U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : 78 Athletes From Region Swell Ranks in San Antonio

Break up the locals.

Were the San Fernando Valley and Ventura regions counted as a state, it would rank 13th in number of athletes participating in the Olympic Sports Festival, which begins in earnest today and runs through Aug. 1.

Seven coaches and 78 athletes, including seven former Olympians, represent the Valley area.

That’s one fewer athlete than Minnesota and five more than Colorado, home of several Olympic sport training centers.

In all, more than 3,000 athletes representing all 50 states are expected to compete.

Olympians Gail Devers of Van Nuys, Jackie Joyner-Kersee of Canoga Park, former Cal State Northridge sprinter Alice Brown and Glendale javelin thrower Donna Mayhew are among the top competitors in track and field.

Devers, 26, the 1992 Olympic sprint champion, will race against Brown, a two-time Olympic medalist, in the women’s 100-meter dash a week from Saturday.

Joyner-Kersee, the world-record holder in the heptathlon, is expected to compete in the 200-meter race.

Canoe paddler David Spaulding of Ventura, figure skater Natasha Kuchiki of Canoga Park and field hockey player Mohammed Barakat of Moorpark round out the region’s list of former Olympians.

As usual, the largest contingent of area athletes comes from field hockey.

Of the 24 local athletes who are expected to participate, 13 are on the men’s West team.

Cal State Northridge, which finished second to UCLA in NCAA men’s volleyball, placed three current and one former player among volleyball competitors.

Middle blocker Craig Hewitt and opposite hitter Jon Baer could play side-by-side next season for the Matadors.

Starting Tuesday, they will be doing the same for the South squad.

Meanwhile, Ken Lynch, a former all-conference opposite hitter for Northridge, will team with Matador middle blocker Gene Urcan as members of the West team.

Jeff Campbell, a Northridge assistant, is a coach on the West team.

John Price, the Matadors’ head volleyball coach, guides the North squad, which includes former Royal High star Kevin Hambly.

Opening ceremonies begin at 6 tonight in the new $182 million Alamodome.

Singer Bruce Hornsby and gold-medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi are the headline performers of the show.

Area Athletes in the Olympic Festival

* ARCHERY

Women--West: Teri Chang, Northridge. Men--West: Mark Hainline, Simi Valley; Justin Huish, Simi Valley; Dave Keaggy, Northridge.

* BASEBALL

West: Brad Fullmer, Chatsworth, Montclair Prep High, infielder.

* BOXING

North: Lance Whitaker, Northridge, super heavyweight.

* CANOE / KAYAK

West: David Spaulding, Ventura, canoe; Jim Werland, Ventura, canoe.

* CYCLING

Women--North: Pam Schuster, Northridge. Men--West: David Clinger, Woodland Hills; Shawn Cronkhite, Chatsworth.

* DIVING

Women--West: Nancy Brunet Janik, Simi Valley, 1-meter springboard; Janae Lautenschlager, Northridge, 3-meter springboard. Men--West: Ricky Wood, Sherman Oaks, 3-meter springboard.

* EQUESTRIAN

Women--South: Leslie Morse, Glendale, dressage on Juvel. West: Kim Keenan, Sylmar, dressage on Deja Vu.

* FIELD HOCKEY

Men--East: Mohammed Barakat, Moorpark. South: Nicholas Butcher, Simi Valley; Steve Cathey, Simi Valley; Sammy Hoang, Westlake Village; Jason Horrocks, Newbury Park; Steve Lee, Simi Valley; John Michalak, Simi Valley; Davinder Plaha, Northridge; Mark Ruvalcaba, Newbury Park; Alex Stewart, Simi Valley; Scott Williams, Thousand Oaks. West: Rob Alvidrez, Thousand Oaks; Larry Amar, Camarillo; Jeffrey Firmin, Thousand Oaks; Shawn Hindy, Westlake Village; Binh Hoang, Westlake Village; Eric Holtz, Simi Valley; Jeff Horrocks, Newbury Park; Jared Kira, Moorpark; Ryan Langford, Camarillo; Mike Lasala, Thousand Oaks; Mike Lee, Simi Valley; Brian Schledorn, Thousand Oaks; Tom Vano, Simi Valley.

* FIGURE SKATING

Women--Singles: Natasha Kuchiki, Canoga Park. Ice dancing: Tamara Kuchiki, Canoga Park (with Neale Smull of Wilmington, Del.).

* RACQUETBALL

Men--East: Tony Jelso, Ventura.

* RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

East: Christi Tucay, Burbank. West: Carmit Bachar, Encino.

* ROWING

Women--Chris Palmquist, Ojai.

* SHOOTING

Men--South: Troy Baker, Glendale, rifle.

* SOCCER

Men--East: David Moran, Westlake Village.

* SOFTBALL

Women--Barb Booth, Glendale, catcher; Jenny Dalton, Glendale, 2B; Debby Day, Sylmar, pitcher; Nancy Evans, Glendale, pitcher; Krista Gomez, Sylmar, UT; Sara Griffin, Simi Valley, pitcher; Barbara Jordan, Northridge, OF; Michelle Mangan, Camarillo, catcher/OF.

* SWIMMING

Women--East: Sarah Nichols, Camarillo, 400/800 freestyles. Men--East: Charles Girdlestone, Ventura, 100/200 back stroke; Chris Pelant, Camarillo, 200 fly.

* TEAM HANDBALL

Men--West: James Cox, Ventura; Denny Fercho, Camarillo; Jim Hop, Camarillo; Kurt Stone, Camarillo; Kevin Withrow, Thousand Oaks.

* TENNIS

Women--Ania Bleszynski, Thousand Oaks.

* TRACK & FIELD

Women--North: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Canoga Park, 200 meters/high jump. West: Darcy Arreola, CS Northridge, 1,500 meters; Alice Brown, CS Northridge, 100 meters; Gail Devers, Van Nuys, 100 meters/100 hurdles; Donna Mayhew, Glendale, javelin. Men--North: Jason Rouser, Sherman Oaks, 400 meters.

* VOLLEYBALL

Men--North: Kevin Hambly, Simi Valley, middle blocker. South: Jon Baer, CS Northridge, opposite hitter; Craig Hewitt, Chatsworth/CS Northridge, middle blocker. West: Ken Lynch, Northridge/CS Northridge, opposite hitter; Gene Urcan, CS Northridge, middle blocker.

* WATER POLO

Women--West: Christy Parker, Sherman Oaks.

* WEIGHTLIFTING

Men--Michael Andrade, Simi Valley.

* COACHES

Tuck Mason, Ventura College head coach, men’s track and field, West assistant; John Price, CS Northridge, men’s volleyball, North head coach; Jeff Campbell, CS Northridge, men’s volleyball, West assistant; John Stockdill, Ventura, field hockey, South coach; Walt Robbins, Camarillo, field hockey, West manager; Jerry Hilecher, Granada Hills, racquetball, West coach; Lan Vuong, Reseda, table tennis, West coach.