Services Are Scheduled for Leuzinger’s Barrs

Funeral services for Lawndale Leuzinger sophomore Khelcey Barrs, who collapsed and died Tuesday night after he played in a series of basketball games, are scheduled for next weekend in Los Angeles.

Barrs, a member of the Olympian basketball team, was pronounced dead at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, shortly after he collapsed in the gymnasium at L.A. Southwest College.

Barrs had just finished playing a series of games when he lost consciousness. According to reports, he was briefly resuscitated, but collapsed again on the bench. He was then taken by ambulance to the hospital.

An autopsy was performed Thursday, but determination of the cause of death was deferred until toxicological and microbiological tests could be conducted, said Dana Bee, an investigator with the coroner’s office.

Barrs, a 6-foot-6 forward, was an All-Ocean League selection after averaging 18.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.5 blocks a game last season. He scored 50 points in a double-overtime victory over Venice in December and was considered one of the region’s bright prospects for his class.

“He was a phenomenal player,” said LaMont Henry, coach at South Torrance, another Ocean League team. “When we first played against him, I didn’t know who he was but I was amazed at how well he played.”

A wake will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. May 21 at the House of Winston Mortuary on Vermont Avenue. The funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. May 22 at Grace United Methodist Church on West Slauson Avenue.

Dan Arritt

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Boys’ Golf

After an eighth-place finish in last year’s Southern Section boys’ golf team championships, Cerritos Gahr Coach Steve Orr has had one message this season -- take care of “unfinished business.”

On Thursday, the Gladiators took care of it, shooting a 363 at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara to win their first Southern Section golf title.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a whole year,” said Orr, whose team finished the regular season ranked second in the Southland by The Times. “These kids just weren’t going to lose.”

Garrett Sapp of Gahr made an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth hole, his final hole of the day, to finish with a five-under-par 66. The UC Irvine-bound senior tied the course record set by Tiger Woods in 1994. Sapp had five birdies to go with his eagle, which he made with a big breaking putt on the three-tiered green. Sapp was one of only six players in a field of 96 that shot par or better.

Gahr’s championship effort marked the first time in a decade that a school other than Palm Desert, Santa Barbara San Marcos or Santa Margarita won the title. Tenth-ranked Palm Desert, led by junior Ross Canavan’s 67, took second with 376. Freshman Sihwan Kim of No. 8 La Mirada shot a 72 to lead the Matadores (377) to third place and three-time defending champion San Marcos (380) grabbed the fourth and final qualifying spot for the CIF-SCGA championships, which are June 3 at the SCGA Members Club in Temecula.

Rafer Weigel

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Swimming

Senior Brett Shiflett of Westlake Village Oaks Christian had two record-setting victories and Quartz Hill used its depth to win the girls’ championship at the Southern Section Division IV finals Thursday night at Belmont Plaza in Long Beach.

Shiflett, who won her fifth and sixth individual section titles, clocked 1:49.80 in the 200 freestyle, breaking her 2003 meet record by more than a second. She finished her prep career by breaking another record with a time of 51.15 in the 100 freestyle.

Shiflett’s efforts helped the Lions score 135 points and finish fifth behind Quartz Hill, which totaled 215 points, mostly on the strength of victories in the 200-medley and 400-free relays that gave the Rebels 80 points.

Hacienda Heights Los Altos gave Coach Don Holbrook a nice send-off by winning its second consecutive boys’ championship to cap his 16-year career with the Conquerors.

Lauren Peterson

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Badminton

Top-seeded Brendan Taft and Eva Lee of Villa Park won the mixed doubles title of the Southern Section individual badminton championships, defeating second-seeded Richard Vi and Samantha Jinadasa of Long Beach Poly, 15-7, 15-4, at the Orange County Badminton Club in Orange.

Lee, the No. 3-ranked women’s player in the United States, won the mixed doubles title last year with Eric Go. Lee is the top-seeded player in girls’ singles and Taft, who is ranked No. 2 nationally in the boys’ under-19 division, is the top-seeded player in the boys’ singles tournament. Singles and doubles competition will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.

-- Melanie Neff