Matt Willard, a 6-9 forward from Oroville...

Matt Willard, a 6-9 forward from Oroville Butte College has signed with UC Irvine to play basketball, Anteater Coach Pat Douglass said.

Willard, a graduate of Red Bluff High, averaged 17 points and 12.3 rebounds to earn All-Golden Valley Conference honors last season.

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Ryan Brown, shortstop/relief pitcher for Servite, signed a letter of intent with UCLA, according to Friar Coach Tom Tereschuk. Brown was named first-team All-Golden West League in 1996.

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Steve Scott, three-time Olympian and American record holder in the mile, will compete Saturday in the 800 and 1,500 meters at the meet named in his honor.

The Steve Scott Invitational, hosted by UC Irvine but held this year at Long Beach State, begins at 10 a.m.

Scott was a six-time All-American in track and cross-country at Irvine.

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Stanford’s Matt Fuerbringer (Estancia High), Long Beach State’s Gaby Amar and UCLA’s Paul Nihipali (Esperanza) were named first-team All-Americans by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.

Chris Harger, a 6-foot-10 middle blocker for the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team, was named second-team.

Harger, a graduate of Long Beach Poly High, is the first Anteater to be named an All-American since the school became an NCAA Division I program in 1988. Harger was named third-team All-Mountain Pacific Conference.

UCLA’s Brandon Taliaferro (San Clemente High School) was also named to the second team.

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Alison Johnsen of Arizona was recently named national player of the week by the National Fastpitch Coaches Assn. for her performance against No. 4 UCLA and No. 25 Cal State Northridge. Arizona won all four games and moved from second to first in the national softball rankings. She also was named Pacific 10 Conference player of the week.

Johnsen, the 1994 Times Orange County player of the year while at Woodbridge, went 10 for 15 with two home runs and five RBIs. She also scored seven runs and had one stolen base.

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Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley will be the setting Sunday for the annual Run for the Roses 1K and 5K races.

The 5K run/walk starts at 8:30 a.m. with the 1K, designed for runners 12 and younger, starting at 9:15. Proceeds will benefit Fountain Valley High’s football program.

Cost is $20 for the 5K, which includes a T-shirt, and $13 for the 1K. Registration will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday. For more information, call (714) 962-3301, Ext. 295.

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The Mission Viejo Vigilantes will hold a two-hour public workout Saturday, beginning at 10:30 a.m., at Santa Margarita High. Expected to participate are 12 players from last year’s Western Baseball League championship team, including infielder Paul Burke, last year’s championship series MVP, and league pitcher of the year Paul Anderson.

Vigilantes spring training begins May 10th. The season opener against the Chico Heat is May 23.