Hamilton’s Withdrawal Scrutinized

Officials of the Southern California Tennis Assn. are investigating Krissy Hamilton’s withdrawal from last week’s Southern California Junior Sectional.

Hamilton, of Agoura Hills, currently No. 1 on the SCTA suggested seedings list in the girls’ 18-and-under singles division, defaulted on the eve of last week’s tournament in Fountain Valley, which determines which players will qualify for the junior national tournament later this summer.

Craig Heinberg, Hamilton’s coach and stepfather, said Hamilton couldn’t play because of a foot injury.

But an SCTA official has obtained draw sheets showing Hamilton, 15, played in a professional tournament in Georgia instead of the sectional.

“I’ve got the draw sheet showing she played there,” said Jim Hillman, the SCTA’s director of junior tennis.

“But I’ve also got a letter from her doctor.”

Hillman Wednesday said he will turn the information over to the sportsmanship committee, which could decide to lower Hamilton’s seeding and perhaps deny her an invitation to the national tournament.

In 1993, at 13, Hamilton reached the round of 16 in the national tournament.

But in 1994, she defaulted with an injury after a first-round victory.

Heinberg said his stepdaughter had surgery on June 20 for a hangnail problem and could not play in Fountain Valley.

But the SCTA has draw sheets indicating she played on June 21 in the $25,000 USTA Women’s Challenger of Peachtree at the Peachtree Tennis Center in Peachtree City, Ga.

Entered as Krissy Hamilton-Heinberg, she defeated Varalee Sureephong of Haines City, Fla., 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, that day in the first round of the main draw.

On June 22, Hamilton was eliminated by Fabiola Zuluega of Colombia, 6-4, 6-3.

Track and Field

Andrea Wasden of Rio Mesa High, a finalist in the girls’ 100-meter high hurdles and 300 lows in the State championships earlier this month, will attend USC.

Wasden, who ranks second in the highs (14.37 seconds) and seventh in the lows (43.73) on the all-time region lists, was recruited by UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State, but decided to walk on at USC.

A three-time Ventura County champion in the highs, Wasden withdrew from the finals of both hurdle events in the State meet after suffering a sprained ankle in the preliminaries. She placed second in the lows and third in the highs in the last month’s Southern Section Division II finals.

Pam Thompson, one of the region’s top distance runners while at Saugus High in the mid-1980s, has been hired as the boys’ and girls’ coach at her alma mater.

She replaces Joel Nelson, the Centurions’ coach for the past seven seasons, who resigned to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

* Contributing: Dana Haddad, John Ortega.