NOTEBOOK : Former Coach Has the Inside Track for ELAC Job

Louis Ramirez, a figure familiar in track and cross-country at East Los Angeles College, is considered the front-runner to coach the recently reinstated programs.

Ramirez, who has coached at Los Angeles Trade Tech for the past four years, coached at East L.A. College from 1988 to 1990 and competed for the Huskies in the late 1970s.

East L.A., which won conference titles in women’s cross-country from 1982 to 1985 and 1988 to 1991, has not fielded teams in cross-country and track since 1991. The sports were discontinued after the 1985-86 academic year because of budget cuts. They were revived in 1988-89, but suspended again three years later.

“When you start a new program you want to do everything you can do to ensure its success and survival,” East L.A. Athletic Director Gil Rozadilla said. “We think (Ramirez) can do that.”

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On track--Janet Hill of Cal State Los Angeles has been named the NCAA Division II Athlete of the Year. Hill, the Division II record-holder in the shotput at 52 feet, 10 inches, and the discus at 189 feet, 8 inches, won both events at the Division II national meet in May for the second year in a row.

Cal State L.A. women’s Coach Greg Ryan and men’s Coach Kevin McCarthy were named the Division II Western Region Coaches of the Year. Ryan guided the Golden Eagles to their third consecutive California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title and a third-place national finish. McCarthy led the Cal State L.A. men to their first conference title since 1989.

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Boys of spring--Alex Oropeza and Mario Arambula, who helped Huntington Park High to its first appearance in the City Section 3-A baseball final since 1984, have been named to the All-City 3-A team.

Oropeza, an infielder, batted .477 and Arambula, a pitcher, was 6-4 with an earned-run average of 1.67 for the Spartans (15-11), who advanced to the championship after finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the Southeastern Conference.

Semifinalists Lincoln and South Gate, along with 3-A champion Franklin, each placed three players on the 20-player team. Cesar Castaneda, Lico Erami and Hector Arroyo were chosen for Northern Conference champion Lincoln. Eddie Marquez, Rick Alcantar and Alonso Lopez were selected from South Gate. Other selections included Rene Herrera of Wilson, John Moreno of Bell, Ernesto Sandoval of Fremont, Alex Rodriguez of Roosevelt and Luis Gallardo of Manual Arts.

Ted Stevens of Cal State L.A. has been named to the NCAA Division II Western Region team. An All-CCAA first-team selection, the senior catcher-pitcher was 6-2 with a 4.02 ERA, batting .340 with a team-leading 21 doubles and 45 runs batted in.

In volleyball, David Olson of Loyola was selected to the Southern Section Division I first team after helping the Cubs to the Mission League title.