SPORTS NOTEBOOK:
GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
SATURDAY NIGHT’S A NIGHT FOR FIGHTING
Glendale’s own Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan will make his return to the ring on Saturday when he takes on Juan Astorga in a co-main event of a Top Rank Boxing card at Buffallo Bill’s Casino in Primm, Nev., right near the California-Nevada border.
“Vanes Martirosyan is a very talented young boxer,” stated Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum in a press release. “He is training very hard with Freddie Roach and is getting closer to what he is looking forward to, fighting for a world title.”
Saturday’s 10-round super welterweight bout will be the first for Martirosyan (23-0, 14 knockouts) since reuniting with Roach a few months back.
Astorga is 13-3-1 with eight knockouts and last fought on Feb. 6 in Missouri, defeating a 6-24-1 Mike McGuire by third-round technical knockout.
Martirosyan, a former Olympian, last fought on Feb. 7 in Anaheim, defeating Billy Lyell via eight-round unanimous decision.
According to boxrec.com, Martirosyan is also scheduled to take on Andrey Tsurkan (26-4, 17 KOs) in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 27.
Also this Saturday, Glendale mixed martial arts fighters Karen Darabedyan and Sevak Magakian will both compete in bouts in Ontario at Call to Arms I.
Magakian (6-2) will face Harold Lucambio. Magakian was orginially slated to face Anthony McDavitt, who defeated the Glendale fighter early in his career.
Darabedyan (6-1) will face Joe Camacho (11-13-3).
Armenian countryman Georgi Karakhanyan will also fight on the card, taking on Albert Rios.
The night’s main event will feature former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters Vladimir Matyushenko and Jason Lambert in a light-heavyweight tilt.
The event will take place at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario.
KARWASKY HELPS U.S. TO THIRD CONNOLLY CUP
Glendale resident Tina Karwasky was part of a four-woman team that won the Women’s 55 Maureen Connolly Cup at the International Tennis Federation Seniors World Team Championships, which was held from April 27-May 2 in Mallorca, Spain.
It was the second Connolly Cup win in a row for Karwasky’s team and the third in a row won by the U.S.
Karwasky, 55, was the No. 1 singles player on a team that included No. 2 singles Joanne Russell of Naples, Fla. and the doubles team of Mary Ginnard and Martha Downing.
Great Britain gave the U.S. its greatest challenge of the tournament in the semifinals May 1, as Karwasky was swept by Britain’s No. 1 singles, Frances Candy, 7-5, 6-2.
Russell, who swept Sally Freeman, 6-1, 6-2, then teamed with Karwasky in doubles, where the pair held off Candy and Pauline Fisher, 6-4, 6-0, to move to the final.
The U.S. had it a bit easier against Spain in the championship round, where Karwasky swept Carmen Perea, 6-2, 6-1, Russell swept Rosa Maria Togores, 6-1, 6-1 and Ginnard and Downing dispatched Perea and Silvia Blume, 6-2, 6-0.
The Americans lost only one set on the way to the final four, rolling through early matches against Argentina, Australia and South Africa.
LUCAS SHINES AT MISSION LEAGUE FINALS
Glendale resident Cristina Lucas, a senior on the Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High track and field team, captured a pair of distance events at the Mission League finals Thursday at L.A. Valley College.
Lucas, who will attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts, became a league titlist in two events when she won the 1,600-meter race in 5 minutes 16 seconds. She then won the 3,200 in 12:03.
FALCONS FLY UP TO NO. 3 SPOT
Having clinched a share of its third consecutive Pacific League title, the Crescenta Valley High softball team moved up to third in the latest CIF Southern Section Division III poll, which was released on Monday.
The Falcons (22-1) look to lock up their second straight outright league title when they host Glendale today at 3:15 p.m.
Flintridge Prep’s boys’ volleyball team (17-5), which opens up the Division V playoffs in a home match on Thursday against CAMS, goes into the tournament as the No. 4 seed and was, therefore, ranked fourth in the last poll of the year.