SOFTBALL

Foothill High Coach Joe Gonzalez and assistants Mike Gonzalez and Joe Brunansky have been named the softball coaching staff of the year by the National Fastpitch Coaches Assn. They will be honored Dec. 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Foothill went 33-2 and won the Southern Section Division I championship, and was also ranked No. 1 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports. Joe Gonzalez was The Times’ Orange County coach of the year last spring.

“The thing I like most about this award is the coaching staff gets recognized for the successes we’ve had,” said Joe Gonzalez, whose staff has been together since 1992. “We all know the players are responsible. And usually it’s the head coach who gets the credit, but it’s really the coaching staff that makes it happen.”

* Sonora pitcher Carrie Wisen has signed to attend Notre Dame to play softball, the university announced. Wisen was 10-3 with a 0.54 earned-run average for Sonora.

* Two players from Aliso Niguel have made college commitments, according to Wolverine Coach Joe Miller.

Center fielder Shannon Anderson, who recovered from a broken rib last season to bat .356 with 16 stolen bases, is going to Auburn. Third baseman Jessica Vernaglia, who batted .448 with 24 runs batted in, will attend California.

BASEBALL

Patrick Rooney, a 6-foot, 160-pound shortstop at Esperanza High, has signed to play at Pepperdine, the university announced.

SWIMMING

Kristen Caverly, a junior at San Clemente High, won the 400-meter individual medley in 4 minutes 40.68 seconds at the Edmonton World Cup Swimming championships over the weekend in Edmonton, Canada. Caverly also took second in the 200 breaststroke (2:28.70), third in the 200 backstroke (2:11.93), fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:14.80) and eighth in the 800 freestyle (8:48.47).

Jessica Hayes, a senior at University, finished fifth in the 200 IM (2:14.22) in the event.

EQUESTRIAN

The Interscholastic Equestrian League presents its fourth and fifth horse shows of the season Dec. 2-3 at the Oaks-Blenheim exhibition grounds in San Juan Capistrano.

The show includes Dressage, Western and English competition. The IEL is made up of more than 150 students representing more than 50 schools throughout Orange County.

Participants and spectators are encouraged to bring canned food donations to benefit The Boys and Girls Club of San Juan Capistrano.

For more information, contact Diana Ramsey at (949) 589-7444 or visit the Web page at www. TheIELofOC.com