Harvard’s Toring Honored

Jim Toring of Harvard-Westlake High, regarded as one of the nation’s top prep water polo players, has been selected the Southern Section Division I player of the year.

Toring, a senior who has signed with UCLA, led the Wolverines to the Division I final, in which they fell to El Toro. Toring is the first division player of the year from the region since Larry Bercutt of Harvard won the 2-A award in 1988, and he is only the fourth player from the region to be so honored since division awards were established in 1963.

Lance Weidner of Harvard-Westlake was a first-team Division I selection and teammate Ryan Salceda made the second team. Peter Keifer of Harvard-Westlake and Kris Behrens of Crespi were third-team selections.

Jack Kocur of Royal was a first-team selection in Division II, and teammate Ralph Radka and Vatche Shirikjian of Glendale made the second team. Troy Nickell and Tim Nickell of Crescenta Valley, and Luke Frazier and Myles Bozinowski of Royal made the Division II third team.

Mark Skeels, a catcher from Thousand Oaks High and Stanford, recently was named player of the week in the Australian League. Skeels is batting .364 for the Melbourne Monarchs.

Skeels was drafted in June by the Florida Marlins and played on their short-season Class-A team during the summer.

Teams in the Australian League play a 48-game schedule from Nov. 6 to Feb. 7. Skeels will report to spring training with the Marlins shortly thereafter.

Armando Valdivia, a junior midfielder from Ridgecrest Burroughs High, was named most valuable player of the Cal State Northridge soccer team Wednesday night at an awards ceremony.

Valdivia accounted for 25 points on 10 goals and five assists and earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors.

Other players who received awards are senior forward Danny Daniels (most valuable offensive player), junior defender Todd Biefeld (most valuable defensive player), senior midfielder Scott Hunter (most improved player), junior midfielder Teddy Davila (coaches’ award) and freshman defender Ron Lou (newcomer of the year).

L.A. Chanukah Run ’92 will be held at Woodley Park in the Sepulveda Dam Basin on Dec. 20.

The event will consist of three races: a 5K run at 1 p.m., followed by a 10K at 2, and a 1K run/walk at 3.

Information: 818-784-1958.