SPORTS BRIEFS : Ichiban Volleyball Teams Compete in Junior Olympics

Four girls teams with Ichiban Volleyball Club of Long Beach begin competing today at the Junior Olympics in Albuquerque, N.M.

Two-time champion Ichiban 18, made up of players 18 or younger, is seeking its fifth consecutive medal in the event. The team is led by Poly High middle blocker and hitter Tanisha Larkin, who was voted the most valuable player of last year’s Junior Olympics.

Other area players include setter Heather Hofmans of St. Joseph in Lakewood and outside hitter Maureen Cox of St. Anthony.

Two Ichiban teams will also compete in the 16 and under division and another will play in the 14 and under division.

Founded in 1978, Ichiban is a private club affiliated with the United States Volleyball Assn. The club has 10 girls teams and one boys team. It is funded primarily through dues paid by parents.

The Southern Section CIF, based in Cerritos, has added a staff member and added to the responsibilities of another.

Cal State Long Beach graduate Rhonda Frazier has joined the staff as desktop publicist. Frazier, who also attended Millikan High in Long Beach and Long Beach City College, will be responsible for producing many of the section’s brochures and guides.

Scott Cathcart, director of media and public relations, has also taken on the duties of overseeing water polo and badminton. Cathcart, who began his career as an assistant director of sports information at Cal State Long Beach, is also a CIF football and basketball official.

The Southern Section, made up of 487 schools, is one of 10 geographic zones in California that govern high school athletics for public and private schools.

Two men with strong area ties have been presented with lifetime passes by the Southern Section CIF for lengthy contributions to prep athletics.

Gene Knott, a graduate of Wilson High, was honored for 31 years of service as a coach, teacher and administrator at Ramona High in Riverside. He was first voted to the Southern Section Council in 1969 and served on the Executive Council in 1981-82. Knott attended Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach.

Longtime Bell Gardens High Athletic Director Warren Winchester retired in 1991 after a 35-year career as a teacher, coach and administrator. He began teaching at Montebello High in 1956 and also coached football, basketball and tennis. He moved to Schurr High in Montebello in 1971 and joined Bell Gardens in 1976.

Winchester, who was raised in Wilmington, attended Whittier College.

Twenty boys’ basketball teams from the United States and Canada will participate in the annual Slam-N-Jam/Basketball Congress International National Invitational Tournament July 18 to 23 at Cal State Long Beach.

Twenty six games between the high school age boys will be played daily during the six-day event, with the championship game scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on July 23. Information: (310) 675-5146.

The city of Bellflower is sponsoring a weekly baseball camp for children ages 5 to 13. The event begins July 7 at Ruth R. Caruthers Park, 10500 Flora Vista St. Participants will be grouped by age. The cost is $40. For more information, call (310) 804-1424, Ext. 261, or 866-5684.

Southern California Over-The-Line is sponsoring a series of summer softball tournaments in Belmont Shore in Long Beach.

The cost is $40 per team. Each team is guaranteed at least four games, but they must preregister for each tournament separately. For more information, call (310) 866-8685.