Corporation Stands Up for City Schools With $10-Million Gift

At a time when corporate funding of high school sports appears to be dwindling, it is surprising to find a company willing to make a $10-million investment.

Reebok and Pepsi-Cola announced earlier this year that they would be reducing their investments in the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports.

But two weeks ago, Food 4 Less Supermarkets, Inc., announced that it would donate about $10 million over three years to the City Section, which is made up of the 49 high schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The district’s athletic budget is $3.7 million a year for 22 sports, but there had been speculation that it would be cut in the near future. The grant, made available through the Boys/Viva Supermarkets Foundation, offers immediate security.

Fred Snowden, executive director of the foundation, said he began thinking about giving money to the district when the foundation was formed in January of 1992.

“The district represents an area where our stores are primarily located,” he said. “With about 30,000 kids in this area playing sports, we knew the grant could affect many, many lives.”

Snowden, who coached high school basketball in Detroit and later at the University of Arizona, said he hopes his company gets the ball rolling for an increase in corporate funding of high school sports in the future.

“I think other companies will follow suit when they see what we’re doing,” he said. “I’m glad we were able to take a leadership role in this area.”

The funding begins this fall, and Snowden said he hopes it will be renewed after three years.

The Lynwood High girls’ basketball team will receive an expenses-paid trip to Athens next month to participate in the International Basketball Championships.

The State Division I champions were selected as the United States’ entry by the National Federation of State High School Assns. The tournament, May 5-12, will include teams from 21 countries.

“It’s such a great opportunity for our girls, both athletically and academically,” said Bill McGinis, Lynwood’s athletic director. “Many of the girls who have never been outside of California are now are going to Greece.”

Dunbar High of Washington will be the U.S. entry in the boys’ competition.

Because of lack of money, the National Federation has not sent a team to the international tournament since 1985. USA Basketball is picking up the tab this year.

Lynwood finished the season with a 31-0 record.

Bill Armstrong, the winningest boys’ basketball coach in state history, might have retired from coaching but he is still active in the sport.

Speaking at The Times’ Inland Empire basketball banquet Sunday, Armstrong said his summer tournament in Palm Springs is beginning its 20th year and will have a record 112 teams in seven brackets.

“We started with four teams and each year we have grown,” he said. “Right now, I have seven or eight teams on a waiting list.”

The tournament runs weekends from June 18-July 31.

Armstrong, 75, said he misses coaching but not the classroom. When he retired in 1985, he had a record of 858-269 in California. He coached at six high schools.

His Compton teams--he was there 15 years--still hold the state record for the longest winning streak, 66 games from 1967-69.

Hoping to attract a larger crowd, UCLA officials have added several high school events to Saturday’s track and field triangular meet among UCLA, USC and Arizona.

The first Southern California Showdown will take place at Drake Stadium beginning at 1 p.m. Boys and girls will compete in the 100-meter dash, 400, mile, 400 relay and mile relay.

The headliner was supposed to be national sprint leader Marion Jones of Thousand Oaks, who entered the 100. But she scratched on Monday. Officials are now trying to get Michael Granville of Bell Gardens, who set a state freshman record in the 400 last Friday at the Mt. San Antonio Relays. Granville, 15, ran 48.4 seconds in winning the event.

“High school meets are drawing so well right now that we thought adding high school athletes would help increase interest in the local college teams,” said Bill Bennett of the UCLA sports information office.

Prep Notes

Jimmy Williamson, a 5-foot-10 point guard from South Torrance, committed to Loyola Marymount last week. Williamson, The Times’ South Bay player of the year, played well in the Southern Section playoffs and caught the attention of several schools. . . . Nick and Paul Foster, identical 6-7 twins who play basketball at Thousand Oaks, committed to the Air Force Academy last week. They led the Lancers to a 26-2 season.

The top-ranked Simi Valley baseball team suffered its second loss of the season last Thursday. The Pioneers were beaten by Antioch, Calif., in the championship game of the High Sierra Classic at Sparks, Nev., 13-7. . . . Matt Hernandez of North Hills Los Angeles Baptist threw a no-hitter in the team’s 4-0 victory over Sun Valley Village Christian last Thursday. Hernandez, a junior, has a 6-0 record.

Top 20 Baseball Poll

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

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