Athletes Move to Head of the Class : Preps: Seven boys and seven girls have been named as finalists for the first South Bay Achievement Awards.

Finalists have been selected for the first South Bay Sports Achievement Awards, recognizing the area’s top senior scholar-athletes. The program is sponsored by the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. and Kiwanis International.

The seven boys and seven girls were chosen on the basis of their athletic and academic achievements, as well extracurricular activities and community service. All finalists have at least a 3.4 grade-point average.

Winners of the boys’ and girls’ awards will be announced May 15 during a dinner at the Torrance Marriott. Nick Bell, a running back with the Raiders, is expected to be the guest speaker.

The boys’ finalists are Marcus Ferrara of South Torrance, Rommuelle Gatongay of Narbonne, Thomas Grettenberg of San Pedro, Chris Maye and Ryan Miller of Redondo, Frank Ramirez of North Torrance and Mostafa Sobhi of Hawthorne.

Ferrara is the defending 800-meter champion in the Southern Section 2-A Division and an all-league soccer player. Gatongay was a two-time all-league selection in cross-country. Grettenberg, a two-time all-league linebacker, was captain of San Pedro’s City Section 3-A Division champion football team last season.

Maye competes in basketball and volleyball, and Miller runs track and cross-country at Redondo. Ramirez quarterbacked North to a 10-2 record last football season, passing for 2,389 yards and 26 touchdowns, and also starts for the basketball and baseball teams. Sobhi, a 6-foot, 275-pound offensive lineman, helped Hawthorne win the Southern Section Division III football title last season and will attend the University of Washington on scholarship.

The girls’ finalists are Karlyn Clifton of Redondo, Adanna Davis of San Pedro, Joanna Felton of Chadwick, Janet Lee of Peninsula, Leslie Mukogawa of North, Denise Takamoto of Narbonne and Amy Winfrey of Mira Costa.

Clifton competes in volleyball, soccer and track. Davis earned all-league honors in volleyball and also competes in basketball and track. Felton is a four-year varsity tennis standout.

Lee helped Peninsula to the Southern Section Division I tennis title last season. Mukogawa was an All-Southern Section selection and a member of The Times’ South Bay All-Star team in basketball. Winfrey excels in track.