Bishop Amat Loses Salter to Culver City

Tom Salter, football coach at La Puente Bishop Amat for the last five seasons, has resigned to become coach at Culver City.

Salter guided the Lancers to the 1995 Division I championship. The Lancers were runner-up in 1994 and semifinalists in ’97 and ’98.

Salter, who lives in Westchester, said the opportunity to work close to home, the benefits available to teachers in a public school system and the chance to build a program were factors that caused him to change jobs. He takes over a Culver City team that was 1-9 last season.

“It’s hard leaving Bishop Amat because the school has been great to me,” said Salter, who coached at the school for 16 years. “But I’m excited about starting at Culver City and being part of the community.

“I have my work cut out for me, but I met with the kids and they are all excited to go to work.”

Salter will teach at Bishop Amat until the end of the school year. No replacement has been announced.

*

Senior infielder Dennis Wyrick of Bishop Amat, junior right-hander Mike Davern of Brea Olinda, senior catcher Ryan Garko of Anaheim Servite and senior left-hander John Thomas and senior outfielder Eric Verbryke of Santa Maria Righetti have been selected to play for the U.S. team that will compete in the junior Pan American championships April 17-25 in Caracas, Venezuela.

The junior Pan-Am championship is the qualifying tournament for the International Baseball Assn. junior world championships Aug. 6-15 in Chinese Taipei. The top four teams from the junior Pan-Ams qualify for the world championships. The U.S. team will begin workouts April 10 in Tucson.

*

Forward Landon Donovan of Redlands East Valley and midfielder Bryan Jackson of La Canada were selected to Parade magazine’s All-American soccer team.

Neither player competed for his high school team. Both were training in Florida with the U.S. under-17 men’s national team.