Girls’ Volleyball Poll Has Torrance Rated 4th

The Torrance High girls’ volleyball team, which reached the Southern Section 3-A Division semifinals last season, has been ranked fourth in a preseason state coaches poll.

The Tartars, who finished 17-2 last season, including a five-game loss to eventual champion La Habra in the 3-A semifinals, return All-Southern Section selections Kim Blankenship and Suzanne Radcliff.

Torrance is ranked behind top-ranked El Toro, St. Francis of Mountain View and Laguna Beach. The Tartars were the only South Bay team to be ranked in the top 20, although Mira Costa also received votes.

Miho Tanaka of Palos Verdes Estates won a silver medal in the long jump with a leap of 15 feet at the ARCO Jesse Owens Games National Track and Field Championships last week at Occidental College.

Competing in the girls’ 13 and 14 division, Tanaka edged Laura Kitson of Philadelphia for the medal. Both athletes leaped 15 feet, but Tanaka earned the silver with her second-best leap of 14 feet 10 inches.

Tanaka, an eighth-grader at Palos Verdes Intermediate School, competes for the Rancho Palos Verdes/Marathom’s track program.

Pitcher Shawn Hammett of Loyola Marymount was named to the Central Illinois Collegiate League all-star team.

Hammett, who played for the Danville Dans, led the league with a 7-2 record and 1.90 earned-run average. He also finished second in innings pitched and fourth in strikeouts.

As a freshman at Loyola last season, Hammett was 3-8 with a 5.48 ERA and two saves in 95 1/3innings pitched.

Danville, which also had Loyola pitcher Shane Bowers on its squad, finished 27-14 and won the postseason tournament.

Children age 5 to 14 are eligible to participate in the 1992 Summer Soccer Academy camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 31 through Sept. 4 at La Marina Field in Manhattan Beach.

The camp will be directed by John Britton, who is the boys’ soccer coach at Gardena High and former coach of the Los Angeles Heat professional team.

The cost is $100 and includes a T-shirt and soccer ball.

Information: Britton at (310) 376-9354.

Girls age 5 to 16 will compete at the South “Bay”celona Olympics meet at 1 p.m. Saturday at the South Bay Gymnastics Sports Complex, 2685 Pacific Coast Highway, in Torrance.

There is no charge. Information: Tom Brady at (310) 338-2278.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce will hold its Octoberfest Fall Golf Classic on Oct. 21 at Los Verdes Country Club in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Applications and reservations are made through the Chamber at 550 Deep Valley Drive in Rolling Hills Estates.

Information: (310) 377-8111.