SportsScope : Outstanding Thin-Clads in the Valley Bid for Prestige in Swift Arcadia Invitational

Many San Gabriel Valley athletes are among the prep standouts who will compete in the 21st annual Arcadia Invitational Track and Field Meet on Saturday at Arcadia High School.

The meet, which features many of the top track performers in the West, has field events at 4 p.m. and running events at 6.

Among the leaders from the valley are high jumper Mark Wilson of Charter Oak, sprinter Inger Miller of Muir, shot-putter Rick Fuller of Arroyo and triple jumpers Mingo Hosey of Pasadena and Carlene Turner of Muir.

Wilson, a junior, may be the favorite in the high jump despite the fact that there will be eight competitors who have cleared 6-9. Wilson has a career best of 7-0 and figures to receive his strongest competition from Tim Prince of Logan in Union City, whose best is 7-0.

Hosey and Turner will be among the favorites in their divisions of the triple jump. Hosey has the top mark in the boys division with a 49-6. One of his top competitors should be Chris Perry of cross-town rival Muir with a best of 48-5. Turner has the leading mark among the girls with a leap of 39-6.

Fuller is the valley’s best hope in the weight events. Headed for UCLA on a football scholarship, the 6-8, 275-pound Fuller is one of the favorites in the shot put with a best of 61-6. Fuller, who finished fifth in the state in the event last year, also figures to be among the leaders in the discus with a best of 167-7.

Leading the way in the sprints is sophomore Miller, who is expected to battle with Rio Mesa’s Angela Burnham in the girls 100-meter dash. The daughter of former Olympic sprint medalist Lennox Miller, she has produced times of 11.88 seconds in the 100 meters and 24.2 in the 200.

In the longer distances, the top valley performers figure to be Andrea Samson of Glendora in the girls 800-meter run, Karen Hecox of South Hills in the 1,600, Tracey Williams of Mountain View in the 3,200 and Jaime Ortega and Jeff Gilkey of Arroyo in the boys 3,200 meters.

Samson is defending champion in the 800 and is among the favorites again with a best time of 2:13.6.

Hecox, a sophomore, won the 2-mile run at the Sunkist Invitational Indoor Track Meet in January and finished fourth in the 3,200 meters at the CIF state finals last year but has decided to compete in the 1,600 meters at Arcadia.

Williams, Gilkey and Hempel could be among the leaders in the 3,200. Williams has turned in a 10:47.5 to rank among the top girls and Ortega (9:13.4) and Gilkey (9:18.7) have both performed well after leading Arroyo to the state cross-country title last November.

Muir also has strong hopes in both the boys and girls 400- and 1,600-meter relays.

Junior point guard Cathy Gooden, who led Cal Poly Pomona to its seventh straight California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title and a 28-4 record, has been named to the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball All-American team selected by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Assn.

The 5-5 Gooden led the Broncos in scoring with an 18.7 season average and topped the CCAA with a 20.2 average in her career at Cal Poly. She ranked among the conference leaders in steals, with a 3.7 average, and three-point field goals with 49.

“It was the first time that Cathy played a leadership role for us, and for her to make the All-American team shows the type of talent she has,” Coach Darlene May said. “It’s very difficult for a point guard to make the All-American team because a lot of things they do are behind the scenes.

“The fact that she led our team in scoring and did so well down the stretch clinched it for her.”

Gooden saved her best game for the first round of the NCAA West regional against UC Davis, when she made 11 of 11 field-goal attempts and all six of her free throws for 30 points.

The Broncos, who made the playoffs for the seventh straight year, won the regional but were eliminated by West Texas State in the quarterfinals.

The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team, struggling after winning three of its first four California Collegiate Athletic Assn. games, will attempt to get back on the winning track when it plays host to Cal State Dominguez Hills in a double-header at noon Saturday at Scolinos Field.

The Broncos entered the week at 16-15 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Dominguez Hills, which has won two straight conference titles, started the week in last place in the CCAA at 3-9 and 12-18 overall.

Pomona has been led offensively by shortstop Dave Hajek, who has a .380 batting average; catcher Chris Goldbach (.316) and right fielder Todd Rolph (.313). Pomona’s top pitcher is Wayne Koklys at 6-3.