Stokke third at nationals

Allison Stokke, who just completed her freshman year at Newport

Harbor High, finished tied for third in the pole vault Sunday at the

U.S. junior outdoor track and field championships at Texas A&M;

University in College Station, Texas.

Stokke, who earlier this month won the CIF State girls pole vault

title and set a national freshman record with a clearance of 12 feet,

eight inches, cleared 3.7 meters (just more than 12 feet, 1 inch).

Jenny Green from Nebraska won the event (4.0 meters) and Stevie

Marshalek from Washington was second (3.8 meters).

Stokke and two other girls cleared 3.7 meters.

Kornegay plans shaken

* VOLLEYBALL: With news that the University of La Verne volleyball

program has been discontinued, recent Estancia High graduate and CIF

Southern Section Division III Player of the Year Josh Kornegay has

begun altering his plans to play for the Leopards next season.

“I found out [Friday morning when it was announced],” Kornegay

said. “I was surprised.”

The school is offering to help athletes transfer to other

institutions in order to play. Kornegay said we wants to play for

Orange Coast College.

“I’m trying to get in to OCC because they recruited me,” he said.

Kornegay said the La Verne coaches are protesting the decision and

plan to take their case to the university’s president sometime this

week. The program was cut due to budgetary decisions.

“I would have to be guaranteed that the program would be around

for five years,” Kornegay said of the only scenario by which he would

attend La Verne. “I’m not going to go there just for the school

because it’s too expensive.”

Tuition was $20,500 for the 2003-04 year and the Division III

school does not offer athletic scholarships, only financial aid.

If Kornegay does attend OCC, he will be paired with his former

Estancia teammate Kris Hartwell.

Kornegay and Hartwell helped lead the Eagles to the CIF Southern

Section Division III championship in the spring and were named

Newport-Mesa Co-Players of the Year by the Daily Pilot.

-- Rick Devereux