The Preps : It Was Back to School Daze for Pearl Sinn

Pearl Sinn returned to class Monday morning and settled grudgingly back into reality. But no matter how hard she concentrated, she found herself daydreaming about Stephenson, not Shakespeare, and Alcott, not algebra.

Sinn, a Bellflower High senior, finished in a tie for 15th after firing a four-round total of 296 in last weekend’s LPGA tournament at Glendale’s Oakmont Country Club. Competing against the world’s finest women golfers, the 17-year-old amateur held her own and then some.

“I’m glad to be back in school, to get back to a regular schedule,” she said. “But it was hard to concentrate this morning. I’d find myself daydreaming about what I thought I should have done differently, or thinking about a bad shot I made.

“Then I’d catch myself and start thinking about school again.”

Guess who came to dinner?: In Los Angeles to help promote the Pepsi track meet, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis did a little recruiting for the University of Houston last week, taking talented Hawthorne senior Henry Thomas out for dinner.

Thomas, the defending State 100- and 200-meter champion, will spend part of the Easter break in the Lone Star state. He and his teammates will compete in the Texas Relays, traditionally one of the top prep meets in the nation.

Thomas is expected to run against Roy Martin of Roosevelt High in Dallas, generally regarded as the fastest schoolboy in the nation.

USC’s women’s track team also made a pitch for some high-powered talent. High jumper Latrese Johnson of Clovis, who set a National Interscholastic Federation record of 6 feet 2 3/4 inches March 15, visited the Trojan campus over the weekend and was impressed with what she saw.

“It was a lot of fun. I had a good time, because the people were very friendly,” said Johnson, who is also being pursued by Arizona, Nevada Las Vegas and Texas. “I’m going to be back in Los Angeles in another week or so. That’s when I visit UCLA.”

Johnson, 18, opened her season in stunning fashion. In fact, she was more stunned than anyone else.

“Last year, I finished fourth in the state and I think six feet was a mental block,” she said. “I was stuck on 5-10. I don’t know why. Maybe I was psyched out.

“But over the summer I jumped 6-2 in the National Junior meet and qualified for the junior national team that went to the Bahamas. My confidence was up.

“Now to come out in the opening meet of the season and break a record. Wow!

“I just wanted to jump well. But to break a record, it was incredible, unbelievable. I was shocked. I was crying. I felt bad for my coach, he didn’t know how to get me to stop.”

It’s a little surprising, but Stanford appears to have the inside track on Chatsworth shortstop Glenn Stevenson. Stevenson’s father, John Sr., played for the Trojans, as did his brothers, who are both in the minors, John Jr. with the San Francisco Giants, and Craig with the Houston Astros. Each played shortstop at USC, but despite the tradition, Chatsworth Coach Robert Lofrano says Glenn has not heard a whisper from the Trojans.

“He’s good in the classroom and on the field,” Lofrano said. “It’s kind of surprising, but I haven’t heard a word from USC. Maybe they just figure he’s going to go to school there because of his dad and his brothers. Right now, Stanford’s very interested.”

Jeff Pressman, Montclair Prep baseball coach, on the ability of his junior star, Reggie Smith Jr., whose father starred for the Boston Red Sox and the Dodgers: “He’s as good an athlete as anybody I’ve coached. He’s as dominating a player as you’ll see in high school in regards to hitting the long ball and the strength of his throwing arm.

“Offensively, he resembles his father. It’s almost scary: his stance and his power. He’s a tough out, as tough an out as you’ll find.”

Prep Notes Beverly Hills’ second baseman Chris Ostrow has been removed from the team for disciplinary reasons. Ostrow was hitting .478. . . . Former Lakewood High star Jill Wells has been named the Lakewood Youth Sports Hall of Fame’s Athlete of the Year. Wells, who competes on the Cal State Fullerton volleyball team, will be honored at a banquet at the Sycamore Plaza in Lakewood Thursday night at 7. . . . Senior Randy Wellen had a big day last Friday in Leffingwell Christian’s 6-0 victory over Liberty Christian. On the mound, Wellen (4-0) threw a one-hitter and struck out 15. At the plate, he hit a grand slam and a triple. . . . More than 200 athletes are expected to compete Saturday in the 23rd annual Bishop Amat Relays at Mt. San Antonio College. . . . Keep an eye on 14-year-old tennis phenomenon Willy Quest of Long Beach. Quest is ranked No. 2 in Southern California and No. 25 in the nation. The eighth grader will probably play for Long Beach Wilson next year.