Engesser, Kirschke Named County Athletes of Year

Christie Engesser of Ocean View High School and Travis Kirschke of Esperanza were named athletes of the year by the Orange County Athletic Directors Assn. Wednesday night at the Anaheim Stadium Club.

Each league in the county nominated a senior boy and girl athlete, and the winners were selected by members of OCADA and the media.

Engesser, who was nominated by the Sunset League, led Ocean View to the State Division II cross-country championship with a third-place finish in November at Fresno. She was first in the Southern Section Division I 800-meter final on Saturday. Engesser plans to run at Oregon in the fall.

Kirschke, who was nominated by the Empire League, led Esperanza’s football team to a 39-2-1 record and three divisional championship games in three seasons. The Times’ lineman of the year, Kirschke is considered one of the best to play in the county. He will attend UCLA in the fall.

Each received a $500 scholarship from the Coca-Cola Prep Foundation.

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Chris Tidland, a sophomore golfer at Oklahoma State, was the Cowboys’ top finisher at the NCAA Central Regional last week. Tidland, who as a junior at Valencia High won the 1989 Southern Section individual title, shot 73-75-73 221 at Ohio State’s 7,104-yard, par--72 Scarlet Course, finishing in a tie for 18th place with Jeff Nielson of Minnesota. Oklahoma State finished third in the regional to advance to the NCAA Championships June 2-5 at The Champions in Lexington, Ken.

Scott Gibson, a Tulsa freshman from Huntington Beach High, shot 74-72-79 225 and finished in a six-way tie for 37th. Tulsa was banned from postseason team competition, so Gibson competed as an individual.

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Pat Wren has been promoted to varsity baseball coach at Mission Viejo, boys’ athletic director Randy Edwards said. Wren, 29, was junior varsity coach this season.

He spent seven years as an assistant baseball and football coach at Esperanza. Wren was an assistant on the Mission Viejo football team last fall.

He teaches social studies at the school. He takes over for Ron Drake, who resigned this season.

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Tricia Kay of Rosary has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Northwestern, Joe Kay, her father, said Wednesday.

Kay hit .338 for Rosary this season. She also played basketball and ran cross-country

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Timerie James of Rancho Alamitos has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Cal State Los Angeles, her father said Wednesday.

James averaged 16 points for Rancho Alamitos last season.