Taft Track Standout Santin Decides to Attend Northridge

Frances Santin of Taft High, the state leader in the girls’ 300-meter low hurdles, has signed a letter of intent with Cal State Northridge.

Santin, the 1996 City Section champion in the 300 lows, has a season best of 43.39 seconds in the event and her personal best of 43.24 ranks sixth on the all-time region performer list.

She is undefeated in the 300 lows and the 100 highs this year and has a best of 14.75 in the latter.

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Merits for Matadors: Northridge track and field athletes Joe Criner and Brandi Prieto earned Big Sky Conference athletes of the week for their performances in last week’s Mt. SAC Relays.

With a time of 20.14 seconds in the 200 meters, Criner, a senior, tied a conference record set in 1973 by Idaho State’s Carl Lawson and set a Northridge record in the process.

A triple-jump mark of 41 feet, 7 inches by the sophomore Prieto moved her into a tie for second on Northridge’s all-time leaders’ list.

VOLLEYBALL

Top Roumain: George Roumain of Pepperdine was selected men’s volleyball player of the year and teammate Scott Wong was selected freshman of the year in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

Roumain, a junior opposite hitter, leads the nation with 7.30 kills per game. Wong leads the Waves (20-4) in digs and aces.

Former Highland High middle blocker Ryan Millar, now at Brigham Young, was a first-team selection.

Cal State Northridge outside hitter Chad Strickland was a second-team All-MPSF selection.

Pepperdine middle blocker Chris Jacobson was a third-team selection, as was former Notre Dame High middle blocker Tom Stillwell, now at UCLA.

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Young guns: Five players from the region have been selected to the USA Volleyball junior national and youth national teams.

Chosen to the junior national team were Nick Marbach, a San Diego State freshman and former Hoover High player; Joe Nargi, a Taft High senior and Cal State Northridge recruit; and Donald Puathasnanon, a UCLA freshman and former Granada Hills High player.

Juniors Jon Katz of Harvard-Westlake and Richard Nelson of Alemany were selected to the youth national team.

BASKETBALL

Lone-star Nelson: Forward Faheem Nelson of Valley College has signed a letter of intent with North Texas State.

Nelson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Bullard High in Fresno, averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds last season.

Nelson is the third Valley player to sign a letter of intent. Guard Germaine Chase signed with Montana State last fall. Last week, center Leon Brisport signed with Rhode Island.

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Moving on: Sophomores Anthony McCurtis, Cameron Henderson and Charles Dixon of the Moorpark College men’s basketball team have signed letters of intent with four-year schools.

McCurtis, a 6-9 forward, will attend North Eastern State in Tahlequah, Okla. Henderson, a 6-4 forward from El Camino Real High, will attend Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas.

Dixon, a 6-7 forward, signed with Sam Houston State.

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Kobayashi commits: Kelli Kobayashi, a senior point guard who led the Alemany High girls’ basketball team to the state Division III final, committed Monday to attend Cal State Los Angeles.

Kobayashi averaged 14.7 points and 5.3 assists per game in leading the Indians to a 27-7 record. She is a three-time All-Southern Section selection.