Newsmakers: Success of local athletes
Olympic silver medalist Mike Dodd was among the latest inductees to the Volleyball Hall of Fame. The Manhattan Beach native won 75 titles during his career as a professional beach volleyball player.
Volleyball legend honored
Manhattan Beach native and Mira Costa alum Mike Dodd was one of six athletes inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass on Saturday.
At the age of 15, Dodd earned his beach volleyball AAA rating and later excelled at indoor volleyball and basketball at San Diego State. He won a silver medal in beach volleyball while partnering with the late Mike Whitmarsh at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Dodd worked in later Olympics as an analyst for NBC covering beach volleyball in 2000, indoor volleyball in 2004 and as a coach for Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.
Dodd was one of beach volleyball’s greatest stars, winning 75 tournaments in an 18-year career that included five Manhattan Beach Open titles. In 2009, Dodd became the first person to coach the men’s and women’s champions of the same Manhattan Beach Open. After his retirement, Dodd served as Commissioner of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP).
Triathlon champion
Brian Tasker, 35, of Redondo Beach won the Day at the Beach Triathlon in Hermosa Beach with a combined time of 53 minutes, one second. John Lenell, 44, of Newport Beach was runner up at 54:12, edging out 14-year-old Duncan Reid, of Palos Verdes Estates, who completed the swim, bike and run event with a time of 53:51.
Amanda Nauman, 23, of Mission Viejo won the women’s title posting a mark of 54:48. Kerry Simmons, 46, of Point Lookout, NY, finished second at 57:56 followed by Hermosa Beach triathlete Jane Larned, 30, who crossed the finish line at 59:59.
Right on course
Hermosa Beach golfer Andrea Lee tied for fourth at the American Junior Golf Association’s PING Invitational in Stillwater, OK, shooting 223 (75-75-73) on the par 72 course. Erin Choi, of Torrance finished 16th with a total score of 232.
Lee was named by the AJGA to the Rolex Junior All-American first team. Choi earned second team honors.
Lee is a member of the undefeated Mira Costa girls golf team that recently won its third consecutive Bay League title.
Laurels for libero
Tiffany Morales, of Redondo Beach, was recently named the Big 10 Conference’s Freshman of the Week and its Defensive Player of the Week for her performance as libero on the University of Michigan’s women’s volleyball team. Morales recorded 48 digs in matches against Iowa and No. 4 Nebraska.
Morales was a four-year starter for Redondo Union High School and can be seen in action during selected matches broadcast on the Big 10 Network.
Racing to a record
San Pedro resident and South Bay Wheelmen member Kurt Sato set a new world’s record in the Men’s 55-59 500 Meter Time Trial at the 2012 USA Cycling Masters National Track Championships in Colorado Springs. His time of 34.525 seconds knocked a half second off the previous record.
The South Bay Wheelmen, a local bicycle racing club, sponsors several race series each year to help prepare riders for competition. It also has weekly casual rides originating at the Catalina Coffee Club in Redondo Beach. Visit www.southbaywheelmen.org for more information.