Track Standouts Felix, Sanford, Dorsey Sign With USC

Sprinter Allyson Felix of North Hills L.A. Baptist and jumper Michelle Sanford of Irvine Woodbridge, who have won a combined five state titles in track and field, signed letters of intent with USC on Monday.

Dominique Dorsey of Long Beach Poly, the third-place finisher in the girls’ 200 meters in the state championships in June, has also signed with USC.

Felix, the two-time defending state champion in the 100 and defending champion in the 200, chose USC over South Carolina. Sanford, the defending state champion in the triple jump and the 2000 champion in the long jump, chose USC over California and Houston.

Felix’s brother Wes is a sophomore sprinter at USC, but she said that didn’t play a big role in her decision.

“I just wanted a balanced program between academics and athletics,” she said. “And I have a lot of confidence that Coach [Ron] Allice and Coach [Tina] Fernandez can take me where I want to be.”

Sanford, the daughter of former USC sprinter James Sanford, has dropped basketball to train for track during the winter.

“I’m going to be doing all kinds of bounding drills and training that I’ve never been able to do before,” she said.

-- John Ortega

The Southern Section Division I boys’ water polo semifinals Wednesday will be a doubleheader at Newport Harbor High.

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake and Corona del Mar will play at 3 p.m., and Long Beach Wilson will play Lake Forest El Toro at 4:15 p.m.

-- Dan Arritt

USC’s football team picked up commitments over the weekend from defensive linemen Lawrence Jackson of Inglewood and Matt Spanos of Corona.