ATHLETES NAMED TO AWARD ROLL; VENTURA COUNTY TRIO JOINS ROSTER OF SPORTS INSPIRATIONS.

Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer

The U.S. Olympic Committee has honored 92 athletes for its annual awards program, and not one, not two - but three call Ventura County home.

And the elder among them perhaps best represents the amateur athletic spirit.

Mark Ruvalcaba was nominated Thursday as the male field hockey athlete for the Olympic Committee awards program that next month will name a SportsMan and SportsWoman of the year. A member of the U.S. Field Hockey Association national team since 1987, the Thousand Oaks resident has been equally successful coaching and promoting the sport among young athletes.

``It's a surprise, but a welcome surprise. Something like that always makes you feel good, recognizing what you've done for a sport,'' Ruvalcaba said. ``I'd also like to think that it's because of my ability to play hockey.''

Coming back from leg injuries that sidelined him for a 15-month period that included the Atlanta Olympic Games, Ruvalcaba returned to the national team this year.

The team returned last week from a European tour centered in Prague, Czech Republic. Ruvalcaba still holds hope the national team will qualify for the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, and that he will be there to compete against the world's greatest in the sport.

``Age is attitude and as long as you keep yourself in shape, age isn't a factor,'' said the 30-year-old Westlake High School graduate.

Also nominated for the Olympic Committee award were Justin Huish, the Simi Valley archer who won individual and team gold medals at the Atlanta Olympic Games, and Troy Dumais of Ventura, a national champion diver now competing internationally.

Marion Jones, national track star and former Thousand Oaks resident, was nominated as the top female track athlete. The Thousand Oaks High School graduate, now living in Apex, N.C., was the world 100-meter champion and ran a leg on the victorious 4-by-100-meter women's world relay team.

The 22-year-old Huish returned from the Olympics to a hero's welcome and became a celebrity. The Simi Valley High School graduate met President Clinton, and appeared on ``Good Morning America'' and the ``Tonight'' show.

Following a layoff, Huish returned to competition and has been as good as ever, said Bill Kellick, spokesman for the U.S. National Archery Association.

``He didn't pick up a bow for a while, but he came back strong,'' Kellick said. ``He was ranked in the world's top 10 all year and finished the year as No. 1.''

This year, Huish has won the prestigious Moscow Grand Prix and the inaugural U.S. Open. He finished second in the U.S. Target Championships, fourth in the U.S. Indoor Championships, and seventh in the World Outdoor Target Championships.

``There's a lot of healthy competition. He's being pushed,'' Kellick said.

Huish, who couldn't be reached for comment, has led by example in boosting archery among the nation's youth. Kellick said both the Olympic success and the lasting image of his ponytail and baseball cap turned backward have generated great interest.

Ruvalcaba, meanwhile, has toiled in seeming anonymity promoting field hockey. He has helped develop the Moorpark College training center into a national field hockey hub and he works year-round for the national association.

``He's done a lot to recruit young kids by going into the schools and developing programs, especially with boys, which is crucial because it's not a big sport for boys,'' said Kathleen Callahan, spokeswoman for the U.S. Field Hockey Association.

By getting more players to compete at younger ages, Ruvalcaba said the quality of players should improve. And a decade of international experience can only bolster his efforts.

``That's the really great thing about our sport. There's not too much competition for us here in the states and in order for us to become proficient in our sport we need to go overseas,'' Ruvalcaba explained. ``I tell them, if you do stick with it and become good at it, there are great opportunities.''