ARCHERY

Simi's Kovac makes Junior World Team

Simi Valley's Tabitha Kovac finished fifth in the National Target Shooting Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 4-10, but finished third in a shoot off for the Junior World Championships in Turkey, Oct. 3-13.

Kovac, a 15-year-old La Reina High junior, was nine points away from earning a medal in the Cadet Female Recurve division.

She went on to win five of seven matches in a field of eight girls to claim a spot on the Junior World 24-member male and female team.

The three-time state champion will be going for her fourth championship next month in Sacramento. Kovac is a member of the Conejo Valley Archers Junior Olympic Development program. The club trains at the Tapo Canyon Park range in Simi Valley.

Information: http://www.cvarchers.org.

BASEBALL

Oxnard's Balades earns Elite Series MVP

Oxnard High freshman Jayson Balades spent his summer playing for the Oxnard High state championship American Legion team and then also celebrating a USSSA Elite 24-team World Series national championship with the 13-and-under Orange County Hawks of Rawlings. Balades was the winning pitcher as his team defeated Team Anderson, 13-2, for the title at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla.

Balades was the tournament MVP, with three wins and one save. He posted 23 strikeouts and held the opposition to only nine hits and two runs in 17 innings.

Oxnard High coach Al Tarazon said the left-hander was 5-0 and joins a 2009 varsity team featuring Mikel Beltran, Austin Davidson and Julian Roman, all underclassmen standouts.

Tarazon has nine returning players from this season's 21-6-1 CIF-Division II semifinalist team, plus several other top newcomers.

Balades is in the process of trying to make the USA Baseball squad competing in the Pan Am Games qualifier Nov. 28 in Guatemala City.

Balades attended E.O. Green Junior High this past school year.

Labor Day: Oxnard Raptors Youth Baseball has teamed up with Sunset Little League to host a Labor Day/end of summer fundraiser tournament.

The tournament will from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. This is a last chance tournament for divisions 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U.

The tournament will be held at the Durley Park Baseball Complex (Sunset Little League fields), in Oxnard. A minimum of four teams, and a maximum of six teams make up each division.

Fee is $375 each team for the 6U division, while all other divisions will be $400 per team. First-and second-place awards will be given.

Information: E-mail oxnardraptors@yahoo.com or Danny at 760-8088 or Cris Hernandez at 302-8733.

CYCLING

Ventura's Ryan wins Junior National race

Kendall Ryan, a junior at Foothill Technology High in Ventura, won the USA Cycling Junior National Criterium Road Championship for women 15-16 years of age.

She won in a solo breakaway from the field for 12K of the 45K race. The race was held in Anaheim on Aug. 8.

The following day she placed third in the women's 15-16 road race and the previous day placed fourth in the individual time trial.

Tustin's Coryn Rivera won the road race title.

Wisconsin's Kaitlin Antonneau was second.