Community College Athletes of the Week

Nick Valencia

Orange Coast, Sophomore

Baseball/First base

Valencia, from Marina High, spent a frustrating first two weeks of the season sitting on the bench because of a hand injury. But since joining the starting lineup, he has done a great deal to ease his early-season anxiety. He was seven for 12 with four doubles, drove in four runs and scored four more as OCC won two of three last week. He was five for five with three doubles in a victory over Cypress.

Track

Hector Flores

* Rancho Santiago, sophomore. He won the 400-meter race and ran the anchor leg for the Dons’ winning 1,600 relay in the Orange Empire Conference finals.

Debbie Vonusa

Fullerton, Freshman

Tennis

Vonusa, from Katella High, started last week by winning the Orange Empire Conference singles title. She was the top-seeded player in the tournament and beat upset-minded Michelle Turner of Golden West in three sets. Turner already had beaten the second- and third-seeded players and won the first set against Vonusa, 6-0. But Vonusa came back to win, 6-1, 6-1, for the title. Vonusa, who is 23-2, won five consecutive matches before losing in the semifinals of the Ojai tournament Saturday.

Softball

Christy Journell

* Saddleback, sophomore. She was six for 12 and scored three runs in three games.