Changing of Transfer Policy Will Confound CIF Officials

The CIF, deeply involved in strategic planning and marketing endeavors, is putting things on hold as it tackles yet another potential problem.

Beginning in July, public school students in California will be allowed to transfer to schools within their districts, space permitting. Beyond that, an open-enrollment policy might also be allowed between some districts as early as January.

Those policies are creating havoc for CIF officials, who have strict transfer rules. Eligibility is generally granted only when there is a legal change of residence or when a student receives a special permit. The new “choice” law threatens to change that.

“The CIF doesn’t want to be out of compliance with the new law, but we’re also concerned with the school shopping of athletes,” said Margaret Davis, CIF associate commissioner. “There are a lot of unanswered questions, and there has been much internal debate over this subject. It’s all very complex.”

Jim Fleming, superintendent of the Placentia Unified School District and a member of the CIF Federated Council, said he expects the CIF to amend the eligibility rule by adding that a transfer student will be denied immediate eligibility if the move is solely for athletic purposes.

“I don’t think we can legally completely deny eligibility, but we can try to ensure students don’t transfer just for athletics,” Fleming said. “It won’t be easy to enforce, but it isn’t easy now.”

The rule amendment is being reviewed and will be presented to the CIF Federated Council on May 6 in San Francisco.

Complicating the issue is that the CIF’s 10 sections can further amend any state rule. Fleming also said districts might have different policies regarding open enrollment.

Officials fear open enrollment could result in the building of all-star teams.

“Our section would likely require that all (open-enrollment) transfers be made before the start of the school year,” said Dean Crowley, Southern Section commissioner. “This avoids athletes transferring during their season of sport.”

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Tom Salter, 32, the new football coach at La Puente Bishop Amat, has a strong family background in the sport.

His father, Richard, was a longtime football coach at Arcadia High, retiring in 1990. The school’s stadium is named in his honor. His brother, Tim, has been the football coach at Montebello Schurr the last six seasons.

“I’ve been helping my sons since I retired and I will continue to do so,” Richard said. “I break down game film, scout the opponent and whatever else needs to be done.”

Salter replaces Mark Paredes, who resigned two weeks ago after eight successful seasons. Paredes, 84-14 at Bishop Amat, is taking over the football program at Riverside North.

Bishop Amat, which competes in the Catholic Del Rey League, has one of the area’s most successful programs. The Lancers set a state record for victories in 1992, going 15-0.

“Coach Salter is the guy I wanted to take over,” said Daylon McCutcheon, a returning receiver-defensive back and a top recruit. “He really cares about his players on and off the field.”

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Ken Haslip of Pasadena Muir, coming off an impressive performance in the Arcadia Invitational on Saturday night, will compete in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays this weekend.

The senior, voted Arcadia’s male athlete of the meet, will run the 110-meter high hurdles, 300 hurdles and on the 400 and 1,600 relays on Saturday. Haslip leads the nation this season in both hurdles events with times of 13.94 in the 110 and 36.98 in the 300. This is his first year running the high hurdles.

Also scheduled to compete are national leaders Scott Slover of San Jose Leland in the pole vault, Michael Granville of Bell Gardens in the 800, Pat Johnson of Redlands in the 100 and 200, and Jeremy Fischer of Camarillo in the high jump, among others.

Most of the high school events are scheduled Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m.

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Coach Mike Ryan gave his South Gate baseball team last Friday off as a way of apologizing for his recent scheduling blunders.

Ryan unwittingly entered his team in the Babe Herman tournament in Glendale during the same week it had a busy conference schedule. The result was five games in four days and a lot of headaches.

Things got especially complicated last Tuesday when South Gate had a home conference game against Fremont at 3 p.m. and a semifinal tournament game against Van Nuys Montclair Prep at Glendale at 5 p.m.

“I had to split my squad in two,” said Ryan, in his seventh season. “After the Fremont game, we hustled the rest of our team over to Glendale. It got a little hectic.”

Ryan’s Rams won both games, though, to improve to 9-2.

“Next year, I’ll plan things out a little better,” he said. “My kids were a little drained.”

Prep Notes

Leodes Van Buren, an all-state receiver from Newbury Park, was arrested Friday for allegedly shooting a gun into his girlfriend’s home. He was released on $5,000 bail later that day. Van Buren, who has signed with Colorado, told The Times he was at the scene but denied pulling the trigger. The bullet lodged in a wall near the back door. No one was injured. . . . Jocelyn Chase of Agoura cleared 10-6 in the pole vault at the Arcadia Invitational, establishing a meet record for girls. Chase narrowly missed an attempt at 11-2. The event has only been contested for two years and is still an exhibition sport . . . Shawn Adams, a 5-foot-5 senior, hit a two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to lift Newbury Park to an 8-6 upset of Simi Valley last Wednesday.

Ricky Price of Gardena Serra scored 12 points and Jelani Gardner of Bellflower St. John Bosco added 10 in Magic Johnson’s Roundball Classic on Sunday before 10,100 at Auburn Hills, Mich. Price and Gardner were members of the West team that lost to the East, 141-135. . . . The spring signing period for prospective college athletes begins Wednesday and continues for one month. Several top area basketball players, including Gardner, are expected to announce their decisions.

Times’ Top 20 Baseball Poll

The Times’ top 20 high school baseball poll, with teams from the City and Southern Sections.

School Sect. Div. Rec. LW 1. Bishop Amat SS III 16-0 2 2. Simi Valley SS I 11-2 1 3. Chatsworth City 4-A 13-3 3 4. Gahr SS IIA 11-2 8 5. Fountain Valley SS I 15-1 18 6. Nogales SS I 12-2 17 7. Hesperia SS I 13-1 NR 8. El Camino Real City 4-A 10-3 6 9. El Dorado SS I 12-4 NR 10. Rowland SS I 12-2 NR 11. El Segundo SS III 10-2 15 12. Fullerton SS II 13-2 NR 13. Hunt. Beach SS I 11-4 4 14. St. John Bosco SS III 11-3 7 15. Diamond Bar SS I 10-3 19 16. San Marino SS IV 10-0 16 17. Granada Hills City 4-A 7-2 NR 18. Lakewood SS I 11-5 NR 19. Mater Dei SS I 9-5 14 20. Bell City 3-A 9-1 20