Chatsworth Pair Share Career Path

Since they played together as ninth-graders on the same basketball team, Chatsworth High’s Nancy Vincent and Tynitra Wilson appeared destined for identical paths in their athletic careers.

Vincent, 6 feet 1, and Wilson, 5-10, both started for the Chats-worth volleyball team that won the City Section 4-A Division title in 1994, and both competed in field events for the Chatsworth track team.

The seniors are three-year varsity players for the Chancellor girls’ basketball team, which advanced to the City Section 3-A final in 1995 and is one of the favorites to win the title this season.

Chatsworth (18-6) is seeded second and will play Eagle Rock in a first-round 3-A game tonight at 7:30 at home. Vincent and Wilson are key players, leading the Chancellors in scoring and rebounding.

But the parallel path veered off course last fall, when Vincent felt a pop in her left knee while playing in a basketball pickup game.

Vincent thought she had torn her anterior cruciate ligament, which could have ended her athletic career. The ligament was only partially torn, but she still paid a price.

While Vincent, a middle blocker, missed most of the volleyball season, Wilson, an outside hitter, moved over to take her place.

Vincent was cleared to play for the playoffs. Volleyball Coach Bud Dow said Vincent regained her form quickly but that didn’t prevent Chatsworth, the top-seeded team, from being upset in the 4-A final by Roosevelt.

Vincent spent her time away from volleyball working on her basketball shooting touch, extending her range to 15 feet. Heading into tonight’s game, Vincent is averaging 14.9 points and 13.6 rebounds.

Vincent admits she’s a step slower this season and is still dealing with the effects of the injury.

“I’m not afraid so much of hurting the knee anymore, but I do think about it every now and then,” she said. “The doctor told me I had a 50-50 chance of making it through the season without a problem.

“I’ll go see the doctor after the season to see if I need more surgery.”

The inside presence of Vincent and Wilson (who averages 13.1 points and 14 rebounds) has helped the development of guards Jodi Borenstein and Parisa Plant. Borenstein increased her scoring output from 10.4 points to 13.0 through the Northwest Valley Conference season.

Vincent and Wilson’s paths will separate this spring when Wilson will return to the track team following the basketball season.

Vincent’s knee and a previous elbow injury will preclude her from competing in the high jump and shotput. Instead she will try out for the softball team.

But first, Vincent and Wilson, who are back on the same path, hope to bring Chatsworth another City title.

4-A Division

North Hollywood (18-3), the fourth-seeded team and Mid-Valley League champion, should have an easy time with Roosevelt (14-9), a former City Section power which has fallen on hard times. Center Samantha Fargeon averages 14.4 points and point guard Stephanie Wasserman averages 10.2 points and 3.5 assists for the Huskies. . . . Taft (19-0) was given little respect by the seeding committee: The unbeaten Toreadors were seeded sixth. Taft plays at home against Venice, which lost to Taft, 63-40, in a nonleague game in December. Center Vanessa Dunn, forward Monia Calhoun and guard Nyoki McKeith give Taft three effective weapons. . . . The remaining three area teams face difficult challenges. Fourteenth-seeded Van Nuys (11-8), led by the inside play of center Gohar Tumanian, will play at Washington, a finalist last season. . . . Even the presence of senior Tami Jones, the leading area City scorer, might not be enough for 15th-seeded El Camino Real (10-6), which plays at Westchester (23-1). . . . In the toughest position is No. 16 Kennedy (12-11), which plays three-time defending City champion Crenshaw.

3-A Division

Grant (13-6), the East Valley League champion and seeded sixth, plays host to San Pedro. The Lancers advanced to the quarterfinals last season before losing to Fremont, which is now in the 4-A. . . . Birmingham (6-7) came close to dropping its program but former football Coach Chick Epstein recalled enough from his last basketball experience to lead the 12th-seeded Braves to second place in the West Valley League, where they will play South Gate. . . . No. 13 Reseda (6-10) boasts one of the top post players in the City in 6-5 center LaShonda Holland, who will lead the Regents at Fairfax, the Metro League champion. . . . No. 14 Poly (8-12) must stop Northern Conference champion Franklin’s top scorer Janice Arcilla.