Sports

SPEED RACER

Michael Granville makes his outdoor track debut for Bell Gardens High this afternoon in the Lancers’ Almont League meet at San Gabriel.

The sophomore set his second indoor national record in the National Interscholastic Indoor track and field championships March 12 in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.

Granville, 16, won the 800 meters in 1 minute 51.11 seconds to smash the 6-year-old record of 1:54.28 held by Steve Adderly of Del Ray Beach, Fla.

The meet record was less than a second off the all-time high school record of 1:50.7 and ranks as the third-fastest ever. For his performance, Granville was selected as the boys’ outstanding performer of the meet.

“There was some pretty steep competition and I didn’t know what to expect,” Granville said. “I got fired up drawing off all the energy.”

The record was the latest in a long list of accomplishments for Granville, who placed third in the 400 meters at the 1993 state meet.

In the Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena Feb. 19, Granville ran 57.7 to set the national sophomore 500-yard record.

Granville also set the national freshman indoor record at 500 yards (1:00.01), the national freshman 800-meter record (1:51.03) and the state freshman 400-meter record (47.24).

“Why have one piece of cake when you can have them all,” Granville said. “I’m proud of all the records. I’m using the indoor races as a steppingstone to better myself. I think this is going to be a pretty good year.”

MARCH MADNESS

The Lynwood High girls’ basketball team has won a State Division I title, two Southern Section I titles and 63 of 65 games the past two seasons.

The 12-time San Gabriel Valley League champions, though, were unable to add another state championship to the list Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum, losing to Sacred Heart Prep of Atherton, 59-53, in the Division I final.

The Gators (38-0), who won the State Division V title in 1993, won its 75th game in a row and set a CIF record for most wins in a season. Lynwood, whose only other loss was to Brea Olinda--the top-ranked team in the nation by USA today--finished 32-2.

Timicha Kirby had 18 points and 11 rebounds for Lynwood. Tawana Grimes and Monique Matthews scored nine and eight points each.

SERIES RECORD

The Cal State Long Beach baseball set a three-game series home attendance record at Blair Field last weekend against visiting Wichita State.

The series against the 1993 NCAA runner-up drew 3,895 fans and nearly doubled the previous record of 1,609 set against Florida in 1993. Sunday’s game alone attracted 1,287 fans.

The fourth-ranked 49ers (18-5) weren’t as successful on the field, losing its first series of the season against the No. 8 Shockers (11-5).

Jeff Liefer drove in five runs, four coming on a grand slam, to lift Long Beach to a 7-1 victory in the opener. The 49ers, though, suffered 4-1 and 9-4 defeats to the Shockers on Saturday and Sunday.

Long Beach, which rallied to defeat Cal State Northridge, 5-4, in a nonconference game Tuesday on a 10th-inning home run by Nate Vopata, will open Big West play at Nevada for a three-game series beginning Friday.

HOOKED ON CLASSICS

Stacy Pando and Brooke Mabe were victorious in 3,000 and 5,000 meters in 10:06.14 and 17:47.55, and Jennifer Kump won the high jump at 5-foot-1 to lead the Long Beach State women to a third-place finish in the seven-team Collegiate Classic at home on Saturday.

Cal State Northridge won with 97 points followed by San Diego State and Long Beach with 63 and 43 points.

Jaime Barragan won his specialty in 10.46 and placed second in the 200 in 21.20 for the Long Beach, which placed fifth in the men’s competition won by Utah State.

Barragan, a sophomore clocked a school-record 10.38 in the 100 against Cal State Los Angeles and host USC March 5 to provisionally qualify for the NCAA championships. The mark eclipsed the previous record of 10.48 set by Anthony Ford in 1987.

The 49ers have also qualified 13 athletes in 18 events for the Big West Conference championship May 13-14 at New Mexico State.

In addition to Barragan, the qualifying men include Adam Herndon (800, 1:54.10); Jason Hinkin (pole vault, 15-6); Patrick Scott (long jump and triple jump, 24-9 and 48-3 1/2); Geoffry Vaughn (long jump, 23-8) and Hector Sanchez (193-4) and Bill Mell (193-8) in the javelin.

Pando and Le’Grita Hinds, who have qualified in four and three events each, head a contingent of six women who have attained conference championship standards.

Pando has qualified in the 800 (2:16.68), 1,500 (4:42.29), 3,000 (9:52.84) and 5,000 (18:06.9). Hinds has attained marks in the in the 100 hurdles (13.8), 400 (57.7), 400 hurdles (1:04.95).

The other 49ers are Lisa Bower in the 1,500 (4:45.30) and 3,000 (10:31.97); Mabe in the 3,000 (9:59.33) and 5,000; Laite Pale in the shotput (41-1 3/4) and discus (141-11) and Lisa Moxley in the 100 (12.1) and 100 hurdles (14.6).

LAWSUIT

The Long Beach Sports Council has filed a $35,000 suit against the Women’s Professional Volleyball Assn. arising from the women’s pro beach volleyball tour stop in Long Beach in August.

The suit filed Feb. 28 in L.A. County Muncipal Court alleges that the WPVA/Coors Light Women’s Pro Beach volleyball tournament in the downtown promenade did not meet contractual obligations.

The WPVA has until April 7 to respond.

MISCELLANY

Warren High will hold its annual alumni baseball game Saturday at 1 p.m. Former players Dennis Reeve, a 1962 graduate, Rich Morrison (1966) and David Main (1988) will be honored at a ceremony preceding the game.

Information: (714) 892-9655.

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Registration for the Long Beach volleyball summer league begins Monday and continues through April 15.

There will be men’s, women’s and co-ed leagues in beginning, intermediate and advanced divisions. The cost for a team to enter is $202 for residents, $242 for business-sponsored teams and $282 for non-residents. Play begins May 16.

Information: (310) 439-0213.

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The Long Beach spring hoops league starts Sunday and runs through May 2 at Long Beach City College. Participation is open to high school players, including graduating seniors. The cost is $60 a player.

Information: (310) 439-5435.

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The city of Compton Parks and Recreation Department will conduct a women’s two-on-two basketball tournament at Wilson Park on April 9 at 10 a.m. There is no charge.

Information: (310) 631-3845.