Henry Bibby

May 16, 1997

USC Signs One High-School Star and Two JC Standouts

LOS ANGELES - USC has signed guard Jeff Trepagnier from Compton (Calif.) High, forward Adam Spanich from Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College and center Philip Von Backstrom from Western Nebraska Community College (Scottsbluff, Neb.) to letters of intent, USC head coach Henry Bibby announced Friday.

"I think we signed the best players who were available," Bibby said. "We feel we got a steal in Jeff Trepagnier. He could be one of the most athletic players to come through this program in several years. And we got a couple of good quality junior college players in Spanich and Von Backstrom. Spanich is an outstanding outside shooter and that's something we haven't really had at the small-forward position. Von Backstrom brings to us size and a presence in the middle."

Trepagnier, a 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard, averaged 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots per game as a senior in 1997. He led the Tarabes to a 24-6 overall record and the Moore League Championship (10-0 in league play). Trepagnier's honors included USA Today All-USA honorable mention, Street & Smith High School All-America high honorable mention, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West second team, All-CIF Southern Section Division II first team, Long Beach Press-Telegram Dream Team, Cal-Hi Sports All-California Fifth-Five, Moore League Most Valuable Player and Los Angeles Times All-South Coast League first team. As a junior in 1996, Trepagnier was a Los Angeles Times All-South Coast first-team selection and made the All-Moore League squad. He also played on the Compton varsity basketball team as a freshman in 1994, but did not play as a sophomore after playing on the Tarbabe football team as a quarterback and wide receiver.

Spanich, a 6-7, 212-pound forward, was the 1995 Mr. Basketball in the state of Iowa while playing at Regis High in Cedar Rapids, where he was a Top 100 prospect (other players who have won that award in recent years include Jess Settles of Iowa and Raef LaFrentz of Kansas). Last season, Spanich averaged 18.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and two assists as a sophomore at Marshalltown Community College. He led the Runnin' Tigers to a 23-7 overall record (school record for wins) and the semifinals of the NJCAA Region XI Tournament. Considered one of the purest long-range shooters in the nation, Spanich made 47 percent of his 3-pointers last season (92-of-195) and was even more of a marksman during league play, sinking 60 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. His 1997 honors include an NJCAA Region XI first-team selection. Spanich also has previous NCAA Division I experience, having spent the 1995-96 season as a freshman at Oral Roberts.

Von Backstrom, a 7-2, 245-pound center, is originally from Pretoria, South Africa and also spent some time in Germany before moving on to Western Nebraska Community College. The Cougars went 32-5 this past season, captured the NJCAA Region IX championship and advanced into the quarterfinals of the Junior College National Championships. At the national tournament, Von Backstrom was rated as one of the top five centers. He is also a standout in the classroom, having earned a 3.7 GPA, the highest among WNCC student-athletes. His twin brother, George, also played for the Cougars last season and recently signed a basketball letter of intent at Oregon State. As sophomores in 1997, the brothers alternated at center, combined to average 15 points and eight rebounds per game and were one of the big reasons WNCC was rated in Dick Vitale's 1996 College Basketball Annual as the No. 6 JUCO team in the nation. As freshmen in 1995, they helped the Cougars post a 28-6 overall record. The Von Backstrom twins also were standout soccer players while growing up in South Africa and began to play basketball just five years ago. Former Trojans guard Tyson Reuter (1994-96), who served as a radio color commentator for several USC games last season, also played at WNCC.

USC has currently signed five new players for the 1997-98 season. During the early signing period last fall, USC signed two high school players to letters of intent - 6-foot guard Kevin Augustine from Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, Calif.) and 6-8 forward Greg Lakey from Lynwood (Calif.) High.

"We got two very good local players in the early signing period," Bibby said. "We feel that they are two of the top players in the nation.

"All these guys are the kind of quality people off the court that we want in our program. They are top basketball players as well as good students, so I could not be any more pleased about signing them."

May 15, 1997

USC Women's Basketball Signs Pair of Southland Standouts

LOS ANGELES -- Adria Sneed, a 6-1 forward from Ventura (Calif.) College, and 6-0 prep forward Whitney Houser from Laguna Hills (Calif.) High School, signed letters of intent to USC, Coach Chris Gobrecht announced today.

Sneed, a 1997 J.C. All-State first team selection, averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a 1997 sophomore, leading Ventura to its second consecutive California J.C. State Championship. A 2-time Western State Conference (1996-1997) first team selection, she also was a 1996 J.C. All-State second team pick as a freshman. She lost only one game in 2 years at Ventura, leading the Pirates to back-to-back state titles and a combined 71-1 record. She prepped at Juanita High School in Kirkland, Wash.

Houser is a 2-time All-Pacific Coast League (1996-1997) first team selection and a 1997 All-CIF Division II second team selection. She helped lead Laguna Hills High to the 1997 CIF State and Southern Section Division II titles.

USC also signed one player in the early signing period, Tashara Carter, a 6-0 forward from Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) High School

May 20, 1997

1997 USC Spring Letter-of-Intent Signees

Women's Crew
Erin Pates, El Cajon, Calif. (Francis Parker HS)

Men's Swimming
Slawek Richter, Breaststroke, Mission Viejo, Calif. (Mission Viejo HS)

• Junior National finalist in the 100 and 200 breast
• 1997 Southern Section champion in the 200 IM

Women's Swimming
Brittany White, IM/Breaststroke, Cockeysville, Md. (Dulaney HS)

• 2-time USS All-American
• Swam in 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 and 400 IM
• Maryland state record holder in the 200 and 400 IM
• Senior National finalist in the 400 IM

Men's Track and Field
Felix Sanchez, 400m IH, San Diego, Calif. (Mesa Junior College)

• Top-ranked JC 400m hurdler in the country (50.21)
• Won the JC California State 400m IH championship
• 46.23 in the 400m, 21.21 in the 200m

Women's Track and Field
Kinshasa Davis, 400m, Carson, Calif. (Long Beach Wilson HS)

• 52.61 in the 300m, 11.79 in the 100m
• Ran the second-fastest prep 200m indoor time ever (23.73) at the Simplot Games this season
• Anchored Long Beach Wilson's 4x200m (1:36.55) and 4x400m (3:42.7) relay teams to national indoor high school records at 1997 National Scholastic Indoor Championships
• Top-ranked 400m runner in Track & Field News' 1997 Women's Prep All-America Team
• Finished No. 13 in the Track & Field News High School Women's Athlete of the Year voting
• Capped an undefeated junior season in 1996 by running the nation's fastest 400m time (52.67) that year to win the California state championship
• Anchored Long Beach Wilson's 4x400m relay team to national high school record of 3:37.38 as a junior at the 1996 National Scholastic Outdoor Championships
• Clocked the nation's fifth-fastest time of 1996 in the 200m (23.60)

Brigita Langerholc, 800m, Skofja, Slovenia (Sentvid HS [Ljubljana])

• 2:06.46 in the 800m, 53.58 in the 400m
• Finished fifth in the 400m at the 1995 European Junior Championship

Candace Young, 100m, 200m, Woodinville, Wash. (Garfield HS)

• 11.6 in the 100m, 23.9 in the 200m
• Four-time Washington state champion (100m and 200m in 1996 and 1994)
• Junior Olympic finalist in the 100m and 200m
• Daughter of 1972 USC All-American and NFL star tight end Charle Young
• Sister of ex-Stanford safety Charles Young

Men's Volleyball
Eli Fairfield, Outside Hitter, Encinitas, Calif. (La Costa Canyon HS)

• Member of the Junior National team

Stephen Miksis, Middle Blocker/Outside Hitter, Rolling Hills, Calif. (Peninsula HS)

Women's Volleyball
Kashi Cormier, Outside Hitter, Fresno, Calif. (Bullard HS)

• 2-time USA Youth National team member
• 1997 Volleyball Magazine "Fab 50" selection
• 2-time Central Section Division I Player of the Year and Northwest Yosemite League MVP
• 4-time All-Northwest Yosemite League

Men's Water Polo
Brian Mericle, Driver, Yorba Linda, Calif. (Esperanza HS)

• 1996 NISCA High School All-American, All-Southern Section Division II first team,
• All-Orange County second team, All-Sunset League first team
• 91 goals and 61 steals as a 1996 senior
• 1995 All-Southern Section Division II second team, All-Sunset League first team
• 1994 All-Southern Section Division II third team, All-Empire League second team

Women's Water Polo
Jennifer Adams, Driver, Santa Ana, Calif. (Foothill HS)
Jennifer Durley, 2-Meters, Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Thousand Oaks HS)
Lana Kraus, Driver, Irvine, Calif. (Irvine HS)