LOCAL NOTES

BASKETBALL

Mater Dei was ranked fifth in the preseason USA Today boys’ basketball rankings released Tuesday.

The defending Southern Section Division I-A champions could meet the top-ranked team, Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy, in December at the Holiday Prep Classic in Las Vegas.

WATER POLO

Jhonny Bega, the Marina boys’ water polo coach, will also coach the girls’ team this season. Bega coached at Long Beach Millikan and was an assistant at Long Beach Wilson.

* At Esperanza High, boys’ coach Galen Diaz will also coach the girls’ team this season, Athletic Director Dianne Genduso said. Diaz takes over for Max Miyahara, who led the Aztecs to the Sunset League title last season. Miyahara is now an assistant coach for the Loyola Marymount women’s team.

SWIMMING

Hank Vellekamp has resigned as swimming coach at Rosary High after three seasons.

“He has been coaching over 30 years and decided he wanted to take a break,” said Juli Wise, Rosary athletic director.

VOLLEYBALL

Pepperdine’s Melissa Plass and St. Mary’s Meghan Coolbaugh were named to the West Coast Conference All-Conference Team. Plass, a junior setter who attended Fountain Valley High, was named to the first team. Coolbaugh, a senior middle blocker from Golden West College and El Modena High, was named to the second team.

MOTOR SPORTS

The International Freestyle Motocross Assn., arrives Friday for back-to-back motorcycle events at the Arrowhead Pond.

Tommy Clowers of La Mesa, Calif., and Cliff Adoptante of Corona won last week’s two events in San Diego, and lead more than two dozen riders into the 11th stop in a 22-city tour.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday’s events range from $10-$35. The event begins at 8 p.m.