Vargas to Fight Maloney Seeking a Fourth Victory

Fernando Vargas, 19, with fewer than 15 minutes as a professional boxer under his belt, will try for a fourth victory in as many fights when he meets Jim Maloney in a six-round bout Friday night at Bally’s Park Place in Atlantic City.

The former U.S. Olympic welterweight from Oxnard made his pro debut in March and has knocked out all three opponents, including Bill Burden in the second round June 7 in Sacramento.

Junior lightweight Eddie Contreras of Santa Paula will face Jorge Ramirez of Mexico in a 10-round main event July 12 at the P.A.L. Center in Oxnard. The five-bout card also is scheduled to include a six-round junior middleweight bout between Nick Martinez and Monroe Brooks, and a four-round women’s bout to be arranged.

Lee to USC: Charles Lee of Valley College, the third-place finisher in the men’s 100 and 200 meters in last month’s state junior college track and field championships, signed a letter of intent with USC Tuesday.

Lee, the 1995 City Section champion in the 200 for Cleveland High, has personal bests of 10.40 seconds in the 100 and 20.76 in the 200. He also considered UCLA and Baylor.

“I’ve wanted to go to UCLA since my senior year in high school,” Lee said. “But they couldn’t offer me any scholarship money until the third quarter of [the 1997-98 school] year. I love track and field, but my education comes first.”

Green promoted: Doni Green, an assistant men’s track and field coach at Moorpark College for the past eight years, has been hired as the head coach of the school’s men’s and women’s track and cross-country programs.

Georgia bound: Joey Montelongo of Antelope Valley College, who finished 14th in the 1996 state junior college cross-country championships, has signed a letter of intent with Clayton State College, an NCAA Division II school in Morrow, Ga.

Greco honored: Michelle Greco of Crescenta Valley High, Cal-Hi Sports’ junior player of the year in girls’ basketball, has been chosen to participate in an exhibition game between California all-stars and the Chinese Junior Olympic team today at Keppel High.