Meet Is Back on the Right Track

Despite having a reputation as one of the nation’s premiere meets, the Arcadia High School Track Invitational was on the verge of cancellation earlier this year.

The Arcadia Unified School District cut its funding of the meet for financial purposes. Sponsors needed $35,000 to continue.

The meet, in its 26th year, was saved two months ago when Foot Locker signed as a sponsor. Since then, organizers have been busy assembling the biggest field yet.

About 2,000 athletes will compete Saturday at Arcadia High. The open portion of the meet begins at 11 a.m., the elite portion at 4 p.m.

Many participants say they enjoy Arcadia because it is one of the few meets in which the the main events are held at night.

Doug Speck, meet director, said a capacity crowd of 7,500 is expected to watch many of California’s top track athletes, as well as a selected group of participants from around the country.

The headliner is sprint champion Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks, who holds national prep records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes. The senior will compete in the 100, 200, 400 relay and long jump.

A top girl is Amy Acuff of Calallen High in Corpus Christi, Tex., who holds the national record in the high jump at 6 feet 3.

The boys’ high jump figures to be a showdown between four competitors who have all cleared 7-0 or better.

One of the top runners to watch is Brian Wilkinson of Merced, who will compete in the 1,600. Wilkinson ran the 800 in 1 minute 49.5 seconds last Saturday at the Fresno Relays, the fastest prep time in the event in five years.

The top sprinter is Paul Turner of San Diego University, who holds the national record in the indoor 50 at 5.8. Turner will run in the 100 and 200.

Ticket are $7 for adults and $3 for children under 12 and are available at the gate.

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The high school coaching revolving door was working overtime last week with numerous comings and goings.

Most notable was the hiring of David Williams as football coach at Carson. Williams had been the school’s B level coach for the past three years, compiling a 27-3 record. Williams replaces Marty Blankenship, who was 15-9-2 in two seasons. Blankenship replaced Gene Vollnogle, who was 235-66-1 in 28 seasons at Carson.

At Mission Viejo, the football coaching opening recently vacated by Mike Rush has been a hot topic on campus. Many parents have formed a group that is trying to get Rush to reconsider his decision. In the meantime, former El Toro coach Bob Johnson, father of USC quarterback Rob Johnson, has expressed interest in the job.

At Encino Crespi, Paul Muff will return as boys’ basketball coach, a position he held from 1976-89.

Kerry Krause, who was 72-6-7 in three seasons as El Toro’s girls’ soccer coach, resigned. He guided the Chargers to a Southern Section title in 1991.

Prep Notes

George Sagen of Los Alamitos had 77 receptions for 1,280 yards last season, and set an Orange County record for most catches in a career with 177. The numbers apparently were not impressive enough for Division I colleges recruiters, however, who did not offer Sagen any scholarships. The All-Southern Section receiver last week accepted a scholarship offer to Morehead State, a Division I-AA school in Kentucky. . . . Mike McDonald, a right-handed pitcher at Santa Ana Mater Dei, tossed a no-hitter last Tuesday in the Monarchs’ 3-0 victory over El Toro. . . .The North Hollywood boys’ basketball team accepted an invitation last week to compete in the Great Alaska High School Classic in November. . . . Jacque Vaughn of Pasadena Muir had a game-record 13 assists and was co-MVP in the McDonald’s All-American High School Basketball game contest last Sunday in Memphis.

The 12th annual Southern California all-star prep basketball classic will be Friday night at Cal State Los Angeles. The girls play at 6:30 and the boys at 8:30. . . . Anicia Bonds, a senior at San Luis Obispo Mission Prep, was selected the girls’ basketball player of the year in Division V. . . . Scott Chapman of Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World, won the 152-pound class at the high school wrestling championships at Duquesne in Pittsburgh Sunday.

Times’ Baseball Poll

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

School Sect Div Rec 1. Simi Valley SS I 10-1 2. Mater Dei SS I 10-1 3. Crespi SS I 9-1 4. Bishop Amat SS III 12-0 5. El Camino Real City 4-A 9-1 6. Diamond Bar SS I 10-1 7. Lakewood SS I 9-4 8. SO Notre Dame SS I 9-1 9. El Dorado SS I 8-3 10. Taft City 4-A 8-2 11. Esperanza SS I 8-3 12. Hart SS II 8-1 13. Riv. Poly SS II 9-2 14. Capo Valley SS I 6-3 15. El Segundo SS III 10-3 16. Millikan SS I 7-4 17. LB Wilson SS I 10-3 18. San Marino SS IV 10-1 19. Woodbridge SS III 11-2 20. South Hills SS II 8-1