Poly, Wilson Girls’ Track Teams to Meet

Long Beach Poly and Long Beach Wilson, expected to battle for the girls’ track and field team title in the state championships in Sacramento on June 4 and 5, will renew their rivalry in a Moore League dual meet at 3 p.m. today at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Poly, the defending state champion and five-time defending league champion, won last year’s meet by a 69-67 margin after clinching the victory with the 1,600-meter relay still to be run.

Wilson senior Carol Rodriguez, the Bruins’ top sprinter, is expected to sit out the meet because of a hip injury. But Coach Terry Kennedy figures his team still can be competitive.

“It’s going to make it tougher to win,” he said. “But I still think it can be done.”

Poly is ranked No. 1 in the Southland by The Times, and Wilson is No. 2.

-- John Ortega

Baseball

Sophomore Sean Plummer’s two-out single in the bottom of the sixth inning scored pinch-runner Tyler Brown and Long Beach Millikan went on to upset Lakewood, 1-0, in a Moore League game Wednesday.

Justin Sincock (4-1) gave up five hits, walked one and struck out seven for the host Rams (13-9-1, 6-2).

Justin Wheeler gave up five hits and struck out six in six innings for Lakewood (7-1), ranked No. 6 by The Times.

-- Karl Peterson

Softball

When they play again May 11, don’t be surprised if San Gorgonio feels a little squeamish if it carries a lead into the seventh inning against San Bernardino Cajon.

In their recent San Andreas League game, San Gorgonio was ahead, 4-1, with one out in the seventh, only to see Cajon string together four hits and a sacrifice to pull out a 5-4 victory.

“They must feel snakebit,” Cajon Coach Jerry Tivey said.

Last season, San Gorgonio led Cajon, 5-3, with two out in the seventh inning only to lose, 6-5.

-- Martin Henderson

Girls’ Water Polo

Sandy Hohener, a goalkeeper for Santa Ana Foothill, has committed to Stanford.

A Times’ All-Star, a two-time All-Southern Section Division I first-team pick and a two-time member of the U.S youth national team, Hohener stopped 327 shots in goal, one shy of the school season record.

-- Dan Arritt

Boys’ Volleyball

Most of the attention on the City Section this season has focused on teams from the San Fernando Valley -- and rightfully so. Valley schools have won the last five section titles and two-time defending champion Chatsworth is an overwhelming favorite to repeat this year.

The coaches’ meeting to determine playoff seedings is today and first-round play begins Tuesday. The finals are May 14 at Cal State Northridge.

The Chancellors (12-0, 9-0 in league), ranked No. 8 by The Times, swept Woodland Hills Taft (8-4, 6-3) last week to clinch the West Valley League title. They have won 54 of their last 60 matches over the last four seasons.

Taft, Granada Hills (9-3, 6-3), Sunset Six League champion Grant (12-0, 9-0) and Valley Mission League front-runners Sylmar (9-3, 8-1) and Reseda (9-2, 6-2) appear to be the biggest roadblocks on Chatsworth’s path.

However, several teams outside the Valley also hope to figure in the playoffs.

Los Angeles University (9-1, 8-0) assured itself of its 13th Western League title by rallying for a victory over Palisades (9-4, 6-3) on April 21.

First-year Coach Kerri Eich said she liked her team’s chances.

University, which has lost to Chatsworth in the semifinals the last two seasons, has won nine section titles.

“We have a very strong chance at winning the City this year if we are seeded properly,” Eich said.

Palisades Coach Dave Smith said that the list of title contenders was slim.

“Chatsworth is definitely the team to beat,” said Smith, whose team was swept by the Chancellors in a nonleague match. “After them, there are only a few teams that have a chance and I’d say Uni is one.”

Palisades defeated Taft in 1998 to win the last of its 10 section titles.

-- Steve Galluzzo