Golden Track Future Isn’t Enough for Thousand Oaks Sprinter Jones

Marion Jones, the top female prep sprinter in California history, is adding a twist to her legacy.

The Thousand Oaks senior, who owns state records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, is fulfilling her second dream by leading the school’s basketball to an undefeated record. The second-ranked Lancers are 15-0.

But why would a track star who is considered a sure bet for the 1996 Olympic team want to risk injury playing basketball?

“I only live once,” Jones said recently. “I’m a kid and I want to play basketball. I love the sport.”

The 5-foot-10 forward, who is averaging 25 points, 15 rebounds and four steals, was chosen as the most valuable player in all three tournaments in which Thousand Oaks participated, including the prestigious Santa Barbara Tournament.

The risk of injury doesn’t seem to bother Jones. Although she suffered a broken left wrist against Simi Valley last season, she says she simply loves basketball.

That might explain why she recently signed a letter of intent to attend North Carolina. Coaches there will allow her to go out for basketball and track and field.

Jones, who scored 38 points against Brea-Olinda earlier this season, has won three consecutive state titles in the 100 and 200. She finished fourth in the 200 at the Olympic trials and was selected as a relay alternate, a position she later turned down.

Wendell Yoshida is finding out how competitive girls’ basketball is in Southern California.

Last year, Yoshida coached Palos Verdes Peninsula to a 33-0 record and state Division I championship. The team’s starting lineup included four players who received scholarships to four-year colleges.

But the Lady Panthers, hurt by graduations and injuries, are 6-6. They are coming off a victory over Torrance. “Hopefully, we’re mature enough to grow from all of this,” Yoshida said. “We can either fold up right now, or we can see what we’re made of. Basically, I’m going to leave it up to the team. I’m going to challenge them.”

Peninsula has lost starters Jill Kennedy and Joanna Whitley to injuries. Kennedy, a guard, suffered a broken leg in a collision with a Palmdale player Dec. 21. Whitley, a forward, suffered torn knee cartilage the next day. Both might be sidelined for the season.

Also, junior all-state guard Mimi McKinney has been slowed by a sore arch. She has to come out of the lineup every few minutes to rest it.

To showcase some of the region’s best girls’ basketball teams, Brea-Olinda Coach Mark Trakh started the Orange County Challenge. The double-doubleheader, held last weekend, featured Brea-Olinda, Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley, Fair Oaks Del Campo and Orem (Utah) Mountain View.

Trakh did not give the host team a favorable draw. Brea-Olinda (12-2) lost to Mountain View, 59-46, Friday night. Mountain View is the two-time defending Utah State 4A champion.

The Ladycats beat Del Campo, 81-72, on Saturday.

Mountain View finished the Challenge 2-0, beating Capistrano Valley, 52-35, Saturday night.

Add Sammy Knight’s name to the list of recruits who are happy John Robinson replaced Larry Smith as football coach at USC.

Knight, a senior defensive back at Riverside Rubidoux, said the Trojans moved up on his list of college choices when Robinson took over last week.

“John Robinson will put more fun in USC football,” said Knight, whose older brother, Ryan, played for USC from 1984-87. “I’m sure the team will have a lot more enthusiasm.”

Six players have said they would attend USC, including offensive linemen Andy Meyers of Fontana and Jonathan Himebauch of La Verne Damien and defensive back Ryan Tyiska of Clovis West.

Prep Notes

John Buckley, a 6-3, 220-pound senior linebacker from Reseda, was erroneously omitted from the All-City football team. . . . Brian Werner, an All-Southern Section defensive lineman from Anaheim Esperanza, says he will attend has given an oral commitment to Stanford. The 6-5, 246-pound senior is the third player from Orange County to say they will play for commit to the Cardinal, joining quarterback Tim Carey of Los Alamitos and linebacker Leon Vickers of Garden Grove Rancho Alamitos. . . . The Inglewood Morningside-Artesia boys’ basketball showdown has been moved to Saturday night at Artesia. . . . Cardale Tademy, boys’ basketball coach at Long Beach St. Anthony, resigned last week before the Saints’ Del Rey League game against Downey Pius X. Tademy, giving no reason for the sudden resignation. He has been replaced on an interim basis by assistant Art Mayfield.

Times’ Top 20 Basketball Polls

The Times’ top 20 high school basketball polls, with teams from the City and Southern Sections.

BOYS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Mater Dei SS I-A 17-1 1 2. Artesia SS II-A 11-2 3 3. Dominguez SS II-AA 11-1 2 4. Washington City 4-A 13-1 19 5. JW North SS II-AA 14-0 6 6. N. Hollywood City 4-A 14-1 10 7. Hunt. Beach SS I-A 13-3 8 8. Crenshaw City 4-A 10-2 4 9. Muir SS II-A 14-4 11 10. Fremont City 4-A 11-4 7 11. Pasadena SS I-A 13-4 16 12. Thousand Oaks SS I-A 13-1 NR 13. B. Montgomery SS III-AA 10-1 NR 14. Morningside SS III-A 13-4 5 15. LB Poly SS I-AA 10-6 13 16. Manual Arts City 4-A 11-5 14 17. Trabuco Hills SS II-AA 14-3 NR 18. Mira Costa SS II-AA 14-2 NR 19. S. Margarita SS III-AA 11-2 20 20. Fontana SS I-AA 13-2 NR

*

GIRLS

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Lynwood SS I-AA 11-0 2 2. Thousand Oaks SS I-A 15-0 3 3. Buena SS I-A 6-2 1 4. Coachella Valley SS I-A 12-0 NR 5. Brea-Olinda SS II-AA 12-2 4 6. Perris SS I-A 15-0 NR 7. Crenshaw City 4-A 10-2 8 8. Morningside SS III-AA 10-2 9 9. Palmdale SS I-A 13-3 7 10. St. Bernard SS IV-AA 13-4 10 11. Alemany SS III-AA 13-3 5 12. Santa Ynez SS IV-AA 14-1 13 13. LB Poly SS I-AA 12-2 NR 14. Ch. Islands SS I-AA 11-3 16 15. Ventura SS II-A 8-2 17 16. Gahr SS II-AA 12-3 NR 17. Hunt. Beach SS I-A 12-3 NR 18. Millikan SS I-AA 10-4 11 19. Marina SS I-A 10-3 NR 20. Nordhoff SS IV-AA 14-0 NR