U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL : VALLEY-AREA ROUNDUP : Devers Wins 100, Then Scolds Pageant’s Elite No-Shows

Olympic gold medalist Gail Devers led the field in the 100 meters Saturday night, then took a leadership role by emphasizing the need for America’s elite to compete at home.

“It is important to compete in America in front of American fans,” Devers said after crossing the finish line in 11.29 seconds for her third 1993 U.S. Olympic Festival gold medal.

“We’re well-known in Europe, but we can become well-known in America, too.”

Devers, 26, of Mission Hills, ran 47/100ths of a second slower than her 1993 world-leading time.

“I didn’t get out (of the blocks) the way I wanted to,” she said. “I’m never perfect. I can always find 10 things wrong with my performance.”

Former Cal State Northridge star Alice Brown earned her 10th festival medal with a third-place finish behind Crystal Braddock in 11.83.

“Overall, I’m really happy with it,” said Brown, 32. “There were a lot of things I was working on, trying to stay low and work my way up at the start. I was surprised when I saw the time, though. I don’t feel we (Brown and Braddock) should be that far behind Gail.”

Brown’s 10 track and field medals tied Joetta Clark for the most in the festival’s 14-year history.

Jason Rouser dedicated the 400 to his recently deceased mother, then ran a gold-medal winning 45.36 seconds, .03 ahead of Chris Jones. A native of Oklahoma, Rouser recently moved to Sherman Oaks.

VOLLEYBALL

Simi Valley’s Kevin Hambly made a festival-leading 25 blocks in four matches, including 11 against the East. But Hambly and the North team, under the direction of Cal State Northridge Coach John Price, lost the gold-medal match, 13-15, 15-5, 15-10, 15-5.

Attempts to set the ball for Hambly were usually foiled by a double block. He had 12 kills.

Northridge players Craig Hewitt and Jon Baer of the South were on the winning side of a bronze-medal match against a West team that featured 1993 Northridge teammates Ken Lynch and Gene Urcan.

Hewitt had seven kills and blocks. Baer had two kills.

His right foot bleeding and oozing with pus from athlete’s foot, Lynch was in pain almost every time he moved. Still, he made nine kills, three blocks and three digs.

Urcan, who recently passed on a $25,000 offer to play in Israel, had five blocks and four kills.

CANOE

David Spaulding of Ventura won a gold medal in the 500-meter doubles and a silver in the 500-meter singles at Canyon Lake.

Spaulding and Devlin Murphy of the West built a substantial lead at the 250 mark and won in 1 minute 46.51 seconds.

In singles, David Serafin’s 1:57.38 bested Spaulding’s 1:59.54.

Jim Werland of Ventura teamed with Serafin to place fifth in doubles in 1:56.21.

WATER POLO

Christy Parker of Sherman Oaks was part of the West’s gold-medal winning team. The West built a five-goal lead in a 6-4 win over the North. Parker, a Notre Dame High graduate, scored five goals in the West’s seven festival games.