NOTEBOOK : A Hit at World Championships

David Kang proved to be a smashing success in the Big Apple.

The 19-year-old teacher at the Do San Tae Kwon Do Gym in Silver Lake was one of two U.S. team members to capture a medal in the 11th annual Tae Kwon Do World Championships Aug. 19-21 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Kang, a third-degree black belt, won a bronze medal in the featherweight division (132.8 to 140 pounds). Hwun Lee of Thousand Oaks also took the bronze.

“It was pretty exciting to be able to compete at that level,” Kang, a resident of Hollywood, said last week. “Everything is going good, but I’m a little tired.”

Kang qualified for the World Championships after winning his weight division at the U.S. Team Trials in Chicago in May. He won a bronze medal in the U.S. Championships in St. Paul, Minn., earlier that month.

Nearly 1,000 competitors from 91 countries participated in the World Championships, which were held for the first time in the United States. The event was televised nationally by ABC.

Kang won four matches before being defeated by Milton Iwana of Brazil, 7-5, in the semifinals. Iwana earned the silver medal.

Kang also plans to travel with the U.S. team to South Korea in October.

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Baseball: Wesley Rachel of Loyola, Jose Montenegro of South Gate and Mark Jones of Crenshaw were among the top players for the 213/310 team in the Area Code Games, held Aug. 18-21 at San Diego State.

About 200 professional scouts and 60 college recruiters watched the four-day tournament, which is designed to showcase the best high school seniors.

The 213/310 team won three of its four games, but the real value in the tournament is the opportunity for players to demonstrate their skills for major league scouts.

Although Montenegro and Jones graduated from high school in June, they will remain eligible to be drafted by major league teams next spring, along with members of the class of 1994.

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Add baseball: Crenshaw baseball coach O’tha Evans, who coached the 213/310 team, will not return next spring as coach of the Cougars after 10 years with the school.

Evans, who co-coached the team with Major Dennis, led the Cougars to two consecutive appearances in the City Section 3-A Championship. This season, the Cougars lost to South Gate in the 3-A final.

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Youth baseball: The Costello Recreation and Park Peewee all-stars (ages 9-12) from East Los Angeles concluded their baseball season by winning the North District Championship on Aug. 14.

Costello beat Highland Park, 14-10, to win the title.

The team was led by pitcher/third baseman Alvin Mendez, pitcher/shortstop Jack Garate, catcher Francisco Rodriguez, pitcher/infielder Dontay Holloway, outfielder Richard Gonzalez and shortstop Eduardo Helguera.

Isidoro Anaya, Paul Morales and Jose Aguilera coached the team.