Price Earns $126,000 in Skills Challenge

Nick Price holed out to win the greenside bunker competition and finished no worse than fifth in the seven other events Monday to win the Toyota Golf Skills Challenge at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa.

Prize money was allocated based on which of the eight professional golfers was closest to the hole in eight skill shots. The made-for-television event will air Nov. 14-15 on NBC.

Price won $76,000 plus a $50,000 bonus for finishing first. Casey Martin, who won the long drive, pitch shot and short iron, was second with $74,500. Craig Stadler ($71,750) was third.

BASEBALL

Ayers off to the Bay: Right-handed pitcher Ryan Ayers of Newbury Park High has committed San Francisco. Ayers will join former Panther right-hander Chris Thogerson, an All-West Coast Conference pick as a USF freshman last season.

Northridge passed over: The restructured Western Athletic Conference will add Hawaii-Hilo as its sixth baseball team for the 2000 season, ending hopes that Cal State Northridge would join.

BASKETBALL

Heading north: J.J Todd, a 6-foot-11 center from Chaminade High, has committed to UC Santa Barbara.

Breaking out: After two weeks of turmoil surrounding the arrest of Coach Michael Abraham for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine, the Cal State Northridge women’s team took the court for the first time and trounced the Portland Saints, 103-72, in an exhibition Sunday.

Sophomore guard Edniesha Curry scored 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting and sophomore guard Tina Greer had 14 points, 10 assists and eight steals for Northridge.

FOOTBALL

Joining Kingsmen: Chris Czernek, the former Newbury Park High quarterback who holds the Southern Section record with 4,362 passing yards in 1995, will transfer to Cal Lutheran from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo at the semester break, his mother Mariann said.

Czernek, a redshirt freshman, has played sparingly for the Mustangs (2-7).