Nakiya Johnson

Nakiya Johnson is counting the days until she leaves the Southland to attend college and run track for the University of Texas, the defending NCAA women's champion. "I can't wait," said the senior at Chino Hills Ayala. "Only 3 1/2 months." Johnson cautions that she is not in a hurry to leave her friends and family behind. But after establishing herself as one of the top girls' 400-meter runners in the world last summer, she's eager to get the next phase of her career out of the starting blocks.

Nakiya Johnson is counting the days until she leaves the Southland to attend college and run track for the University of Texas, the defending NCAA women's champion. "I can't wait," said the senior at Chino Hills Ayala. "Only 3 1/2 months." Johnson cautions that she is not in a hurry to leave her friends and family behind. But after establishing herself as one of the top girls' 400-meter runners in the world last summer, she's eager to get the next phase of her career out of the starting blocks.

Doug Speck keeps his computer logged on to a weather-devoted Web site 24 hours a day. With more than 500 schools from 16 states sending 2,980 athletes to compete in Saturday's Arcadia Invitational track and field meet, Speck tracks the weather as closely as he follows the athletes' performances. "At noon [Tuesday], the forecast for Saturday called for showers," said Speck, co-director of the meet. "But within 15 minutes, it shifted to partly cloudy. That was great news."

Long Beach Poly's boys and Long Beach Wilson's girls are favored to repeat as team champions this weekend at the CIF State track and field championships at Sacramento City College. Five qualifiers from each event at the Southern Section Masters Meet and three qualifiers in each event from the City championships will take part in a meet that draws competitors from each of the CIF's 10 sections. Qualifying begins Friday. Finals are Saturday.

Nakiya Johnson of Chino Hills Ayala High signed a letter of intent with Texas on Tuesday and then made a sizzling season debut in the girls' 400 meters Saturday at the Mt. San Antonio College Relays. Johnson, who ran a career best of 52.09 seconds to finish second in the 400 in the World Junior Championships in Annecy, France, last year, competed in the 200 and 800 earlier this season in order to improve her speed and strength for the 400.

Southland athletes won 10 events last weekend in two track and field meets that billed themselves as national high school indoor championships. Seniors Darrell Rideaux of Long Beach Poly and Troy Becker of Malibu and junior Nicole Denby of Riverside J.W. North won individual events in the National Scholastic indoor championships at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury, Mass. Rideaux, the defending state champion in the boys' 100 meters, won the 60-meter dash in 6.

Monique Henderson started it. Tiffany Burgess continued it. Sheena Johnson ended it. Those three UCLA track and field athletes strung together a trio of the fastest collegiate times in the nation this year during a 35-minute stretch Saturday afternoon to help the Bruins to a 111-92 Pacific 10 Conference dual-meet victory over visiting USC at Drake Stadium. USC outscored UCLA, 64-55, to win its first NCAA women's title last spring.

Nakiya Johnson of Chino Hills Ayala High signed a national letter of intent with the University of Texas on Tuesday and then made a sizzling season debut in the girls' 400 meters in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays on Saturday. Johnson, who ran a career best of 52.09 seconds to finish second in the 400 in the World Junior Championships in Annecy, France, last year, competed in the 200 and 800 earlier this season in order to improve her speed and strength for the 400.

Nicole Duncan enters competition at the NCAA Division II outdoor track and field championships in San Angelo, Texas, on Thursday as the defending long jump champion. By Saturday, she may be among the most decorated athletes in Cal State Los Angeles history. Duncan, a senior, has won five NCAA titles, four of them indoors. At the Division II meet, she is expected to win her fourth consecutive long jump title--two outdoors, two indoors--in a two-year span.

Most Southland high schools are on spring break this week or next, but the prep sports schedule still features some of the best competition of the year. Several premier baseball, softball and track and field events--and a basketball tournament for underclassmen--will be played the next 10 days.

BADMINTON * SOUTHERN SECTION * Team Garden Grove * Individual Boys Singles: Tam Nguyen, Garden Grove Doubles: Dung Huynh/Chris Ngu, Alhambra * Individual Girls Singles: Amy Nguy, Villa Park Doubles: May Mangkalakir/Bonnie Wong, Villa Park * Mixed doubles May Mangkalakir/Mike Chansawangpuvana, Villa Park BASEBALL * CITY SECTION Championship: Chatsworth Division: Cleveland * SOUTHERN SECTION Division I: Arlington Division II: Hart Division III: El Dorado Division IV: Corona del Mar Division V: