Hartman Gets Invitation to Pre-Draft NBA Camp

Former Thousand Oaks High forward Jason Hartman of Portland State is one of 60 seniors invited to the first of three NBA pre-draft camps.

The camp, which begins Wednesday, is held in Portsmouth, Va.

Hartman, 6 feet 7, averaged 22 points a game this season and was an All-Big Sky Conference selection two years in a row. He has been working out with the Portland Trail Blazers to stay in shape.

“I was pretty excited about being put in a category like that,” Hartman said. “I want to give myself my best opportunity.”

Top players from the Portsmouth camp will be invited to a camp in Phoenix. The best from that camp join top underclassmen at an exclusive camp in Chicago.

BASKETBALL

* Gilbert Arenas, Rafael Berumen, Omelogo Udeze and Damaris Hinojosa were the major award winners as The Times honored its All-Valley and All-Ventura County high school teams Saturday in a ballroom filled to capacity at the Hyatt Hotel in Westlake.

Arenas, from Grant High, was named Valley boys’ player of the year and Udeze, from Harvard-Westlake, was chosen the best Valley girls’ player.

Berumen, from Simi Valley, was chosen as the top boys’ player in Ventura County. Hinojosa was a repeat selection as Ventura County girls’ player of the year.

The coaches of the year in the Valley were Brian Taylor of the Harvard-Westlake girls’ team, and co-coaches Adam Levitt and James Morris, who guided the Cleveland High boys’ team.

Ventura County coaches of the year were Brent Milburn of the Moorpark girls’ team and Henry Lobo, who guided the Oxnard boys’ team to an undefeated record in the inaugural Pacific View League season.

HOCKEY

* Led by a hat trick from Darren Partch of Agoura Hills, the Ventura Mariners defeated the Toledo Cherokees, 6-2, in pool play of the Junior B National Championships at Blain, Minn.

Mike Naismith, Matt Bothwell and Jeff Worlton also scored for the Mariners, who are 2-0 and finish pool play today against the Philadelphia Junior Flyers.

BASEBALL

* The Lancaster JetHawks, a Class-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, begin California League play April 8 at Bakersfield.

The league will return to a Northern Division-Southern Division format after experimenting with Valley and Freeway divisions last season. Lancaster is in the Southern Division along with High Desert, Lake Elsinore, Rancho Cucamonga and San Bernardino.

SOCCER

* Jill Oakes, a freshman at Birmingham High who was one of the top midfielders in the City Section, said she plans to transfer to Harvard-Westlake.