Felix Sets a World Record

Running at an altitude of nearly a mile and a half above sea level -- where thinner air leads to faster sprint times -- helped Allyson Felix of North Hills L.A. Baptist set a world junior (age 19 and under) record of 22.11 seconds in the 200 meters in the inaugural Banamex Grand Prix track and field meet in Mexico City on Saturday.

But it is still impressive to note that Felix’s winning time moved her to 10th on the all-time U.S. performer list, was the fastest in the world this year and defeated a field that included American Kelli White, the No. 4-ranked 200 sprinter in the world in 2002.

The time bettered the previous world junior record of 22.19 set by Natalya Bochina of the Soviet Union in finishing second in the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow and crushed the national junior and high school record of 22.51 that Felix set in winning the invitational women’s race in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut on April 19.

Her performance also earned her USA Track & Field’s national athlete of the week honor.

“I was a little surprised myself at the time,” Felix said, “but I knew something big would happen, with the altitude, the crowd, and the way I was progressing, and how things were going in training.”

-- John Ortega

Two former NFL players have been hired as head coaches at Southland schools: Russell White at Palm Springs Desert Chapel, where he also will serve as athletic director, and Gary Willison at Palos Verdes Estates Chadwick.

White was an all-state running back at Encino Crespi, which won a Southern Section Division I championship in 1986, before playing at California and in the NFL. Desert Chapel is a fourth-year school that will be playing its third season of eight-man football in the fall.

Willison was an all-state player at Burbank before playing in three bowl games in the mid-1980s with USC and in three professional leagues, including the NFL and Arena League.

Baldwin Park Sierra Vista has hired Ralph Moreno, former assistant coach and defensive coordinator at San Marino, as its football coach.

Moreno succeeds Keith Locklear, who resigned after last season to spend more time with his family.

Moreno, who was defensive coordinator at San Marino in 1999 and 2000, was formerly an assistant at Temple City, Alhambra, Los Angeles Garfield, L.A. Franklin and Pasadena City College.

Mark Flippin has resigned after one season as football coach at Lake Forest El Toro. He will continue to teach and coach golf for the Chargers. El Toro finished 5-6 this season, losing in the first round of the Division II playoffs.

Redondo will have new soccer coaches next season. Former West Torrance coach Shelly Marsden will take over the girls’ program from Ian Wells, who is moving to Colorado, and Paulo Oliveira, a Redondo assistant, will take over the boys’ program from Tom Dempsey, who resigned as the soccer coach but will remain at the school as the boys’ golf coach.

Joe Stern, boys’ junior varsity basketball coach at Los Alamitos for the last two seasons, has been hired to coach the girls’ varsity team, replacing Mike Ford, who resigned but remains a teacher at the school.

Stern, 31, is a graduate of Los Alamitos.

The school also promoted Pat Rossi from junior varsity girls’ soccer coach to varsity coach, replacing Nicole Kelly, who resigned.

Rossi played soccer professionally in Argentina and Mexico.

Ramon Scott, the starting running back at Mission Viejo Trabuco Hills last season, has transferred to rival Mission Viejo, giving the two-time defending Division II champions their second high-profile transfer. Quarterback Mark Sanchez earlier moved from Santa Margarita to Mission Viejo.