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Beach Cities Sports
Sports shorts
AVP reorganizes. Again.
Spencer Segura took over as Chief Executive Officer of the AVP(Association of Volleyball Professionals) Tour last Thursday in a reorganization that saw Chief Operating Officer Dan Vrebalovich and longtime Tournament Director Matt Gage leave the organization with three events remaining in the AVP's 2000 campaign. Bill Berger, who relinquished the CEO title, remains as AVP president.
Gage declined to comment on the reasons for his departure, but AVP vice president Jeff David said that Gage and Vrebalovich left voluntarily.
"They've seen the AVP run through several different managements," David explained. "They had an idea of how they wanted the tour run. They wanted to take a different direction, one that the other managers in this office didn't agree with."
Since Spencer Trask Securities took over as owner of the AVP 18 months ago, the tour has tried to return to the roots of beach volleyball, staging many old-school events without big bleachers or paid admission. AVP officials contend that the AVP is now one of the hotter lifestyle properties in the marketplace.
"I'm excited that Spencer Segura wants to step in and run the company as CEO," David said. "I think we're going to go in the same direction without any hiccups really."
The AVP comes to Manhattan Beach Aug. 25-27.
Olympic chase continues one more week
The beach volleyball duos of Jenny Johnson Jordan/Annett Davis and Kevin Wong/Rob Heidger clinched Olympic berths at FIVB tournaments overseas last weekend, leaving four teams fighting this week for two remaining spots.
Holly McPeak and Misty May, who finished fourth Sunday in Japan despite a May stomach pull so painful she was forced to serve underhanded, lead Liz Masakayan and Elaine Youngs by 84 points in the race for the final women's spot. Masakayan/Youngs must finish first or second this weekend in a depleted field in Dalian, China, for a chance to overtake McPeak/May, who also are entered in the event despite May's injury. McPeak/May would clinch the berth with a top three finish.
On the men's side, a fifth place finish Saturday in Klagenfurt, Austria, pushed Karch Kiraly and Adam Johnson past Eric Fonoimoana and Dain Blanton for the final spot. They now lead the race by 86 points with only this weekend's event in Ostende, Belgium remaining. They can clinch the berth with a top-three finish, but a top performance from Fonoimoana/Blanton, who finished a disappointing ninth last week, might be good enough to claim the berth if Kiraly/Johnson falter.
Grand Prix rolls into MB
The 39th Annual Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix cycling race is Sunday on the 1.4-mile Valley/Ardmore oval near Live Oak Park in Manhattan Beach. America's second-oldest one-day bike race features numerous cycling events beginning at 7 a.m. and culminating with the women's pro race at noon and the men's pro race at 1:15 p.m. The day also features the popular Community Races for kids 2-14+ at 3 p.m. The event is free to the public. For more information, contact race director Eric Smith at 310-489-1821.
Davenport wild in MB
Lindsay Davenport, the 1998 Acura Classic Champion, was a last-minute wildcard entry into the singles field at the estyle.com Classic women's professional tennis tournament ongoing through Sunday at the Manhattan Country Club in Manhattan Beach. Meanwhile, third-seeded Monica Seles, a fan favorite, was forced to withdraw Tuesday due to a left forearm strain.
On the court, defending champion Serena Williams advanced past the first round with an easy 6-0, 6-1 win over Ruxandra Dragomir, but last year's finalist Julie Halard-Decugis was upset 6-2, 6-1 by American Chanda Rubin. Top seed Martina Hingis played her opening singles match last night. The second-seeded Davenport begins play today.
Brown, Stoner paddle Molokai
The Silver Edition of the Molokai-to-Oahu Paddleboard Race, held July 30 in Hawaii, saw uncooperative, choppy seas. But the local team of Beau Brown (Hermosa Beach) and Jeff Stoner (Palos Verdes) braved the conditions to finish the 32-mile course in 5 hours, 36 minutes, good for third place in the Team Open Division. Sean Monahan of Hawaii won the Elite unlimited class for the second straight year, paddling the Molokai Channel in 5:37.33, 15 minutes slower than the course record and three minutes slower than the time of Santa Monica lifeguard Tim Gair when he won the event in 1998. Gair did not compete in 2000.
Community Sports
Redondo Beach Surf Classes: Kids 4-11 can learn to surf at Seaside Lagoon. Learn board handling skills, water safety, paddling and standing on soft foam boards in 3-5 feet of water. The five-session class will be Aug. 14-18 at either 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. The cost is $60. Register at the Redondo Beach Recreation Center, 320 Knob Hill, Redondo Beach. For more information or to register by phone, call Redondo Beach community services at 310-318-0610, ext. 3460 or instructor Steve Fillman at 310-540-3615.
Manhattan Beach Surf Contest
Manhattan Beach Parks and Rec. and the US Surfing Federation-Western Region will host a surf contest Aug. 12 at 6:30 a.m. on the south side of the Manhattan Beach Pier. The contest is open to all ages. The $20 entry fee is due to Parks and Rec., 1400 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, no later than Aug. 10. A $25 fee will be charged to register the day of the event. Call 310-802-5413 or contest director George Pringle at 372-8442 for more information.
Manhattan Beach Soccer Tournament
Soccer on the sand will be on tap for co-ed teams Aug. 19 beginning at 10 a.m. at the 16th Street beach north of the Manhattan Beach Pier. Seven-person soccer teams comprised of players 16 and older will play a round robin consisting of 40-minute games on sand fields. The entry fee is $275 per team. Friday is the deadline to register. Register at City Hall, 1400 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, or call Jeff Gobee at 802-5412 for more information.
Hermosa Beach Over-the-Line:
Teams are being accepted for the 4th Annual Spring Hermosa Beach Over-the-Line Softball Tournament to be played Aug. 19 just south of the Hermosa Beach Pier. There are men's and women's divisions and all teams are guaranteed four games for their $45 entry fee. Call tournament director Russ Johnson at (562) 866-8685 or the City of Hermosa Beach at 318-0280 to reserve a spot in the tournament.
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