World-Class Field Entered in St. Patrick’s Day Run

Wanda Panfil of Poland tops a world-class field of distance runners who will compete in the 13th annual Mobil St. Patrick’s Day 10-K Run For The Blind at 8 a.m. today in Torrance.

Panfil, one of the best distance runners in the world, won the World Championship Marathon in Tokyo in August and also won the Boston Marathon last year in a world-best 2 hours 24 minutes 18 seconds.

Among the other international stars scheduled to compete are Olga Appell of Mexico, Elly van Hulst of the Netherlands, Karolina Szabo of Hungary and Lithuanians Laimute Baikauskaite and Regina Cistiakova. Appell is defending champion in the Goodwill Games and also won the Long Beach Marathon.

The U.S. will be well represented by runners such as Cathy O’Brien and Janis Klecker, who finished 1-2 at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in January in Houston.

Despite falling at the 15-mile mark, Klecker finished first in the U.S. Olympic trials in a time of 2:30.14. She also was the 1991 The Athletics Congress 5-K Road Champion.

O’Brien, who finished second at the U.S. Olympic marathon trials, competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics and won the 1991 L.A. Marathon in a course-record 2:25.30.

The women will be competing for a $20,000 purse. The winner will earn $7,500.

In addition to the 10-K run for men and women, the event will include the Mobil World Wheelchair Challenge, the Mayor’s Challenge 5-K Stride for walkers and a half-mile run for children.

The event, conducted by Vistas for Blind Children, will benefit blind children. Information: (310) 378-7270.

Loyola Marymount was defeated by USC, 15-10, 15-11, 15-12, in a Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. match Saturday night at USC.

The Lions (3-20, 0-12 in WIVA) were led by Wayne Seligson, who had 18 kills. USC is 7-9 and 5-6.

Torrance High’s John Jackson leads the list of coaches who have been selected for the 1992 South Bay All-Star Soccer Classic on March 28 at South Torrance High.

Jackson, who guided the Torrance girls to their second consecutive Southern Section 3-A Division title with a 3-2 victory over Arcadia last week, will coach a team of graduating seniors from the Ocean and Pioneer leagues. They will compete against players from the Bay League and Bishop Montgomery and Chadwick highs. That team will be coached by former Palos Verdes High and UC Berkeley standout Ann Vasey.

In the boys’ division, Jeff Tuttle of South will coach the Ocean/Pioneer team and Johnny Marmelstein of Chadwick will guide the Bay/Bishop Montgomery/Chadwick all-stars.

The girls game will be at 6 p.m. and the boys play at 8 p.m.

Admission is free.

Boys and girls ages 9 to 15 who have not won a match in a satellite or United States Tennis Assn. tournament are eligible to compete in the Torrance Parks and Recreation Department’s Spring Novice Tennis Tournament from April 13-16 at Las Canchas Tennis Club in Torrance.

The cost is $15 for Torrance residents or $20 for non-residents.

Forms are available at the department office, 3031 Torrance Blvd.

The deadline is April 3. Information: (310) 618-2838.

Many of the top professionals in the Western United States will compete in a table tennis tournament at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Hawthorne Memorial Center.

The event is sponsored by the Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Department. Admission is free.

Information: Robert Klein at (310) 970-7230.

The South Bay Fire, a softball team for girls 16 and younger, will hold tryouts at 11 a.m. March 22 at Hawthorne High.

Information: Larry McCarthy at (310) 973-7056.