Santa Ana’s Barnes Commits to UNLV

Santa Ana College wide receiver Derrick Barnes, a JC All-American who played at Saddleback High, has committed to play at Nevada Las Vegas, according to Santa Ana offensive coordinator Geoff Jones.

Esperanza running back Temitope Sonuyi, The Times’ Orange County Player of the Year, is scheduled to play for a team of recently-graduated Orange County high school football players in a July 28 game against players from Los Angeles County.

The game, called the L.A./Orange County Charity Football Classic, will be played at Cerritos College.

Also playing for the Orange County squad will be Chris Manderino of Newport Harbor, David Gober of Western and Matt McCoy of Tustin. La Habra’s Frank Mazzotta will coach the Orange County squad.

BASEBALL

Luke MacLennan has been hired to replace Leon Smith as Santa Ana Valley’s baseball coach, the school announced.

MacLennan served as the Falcon pitching coach the last three seasons.

Smith left after 16 years with the program, the last six as head coach, to devote more time to his duties as the school’s athletic director.

TENNIS

Former touring professionals Debbie Graham and Scott Davis are the top-seeded team in the Polly/St. Jude’s Pie in the Sky mixed doubles championship, Friday through Sunday at Sunny Hills Racquet Club. Other top teams in the open division are former pros Anne Mall and Bill Behrens and highly-ranked junior Kim-Ahn Nguyen of Saddleback High and former UCLA player Jung-Min Lee.

First place in the open division is $5,000 and $1,600 in the seniors division. There is also prize money for winners and finalists in 3.0 to 5.0 divisions. The entry fee is $100 per team. All donations and entry fees go to the Virginia K. Crossen Cancer Center at St. Jude Medical Center. Last year, the tournament raised $38,000.

Lindsey Nelson of Villa Park High and Anne Yelsey of Corona del Mar won two matches each in Southern California’s 16-4 romp over Northern California in last weekend’s Maze Cup juniors team competition at the Bakersfield Racquet Club.

SOFTBALL

Former Cypress College Coach Jackie Boxley was named interim coach at Santa Ana for the 2002 season. She replaces Kim Nutter, who will take a one-year hiatus from coaching.

After coaching Cypress to a 15-6 Orange Empire Conference record (30-17 overall), Boxley received 2001 conference coach of the year honors. The Chargers lost to Ventura in the Southern California regional playoffs.

Boxley played outfield for the 1991 state champion Chargers, then went to Cal State Fullerton. Cypress assistant Ryan Whitmarsh joins Boxley at Santa Ana.

* Interim Coach Steve Howard has stepped down after one season as coach at Bolsa Grande High, according to Athletic Director Ron Inman. Bolsa Grande had a 2-16 record this season.

* Cal State Fullerton Coach Michelle Gromacki and sophomore catcher Jenny Topping have been chosen to participate in a two-team, four-game all-star series sponsored by the American Softball Assn. and USA Softball that begins Friday in Portland, Ore., and concludes June 17 in Los Angeles. Other former county players expected to participate are UCLA’s Toria Auelua (Pacifica), Amanda Freed (Pacifica) and Natasha Watley (Woodbridge), Arizona’s Lauren Bauer (Foothill), Tony Mascarenas (Pacifica) and Lindsey Collins (Fountain Valley), Washington’s Tia Bollinger (Mater Dei) and Jaime Clark (Foothill), Fresno State’s Nina Lindenberg (Canyon) and Lovianne Jung (Fountain Valley), Arizona State’s Nichole Thompson (Woodbridge), Notre Dame’s Lizzy Lemire (Woodbridge).

WATER POLO

Josh Jewett, a La Habra senior, has accepted an appointment to the Air Force Academy. A Times’ Orange County second-team selection, Jewett led the Highlanders with 107 goals. He was named Freeway League player of the year and is a National Merit Scholar.

* John Kolias has been named men’s coach at Cypress College. Kolias, a graduate of El Dorado High and Cal State Fullerton, replaces Howie Clarke, who retired after 16 years of coaching the Chargers.

BASKETBALL

UC Irvine guard Jerry Green, the Big West Conference player of the year, is one of about 60 players in Chicago this week to participate in the NBA’s pre-draft camp. Green, who has not hired an agent, has until June 20 to withdraw his name from the draft in order to return to the Anteaters for his senior year. The draft is June 27.

* Vanguard has signed two players, including a Division I transfer, women’s basketball Coach Russ Davis said. Sonia N’Dri, a 6-foot-4 center from the Ivory Coast national team, was a freshman reserve at Oral Roberts last season and averaged 1.5 points in 12 games. Lacey Mills is a 5-7 guard from Oregon City High.

TRACK AND FIELD

Zoila Gomez, from Costa Mesa High and Orange Coast College, won the women’s 10,000 meters at the recent NCAA Division II track and field finals at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Gomez, a junior at Adams State of Alamosa, Colo., and a native of Colombia, won in 34 minutes 58.20 seconds. She also finished fifth in the 5,000 in 17:10.24.

Santa Margarita distance runner Lori Mann committed to UCLA, said her mother, Sharon Mann.

Mann, a three-time all-county selection in cross-country, was chosen Serra League female athlete of the year by the Orange County Athletic Directors on May 24.

VOLLEYBALL

Concordia women’s volleyball Coach Jennifer Kelly announced the signing of three players: Deeann Nahale, a defensive specialist from St. Francis High in Kaneohe, Hawaii; setter Heidi Schlecht from Atascadero High, and Emily Walls, a right-side hitter and middle blocker from Thunderbird High in Phoenix.

* Amanda Sellers, a 6-2 middle blocker who played sparingly as a freshman last season at UC Irvine, will sit out next season for personal reasons, a team spokesman said. Sellers, a graduate of Cypress High, intends to remain in school and will consider returning to play for the Anteaters in 2002.