Chevrolet Cycling Team Signs West Hills’ Wordin to Contract

Distance cyclist John Wordin of West Hills has signed a contract to compete this season for the Chevrolet Cycling Team.

Wordin, 27, joins a pair of other Valley-area riders on the first-year team.

Udo Shart of Valencia and Mike Raczuk of Northridge also are on the team, which competes exclusively in road-race and distance events.

Jeff Pierce of San Diego, a former rider on Team 7-Eleven and a winner of one leg of the 1987 Tour de France, also is on the team.

The team will open its schedule Mar. 15 in Visalia, Calif.

Lester Neal of Ventura College and Valley’s Tory Stephens shared the Western State Conference player-of-the-week award.

Neal, a 6-foot-6 sophomore center from Chicago Dunbar High, scored 59 points and grabbed 33 rebounds in three Ventura victories. Stephens, a 6-2 sophomore guard-forward from San Fernando High, scored 48 points in two Valley victories.

Venessa Hackett, a 6-1 freshman from Hueneme High, shared the women’s conference player-of-the-week honor. Hackett scored 34 points in two Ventura victories.