Coaches Address Mission Issue

Several coaches and high school administrators who favor bringing back Mission College athletics will speak at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Los Angeles Community College district board meeting at Valley College.

Duke Russell, whose efforts to restore sports at Cal State Northridge in 1997 helped create legislation to ensure universities give student-athletes and the community one year’s notice of a program’s demise, is spearheading a grass-roots campaign to bring back sports at the Sylmar campus.

Russell said baseball coaches Gary Donatella of Sylmar, Armando Gomez of San Fernando and Manny Alvarado of Kennedy will speak to the board about giving their players a local college team, as Interim President Tom Oliver said would happen in 1999.

Oliver has been reluctant to start programs for baseball, softball, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s cross-country. He hasn’t returned repeated calls to The Times.

“We have to get the public out to support these student-athletes, who are missing valuable opportunities to participate in college athletics and get an education,” Russell said. “Tom Oliver said that Mission College was bringing back athletics. Now he has to live up to those words with actions and get Mission back into the Western State Conference and sign contracts to use El Cariso Park, right next to the campus.”

BASEBALL

* Matthew Merricks, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Oxnard High, committed to Cal State Northridge on Monday.

Northridge Coach Mike Batesole said Merricks is expected to sign a letter of intent today.

TRACK AND FIELD

* Adam Setliff of Valencia, the world leader in the men’s discus throw, will compete in the Antelope Valley College Throws Festival on Thursday.

Setliff missed the 1999 season because of a hernia, but he threw a career-best and world-leading 224-9 in the UC San Diego Invitational on March 25.

Setliff, the No. 4-ranked discus thrower in the world in 1998, will be one of 11 throwers in the meet who have bests of more than 200 feet.

HOCKEY

* The Ventura Mariners won all three pool-play games to advance to the semifinals of the Junior B National championships in Blaine, Minn., last weekend.

William Shanahan, Manu Mau’u and Darren Partch scored third-period goals for Ventura to preserve a 6-4 victory over the Columbus Crash on Sunday.

Partch scored two goals, including the game-winner on a re-direction of a Dave Brown shot in the second period, in a 3-2 victory over Suffolk on Saturday.

Brown scored three power-play goals, Partch had two goals and two assists, and Cale Finseth scored two goals for the Mariners in a 9-6 victory over the Wheatfield Junior Blades.

BASKETBALL

* Kent Dennis, a former All-City guard at Cleveland High, has been granted a release from West Virginia and hopes to transfer to a West Coast school. Cal State Northridge is among the schools that have expressed interest.

TENNIS

* Twins Bob and Mike Bryan of Camarillo lost, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, to top-seeded Richey Reneberg and Jeff Tarango in the final of the $300,000 River Oaks Invitational in Houston on Sunday.

Magnus Larsson of Sweden defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, in the singles final. Larsson defeated Bob Bryan, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), in a quarterfinal Friday. Mardy Fish defeated Mike Bryan, 6-4, 6-3, in another quarterfinal.

The Bryans advanced to the doubles final by defeating Thomas and James Blake, 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, on Saturday.

MOTOR SPORTS

* Bryan Herta of Valencia, whose participation in the CART Champ Car Series was put on hold because of a dispute between car owner Gerald Forsythe and the sanctioning body, will drive a Reynard-Honda in the Long Beach Grand Prix on Sunday for car owner Derrick Walker.

Herta, who will test the car today at Phoenix International Raceway, will drive in place of injured rookie Shinji Nakano while the Forsythe team seeks sponsorship deals.

Herta will also fill in for Nakano in the Rio 200 April 30 at Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway in Rio de Janeiro.

Nakano was knocked unconscious in a crash during a test session March 31 at the Milwaukee Mile, and was sidelined at the direction of CART Medical Director Dr. Steve Olvey.

* Ron Hornaday Jr. posted his best NASCAR Busch Series finish Saturday by placing third in the BellSouth Mobility 320 at Nashville Speedway.

Hornaday, who qualified 12th, is the highest rookie in the points standings in sixth place.

* Shane Scully of Encino beat Rick Hendrix of Simi Valley in the 30-lap USAC Western Midget Car Series race Saturday at Bakersfield Speedway. Scully is second in the points standings and Hendrix is eighth.

Dennis Hart of Ventura won the 20-lap TQ Midget Car main event and Walt Johnson of Sun Valley was second. Johnson is third in the points standings and Hart is 10th.

* Steve Nikolai of Simi Valley finished fifth in the 50-lap late model main event Saturday at Irwindale Speedway.

* Clark Templeman III of Santa Clarita won his second consecutive 30-lap sprint car main event Saturday at Ventura Raceway.

Defending street stock champion Craig Germanetti of Carpinteria won his first 20-lap main event, and Marty Desbrow of Ojai won the 20-lap I-4 modified main event.

Rob Anderson of Simi Valley won the 20-lap CDCRA pro division dwarf car main event.