NOTEBOOK / SEAN WATERS : Venice Runner Has Plan Ready for State Meet

Although she may not be regarded as one of the favorites in the 1,600 meters at the state track and field meet on Saturday at Cerritos College, Venice’s Katerina Kechris has already developed a strategy to pull an upset.

Milena Glusac of Fallbrook and Erica Sumi of Long Beach Wilson are regarded as the favorites. Glusac won the mile Saturday at the Golden West Invitational at American River College in Sacramento and has run a state-leading 4 minutes 51.66 seconds in the 1,600.

Sumi had the fastest qualifying time in the state prelims with a 4:59.22 clocking.

Kechris’ personal best is 5:04.62 in the state prelims.

So how is Kechris, who had the slowest qualifying time of the nine finalists, going to pull the upset?

She plans to stay close to the leaders and beat them with her kick, according to Venice Coach Thermon Moore.

“She has the kick to beat girls with faster (personal best),” Moore said. “The thing about Katerina is that she has improved five to six seconds in races against faster competition.”

Kechris, who will attend UCLA next season, beat Genevieve DuBose of Hamilton in the Coastal Conference finals when DuBose was disqualified for bumping into Kechris.

She also beat Patty Trejo of Belmont to win the City finals.

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Add Venice: Moore has been doing double duty as a basketball and track coach. In basketball competition at the L.A. Watts Summer Games last weekend, the Gondoliers went 2-1.

Venice’s Rasheed Hazzard, the son of former NBA player and UCLA Coach Walt Hazzard, played well against best friend “Moose” Bailey of Loyola. Hazzard had 22 points and Bailey had 20 points. Bailey’s older brother, Toby, scored 30 points in Loyola’s 65-57 victory.

“(Hazzard) was always talking trash about how the inner-city schools can beat the Southern Section schools,” Moose said. “It was good to beat them so now I can talk trash.”

The Gondoliers should be a improved this season with Hazzard and Larry Atkins returning. Venice will also get a boost from shooting guard Nimrod Guirmai, who scored 17 points, including three three-point baskets, in a 52-51 victory over Riverside Poly. Guirmai played junior varsity as a freshman last season.

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Add basketball: The seventh annual Fairfax-Goodman Summer Basketball Classic will be one of a handful of tournaments where players will be competing for their high school team.

Long Beach Poly, Pasadena Muir and St. John Bosco are regarded as the teams to beat.

Zerrick Campbell (Long Beach Poly), Jelani Gardner (St. John Bosco), Alex Lopez (Campbell Hall), and Teryl Woolery (Fairfax) are among the top players competing.

The first round begins July 15. The championship game scheduled for July 18.

The first-round pairings:

Muir vs. Taft, noon; Lakewood vs. Culver City, 1 p.m.; Campbell Hall vs. Santa Clara, 2 p.m.; Lynwood vs. Gardena, 3 p.m.; St. Monica vs. St. John Bosco, 4 p.m.; Fairfax vs. South Gate, 6 p.m.; Long Beach Poly vs. Alhambra, 7 p.m.; Bishop Montgomery vs. Westchester, 8 p.m.; Muir-Taft winner vs. La Canada, 9 p.m.

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Wimbledon watch: Three men and two women with Westside ties will participate in the main singles draws at the Wimbledon tennis championships. Play begins Monday.

Derrick Rostagno of Pacific Palisades will play a qualifier in the first round. Chuck Adams, also of Pacific Palisades, will meet Richard Matuszewski of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. Robbie Weiss, a former Pepperdine player, will play Byron Black of Zimbabwe, a former USC player.

On the women’s side, Ginger Helgeson, a former Pepperdine player, will meet sixth-seeded Conchita Martinez of Spain. Kimberly Po, a former UCLA player, will play Florencia Labat of Argentina.

Notes

Hamilton outfielder Leonard Weathersby was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 18th round of the amateur draft. Teammate Chris Kelly was picked in the 58th round by the Seattle Mariners. . . . St. Bernard shortstop Robert Cox pitched a scoreless inning, had a run-scoring single and stole three bases to lead the Southern Section to a 13-6 win over the City Section in the ninth annual Westside All-Star baseball game Saturday at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium. Cox, who will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on a baseball scholarship, also helped turn two double plays. Crossroads’ Richard Condon had three hits, scored twice and stole two bases for the Southern Section. Venice catcher Alex Escobar had three hits and a run-scoring double for the City.

Santa Monica College assistant Dave Kastigar has been named water polo coach at Santa Monica High. . . . Beverly Hills girls’ tennis Coach Susan Stevens will compete in masters division at the 14th annual Maccabiah Games July 5-16 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Stevens won the 35-and-over singles gold medal in 1981 and the 45-and-over singles and doubles gold medals in 1989. She is competing in the 50-and-over division this year. . . . Santa Monica shortstop Shelley Beringhele will attend Oregon State on a softball scholarship. She batted .378 and was selected most valuable player in the Bay League.

Steven Herbert contributed to this story.