St. Joseph track coach Greg Sarkisian believes his boys and girls squads are progressing nicely.

Good thing, since the Knights take on perennial Los Padres League powerhouse Lompoc next week.

"We/d better come to play," Sarkisian said after St. Joseph/s boys defeated Santa Maria 108-19 and the Knights girls downed the Saints 92-34 in Los Padres League dual meets at Santa Maria Thursday.

Lompoc, St. Joseph and Cabrillo have been the top LPL boys and girls teams the past several years. Their dual meets have often been tight, and Sarkisian thinks his teams are in for a battle against the Lompoc squads again.

The boys and girls meets take place at 3 p.m. next Thursday at St. Joseph.

"I think our boys are right with them," Sarkisian said. "I think it will be difficult for our girls.

"I think we did very well today. We were very solid all the way across, and all seven of our junior varsity girls throwers had personal bests. We/re going to have to carry that kind of effort over to next week."

Sarkisian was particularly impressed with St. Joseph freshman Dana Tubbs. Tubbs won the varsity girls 1,600 meter run in 5:45.19 and the 3,200 in 12:45.

Tubbs/ 3,200 time "was a personal best for her by 20 seconds," said Sarkisian.

Tubbs finished strongly in both races, winning by wide margins. "I like the 3,200 best," she said after her 1,600. "I like the longer races.

"I felt strong," in the 1,600, she said. Indeed, Tubbs had plenty left for her 3,200.

St. Joseph senior Billy Ader scored an impressive distance double on the boys side. Ader ran a personal best 4:37.78 to win the 1,600 and won the 3,200 going away in 10:23.8.

Ader held off teammate Bryant Loung in the 1,600. "It helped," to have Loung so close, Ader said. "Bryant always pushes me."

St. Joseph/s Philip Adam is young 7 a sophomore 7 but he/s not exactly a track and field novice.

Adam went to the CIF Division IV Finals in the boys 110 high hurdles and 300 hurdles last year. He won those events, plus the shot put, Thursday.

"I feel like I/m getting stronger now that the season is getting going," said Adam. Adam was a standout linebacker for St. Joseph/s football team, which went to the Division X semifinals, last fall.

Adam said his favorite event is the 110 highs but, "I need to work on it." Adam won in 15.73, well off his best. His 41.89 in the 300 race, however, was not far off his fastest time of 41 seconds flat.

Adam said he was happy with his shot put. His winning distance was 47-9 1/2. As for his long jump, Adam chuckled ruefully and said, "I scratched on all four jumps." Teammate Greg Reynolds won with a 20-8 1/2.

Veteran sprinter Alyssa Agin came through for the St. Joseph girls. Agin ran the leadoff leg for the winning 400 relay team, anchored the 1,600 relay team to victory, took the 100 in 13.18 and won the 200 in 28.39.

Freshman Ismeralda Lopez won the girls 400 for Santa Maria in 1:04.69. "I felt strong," Lopez said. "I could have started out a little faster.

"I was going to let (St. Joseph/s Lisa Wise) beat me," but Lopez held Wise off down the home stretch. Later, Wise ran a strong leadoff leg for St. Joseph/s winning 1,600 relay foursome.

Though his teams struggled to score points, "I was real happy with the way the kids ran today," said first-year Santa Maria coach Rhett Carter.

"We had personal bests last week at Santa Ynez all across the board, and we had a lot of good performances this week."

Ashley Phillips took the shot put (35-9) and discus (101-0) for the St. Joseph girls. Teammate Jenelle Conklin won the high jump (4-6) and triple jump (31-2 3/4).

Daniel Saucedo won the 100 in 11.74 and the 200 in 24.59 for the St. Joseph boys. Reynolds, who was a star defensive back for the Knights/ football squad last fall, won the triple jump at 41-11 1/4 besides taking the long jump.

Rigo Butler won the 400 in 56 seconds flat for the Santa Maria boys/ lone victory. Alma Olmedo won the 800 in 2:47.84 and Alyssa Zonke took the long jump at 14-8 1/2 for two of the three Saints/ girls wins.

PR boys 70, RHS 66

PR girls 76, RHS 56

The Warrior boys led by one point going into the last event, but Paso Robles took the 1,600 relay. The home meet was the PAC-5 League opener for Righetti/s boys and girls.

Chris Brooms won the 100 (11.00), long jump (20-6 1/2) and triple jump (40-9 1/2) for the Warriors. Mark Malangko won the 200 (23.00) and 400 (55.47). Jesus Solis scored another double for Righetti/s boys. He took the 800 (2:08.0) and the 1,600 (4:45.0).

Kenna Wolter won the 3,200 (12:49) and triple jump (32-7) for the Righetti girls. 0

Baseball

RHS 4, SLO 3

The Warriors (2-0, 8-2) garnered their second consecutive extra-inning PAC-5 League victory.

This time Righetti, playing at home, scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to sink the Tigers (0-1 PAC-5).

Righetti pitchers Jimmy Dodos and David Lohman, who entered in the sixth inning and won for the second time this week, combined on a six-hitter. Josh Thomas, who has signed to play for San Jose State next season, caught Righetti/s pitchers.

The Warriors play at 3:30 p.m. today at San Luis Obispo.

VCA 22, Shandon 4

Fernando Calderon went 4-for-5 and hit a grand slam home run to help the Lions (2-0, 3-3) rout the Outlaws in a five-inning Coast Valley League game at home.

Calderon drove in five runs. David Kiger had two hits, and Jacob Smith, Wes Spraul, Nestor Estrada and Vinnie Regalado had two hits apiece for the VCA.

Softball

VCA 24, Shandon 1

Cynthia Regalado hurled a no-hitter for the Lions (3-0, 5-0) in another CVL game that went five innings.

Shannon/s lone run scored on an error.

Michelle Rivas doubled twice on a 4-for-4 day. Lara Hertzog doubled twice and had three hits. Nancy Murphy and Serina Gomez had three hits each, and both doubled. Regalado had two hits.

The Lions play at Mission Prep at 3:30 p.m. in a non-league game today.

Tennis

Cabrillo 10, Santa Maria 8

VANDENBERG VILLAGE 7 Clai Fields and Edgar Chavez swept at No. 1 doubles to help the Conquistadores square their LPL record at 2-2.

Ricky Chan swept 6-1, 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles for the Saints.

Lompoc 11, St. Joseph 7

LOMPOC 7 The Braves (4-0, 7-0) in general and Manuel Solorio in particular kept rolling.

Solorio has mowed down his LPL competition this year, and he lost just six games in sweeping his three sets. Bobby Merrill and Brandon Kiser swept at No. 1 doubles for the Knights.

SLO 13, Righetti 5

SAN LUIS OBISPO 7 The powerful Tigers had too much of everything for the Warriors (1-4, 2-8).

Rikin Tank won two 6-1 sets at No. 1 singles for Righetti.

Templeton 10, Santa Ynez 8

SANTA YNEZ 7 None of the area/s singles players had been able to touch Templeton/s Ben Squires and Forrest Hunt this season, and the Pirates/ couldn/t either in this non-league match.

Hunt did not drop a game in sweeping at No. 2 singles. Squires lost two games en route to sweeping at No. 1. Consistent Garrett Gunning and Steve Sauer swept at No. 2 doubles for Santa Ynez.

Golf

LPL Tournament

NIPOMO 7 Ryan McConnell shot a 71 to lead St. Joseph to victory in a Los Padres League Tournament at Black Lake.

Cabrillo/s Roger Sharpe was the medalist for the tourney with a 70.

St. Joseph shot 394. Nipomo was second at 399, Cabrillo came in third at 400, Santa Ynez and Morro Bay tied for fourth at 413, Lompoc finished sixth at 476 and Santa Maria was seventh at 573.

Russ Silverberg led Nipomo with an 80, and Joe Silva had the same score in leading Santa Ynez. Dylan Barber of Morro Bay tied McConnell for the second-best score of the day.

Robert Johnson led Lompoc with a 91. Miguel Mungula shot a 96 to lead the Saints.

Volleyball

Arroyo Grande 3, SJ 1

ARROYO GRANDE 7 Stewart Kussler had eight kills, but the Knights (2-5) came up short in a non-league match.

March 26, 2004