SoftballJulie Astrachan, a former pitcher at Calabasas...

Softball

Julie Astrachan, a former pitcher at Calabasas High and UC Davis, has been named softball coach at Pierce College. Astrachan graduated from Davis last year and had a 62-30 record for her career with a 1.11 earned-run average.

Former area players Sheila Cornell (Taft High), Karen Walker (El Camino Real) and Barbara Jordan (CSUN) made the 1994 National team after a five-day tryout in Oklahoma City.

Amateur Golf

Bill Haldane of Ventura fired a final-round 70 at Buenaventura Golf Course to win the 47th Ventura County Golf Championship.

With a 36-hole total of 149, Haldane was two shots off the lead heading into the final round. His two-under score gave him a three-shot victory over Mike Turner of Sherman Oaks and Monte Amendt of Ventura, who finished at 222. Turner won a playoff for second.

Track and Field

Debbie Blum, the girls’ track coach at Channel Islands High for six of the past eight seasons, has resigned to take a teaching position at Rio Mesa High.

Blum, 42, was the coach from 1986-89 and for the last two seasons. She was an assistant during the 1990-91 seasons after giving birth to her daughter. Blum does not expect to coach at Rio Mesa.

Cross-Country

The Agoura High girls’ team, three-time defending state Division I champion, is ranked fifth in The Harrier magazine’s national preseason poll.

In the boys’ rankings, Thousand Oaks, second in the state Division I meet last season, is ranked 10th, while Hart, three-time Division I state champion, is ranked 17th.

Basketball

The Rapid City Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Assn. acquired Adonis Jordan, a Cleveland High graduate, and two draft choices from Rochester for forward Ed Nealy and center Charles Jones.