NOTEBOOK : East L.A. College Honors Ex-Player Killed in Fall

The East Los Angeles College baseball team has retired No. 44 in memory of former player Rick Perez, who died July 2 in a hiking accident in the Angeles National Forest.

Authorities said Perez, 20, lost his footing while taking a shortcut and fell about 75 feet. He was flown to a Pasadena hospital, where he died later.

Perez, who played at East L.A. in 1992 and 1993, was an All-Southern California Athletic Conference second-team selection in 1992 and helped the Huskies advance to the quarterfinals in the 1992 State junior college playoffs.

Perez’s number will be embroidered on the Huskies’ caps next season. East L.A. Coach Al Cone also plans to establish an annual memorial award in Perez’s name for the East L.A. player who best typifies the El Monte High graduate’s desire and enthusiasm.

As a junior, Perez played at Upper Iowa, an NCAA Division III university in Fayette. He had a .401 batting average and a school record 57 hits.

*

Pitcher Aaron Magdaleno and infielder Ramon Ruiz of East L.A. have been selected to the SCAC first team.

Ruiz and the USC-bound Magdaleno helped the Huskies (22-20) to their fourth consecutive State playoff berth and a second-place finish at 15-9.

David Pina, Mando Santa Anna and Peter Cervantes were second-team selections for East L.A.

*

Janet Hill of Cal State L.A. is a finalist for the Honda Track and Field award given to the outstanding women’s collegiate athlete. Hill, the only Division II nominee, won the shotput and the discus at the Division II national meet in May for the second year in a row.

*

Bryan Bridgewater, the 1988 State 200-meter champion at Washington High, finished second in the 200 in 20.50 seconds in the U.S. Olympic Festival in St. Louis. Tony Wheeler of Hampton, Va., won the race in 20.47.

*

Lorenzo Garcia, the City Times’ Central City girls’ basketball Coach of the Year, has resigned as coach at Roosevelt High to pursue a master’s degree in educational administration.

Garcia led the Roughriders to the 1991 City 3-A title and five conference titles, amassing a 111-22 record in six seasons. Roosevelt (21-2) advanced to the 4-A final in March.