Mt. SAC Cross-Country Course to Be Debated

The traditional--and very rigorous--cross-country course at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, which has been used 23 of the last 25 years for the Southern Section prelims and finals, could get a face-lift as early as 1997.

A straw vote last month at three separate meetings of the Southern Section Cross-Country Coaches Assn. found support by some of the county’s coaches to change the three-mile course, which has three major hills after a flat first mile.

Though Orange County coaches were about 60-40 in favor of change, coaches from the Inland Empire and Ventura County were against the change.

“Right now, I’d say it’s about 60-40 in favor of keeping [the course the way it is],” said association president George Varvas, who is Woodbridge’s coach.

However, with that many coaches wanting a change, further investigation will take place, Varvas said. If there’s a majority who want to change after a poll of every coach in the section, Varvas said he would present the proposal to the section office. An alternate course could be instituted as early as the section prelims next year.

The alternate course, researched by Tom Coffey, Tustin boys’ coach, would eliminate two hills--”Poop-out” and “Reservoir”--in the race’s latter stage.

Varvas said the steepness of the hills increases the threat of injury more so than hills on other courses.

Jim Clendaniel, head coach at Yucaipa, the state’s top-ranked Division II girls’ team, said his team is too tired at the state meet in Fresno after it has run the Mt. SAC course three times in a five-week span at season’s end.

The prestigious Mt. SAC Invitational, which was run last weekend, would continue to use the original course.

Opposition to the change comes from, among others, El Modena co-coaches Tom Weber and John Ahearn, and Dave Zeitler (Santa Margarita boys) and Bim Barry (Newport Harbor boys).

“How can you compare one athlete with another over the course of time [without them running on the same course]?” Zeitler asked. “You’re killing tradition.”

The thinking among proponents of the change is that section athletes are too tired to compete effectively in the state meet the weekend after the section finals.

In individual competition the past three seasons, Southern Section girls have won eight of 12 titles while section boys have won only one.

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Edison’s field hockey team begins its defense today of the Sunset League Tournament of Champions.

Top-seeded Edison (12-1) will host wild-card winner Glendora, which defeated Huntington Beach, 1-0, on strokes last week.

Edison, which won the Sunset League title this year ending Santiago’s two-year title streak, is led by goalkeeper Jo Szarfirski, forwards Andrea Wiles and Zarah Antongorgi and midfielders Tami Miller and Jeanette Antongorgi.

Santiago (8-2-3) is seeded second and will host Fountain Valley, a 3-0 wild-card winner over Westminster. Santiago, which lost to Edison, 1-0, in the final last year, is led by forwards Ivonne Monroy and Amber Puskas. The Cavaliers were hurt this season by the graduation of forward Camelia Rodriguez, their leading scorer.

The 10-team field has narrowed to eight. In the other two matchups, Santa Ana will visit third-seeded La Verne Bonita, and Newport Harbor will take on fourth-seeded Marina. All games begin at 3 p.m.

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Jennifer Tuiolosega has orally committed to attend the University of San Diego to play women’s basketball.

Tuiolosega, a point guard who helped the Seahawks reach the Southern Section Division II-A finals, averaged 14.6 points and three assists; she also shot 33% from beyond the three-point arc.

She had reconstructive surgery on her knee in May, 1995. Slowed by the injury, she still was a second-team Times all-county selection, and also a second-team Southern Section Division II pick.

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Jessica Sudduth, a 6-foot-2 outside hitter for the Esperanza girls’ volleyball team, orally committed to attend University of Hawaii, said Esperanza Coach Kert Kersten. Hawaii is ranked No. 1 in the nation.

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April Evans, who was a first-team All-Century League volleyball player her senior year at Canyon High (1993-94), is the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. Division II National Team Player of the Week.

Evans helped fifth-ranked Northern Michigan (22-3, 13-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) to three victories last week. She had a .741 hitting percentage with nine blocks and four digs. Evans leads the team in kills (248), blocks (69) and hitting percentage (.413).

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Twelve athletes are among those being honored Nov. 3 by the Orange County Chapter of The Links, a volunteer organization aimed at community service for minorities.

The 30 African-American high school juniors will be recognized for their achievement in the areas of academics, arts and literature, community service and athletics. The winners receive cash awards for finishing among the top three in each of six categories.

Athletes who will be recognized are: Carlton Allen, Esperanza, track and field; Gabriele Fagins, Buena Park, track and field; Jamaal Footman, Esperanza, football, track and field; Christopher Glass, Los Alamitos, basketball, track and field; Roddrick Jackson Jr., Esperanza, football, track and field; Marcus Mullins, Esperanza, football; Chris Perry, Sonora, football; Roy Roberts, Los Alamitos, football, track and field; Kai Starr, Savanna, track and field; Shauna Stokes, Savanna, track and field; Kim Steele, Esperanza, track and field; Anthony Vallas, Mater Dei, basketball.

For more information about the 2 p.m. awards luncheon at the Red Lion Hotel in Costa Mesa, call Maxine Jackson at (714) 692-1674.

Also contributing to this report were Times staff writers Martin Henderson and Wendy Witherspoon and correspondent Melanie Neff.