Booth a Finalist for NCAA Award

Golfer Kellee Booth of Coto de Caza is among 10 finalists for the 1998 NCAA Woman of the Year award, which will be presented Oct. 18 in Indianapolis.

Booth, 22, who attended Arizona State, is a member of the U.S. Women’s World Amateur team, which begins play at the U.S. World Amateur Nov. 12 in Santiago, Chile. She was also a member of the team in 1996.

The other finalists: Merritt Booth, gymnastics, Alabama Tuscaloosa; Nada Kawar, track and field, UCLA; Janina Morusiewicz, volleyball, Barry University; Anne West, rowing, Iowa; Maria Abatjoglou, tennis, Kansas; Katherine Kearns, cross-country and track and field, Northwest Missouri State; Heather Heitsenrether, field hockey, Wooster; Amy Gant, volleyball, BYU; and Peggy Boutilier, lacrosse and field hockey, Virginia.

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Bev Winans of Newport Beach and partner Jane Buffington of Carmel advanced to the finals in the 65 doubles division of the National Senior Women’s Tennis Tournament Thursday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

Winans and Buffington, seeded third, upset second-seeded Mary Boswell (Damascus, Md.) and Mary Ann Mitcham (Scottsdale, Ariz.), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

They will face San Clemente’s Doris Stephens and Louise Russ of Deerfield, Fla., in today’s final. Stephens and Russ upset top-seeded Liz Harper of La Jolla and Betsy Roberti of Santa Monica, 6-2, 2-6, 6-3.

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Rich Breza has been hired as boys’ soccer coach at Irvine High, and Larry Whittaker has been hired as girls’ soccer coach at the school, Girls’ Athletic Director Randy Rossi announced Thursday.

Breza, who had worked previously as an assistant coach at Woodbridge High, replaced Greg Cipolla, who resigned to pursue his business career. Whittaker, who had served as varsity coach at Victor Valley High, replaces Rene Cano, who resigned for personal reasons after one season, Rossi said.