SPORTS NOTEBOOK:Yim comes close to making main draw

GLENDALE ? The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene.

ROBERT YIM FALLS IN QUALIFER

Robert Yim was one match away from playing in the main draw of the $500,000 Countrywide Classic at UCLA, and standing in his way was 26-year-old Zack Fleishman.

Fleishman got the best of the Glendale resident, defeating Yim, 6-4, 6-3, on Sunday in the finals of the qualifying tournament for the classic at UCLA. Yim defeated Mashiska Washington, 6-3, 6-3, in his first qualifying match before defeating Phillip Simmonds, 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (12-10), 6-0. Yim competed in the classic in 2003, when the tournament was known as the Mercedes-Benz Cup.

Yim ? a former Glendale High student who turned pro in 2003, giving up a full scholarship to UCLA in the process ? lost to South Africa's Wayne Ferreira in the first round.

WITT, USA GO UNDEFEATED

Glendale High graduate Kevin Witt and the Team USA Water Polo National Team emerged from the Federation Internationale Natation (FINA) World League tournament semifinals undefeated.

The semis in Los Alamitos concluded this past weekend with USA going 5-0 with an overall 7-0 tournament record after two preliminary wins in Canada.

The squad left Thursday for Athens, where the Super Final will take place Aug. 2-6.

Witt scored two goals in the tournament's final two matches: an 11-0 win against Brazil and a 5-5 shootout win against Australia. Witt also notched a score in the shootout. For the tournament, Witt scored three semifinal goals and nine in all.

LA CRESCENTA'S SEASON

ENDS IN REGIONALS

A day after falling for the first time in the Southern California Regionals, the La Crescenta Babe Ruth 13-year-old baseball team had a chance to advance to the tournament's title game.

But its season came to an end at the hands of El Centro North, which defeated La Crescenta, 15-14, on Tuesday night.

El Centro North took a 7-2 lead after two innings, but La Crescenta stormed back, taking a 12-8 lead in the fourth inning.

Trailing, 14-10, entering the bottom of the seventh inning, El Centro North scored five runs to come away with the victory.

La Crescenta was led by Tyler Pollak, who went five for five and scored three runs. La Crescenta's Dave Northup had four runs batted in and Kyle Pomeroy scored three runs.

SKATING TEAM WINS GOLD

In Sync, a Glendale precision skating team, won the gold medal July 23 at the USA Roller Sports national competition.

Precision skating is a fast-paced sport performed by teams of 12-20 members who perform synchronized routines put to music.

LOCALS' GAME CANCELLED

The San Gabriel Valley Babe Ruth baseball team was scheduled to start the Pacific Southwestern Regional on Thursday. Its opener in the 16- to 19-year-old division Thursday never came.

Three teams dropped out of the tournament, forcing San Gabriel Valley ? which features Chris Johnson, Kris Kauppila, Micah Dunham, Dustin Emmons and Kam Krise of Crescenta Valley High ? to wait a day before its first game.

San Gabriel Valley plays host Alameda at 5 p.m. today.