Bernetsyan gets top billing at ballroom
GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.
BERNETSYAN TO DANCE AT BALLROOM
Rookie boxer Artur “The Punisher” Bernetsyan will look to close out his impressive initial pro campaign when he headlines the “Battle in the Ballroom” at the Irvine Marriott Grand Ballroom on Thursday.
Bernetsyan will take on Los Angeles’ Demetrio Soto in the six-bout hybrid card’s six-round, junior welterweight main event.
Bernetsyan, an Armenian native who resides in Glendale, is 5-0 with a pair of knockouts, all five of his fights coming in this year. He’s coming off perhaps his toughest fight to date, a six-round unanimous decision win against Rynell Griffin in Las Vegas in October.
Soto is 5-2 with four knockouts, but has not won a fight since September of 2008.
Bernetsyan trains out of the Glendale Fighting Club under trainers and managers Edmond Tarverdyan and George Bastrmajyan.
For more information on the event, which is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. and will feature five boxing matches and one mixed-martial-arts bout, and how to get tickets, go to https://www.battleintheballroom.com.
EIGHT TEAMS RANKED BY CIF
Eight local squads are ranked in their respective division’s top-10s after the CIF office unveiled its latest rankings Monday afternoon.
Four boys’ basketball teams, two girls’ basketball programs and one girls’ soccer and girls’ water polo team were ranked.
In boys’ basketball, Flintridge Prep is No. 2 in Division V-AA, Renaissance Academy is No. 5 in V-A, Crescenta Valley is sixth in I-A and St. Francis is ranked 13th in IV-AA.
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy is ninth in Division V-AA girls’ basketball and Crescenta Valley is 14th in I-A.
Flintridge Sacred Heart is 10th in Division I girls’ soccer and Crescenta Valley is fourth in Division V girls’ water polo.
REBEL DUO PICKS UP ACCOLADES
Two members from the Flintridge Prep girls’ volleyball team received All-Prep League honors.
Senior setter Casey Meurer was named to the first team, while senior defensive specialist Charlotte Kay earned a spot on the second team.
Meurer led the Rebels in assists with 480 and blocks with 45. She placed third on the team in aces with 29.
“Casey has been our team captain for the past three years and it’s all because of the positive attitude and encouraging personality that she possesses,” Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie said. “We are going to miss her in many ways next year, her amazing sets and ability to confuse the opposing team is the obvious one, but what we will miss the most will be her leadership on the court and that will be hard to replace.”
Kay finished with a team-leading 251 first-serve receive receptions and 33 aces. She also finished second on Flintridge Prep with 248 digs and placed third in kills with 107.
“Charlotte is one of the best defensive players that I have had in my program over the past 13 years, she reads the play well and rarely makes mistakes on balls hit at her,” Beattie said. “This year she stepped up and played outside hitter for us to help fill a void in that position and hit better then we had expected. Her presence on the court will be missed by all the players and coaches next year.”