Hamill Leaves UNLV, Eyes UCLA

Ryan Hamill, the starting catcher at Nevada Las Vegas and The Times’ Valley player of the year in 1997 at Chaminade High, has been given his release and hopes to transfer to UCLA.

Hamill, a sophomore, is batting .330 with eight home runs and 41 runs batted in for UNLV.

UCLA’s starting catcher, Jason Green, is a senior. If Hamill transfers to UCLA, he would be reunited with former Chaminade teammate Tyler Dersom, a pitcher.

BASKETBALL

* Simi Valley High has received a commitment from state Division III champion Fresno Washington Union to play in its boys’ basketball tournament in December. Washington Union returns guard DeShawn Stephenson, considered the best player in the state.

Other tournament entries include Chaminade, with 6-foot-9 sophomore center Scott Borchart, who leaves later this month to play in France with a club team.

TRACK AND FIELD

* Senior Lauren Fleshman of Canyon High ran a career best of 4:27.73 to finish second in the women’s 1,500 meters in the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine on Sunday.

Fleshman’s time was the fastest girls’ time in the nation this year and moved her to fifth on the all-time region list.

* Carol Stevenson of Notre Dame Regional Secondary School in Vancouver, B.C., a weight-event specialist, has signed with Cal State Northridge.

* Becky Rauth of Harvard-Westlake High, who ranks fourth on the yearly state list in the 300 low hurdles with a best of 43.49, has committed to Yale.

FOOTBALL

* Jimmy Sharp, the top tailback on Crespi’s sophomore team last season, plans to transfer to Notre Dame under open enrollment. Sharp also was the leading scorer for the varsity soccer team as a freshman and sophomore.

* Running back Billy Brecht of Hart has decided to play football at Cal Lutheran this fall. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry last season for the Division III champion.

* The Southern Section has given approval for teams to hold a scrimmage before their first game this season.

Coaches have been told by officials that the game must be against a team within 30 miles of their campus.

MISCELLANY

* A funeral for former Cleveland High assistant baseball coach Marty Siegel will be held at 10 a.m. today at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Dr.

Siegel, who was also a longtime Cavalier booster, died Saturday at his home in Northridge. He was 79.