Sports

ON THE RUN

One of the largest fields in years is expected for Sunday’s 13th annual Long Beach Marathon.

Bob Fernald, the race’s executive director, said the event, which begins at 7:30 a.m., could match the size of the 1990 marathon.

“This year’s registration numbers have increased substantially and I won’t be surprised if we get more than 3,000 (entries),” Fernald said.

The list of favorites includes Sam Rotich of Albuquerque, N.M., in the men’s division and Maria Trujillo of Salinas, Calif., in the women’s division. Rotich has finished second the past two years and Trujillo won the women’s division in 1991 in

2 hours 35.50 seconds and was second in 1992.

Among other men who are expected to be among the front-runners are Jose Ramone Ramirez of Mexico City, with a best of 2:15, and Aurelio Rodriguez and Genero Tavares of Denver.

Other women runners considered as favorites are Kathy Bowman of Bellingham, Wash., Terry Schmidt of Reno, Nev., and Maria Gomez from Brazil. Bowman’s best time is 2:35.20.

There will be $21,200 in prize money distributed to the top finishers in the open men’s and women’s divisions and the men’s and women’s masters and wheelchair divisions. The top men’s and women’s finishers in the open division will each receive $5,000.

Expected to lead the way in the women’s wheelchair division is defending champion DeAnna Sodoma, who set a course record with a time of 1:57.10 in 1993.

Along with the athletes who will compete in the marathon, 3,000 children are expected for a mini-marathon, in addition to about 50,000 spectators.

Runners can register until 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. Information: Fernald at (310) 494-7089.

ON THE ROAD

After snapping its losing streak with two wins at home last week, the Long Beach State men’s basketball faces perhaps its most difficult road trip of the Big West Conference season when it visits UC Santa Barbara and Nevada Las Vegas.

The 49ers (10-5, 5-3 in the Big West) will play Santa Barbara at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Thunderdome and UNLV at 9 p.m. Monday at the Thomas and Mack Center--two places where they haven’t won since the 1987-88 season.

Santa Barbara has been struggling at 8-11 and 4-5, but the Gauchos defeated the 49ers, 82-66, on Jan. 22 at Long Beach. UNLV is 9-7 and 5-3.

The 49ers turned in one of their better performances of the season in a 91-69 win Saturday over Cal State Fullerton. Forward Mike Atkinson and guard Rod Hannibal led the way. Playing his best game since he injured an ankle against Nevada on Jan. 10, Atkinson led Long Beach with 24 points and Hannibal had 19.

Hannibal, a senior from Long Beach Poly, scored a career-high 29 points in the 49ers’ 111-106 overtime victory against UC Irvine last week.

The next home game for the 49ers is Thursday against Pacific.

BATTLE FOR NO. 1

First place in the South Coast Conference will be at stake when the Cerritos College men’s basketball team plays host to Long Beach City at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Cerritos.

The Falcons defeated Long Beach, 93-82, in the first half of the conference season Jan. 15 at Long Beach. The teams split two nonconference tournament games in December.

Cerritos is 21-4 and 5-0, and Long Beach is 19-6 and 4-1. The teams appear primed for the rematch.

Cerritos, ranked No. 2 in the state behind Ventura by the JC Athletic Bureau, used the inside play of center Javan Rouzan and the outside work of guards Kelly Hambrick and Ryan Brass for an 80-69 victory against Mt. San Antonio last week. Rouzan, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, had 25 points and 11 rebounds against Mt. San Antonio.

Sixth-ranked Long Beach tuned up for the Falcons with a 116-73 victory over El Camino. The Vikings have been sparked by forwards Marc Neal and Kevin Beal and guard Marcus Rogers. Long Beach has also benefited from the return of forward Chris Blanton, who appears to have recovered from a knee injury early in the season.

IMPACT PLAYER

Former Glenn High standout Faye Hagan has made quite an impression in the seven games since she became eligible to play for the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team.

Hagan, a 5-8 sophomore who transferred from Division I Cal State Fullerton, has averaged 14.7 points and 10.1 rebounds. Hagan, a two-time All-Suburban League selection who was also named All-Southern Section Division II as a senior, averaged 5.3 points as a freshman at Fullerton.

Hagan ranks among Dominguez Hills leaders in scoring and rebounding. Teammate Trimecka Jackson, a former standout at Long Beach Poly High and Long Beach City College, is averaging 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds.

PLAY BALL

Long Beach State will unveil its 1994 baseball team when it plays an exhibition against its pro alumni at 1 p.m. Saturday at Blair Field.

The 49ers, who finished third at the 1993 College World Series and are ranked in the top 25 in preseason polls, will meet an alumni squad that features major league pitchers Tom Urbani of the St. Louis Cardinals and Steve Trachsel of the Chicago Cubs.

Other players for the alumni include first baseman Scott Talanoa of the Milwaukee Brewers and outfielder Darrell Sherman of the Colorado Rockies. The Long Beach varsity is expected to be led by pitchers Mike Fontana and Gabe Gonzalez.

BRIEFLY

The Long Beach State men’s volleyball team, ranked No. 10 in the nation by Volleyball Monthly, won its first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match of the season with a three-game sweep of UC San Diego on Friday.

The 49ers, coached by Ray Ratelle, who is in his 13th season as coach, defeated the Tritons by scores of 15-9, 15-2 and 15-7. Long Beach, which is playing at Hawaii this week, competes in a tournament at San Diego State next weekend before returning for its home opener against UC Irvine on Feb. 16.

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Robert Fernandez, a 13-year-old from Whittier, has advanced to the Silver Gloves national boxing tournament today through Saturday in Kansas City.

Fernandez, who fights in the 125-pound intermediate division, has a 10-2 record since starting his amateur career in November, 1992. He won the Southern California, state and regional tournaments to advance to nationals.