SportsScope : El Camino Has a Run at State Men’s, Women’s Track Titles

El Camino College will have strong men’s and women’s contingents in the state junior college track and field meet Friday and Saturday at Sacramento. The women’s team finished second in the Southern California championships behind Santa Monica City College, while the men’s team was third behind Long Beach City and Mt. San Antonio.

The El Camino women are title threats along with Santa Monica and Sacramento City. The women qualified for nine individual events and a relay. Top entries include the mile relay, Demetrius Newman in the long jump and triple jump, Rochelle Frazier in the 100-meter hurdles, Paulette Willis in the 400 and Kim McRae in the 400 hurdles. The mile-relay team of Denise Cravin, McRae, Newman and Willis has the state’s best time, 3:43.99. Newman has the top triple jump in the state at 38 feet and the second best long jump, 18 feet.

Other El Camino competitors are Tamiko White in the 400 hurdles and Ly Tanya Loughridge in the triple jump.

The El Camino men, who qualified in four events, also have the state’s top mile-relay team. Tim Hartsfield, Marvin Douglas, Jerry Coulson and Daymon Lee have run 3:07.41, one of the top times at any level. The men are also 1-2 in the 400, led by Lee (46.08) and Douglas (46.54), and have the No. 2 runner in 1,500 meters in the Southern California meet, Carlos Moya (3:56.39). Richard Hirschman, who placed fifth in the 1,500 (3:57.39), also qualified.

Loyola Marymount University finished the baseball season at 36-21-1 and is awaiting word on a possible at-large invitation to the NCAA regionals. The Lions, who played in the College World Series last year, didn’t match their 1986 50-win season but are considered playoff candidates based on overall record and such out-of-conference marks as 8-3 against Pac-10 teams, 10-4 against Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. clubs and a 26-9 non-conference record.

Working against the Lions are their 10-12-1 West Coast Athletic Conference mark and an 0-6 record against Pepperdine, the top-rated team on the West Coast. The NCAA pairings and sites are expected to be announced by Monday.

Junior Chris Donnels has 16 home runs, 18 doubles and 75 runs batted in with a .365 average. Sophomore Travis Tarchione leads the Lions with a .377 average. Outfielder Fred Tuttle won the conference batting title with .439 in WCAC games.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills golf team failed to qualify for the Division II national tournament, but senior Kurt Bilben was invited individually. The national tournament will start Tuesday at Bull Creek Golf Course at Columbus, Ga. Bilben has averaged 76.46 in 28 rounds this spring, including a tie for first in the Division II Regional in late March.

Redondo and El Segundo high schools will determine the Pioneer League baseball championship--and possibly top seeding in the CIF 3-A playoffs--when they play the season’s final regular game at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Redondo. The two entered the week unbeaten and tied for first in league play. Redondo began the week top-rated in 3-A, with El Segundo No. 2. Leuzinger, which lost twice to each school, dropped to eighth. In 1-A, St. Bernard moved from third to second. Chadwick is seventh in the Small Schools Division.

Boys CIF volleyball playoffs begin today with Mira Costa seeded No. 2 in 4-A. Mira Costa will play host to Edison, a wild card winner over Torrance, at 7:30 p.m. Other 4-A openers are North Torrance at Marina and Rolling Hills at Santa Barbara. Quarterfinals are Tuesday. In 3-A, Santa Fe is at Bishop Montgomery, St. Bernard is at No. 4 seed Miraleste, Redondo is at Campbell Hall and Leuzinger is at Leffingwell Christian. Second-round games are Saturday.