Northridge Standout to Skip Track Season

Cal State Northridge senior Beth Burton, who set a school record of 67 feet 3/4 inch to win the women’s 20-pound weight throw in the Big Sky Conference indoor championships Saturday, will use a redshirt year for the outdoor season.

Northridge Coach Don Strametz said Burton will take a year to improve her technique in the shotput and hammer throw, improving the Matadors’ chances of contending for the 1998 Big Sky outdoor title.

“It’s a golden opportunity for her to improve in both events,” Strametz said. “She’s still not a student of the shot or hammer, by her own admission.”

Football commitments: Three football players have committed to Cal State Northridge: Joe Bergman, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman from Bakersfield High; Jose Vallejo, a 6-1, 248-pound linebacker from Lynwood High; and Ethan Beck, a 6-4, 200-pound receiver from Highland High in Bakersfield.

Still unbeaten: Heavyweight Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills improved to 6-0 with a second-round knockout of Orlando Leavell on Tuesday night at the Long Beach Pyramid.

Poll position: The Cal State Northridge softball team moved up a notch to No. 14 in the national rankings. Northridge (7-2-2) plays host to Pacific (5-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday in a Big West Conference-opening doubleheader.

Coaching moves: Pat Yerina has resigned after three seasons as the basketball coach at Crespi High.

Jeff Cortez, a football assistant at Crespi, has been named the school’s tennis coach.