish Feb. 20-22 in the Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference championships at Belmont Plaza. Kunishima placed first in the 100- and 200-yard freestyles and took part on winning 200, 400 and 800 freestyle-relay teams.

His time of 1 minute 51.70 seconds in the 200 and his team’s 6:49.41 mark in the 800 relay were meet records. Kunishima also was named male swimmer of the meet.

Morris, a member of the women’s track squad, won the 100-meter high hurdles with a personal best of 14.04 in the USC quadrangular meet Feb. 29. She took third in the 400 hurdles with a career best of 1:04.41.

Morris was second with a mark of 8.06 in the 55-meter hurdles in the Northern Arizona triangular meet Feb. 1. She won her hurdles heat in 8.23 and placed eighth in the 200 in 26.5 in Nevada’s Wolf Pack Invitational on Feb. 15.

Jeff deLaveaga, the leading scorer in NCAA Division III with a 29.2 average, has been named to the West-Great Lakes All-Sectional team.

Cal Lutheran, which had a bye in the first round of the Division III tournament, beat UC San Diego, 88-70, to advance to the West-Great Lakes sectional. The Kingsmen lost to Otterbein, 82-78, Friday in St. Peter, Minn.

Against Otterbein, deLaveaga made 13 of 25 field-goal attempts, including eight of 16 three-point shots, and finished with a game-high 38 points. The eight three-point baskets tied his season high.