Notebook: Bonita girls basketball coach Taylor Anderson steps down

Bonita announced this week that girls basketball coach Taylor Anderson has resigned and will be joining the women’s basketball coaching staff at Claremont Mudd Scripps College.

“On behalf of her current and former players, we want to say a huge thank you to (Anderson) for all she has done for the program,” the school posted on its Twitter account. “We want to wish her luck as she pursues her coaching goals! CMS, you are getting a great one.”

Anderson had a successful three-year run at Bonita, compiling a 53-19 overall record and winning three Palomares League championships.

Anderson was a star player for Bonita from 2008-2011, as she led the Bearcats to the CIF Southern Section Division 3A championship game in 2011 and was named the area player of the year. She played her collegiate basketball at Loyola Marymount.

In other area coaching news, St. Paul has hired Patrick Roy as its new boys basketball coach. Roy coached previously at Inglewood High where he won two CIF Southern Section championships.

San Marino announced that Stephanie Hernandez will no longer be the school’s softball coach, and South Pasadena has an opening for varsity boys and girls swimming coaches.

BELLAMY TRANSFERS TO LOS ALTOS

CJ Bellamy, who is considered one of the top boys basketball point guards in Southern California, has transferred from Eastvale Roosevelt to Los Altos.

Bellamy had his best season last spring as he averaged 11.6 points per game while leading the Mustangs to a second-place finish in the Big 8 League and a second-round appearance in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs.

The senior also plays for the Cali Rebels club basketball organization. His father, Bobby Bellamy, is the wrestling coach at Northview.

Bellamy joins a talented Conquerors squad that includes 7-foot junior center Jazz Gardner, who was recently offered by USC and the University of Illinois.

GIVENS STARS AT COOL BREEZE

The cross country season began in earnest last week with the Cool Breeze Invitational at the Rose Bowl.

Pasadena senior Isaiah Givens stamped himself as one of the top cross country runners in Southern California as he took first place in the sweepstakes division. He posted a personal-best time of 14 minutes, 8.1 seconds on the 3-mile course.

Givens finished in second place at the 2019 CIF-SS Division 3 championships.

In Division 1/2, La Serna senior Andres Barrera took third place (15:32.6) with the Lancers taking fifth place in the team standings. In Division 3/4/5, senior Eric Martinez (15:38.4) led Damien to an eighth-place finish.

In the girls division, La Canada’s talented sophomore, Arielle McKenzie, who won individual sectional championships in the 800 and 1,600 meters in the spring, was the top area performer in the sweepstakes division. She finished 15th with a time of 17:31.2.

La Serna junior Athalie Mendoza (18:27.4) took fifth place in Division 1/2, and Covina’s Vianni Maldonado (18:19.4) captured third place in Division 3/4/5.