Grant Chosen Top Discus Thrower

Billie Joe Grant of Arroyo Grande has been selected as the top girls’ discus thrower in the nation for 2002 by Track & Field News magazine.

Grant won the state title in June and placed fifth in the World Junior championships in July.

Among others earning No. 1 national rankings in individual events were Chaunte Howard of Georgia Tech, who cleared a Southern Section record of 6 feet 1 1/2 inches in the high jump for Riverside North, and Chelsea Johnson of UCLA, who cleared 13-6 in the pole vault as a senior at Atascadero to move to second on the all-time national list.

Long Beach Poly earned No. 1 rankings in the boys’ 1,600-meter relay and in the girls’ 400, 800 and 1,600 relay.

Allyson Felix of North Hills L.A. Baptist, who was ranked second in the 100 and 200, finished third in voting for the girls’ athlete of the year behind sprinter Sanya Richards of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) Aquinas and shotputter Michelle Carter of Red Oak, Texas.

Grant was sixth in the balloting, with Johnson seventh and Howard 13th.

-- John Ortega

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Quintin Daniels, a wide receiver and defensive back at Los Angeles Loyola, has been selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Game on Jan. 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Daniels, who has been limited to playing in five games this season because of hamstring and ankle injuries before Friday, leads the Cubs in interceptions with five.

Bob Rohwer

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Mike Adams, Santa Margarita catcher, has committed to UC Santa Barbara.

-- Eric Sondheimer