Gaston 4th in 1st Pro Golf Try

Andrea Gaston, a former Chatsworth resident and the two-time defending Women’s State Amateur champion, finished tied for fourth in her first professional golf event Tuesday.

Gaston, 37, a Granada Hills High graduate who played at San Jose State, is competing on the Gold Coast Tour, a mini-tour based along the Florida coast.

She finished with a one-under-par 71 in the second and final round at Polo Trace Golf and Tennis Club in Delray Beach, Fla.

Gaston finished in a three-way tie for fourth at 146, eight shots out of first.

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Westlake High graduate Charlie Wi finished second individually in a 27-team field at the U.S. Intercollegiate over the weekend at the Stanford Golf Course.

Wi, Cal’s No. 1 man and a former state State Amateur champion, finished at four-under 209, three shots behind Stanford’s Casey Martin.

Cal State Northridge, playing in its final event of the spring, finished 23rd, led by Chad Butler (23) and Jacob Lusk (229). Lusk, a junior from Ventura, finished the year with the Matadors’ best stroke average, 76.6.

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The California Players Tour, a Newbury Park-based mini-tour for amateurs and professionals, will stage a pro-am June 25-26 at Pala Mesa Golf Resort in Fallbrook, Calif.

Entry deadline is May 20. First-place prize money for professionals is $1,125.

Information: 805-498-6580.

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Cheryl Musser, a senior at Alemany High, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship at the Tribute to Youth tournament banquet held at the Desert Princess Resort in Palm Desert.

Musser, who was chosen from a field of 136 players, is the first female to win a scholarship in the seven years the event has been held. Winners are selected on their athletic ability, grade-point average, community service and campus involvement.

Auto Racing

Richard Atkins of Fullerton remains in serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Ventura County Medical Center with a broken left leg and multiple contusions after being struck by a car Saturday night prior to the start of the three-quarter midget main event.

Atkins, 63, the father of United States Auto Club Western States TQ midget champion Rick Atkins, was in the infield when his son’s car was being started for the race. The elder Atkins was crossing the track in Turn 4 heading for the pit exits when he stepped in front of a car driven by Lompoc’s Ken Seale as the cars were circling the track lining up for the start.

Neither Seale nor Rick Atkins competed in the race, which was won by Burbank’s Gary Schroeder after being shortened to five laps due to an 11 p.m. curfew at the track.

Jurisprudence

Howard Garcia’s complaint against Cal basketball Coach Todd Bozeman is being negotiated by attorneys from both sides, Garcia said Tuesday.

Garcia, Cal State Northridge’s events manager, claims he was struck by Bozeman after a heated verbal exchange behind the Cal bench during a Jan. 22 game at Northridge.

Garcia, who was in charge of security at the game, threatened legal action against Bozeman after the coach claimed during an interview on the ESPN show “Up Close” that his actions were in response to a “racist remark” made by Garcia.

Garcia denies he made such a remark. He said he wants Bozeman to make a public apology about the incident and retract the claim that Garcia racially insulted him.

Baseball

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda and his coaching staff will offer a free four-hour coaching clinic on April 29 at Yankee Doodles in Woodland Hills.

Dodger coaches Reggie Smith, Bill Russell, Dave Wallace and Joe Ferguson are expected to attend. Representatives from several major sporting goods companies also will be present.

The event is sponsored by the Baseball Development Center.

Information: 800-479-HITS.

Football

Former Monroe Coach Dave Lertzman has been named the new coach at Birmingham.

Lertzman, a walk-on assistant for the Braves last year, replaces Chick Epstein, who announced his retirement before the playoffs and then led Birmingham to the City Section 3-A final, its first City final since 1963.

Lertzman compiled a 9-36-2 record at Monroe from 1989-1993.

The City Section rules committee did not find enough evidence to pursue charges of illegal recruiting by a Taft High assistant football coach, commissioner Barbara Fiege said.

Chatsworth officials alleged John Brown, a former frosh-soph coach with the Chancellors, tried to persuade two players to transfer to Taft. Feige interviewed the students last week and presented her findings at the rules meeting Tuesday.

Soccer

Moorpark College is seeking a women’s coach.

Information: 805-378-1404.

Volleyball

Campbell Hall hitter Eric Hassan has orally committed to play for USC next year.

The 6-foot-4 Hassan is the kill leader for the Vikings, the fourth-ranked team in Southern Section Division III. Last season, Hassan was a second-team All-Southern Section Division III selection.

Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Jim Coleman, Steve Elling, Darin Esper, Mike Hiserman, Michael Lazarus, Bryan Rodgers.