GLENDALE — The following are odds and ends from the local sports scene:BERG AND LOPEZ
EARN TOP ACCOLADES
The Glendale Community College women's cross-country program enjoyed one of its finest seasons in 2006.
The Vaqueros captured the Western State Conference championship for a second consecutive season and then won the Southern California Regional Championships before placing second at the State Meet on Nov. 18 at Woodward Park in Fresno.
Glendale college's achievements certainly didn't go ignored, as freshman Tove Berg was named the conference's athlete of the year and Coach Eddie Lopez was chosen the conference's coach of the year for the second consecutive year.
Berg won seven consecutive races this season, including the conference and regional races. Berg, a native of Sweden, was named a first-team All-American after she finished second in state in the individual race. Lopez said Berg deserved the recognition.
"It's nice to see that the coaches acknowledged Tove as one of the best junior college runners," Lopez said. "Having one year of experience will make a big difference for her next year.
"Individual awards are nice and I appreciate that, but it's still a team sport."
ONE MORE RACE LEFT
FOR UPSTART FALCONS
Apparently, the season isn't over for the Crescenta Valley High girls' and boys' cross-country teams.
The two programs will compete Saturday in the third annual Nike Team Nationals at Portland Meadows Race Track in Portland, Ore. Each Crescenta Valley squad will participate in the open race.
The girls' team, which finished fourth in the CIF State Division I race at Fresno's Woodward Park on Saturday, will be called the Crescenta Valley Running Club and will go off at 8 a.m. The boys' team, which took 14th overall at the CIF Southern Section Division I race at Walnut's Mount San Antonio College on Nov. 18, will be named the Falcons Cross-Country Club and will run at 9 a.m. Crescenta Valley Coach Mark Evans said the Falcons, who will compete at the event for the first time, applied for the races in October.
"Our kids are real excited," Evans said. "We haven't done this before, but it's a great opportunity for them to get in and compete against others from around the country and see how they compare to them.
"There isn't any pressure. We just want them to run well."
CABALLERO NOT
CONCERNED JUST YET
It's only one game into the four-month season, but Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy girls' basketball Coach Richard Caballero won't panic. The Tologs opened their season Monday with a 54-42 nonleague loss against Flintridge Prep.
Flintridge Sacred Heart had trouble getting its offense going and was outrebounded, 43-19, during the 32-minute contest.
The Tologs don't begin Mission League competition until early January, so there's time during the next month to work on things at tournaments around the area.
Caballero insisted he's not discouraged by a team that returns senior guard Arielle Orona, who was an all-area and all-league selection last season.
"Before Monday, we said that we have 15 nonleague games and we'd like to win 10 of them," Caballero said. "Now, we have 14 games left before league and we want to win 10."
covers sports. He can be reached at (818) 637-3228 or by e-mail at charles.rich@latimes.com.
