Expect Good Things From OCC, Santa Ana

The Orange Empire Conference cross-country runners gather Saturday at Laguna Niguel Reginal Park for the annual preview run.

The Orange Coast women and the Santa Ana men are the strongest teams in the conference early this season. The women’s race is at 9 a.m. and the men run at 10 a.m.

OCC, coached by John Goldman, features Donna Harris, who won the conference individual title last fall and was third at the state meet. She also won the state title in the 1,500 meter race last spring.

OCC took part in the Fresno Invitational and won it Saturday with 39 points. West Valley was second with 46. Christine Riel of OCC was second and Harris third in the race.

Santa Ana, coached by Al Siddens, won the men’s division at Fresno with 75 points. Los Angeles Trade Tech (78) was second. Santa Ana placed four runners in the top 25 led by Mike Avellan who was fifth.

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Dick Van Voorhis, the athletic director at Cypress since 1982, has stepped down but will continue to teach and coach tennis.

Van Voorhis, in his 29th year of teaching and coaching, said he probably will retire at the end of the 1998 spring semester.

Diane Henry, who already is the division dean of athletics, has taken over as athletic director.

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They shoot, they score: The Santa Ana men’s soccer team has been impressive so far.

The Dons, who won the state title in 1995, have outscored opponents, 25-0, in winning their first five games.