Tatrai Leads Early, Hogan Second in Race Across America
Gerry Tatrai of Australia held the overall lead through three stations on the first day of the Race Across America bicycle race.
At 7:57 p.m., Tatrai passed through Calipartria, Calif., which is 198 miles into the race that started in Irvine and will finish in Savannah, Ga.
Seana Hogan of San Jose was in second, 12 minutes out of the lead.
Rob Kish of Port Orange, Fla. was in third, 14 minutes behind. Andrease Clavedetscher of Lichtenstein was in fourth, 18 minutes behind the leader.
Danny Chew of Pittsburgh was in fifth, 24 minutes off the lead.
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The U.S. men’s junior national water polo team improved to 4-0-1 in round-robin play at the Junior Pan American Games in Havana.
The U.S. defeated Colombia, 5-3, on Tuesday, then rallied for two goals in the fourth quarter Wednesday to edge Argentina, 6-5.
Tony Azevedo, who will be a junior at Long Beach Wilson High, continued his torrid scoring pace. He had two goals against Colombia and two more against Argentina to increase his tournament-leading total to 17 goals.
The U.S. team’s fifth game will be against Puerto Rico. Competition continues through Sunday.
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Tom Pestolesi has been named men’s and women’s volleyball coach at Irvine Valley, Athletic Director Aracely Mora announced.
Pestolesi coached the men’s team at Irvine Valley from 1991 to 1994 and led the ’93 squad to the state title.
He replaces Lance Stewart, who coached the men’s team, and George Carey, who coached the women’s team. Irvine Valley’s men finished 8-9 last season and the women were 6-13.
Stewart and Carey were in part-time positions but Pestolesi’s job is full-time.
Pestolesi has spent the past few years as an assistant volleyball coach at Newport Harbor High. Previously, he was an assistant coach for the Orange County Diggers on the professional level, spent two seasons coaching on the four-player women’s beach tour and at Estancia High from 1983 to 1993.
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Southern Section Commissioner Dean Crowley has been elected chairman of the National Assn. of Sports Officials in an announcement made during the organization’s annual meeting this week in Indianapolis. Crowley, 64, was originally elected to the board of directors in 1995.
Crowley’s football officiating career started in 1968, working high school games. He began working college games in the mid-’70s and has officiated in four bowl games. He retired from officiating after the 1995 season. He has also worked as a basketball official.
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The West Coast Shamrocks, an under-19 girls’ soccer team from Mission Viejo, advanced to the finals of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix.
The Shamrocks, the Far West regional champions, defeated J.B. Marine of St. Louis, the Midwest regional champions, 2-0, Thursday.
Right winger Tamara Westinghouse scored from 16 yards out in the 11th minute. Karine Inoue, who graduated from Laguna Hills in 1997, scored in the 70th minute with an assist from Stephanie Rigamat, who plays for UC Irvine.
Shamrock goalkeeper Riki-Ann Serrins, who graduated from Santa Margarita in June and will attend Wake Forest, finished with 11 saves and blocked a first-half penalty kick.
The Shamrocks, who feature 13 players from the team that finished runner-up in the under-16 division of the 1995 national championships, will play the winner of tonight’s match between FC Greater Boston Bolts and Tophat ’97 Gold, from Atlanta. The championship match is 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
In tonight’s U-20 women’s semifinals, the Southern California Blues from San Juan Capistrano will meet Sting SC of Dallas, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s 8 p.m. championship game against Braddock Road Zephyr of McLean, Va.
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Mission Viejo High senior Carla Legaspi shot 73 in sectional qualifying at Coto de Caza to advance to the USGA Girls’ Junior Championship, which is Aug. 4-9 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
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The top junior divers in the country will compete in the U.S. Zone E Junior National qualifying meet this weekend at the Mission Viejo Aquatics Center. The meet will include one-meter, three-meter and platform diving for the 13 and under, 14-15 and 16-18 Junior Olympic age groups. Diving begins at 9 a.m. today, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free.
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Right-handed pitcher Nate Cadena, who graduated from Western High and played at Cypress College, has signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Red Sox. He has been assigned to the rookie league Gulf Coast Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla.