MIDWEEK REPORT / HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS UPDATE : Westlake Season Unpredictable

It’s official. The Westlake softball team has lost five games, and the pressure that first-year Coach Beth Calcante said she didn’t feel at the start of the season is ratcheting upward after the first half of Marmonte League play.

Before the season, Calcante said she didn’t see the Warriors, who were 24-7 last season, losing any more than five games.

But Westlake (8-5, 3-4 in league play), which committed five errors Tuesday in a 2-0 loss to Camarillo, also has lost to Newbury Park, 5-0, Simi Valley, 4-2, and Thousand Oaks, 2-0, in the past three weeks.

“Errors,” said Calcante. “Errors are killing us. We have to be leading the Southern Section.”

But Calcante, who said the Warriors are averaging three errors a game, isn’t wrong yet. After all, Westlake needs only to win the remainder of its games and run the table in the playoffs, and Calcante’s preseason prediction will be absolutely right. Piece of cake.

No Time for the Pain

Physical pain sometimes makes suiting up to play difficult for Sheila Shilati. But Shilati was not about to let herself be sidelined this week.

Shilati, a senior third baseman for the Alemany softball team, transferred from Chaminade in January. On Wednesday, Shilati was scheduled to square off against her former teammates for the first time as Alemany and Chaminade met in a Mission League game.

“There’s going to be a lot of mixed emotions,” Shilati said. “I love my former teammates. They’re a great bunch of girls.”

Shilati who played basketball and softball at Chaminade, transferred for personal reasons unrelated to athletics, she said. After successfully petitioning the Southern Section for eligibility, Shilati made an immediate impact with the Indians and is batting .346.

Stepping into a new role went smoothly for Shilati.

“She’s a very outgoing person and she’s become a team leader,” Alemany Coach Dudley Rooney said.

Continuing to play has been the difficult part for Shilati, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, an affliction that causes swelling of the joints in her knees and ankles.

The condition, which Shilati says is hereditary, was diagnosed more than two years ago. But while it has slowed Shilati, it hasn’t stopped her.

“I have my good days and my bad days,” Shilati said. “I always want to play, but there are times when it gets frustrating.”

Swim Party

Shortly after daybreak Saturday, the Royal swim team will arrive at Rancho Simi Community pool to set up for its biggest event of the season, save the Southern Section championships in May.

After six months of planning, the Highlanders will host the Royal Invitational beginning at 9 a.m and running into the early evening. With 29 schools, including two from Nevada, and more than 1,100 competitors the invitational, in its 16th year, is one of the largest in Southern California.

The invitational was dedicated in 1991 to Josh Mlakar, a water polo and swim standout at Royal who died of cancer in 1990. Highlander Coach Steve Snyder enlists about 50 volunteers and the help of team members, who have been selling ads for the program since October, to pull off the one-day event, which attracted more than 1,500 last year.

“About the only thing I can do now is pray for sun,” Snyder said.

Several of the top Southern Section programs in the area, including Crescenta Valley, Hart, Westlake, Thousand Oaks and Royal, will compete for the team titles but the focus is on the individual.

Novice swimmers will get a chance to compete in a fast pool under championship-style conditions, including electronic timing, while accomplished varsity competitors will get an extra opportunity to record qualifying times for the Southern Section championships next month.

Baseball Notes

City Section

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

East Valley League--Grant has stolen 40 bases in 50 attempts. Scott Ward has a conference-leading 14. . . . Poly went 3-1 last week, losing only to San Clemente, 8-7, after committing a season-high six errors. The Parrots have played in eight games and two tournaments in the last two weeks, giving Coach Chuck Schwal an opportunity to see more of his reserves. “I even found a kid that I’m not gonna tell you about yet,” Schwal said. “But he’s gonna be a good stopper for us.” One player that he will talk about is junior second baseman Ceasar Rodriguez, who was cut by Schwal at the beginning of the year. Rodriguez was brought up from the junior varsity for the Bishop Gorman Las Vegas tournament and has gone four for six since the promotion. Lucas La Touf, a senior center fielder who bats leadoff, went seven for 13 and scored seven runs in four games last week, improving his hitting streak to seven games and boosting his average nearly 50 points to .361.

Mid-Valley League--Reseda senior outfielder Frank Casaccia faced his former teammates from Van Nuys in a league game Tuesday. Casaccia, who left Van Nuys five games into the season, has landed on his feet at Reseda and is batting a blistering .538 with 14 runs batted in. . . . Canoga Park isn’t exactly burning up the conference, but the Hunters are certainly holding their own in league play. Canoga Park, Monroe and Reseda have three victories each against East Valley League teams and are tied for first place heading into league play.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

North Valley League--For the first time in nine starts, Kennedy right-hander Derek Morse failed to get a victory, in an 8-7 nine-inning decision over Granada Hills Monday. Morse (9-0) who leads the region in victories, was lifted after six innings for Aldo Pinto. Pinto, who has emerged as Kennedy’s closer, struck out four in three innings to get the victory. Fernando Centeno led off the ninth inning with a home run. . . . Centeno, the Golden Cougar right fielder, raised the eyebrows of scouts at the Fullerton tournament last week when he gunned down Esperanza’s John McCollum, who was trying to advance from first to third base on a single. . . . League rivals San Fernando and Granada Hills met in the title game of the Birmingham tournament after each won three pool-play games. San Fernando’s Alex Esqueda was 10 for 18 last week, including a four-for-four performance in the title game won by San Fernando.

West Valley League--Entering Wednesday’s games, every league team had a losing record in conference play. Taft, Chatsworth and El Camino Real were tied at 4-5. . . . The Conquistadores came from behind to defeat Chatsworth, 5-2, Monday. Gavin Bible and Matt Cowie each had two-run singles to cap the comeback after Andrew Silver held the Conquistadores hitless through 4 2/3 innings. . . . Birmingham’s Alberto Flores threw a complete game in the Braves’ 9-8 victory over Taft Monday, allowing 11 hits and one walk with six strikeouts.

Southern Section

CHANNEL

At the San Luis Obispo tournament last weekend, Hueneme’s consolation championship game was over almost before it started. El Segundo racked up 10 hits and led, 13-0, after half an inning en route to a 21-4 victory. Nonetheless, Hueneme Coach Reg Welker said his young team, which also lost to San Luis Obispo, 10-0, and beat Alemany, 7-6, performed well in spurts. Sophomore Robert Avila tossed a no-hitter through four innings against San Luis Obispo before the Vikings made four errors and gave up four runs in the fifth. Sophomore Chris Neri pitched the team’s first complete game of the season, against Alemany, and junior Pedro Cervantes was five for 10 with three doubles and five RBIs in the tournament. . . .

Buena shortstop Brian Riley drove in game-winning runs for the Bulldogs twice in four days. Riley began the season at third base while recuperating from a shoulder operation and was also hitting fourth or fifth in the batting order. He moved to the leadoff spot three games ago and Buena won all three. Ricky Helland (5-0) has become the Bulldogs’ pitching workhorse. Three times the junior has thrown more than 120 pitches in a game. “If you get him early he’s gone but if he’s still there by the third or fourth inning he’s staying in there,” Coach Stan Hedegard said. . . .

Rio Mesa lost three games at the Dos Pueblos tournament last week. “I was a little disappointed. We had almost a week to prepare and then didn’t play better,” Coach Richard Duran said. Tyrone Nunnery and Ruben Delgado were consistent performers. “They had nothing amazing,” Duran said. “They got one or two hits a game, made the routine plays and a couple of spectacular ones. They stuck out because everyone else played so poorly.”

FOOTHILL

After a 9-2 loss to first-place Hart on Tuesday, Saugus appears to be emerging as a team with great statistics but no killer instinct. The Centurions (11-7) stranded four runners, made two costly errors and failed to execute in two key situations in the first three innings against Hart. “We have done some things real well,” Coach Doug Worley said. “But we have to work awfully hard to score runs. We were not mentally tough.” The Centurions didn’t appear to be stirred by the prospect of facing Hart’s winning pitcher, Brian Hernandez, who transferred from Saugus last fall. “I didn’t see any emotion either way,” Worley said. “I’d rather see some emotion.”

Hart welcomed the return of Brian Baron, who had been out since the third game of the season because of a stress fracture in his foot. Baron went one for four with an RBI. Third baseman Mike Bland, out since the fifth game because of a broken thumb, is set to return in two weeks. . . . Among the heroes in Burbank’s surprising two-game sweep of Burroughs last week was Nick Robideau, who was six for eight and drove in the winning run in a 5-4 Bulldog victory Friday.

FRONTIER

Calabasas senior Darin Reisman continues to shuttle between first and second base. Reisman, who has earned a scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a second baseman, began the season at that position but was moved to first when Frank Carlisi’s hitting tailed off. Freshman Jeff Gould moved in at second for two weeks, but now Carlisi is back in and Reisman is back at second. “I’d rather be a second baseman but I’ll play wherever they want,” Reisman said. “I grew up as a shortstop and second baseman and last year was the first time I’d ever played first.” Senior Tanner Trosper, the Coyotes’ top player, has lifted his batting average from below .200 to better than .400 in the past two weeks. Co-Coach Scott Drootin said third baseman Adam Davey has continued to play through a bad elbow on his throwing arm and has played as well defensively as his gifted predecessors, Josh Morton and Brett Niles. “He’s got a lump on his elbow and he’s going to have surgery after the season,” Drootin said. “He’s the toughest player I’ve ever coached.”

GOLDEN

The bat of Sean Douglass came alive last week. The Antelope Valley junior outfielder went five for 11 and homered. It was a pleasant sight for Coach Ed t’Sas, who is concerned about the Antelopes’ .263 batting average. “That’s the problem,” he said. “Our team ERA is 2.91, which is good for high school. But we’d like to be hitting over .300.” . . . Wind gusts Tuesday were no doubt a factor in a 21-11 victory by Quartz Hill over Littlerock. The teams combined for 12 extra-base hits. . . . Quartz Hill ace pitcher Mark Madsen will be cleared for action this week since he has recovered from a severe back spasm that has sidelined him most of the season.

HIGH DESERT

Paraclete doesn’t look like a team that is 6-6, not after scoring 44 runs in the past two games. The Spirits racked up 22 runs in each and had a total of 40 hits. Freshman third baseman David Brown, who has played in only three varsity games, was three for three with a home run and five RBIs in a 22-3 victory over Mojave on Friday. He added another homer and a double in Tuesday’s 22-6 victory over Desert. Brown was batting better than .700 on the junior varsity before he was called up.

MARMONTE

Simi Valley (9-8-1) was 4-0 in the Birmingham tournament and won the Gold Division championship. Seniors Robert Gonzalez and Bill Castonguay led the way. Gonzalez was eight for 14 with five RBIs and had three doubles against Franklin in the title game. Castonguay (2-2) was four for four and pitched six innings to earn the victory against Barstow. Simi Valley received a lift with the return of junior right-hander Chris Barbettini, who had been sidelined since February because of a stress fracture in his right elbow. Barbettini pitched one inning against Barstow, striking out two. Barbettini will pitch sparingly until he returns to top form, Coach Tom D’Errico said. . . .

Sophomore infielder B.J. Hebert of Agoura, who was eight for 11 last week in the Babe Herman tournament, is out for the rest of the season because of calcium deposits in his throwing arm. Hebert moved from second base to shortstop last week. Senior right-hander Mike Amundson of Newbury Park, who suffered a bruised right shoulder three weeks ago while diving back into first base, has returned to the lineup. Amundson has signed with University of San Diego. . . .

No pitcher for Royal had registered a complete game until last week, when Adrian Mendoza, Bryant Leppard and Matt Pitstick went the distance in consecutive games in the Dos Pueblos tournament. Mendoza, a senior left-hander who will attend Cal State Northridge, defeated San Marcos. Leppard, a senior right-hander, defeated Santa Barbara and Pitstick, a senior right-hander, pitched a three-hitter to defeat Rio Mesa. Leppard departed almost immediately after the Santa Barbara game to visit his brother in Oklahoma. Right-hander Trevor Leppard, a 1993 Simi Valley graduate, is a relief pitcher for the Sooners. Royal Coach Dan Maye has shuffled the Highlanders’ lineup. Pitstick, who had three home runs and 19 RBIs last week, moved from fifth to fourth in the batting order. Kevin Mellinger moved from third to seventh, Dorian Stitt from fourth to third and Zack Gordon from seventh to fifth.

MISSION

Junior right-hander Chris Gray of Chaminade is ready to return after being sidelined a week because of a hip injury. . . . Chaminade’s team bus arrived at Loyola at 3 p.m. Tuesday for a showdown between the league’s top two teams. The Eagles departed less than a half-hour later because of a steady drizzle. “We probably could have started it, but we wouldn’t have finished it,” Chaminade Coach Denny Barrett said. Chaminade, which played at Loyola on Wednesday, plays host to the Cubs on Friday. . . . Crespi had its 10-game winning streak snapped in a nonleague loss to St. Bernard on Saturday. The Celts have a league bye this week.

PACIFIC

Crescenta Valley showcased three sophomore pitchers while winning the consolation championship of the Babe Herman tournament. Right-handers Jason La Motte (6-1, 180), Nathan Barber (6-1, 175) and Curtis McReynolds (6-2, 200) each pitched effectively, with La Motte and Barber earning victories. La Motte hurled a one-hitter in an 18-0 victory over Fremont and Barber allowed two hits in five innings in a 2-1 decision over Moorpark. McReynolds allowed two hits in four innings and had no decision in a 7-5 victory over Rosemead. La Motte, who is 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA in a team-high 29 innings, might be developing into the staff ace.

Softball Notes

City Section

VALLEY PAC-8 CONFERENCE

Mid-Valley League--None of the eight conference teams played last week. . . . Reseda’s Jenaye Brown leads the conference in runs scored with 21. Teammates Rosie Yeatts and Kristy Rebbeck are the only players in the conference batting better than .500. . . . Sylmar’s Karina Avendano (.471), Cherise Espinosa (.438) and Esther Guzman (.412) are the only three players on one team to be batting better than .400.

East Valley League--Six Van Nuys players are batting above .300. Rita Ortega leads the team with a .457 average. . . . North Hollywood will travel to Reseda for a makeup game April 26.

NORTHWEST VALLEY CONFERENCE

North Valley League--Kennedy’s Sandra Durazo struck out 13 Cleveland batters in five innings before rain halted the Golden Cougars’ 6-0 victory over the Cavaliers on Tuesday. . . . A bright spot for the Cavaliers is senior third baseman Tammy Wilhite, who has two home runs and is hitting .591.

West Valley League--El Camino Real has been added to the Thousand Oaks tournament, which begins pool play Saturday. But the Conquistadores face a daunting opening opponent--Camarillo, the second-ranked team in The Times’ regional poll.

Southern Section

CHANNEL

After finishing third in the league last year, Rio Mesa lost five starters. But the Spartans (9-3) were again in third place at week’s start and are pushing for a berth in the Southern Section Division I playoffs. Coach John Velasquez said the development of sophomore pitcher Marcella Ramirez and junior catcher Jessica Magallanes has been critical to the hot start. During Rio Mesa at-bats, the pair study opponent tendency charts kept by Spartan reserves. For the most part, Velasquez lets his batterymates draw their own conclusions and call their own pitches. “I want them to be dependent on each other; I can’t make plays for them,” Velasquez said. “They learn how to pitch to different types of hitters, what to expect from them and why you locate different pitches in different places.”. . .

Oxnard has been anemic at the plate but Coach Chuck Cordes hopes to remedy that with the Yellowjackets’ pitching machine. “We don’t have a lot of people who can hit the ball out of the infield,” Cordes said. “But we just got a protective screen, so I’m moving the pitching machine closer to the plate and feeding them pitches rapid-fire.” Oxnard has only two players who play softball year-round, one of whom is standout pitcher Anisa Velasquez (1.35 ERA).

FOOTHILL

Burbank is in the midst of a rebuilding season, but assistant coach John Dillibert thinks the Bulldogs can build around 5-10 sophomore pitcher Megan Lackey. “She’s got the making of a really good pitcher,” Dillibert said. “I feel real good about it, because she’s young.” . . . Burbank coaches are excited about the development of seniors Leizl Tan and Heidi Spaethe. Tan entered the week batting .381 with 13 stolen bases. Spaethe had 11 RBIs and 12 stolen bases.

FRONTIER

Nordhoff had played only eight games at week’s start. Two nonleague contests were rained out and the Rangers are not scheduled to play in any tournaments this season. “We played in the Lompoc tournament the last four years but a lot of our girls got real discouraged when we got blown away by teams where the girls play year-round,” Coach Fernando Coronel said. In its four consecutive losses before spring vacation, Nordhoff committed 21 errors and walked 29 batters. Coronel said catcher Keyana Stanford, who earned second-team all-league honors last year after only half a season behind the plate, has played well. . . . First-year Calabasas Coach Debbie Thomas said she holds the Coyotes to high standards for effort and sportsmanship. “I had to have a few one-on-one meetings to get the message across,” said the 30-year-old Thomas, who recently underwent reconstructive knee surgery and has been coaching with the aid of a large brace and crutches. Thomas is enthused that the Coyotes have only one senior starter, infielder Jennifer Goodeliunas. Standouts have been freshman shortstop Cara Blumfield and sophomore second baseman Jessica Armacost.

GOLDEN

Who is the favorite to win the league title? It’s anybody’s guess. In fact, no Golden League coach would be surprised to see a three-way tie. “It’s up for grabs, I’ll tell you that,” said Coach Mike Vargas, whose Antelope Valley team might have the most offensive potential but is 0-2 in league play. “The most consistent team [will win it]. And I think it will be defensively.” Said Palmdale Coach Gene Speidel: “It’s going to be the desire. Some team is going to play harder in certain situations.” Speidel has no shortage of desire. He’s 47, the dean of Golden League coaches with 15 years and is looking for only his second league title. “I’m getting tired of waiting,” he said. “We’re one of the teams I think has a shot at it. We just got to go out there and do it.” . . .

Consider Quartz Hill the early favorite. The Rebels are 4-0 in games against Golden League teams, including 2-0 in league play. . . . Palmdale has promising sophomores Vanessa Galaviz (0.57 ERA) and Mikki Goldwater (0.93 ERA). . . . Highland’s Kristi Globig figured to be the top pitcher in the league, but Jodi Cox of Quartz Hill is threatening to unseat her after Tuesday’s 7-0 victory in a head-to-head battle.

MARMONTE

With nearly half the league season in the books, it’s time to pay homage to some outstanding midseason achievements. Camarillo’s Jessica Mendoza is leading the league with a .448 average, and Newbury Park’s Emily Webster has the most hits with 20. Newbury Park’s Amy Berman and Simi Valley’s Lori Tande have each scored a league-leading 12 runs. Camarillo’s Mandi Comer, a non-starter last year, has hit four home runs and has 12 RBIs, both tops in the league. But Westlake’s Kelly DeArman isn’t far behind: DeArman, with three triples, has 11 RBIs. Erika Hanson of Thousand Oaks has eight stolen bases.

In the pitching department, Jennifer Sharron of Thousand Oaks has the best strikeout-to-walk ratio: 128 strikeouts and only five walks in 100 innings. Cindy Ball of Camarillo hasn’t allowed a run in 39 innings.Ball, the sophomore ace, was spotted at the Arizona-UCLA doubleheader over the weekend participating in a UCLA spellout with Bruin fans. Is the writing on the wall, or what?. . . .

Royal ace Kaelynn Jones (7-5) won three games last week in the Arroyo Grande tournament, striking out 33 and walking only two in 21 innings. Jones allowed nine hits and only one earned run. . . . Agoura is just a handful of mistakes away from being a league contender. The Chargers, perhaps the best 3-6 team in the region, have lost each of their first four league games by a single run, including three in extra innings to Royal, Westlake and Simi Valley. . . . Simi Valley will get a chance to flex some Marmonte muscle against Hart this weekend in the Thousand Oaks tournament. Hart, ranked No. 6 in The Times’ regional pool, faces No. 7 Simi Valley at 2 p.m. Saturday.

MISSION

Chaminade (6-8) was 2-2 in the Arroyo Grande tournament last week. Freshman right-hander Maureen LeCocq pitched the first perfect game of her career. LeCocq had a one-hitter with four strikeouts in a 2-1, eight-inning loss to Atascadero, then blanked Sutter Union, 4-0, without allowing a baserunner. LeCocq had 12 strikeouts against Sutter Union. Chaminade Coach Steve Harrington discovered another potential pitcher in junior Karen Knokey, an infielder who pitched one inning of relief against San Luis Obispo. Knokey, who relieved sophomore Kelly Durkin, struck out two while retiring the side in order.

TRI-VALLEY

Oak Park ace Kaylene Boldroff (6-3) threw a no-hitter Monday against Bishop Diego (1-10), striking out 10 and walking one. The hapless Cardinals have only 13 players on their roster, five of whom are playing softball for the first time. Oak Park Coach Roger Newell said Boldroff has attracted recruiting attention from several NCAA Division II coaches.

FREELANCE

Montclair Prep (15-3) continues to be one of the top offensive teams in the region, led by junior Tamra Freedman. Freedman, who tied a season Southern Section record for home runs as a freshman with 14, is approaching the career record. Freedman has 23. Jenny Dalton of Glendale holds the Southern Section record with 28. Dee Dee Phillips of Laytenville holds the state record with 29.

Golf Notes

Greg Goodfried of Birmingham may be the hottest player in the City Section. On Monday he shot a 72 at Hansen Dam to win the third City 5-A League Top Gun tournament. He followed that performance with a 75 in a league match against Monroe. Goodfried and Sean Oriti of Grant now share the lead for Top Gun, the City 5-A League MVP, with 23 points each. . . . Jason Semelsberger of Hart has averaged 70.3 in his last three matches, including a 2-under-par 69 at DeBell in the Foothill League tournament Tuesday. Semelsberger’s hot streak couldn’t have come at a better time for the Indians (14-1) who will be looking to avenge their only loss of the season Monday when they face Westlake at Camarillo Springs. . . .

When Oak Park played the first golf match in school history Monday, it wasn’t surprising the team’s top five players averaged a score of 90. But some heads turned when the Eagles’ team score of 450 won the inaugural Tri-Valley League tournament. “We have a solid young program here,” Coach Jim Kalember said. “I think some teams better watch out for us next year.” . . . Flintridge Prep placed second in the 30-team Tops in CIF invitational tournament Monday at Clear Valley Lake Country Club in Hesperia. Rebel standout Russell Surber was low medalist in the individual tournament, shooting 70 for a seven-stroke victory.

Swimming Notes

A dual meet victory Tuesday over Alemany was a bittersweet experience for Chaminade Coach Steve Reardon. Reardon, who coached Granada Hills to its first City title last season, faced his wife Laura for the first time. Laura Reardon is in her second season with the Indians. “It was a difficult experience, Not something I’d like to do again,” Steve Reardon said.

Track and Field Notes

Boys: Sophomore Miguel Fletcher of Alemany lost his first 200-meter race of the season at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High on Saturday, but his second-place time of 21.24 seconds moved him to fourth on the all-time region list. Quincy Watts of Taft clocked 20.50 in 1987, Laurence Burkley of Oxnard ran 21.09 in ’85 and Ron Williams of Chatsworth timed 21.0 for 220 yards in ’77. . . .

Ronney Jenkins of Hueneme moved to third on the all-time region list in the long jump when he set a Ventura County record of 24 feet 9 inches to place third in the Arcadia Invitational. Jenkins trails Percy Knox of Antelope Valley (25-5 1/2 in 1987) and Anthony Bailous of Canoga Park (24-10 in ‘83) on the region list. . . .

Monroe Coach Dean Balzarett has had to reformulate his goals for Ali BenMohamed after the Viking junior timed 4 minutes 20.57 seconds to place third in the open 1,600 at the Arcadia Invitational. BenMohamed entered the meet with a personal best of 4:27.6, but Balzarett figures he could cut 12 seconds from that mark by the end of the season. . . .

Hoover senior Felipe Montoro, who placed eighth in the 1995 State Division I cross-country championships, was not offered a partial athletic scholarship to Cal State Northridge, according to Matador Coach Don Strametz. Montoro, who will attend an honors program at the University of Oregon, said that Northridge offered him a partial scholarship, but Strametz claims that no offer was ever made. “. . . We never discussed specifics,” he said.

Girls: When Kim Mortensen of Thousand Oaks ran a personal best of 4:44.9 to win the 1,600 in the Arcadia Invitational, she moved to fourth on the all-time region list and recorded the fastest time by a local performer since 1983 when Paula Bresnan of Kennedy clocked 4:43.90. . . .

Mortensen’s teammate, Jenna Baum, moved into a tie for seventh on the all-time region list in the pole vault when she cleared 9 feet to finish second in the open portion of the Arcadia Invitational. . . .

Andrea Neipp of Highland appears to be hitting her stride after a slow--for her--start this season. Neipp finished third in the 1995 State Division I cross-country championships behind Julia Stamps of Santa Rosa and Mortensen, but won the 3,200 open race of the Arcadia Invitational in a best of 10:58.82. . . .

A personal best that had stood for nearly three years fell in a big way for Shaluinn Fullove of Louisville in the Arcadia Invitational. The Royal senior clocked 5:00.6 to finish eighth in the 1,600. Fullove, the 1995 state Division IV cross-country champion, had run a 5:07 mile in a road race in January, but her best 1,600 on the track before Saturday was 5:10.69. She appeared headed for a sub-five-minute clocking at Arcadia, but her focus on a large digital clock at the finish line might have prevented that from happening. “I think I could have broken five but I was watching the clock so much in the last 50 meters and I kind of forgot to run.”

The invitational 300 low hurdles at Arcadia looked more like a destruction derby as six of the nine entrants--including Michelle Perry of Quartz Hill and Frances Santin of Taft--failed to finish the race after hitting hurdles or going down while trying to avoid fallen runners.

Volleyball Notes

Kennedy is experiencing technical difficulties. “We’re not passing well and we’re a small team,” Coach Mike Stanton said. “If you do that against a big team, it’s really going to hurt.” The Golden Cougars put the hurt on Northwest Valley Confernce opponents last season and were co-champions. Currently 4-2 in conference play, Kennedy meets frontrunner Chatsworth today. . . .

The first volleyball season in the Foothill League already, it seems, has found its first champion. Canyon has swept all three of its league matches and has not allowed a league opponent to reach double digits in a game. The Cowboys are ranked eighth in the Division II coaches’ poll. . . . Providence is ranked eighth in Division III, a victory in itself. The Pioneers are 11-0 and recently won the Murphy tournament, beating La Canada in the tournament final. There are no seniors on Providence, which is only in its fifth year as a program. “Believe me, it’s been a long journey,” said Coach Andrew Bencze, who has guided the Pioneers the entire time, beginning with a 2-15 mark in 1992. . . .

Royal middle blocker Joe Olsen, who will attend BYU in the fall, sprained his left ankle Monday at practice and will miss two to three weeks. Garrett Hertzer, a 6-3 sophomore who played goalie on the water polo team, will replace Olsen.

Contributing: Mike Bresnahan, Dana Haddad, Vince Kowalick, Michael Lazarus, Paige A. Leech, Tris Wykes, Peter Yoon.