Royal’s Rodie Is Ahead of Pace

For the second track and field season in a row, a runner from Simi Valley Royal has surprised many by posting a yearly state-leading time in the boys’ 800 meters.

Last April, Travis Patterson of Royal ran a state-leading time of 1 minute 53.69 seconds in winning the Arcadia Invitational. On Saturday, Highlander junior Bryan Rodie clocked a state-leading 1:52.89 to win the Pasadena Games.

Rodie finished nearly five seconds ahead of runner-up Mike Pratt of Woodland Hills Taft.

“I was surprised at the time,” Rodie said after crushing his previous best of 1:56.4 set last year. “I want to run 1:51 or 1:50 by the end of the season, but this was a little faster than I expected.”

Ryan Luce, Royal’s distance coach, said Rodie is benefiting from the fact that he had a solid cross-country season and has been healthy since last track season.

“He has always had good speed,” Luce said. “But he had injuries his [freshman and sophomore] years.”

A hamstring injury could keep Michelle Sanford of Irvine Woodbridge from competing in any major track and field meets until the Arcadia Invitational, April 11-12.

Sanford, the defending state champion in the girls’ triple jump, sustained the injury while competing in that event in the Nike Indoor Championships on March 15 at Prince George’s Sportsplex in Landover, Md.

The injury isn’t severe, according to Woodbridge Coach George Varvas, but he wants to make sure it’s completely healed before Sanford begins jumping again.

-- John Ortega

Trevor Ariza of Westchester and Ekene Ibekwe of Carson have been selected to the Parade magazine All-American team as second-team selections.

-- Eric Sondheimer

The Corona Santiago softball team is winning without the right side of its infield.

Junior first baseman Sara Murphy broke her thumb last week against Norco, and second baseman Kim Robinson pulled a hamstring at the Corona tournament. Robinson could be out three to four weeks, and Coach John Perez is hoping Murphy can return in time for the playoffs.

Meanwhile, sophomore Brittany Crail and senior second baseman Suzanne Shamblin have been filling in.

With victories over Anaheim Canyon, ranked No. 15 at the time, and Santa Ana Foothill, ranked No. 20, Santiago qualified for the championship game of the Foothill tournament on Saturday.

The Sharks will play at 3:45 p.m. at Hillview School in Santa Ana against either No. 1 Garden Grove Pacifica or No. 8 Whittier California, who play in a semifinal at 9 a.m.

The Inland Empire All-Star Basketball Classic is set for Friday at San Bernardino Cajon High.

The girls’ game will begin at 6 p.m., with a three-point shooting contest at halftime, and the boys’ game is set for 8 p.m., with a slam dunk competition at halftime.

The 38th annual North-South Orange County all-star basketball games will be played Saturday at Orange Coast College, with the girls’ game tipping off at 5 p.m. and the boys’ game at 8.

The North girls will be coached by Geri Campeau of Santa Ana Mater Dei, and the South by Rich Schaaf of Santa Margarita. The North boys will be coached by T.J. Hardeman of Fullerton Troy, and the South by Todd Dixon of Lake Forest El Toro. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Martin Henderson