National Honor Goes to Solomon

Shalonda Solomon of Long Beach Poly has been named the Gatorade national high school girls’ track and field athlete of the year.

Solomon, who will attend South Carolina in the fall, anchored the Jackrabbits’ 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams that set national prep records of 44.50 seconds and 3:35.49, respectively, and won state titles for the third consecutive time.

She finished second in the 100 and 200 at the state finals but outran the best high school sprinters in the country to win the 200 at the Adidas outdoor track and field championships last weekend in Raleigh, N.C.

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The Los Angeles Unified School District is sponsoring weekly all-comers track and field meets at three high schools through July 29. San Pedro will play host to meets on Tuesday nights, Lake Balboa Birmingham on Wednesdays and Los Angeles Wilson on Thursdays.

Information: (818) 904-2003.

-- Bob Rohwer

Basketball

Amir Johnson, a 6-foot-9 center from Westchester who has committed to Louisville, has been selected to participate in the 2004 USA Men’s Youth Development Festival today through Sunday at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Johnson, who sat out all but four games of his junior season after being declared ineligible by the City Section during a recruiting investigation, was reinstated to his team in May.

He will be joined by Westchester teammate Marcus Johnson, a 6-6 forward, on the festival’s USA West team.

The West team will also include Darren Collison, a 6-0 guard from Rialto Etiwanda who has committed to UCLA; Anthony Goods, a 6-4 guard from Corona Centennial who has committed to Stanford, and Andre McGee, a 5-11 guard from Moreno Valley Canyon Springs who has also committed to Louisville.

-- Eric Sondheimer