Chapman Augments Football Coaching Staff

Chapman University has hired five new football coaches and promoted two returning coaches to coordinator positions on Coach Ken Visser’s staff, the school announced Friday.

David Bishop, who has coached the defensive backs for three seasons, has been named defensive coordinator. Scott Norton, the offensive line coach last season, has been promoted to offensive coordinator.

The coaches hired include Larry Manfull, who was head coach at Mayville (N.D.) State. Manfull, who coached earlier at Cal State Fullerton and Mater Dei and Downey Pius X high schools, will be in charge of the offensive line.

John Hennigan, who coached at Rio Hondo College, will coach the defensive line. Mike Roark will coach the linebackers and Trent Julian the wide receivers. Rene Hernandez will be graduate assistant coach.

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The second Tustin Thunder Road Races continue today through Sunday at the Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin. More than 600 race cars, ranging from trucks to Indy Cars, Can Ams to stock cars, will compete on the two-mile, 11-turn road coarse.

In addition to the racing, there is an exhibition of cars and motorcycles in the blimp hangars, skateboard and in-line stunt shows, children’s carnival rides and food vendors.

Tickets, available at the gate for $15, include grandstand seating, free parking and pit entry. Children 6 and under are free. Proceeds benefit local charities through the Marconi Foundation for Kids. For information, call (714) 258-7123.

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Rich Polk has been hired as boys’ and girls’ volleyball coach at Foothill High, Athletic Director Jerry Whitaker said. Polk, who works with the Orange County Volleyball Club, replaces Paul Gianni as boys’ coach and Patt Manning as girls’ coach.

Gianni resigned to find work closer to his home in the Inland Empire, and Manning moved to Temecula to start a volleyball club. Polk, who has been an assistant coach at UC Irvine and Capistrano Valley High, also served as boys’ varsity coach at Woodbridge High.

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The Orange County Suns baseball team (15 and under) will play in the Continental Amateur Baseball Assn.’s World Series, beginning Sunday in Crystal Lake, Ill.

Thirty teams representing the Canada, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States are participating. The Suns’ opening game is against the Illinois state champion Sunday.

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Joe LaMasa, who spent the past five seasons as assistant varsity softball coach at Capistrano Valley High, was named head coach by boys’ Athletic Director Tom White. LaMasa, 48, replaces Ron Willms, who will remain the boys’ soccer coach.

“I hope this was worth waiting for,” said LaMasa of his first head coaching assignment. “Ron was great to work with. But we also need to become a complete program, starting at the lower levels and building toward the varsity.”

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Christian Cushing-Murray, a former miler who ran for UCLA and the Santa Monica Track Club, has been hired as boys’ and girls’ cross-country coach at Troy High.

Cushing-Murray, 29, competed twice in Olympic trials in the 1,500 meters. He replaces Jeanine Miller, who resigned to take a job in Northern California.

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Fifteen county divers will participate in the Junior National Championships, Wednesday through Sunday, in Austin, Tex.

The Mission Viejo Nadadores are represented by Erica Sorgi, Erica Healey, Kristin Littell, Carly Banks, Alyssa Gibson, Jennifer McNally, J.P. Palmer, Shannon Pace, Michael Hilde and Raymond Vincent.

Le Equipe of Irvine is represented by Kimberly Driscoll, and Michelle Brown, Robbie Quinn and Lee Brennen are from Laguna Niguel’s Crown Valley. Qualifying unattached is Emily Tanaka of Mission Viejo.

The divers qualified at the Zone-E Diving Championships in Federal Way, Wash.

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The county is well-represented on the national volleyball teams that will play in the World University Games, Aug. 18-31, in Italy.

On the men’s team: Gabe Gardner (San Clemente High/Stanford), Chris Harger (UC Irvine), Chris Jacobson (El Toro/Pepperdine), Eric Seiffert (Capistrano Valley/USC) and Brandon Taliaferro (San Clemente/UCLA). Benishe Dillard of Long Beach State will play on the women’s team.

David McKienzie of Huntington Beach and Jim Polster of Laguna Niguel were named to the 12-man boys’ youth national volleyball team that will leave Aug. 8 for Sicily, Italy, to participate in a four-team tournament with Italy, Japan and Poland. McKienzie graduated from Huntington Beach High in June and Polster from Dana Hills. Both will attend Long Beach State in the fall.