PREPS / MITCH POLIN : Peninsula’s Mulligan Is Named Top Girls’ Player in State

By any measurement, Kristen Mulligan was one of the top players for a Peninsula High girls’ basketball team that finished 33-0, won the State Division I title and was ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today.

But Mulligan, a 5-foot-7 senior, was surprised to learn that she had been named the 1992 Gatorade Circle of Champions California High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

After all, she wasn’t even the Panthers’ leading scorer. Mulligan averaged 10.8 points, third behind Jeffra Gausepohl and Mimi McKinney, although she led in assists and steals.

“I think that was one reason I was surprised to receive it because my scoring wasn’t up there,” Mulligan said. “But it’s nice that they’re recognizing me for the other things that I did.”

Mulligan, who was made the Kodak All-America team and was an all-tournament selection at the State final, said she didn’t think much about the award before she received it.

“I actually got it in the mail the week of the State final,” she said. “I received it through the mail and my coach gave it to me in school so it was a surprise. I wasn’t really thinking about it because I had a lot on my mind at that time.”

But with the season completed, Mulligan says the honor has added significance.

“It comes behind the team’s achievements but it means a lot,” she said. “After the championship, this is like the icing on the cake.”

Mulligan joins a select list of recipients of the award, including former Morningside standout Lisa Leslie, who won the State award in 1989 and 1990. Leslie was also named Gatorade national player of the year in 1990.

For Mulligan, who will attend Auburn University in the fall, the honor completes an outstanding career.

“With all of the things that have happened this season, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” she said.

It did not take long for Peninsula to unveil its national championship banner. The Panthers unfurled it during a ceremony at the school’s gym Friday.

“It was short and sweet,” Coach Wendell Yoshida said. “It was just a little ceremony to put everything together. They unveiled the banner and then they had cake for everyone.”

Only now is Mulligan feeling that her prep career is over.

“Everything happened so quickly this season and after the game (March 21) it didn’t really feel like the season was over,” she said. “But after (the ceremony) it’s really started to sink in and everything has settled down.”

Although the Panthers lose four starters to graduation, Yoshida said the banner will benefit future teams.

“We’ll use it to remind us what we have accomplished and what we can accomplish if we work hard,” he said.

Peninsula is not the only South Bay team reveling in the feat of having won a State basketball title.

The Morningside boys are also celebrating their victory over Seaside of Monterey in the State Division III championship game March 21 in Sacramento.

The Monarchs, who won the first boys’ State title in school history, were recognized by the Inglewood Unified School District at its meeting last week and will be honored with a resolution at the Inglewood City Council meeting on Wednesday.

“The truth is that not many of us can say we won a State championship,” Coach Carl Franklin said. “I know for some of us this may be the only time we ever accomplish something like this.”

With four starters returning, including leading scorers Stais Boseman and Donminic Ellison, Franklin is hoping the State title will have a positive effect on the Monarchs next season.

“When we go into summer league play, it does tend to increase your confidence when you realize that you can and have won a title,” he said. “But you have to approach it in a step-by-step manner. You don’t want to look too far ahead.”

But for now, the Monarchs will cherish their title feat.

“We worked so hard to get this championship,” he said. “So before I think about anything else, I want to spend a little time trying to enjoy this.”

Over the past three seasons, no football team in the South Bay has struggled as much as Narbonne.

During that span, the Gauchos have lost 27 of 28 games, including a 1-9 record last season.

But Coach Pat Bender is hoping the worst is behind the Gauchos, whose football team will compete in the Southeastern Conference next season. Narbonne will continue to compete in the Southern Pacific Conference in all other sports.

In the eight-team Southern Pacific, Narbonne had to battle City 4-A Division football powers Banning, Carson, Dorsey and Gardena.

In moving to the Southeastern, the Gauchos will compete against 3-A teams. The 10-team conference includes Bell, Garfield, Huntington Park, Roosevelt, Fremont, Jordan, Locke, Roosevelt and South Gate.

“In the (Southern Pacific) conference, it was always a case where the team was always 0-4 going into league play,” Bender said. “Narbonne was always in a spot where they had no chance of making the playoffs. What this means is it creates a more competitive position for Narbonne.

“With the changing of the leagues, it allows Narbonne to play teams that are more competitive with our kind of football.”

He said the move should pay dividends for the entire athletic program.

“We’ve always done well in the minor sports at Narbonne,” Bender said. “But in high school, the big sports are looked upon as football and basketball and when you don’t win in football, you get the reputation of having a bad program. But we’re trying to change that image and I think (City administrators) Hal Harkness and Lee Joseph have recognized that with this decision.”

Bender cautioned that the switch may not translate to instant success for the Gauchos.

“Like anything, it’s not going to happen overnight,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work.”

He has already been encouraged, though, by a high turnout for the school’s off-season football class.

“I’ve got double the amount of kids in our off-season class than we had before,” Bender said. “The minute (City officials) decided that, I had kids running up to me to sign up. So the enthusiasm is very high all of a sudden.”