Ward Joining Jones at Santa Barbara

B.J. Ward of Santa Clara High said Tuesday he has committed to play basketball at UC Santa Barbara.

Ward, a 6-foot-1 guard who averaged 19 points per game last season, is the second Santa Clara player to commit to the Gauchos.

Guard Nick Jones said last week he will attend Santa Barbara.

The first day to sign a letter of intent is Nov. 11.

TENNIS

Walkover: Third-seeded Sean Brawley of Camarillo advanced to the final of the U.S. Professional Tennis Assn. International Championships in men’s 35-and-over singles when second-seeded Laird Dunlop of Wilmington, N.C., retired in the semifinals Tuesday. Dunlop was leading, 6-4, 3-5, at the time.

Brawley will play top-seeded Pat Serret of Alexandria, La., in the final today at La Quinta Resort and Club.

Seniority: The 19th annual Senior Tennis Championships will be played Thursday through Sunday at Westlake Tennis and Swim Club. Singles and doubles will take place in divisions from 35-65 years old. Admission is free. Information: (818) 889-6164.

MOTOR SPORTS

Featherlite heavyweight: M.K. Kanke of Granada Hills won the Featherlite Southwest Series NASCAR Touring Division Trailers Manufacturing 125 on Saturday at Tucson Raceway Park in Tucson, Ariz.

It was Kanke’s third victory of the season, the most by any driver in the series.

Bob Lyon of Agua Dulce finished fourth, Dennis Dyer of Palmdale was sixth and Frank Maronski Jr. of Quartz Hill finished ninth.

CROSS-COUNTRY

Sky-high: Javier Ramirez of Cal State Northridge has been selected Big Sky Conference men’s runner of the week. Ramirez, a senior from Nordhoff High, placed 10th in the Aztec Invitational at Balboa Park in San Diego on Saturday to lead the Matadors to fifth place.

FOOTBALL

Climbing: Northridge is ranked 27th in Division I-AA in the Sports Network poll, the Big Sky’s fourth highest-ranked team behind No. 11 Montana, No. 19 Northern Arizona and No. 21 Weber State.

SOCCER

Goal-oriented: Stephanie Rigamat, from Crescenta Valley High, scored two goals and added an assist Sunday to help the UC Irvine women defeat Pepperdine, 4-1, in a nonconference game.

Nicole Bucciarelli, a former Grant High forward, scored for the Anteaters (7-0-1).

Futile mark: Before this season, the Cal State Northridge men’s team, which won Tuesday over San Diego State, 5-1, had never begun a season 0-4. The Matadors (1-4) began their inaugural season in 1978 and the 1997 campaign at 0-3.

VOLLEYBALL

Big Wave: Jamie Hill, Pepperdine middle blocker, was selected to the UC Santa Barbara all-tournament team last weekend. Hill, a junior, had 52 kills in three matches.