Flintridge Sacred

Erik Boal Ted Grissom isn't trying to downplay anything. And why should he? The La Canada High girls' volleyball coach knows he has all the ingredients -- talent, experience and a sense of urgency -- to lead the Spartans to their best season since 2000. But with such a loaded roster -- featuring seven seniors and three juniors who can contribute -- also come big expectations, but Grissom is expecting his veteran group to be able to handle such demands.

Peter Samore LOS ANGELES -- Mission League woes continued for the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy softball team Monday. Infield mistakes and a few close calls enabled Harvard-Westlake School to stay undefeated in league play in the Tologs' 10-0 loss at Los Angeles Valley College. The game was called in the bottom of the sixth as the Wolverines scored their final two runs to enact the mercy rule. "Inexperience showed up today," Tolog Coach George Tibbetts said.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan and Erik Boal The La Canada High boys' and girls' cross-country programs have always had a strong core of runners under eighth-year Coach Tony Haynes. From the looks of things, that tradition will probably continue in the coming years with a steady and improving stream of underclassmen. Seven Spartan runners -- three freshmen, three sophomores and a senior -- won the Division II/III varsity race in a combined time of 102 minutes 9 seconds at the 29th Annual Bellarmine-Jefferson/Griffith Park Invitational on Saturday at Griffith Park.

Jeff Tully With just four schools competing in girls' golf in the Glendale-Burbank area, the teams represent the smallest contingent of any local high school sport. However, the region was well represented Thursday in the fourth annual Magnolia Park Optimist Girls' Invitational Tournament at De Bell Municipal Golf Course, as three of the four teams took part in the competition. Along with hosts, Burbank and Burroughs, Crescenta Valley was one of 15 teams representing 60 players that participated in the tourney.

Hamlet Nalbandyan So, what's in a number? To Jenny Dalton-Hill, not much. Her No. 16 -- the one she wore while at Glendale High -- is just that, a number. "I just liked it," she said. "There was no special reason behind it." That's not the case for Audrey Andrade and Kelley Cook, the two players since Dalton-Hill to have worn No. 16 for the Nitro softball team. Their reason for wearing the number was simple: it was just one more chance for them to be like their idol.

From Staff Reports Editor's note: Odds and ends from the past week in local girls' basketball. GLENDALE -- No slam dunk: Muir High girls' basketball Coach Larry Cash wasn't ready to lay claim to another Pacific League title just yet following Tuesday's 56-41 home victory against Crescenta Valley. That's because the veteran coach knows there is still three big obstacles for his team to clear between now and mid-February, the first being Jan. 24 at rival Pasadena.

BOYS' GOLF David Lipsky of La Canada High fired a final-round 71 Sunday to take low-medalist honors at the AJGA Ashworth Postseason Junior Tournament at The Westin Mission Hills Resort's Gary Player Course in Rancho Mirage. It marked the first National Junior Golf title for Lipsky, who carded a four-under-par 140 in 36 holes of stroke play. The 15-year-old Lipsky, a sophomore, was one of 85 athletes to participate in the event, which featured athletes from eight states.

Erik Boal GLENDALE -- o7 Odds and ends from the local high school soccer scene:f7 Keeping the ship afloat: A lot of times it doesn't appear in the match results, but the fact that the Flintridge Prep girls' soccer team has been able to remain competitive in the Prep League race and maintain its No. 4 ranking in CIF Southern Section Division V is a tribute to second-year Coach Tim Morphy. The Rebels (11-2-2, 5-1-2 in league) have been without senior midfielder and second-leading scorer Sarah Sheldon for the past 3 1/2 matches with a dislocated right kneecap suffered during their 2-0 loss against Pasadena Poly on Feb. 10. In addition, junior forward and fourth-leading scorer Jennai Taylor has been slowed for the past three weeks by a sore hamstring, including seeing limited action in the team's 1-1 tie against Westridge on Jan. 17. "Not having Jennai [at full strength]

From Staff Reports From one friend to another: Glendale girls' water polo Coach Alfred Tamazyan had a lot of positive things to say about Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy Coach Steve Bagumyan on Thursday. After the Nitros handed the Tologs a 17-5 nonleague setback at Glendale, Tamazyan praised Bagumyan for the job he's done in his first year at the helm. But Tamazyan's statements might have been biased. "You know, it's not like he's not my best friend," Tamazyan said.

Qualifying to Saturday's CIF Southern Section Track and Field Divisional Championships at Mt. San Antonio College required the local entrants who earned such advancement to turn in very good results at last weekend's divisional prelims all over Southern California. This weekend, however, the bar will be raised from very good to exceptional. Of course, that's to be expected as divisional championships and CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet berths are on the line with the trip to Cerritos College available for the top 12 finishers in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs and top nine in every other event.