CHATTER: NEWS AND NOTES FROM LOCAL SPORTS LENIK SELECTED FOR ALL-AMERICAN TEAM.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

Kevin Lenik, a highly touted 6-foot-2 13-year-old baseball standout from Granada Hills, has been named to the Travel Ball Select All-American team. The honorees were selected from a nationwide talent pool consisting of players fromthe top elite travel baseball teams in the country. TBS garneredinformation from a network of coaches, scouts, teams and tournaments including major organizations such as USSSA, AAU and others, according to TBS national director Kevin J. Thomas.

Lenik is among five Californians - and the only San Fernando Valley-area entry - on the 25-person team.

Christian Lopes!off, of Santa Clarita, made the TBS All-American team in the 12-year-old division.

--Hayley Boysen, a 13-year-old soccer player from Moorpark is featured in the October issue of Sports Illustrated for Kids' ``Faces in the Crowd'' section.

Boysen, helped her soccer team win the Slammers FC Tournament inNewport Beach in July, by scoring six of her team's 10 goals. Asa member of the California Olympic Development Program, which is a training ground for the best young players in the state, Boysen scored twice in a 2-0 victory at the 2004 Surf Girls Cup in San Diego, which sent her team to the championship round.

-- Ivan Becerra, a former San Fernando High/Mission College soccer standout, was named Big West Conference Player of the Week after scoring two goals Sept. 16 for UC Santa Barbara in a 4-0 victory over UC Riverside.

Becerra is third in the conference with five points.

--Colby Hyatt one of the San Fernando Valley's top returning high school baseball players, has arrived at Canyon High after transferring from L.A. Baptist of North Hills.

As a sophomore last spring, Hyatt batted .355 with three home runs and 26 RBI, and went 6-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 51 innings for L.A. Baptist to a (18-4).

``He looks like he's a pretty good player,'' Canyon pitcher Tommy Kimmerle said.

--Saugus High softball standout Tiffany Huff, a power-hitting catcher who is one of California's top prospects, is expected to choose between Stanford and Tennessee after returning next week from an official recruiting visit to Stanford.

Huff, who batted .460 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 27 games as a junior last season, visited Tennessee a couple of weeks ago.

--Canyon High football standout Richie Wirthlin, Canyon's leading receiver and top defensive back, is expected to miss at least a month after breaking his hand in two places during a 34-27 upset loss at Simi Valley on Friday.

Staff Writer Ramona Shelburne contributed

Gerry Gittelson, [phone]

gerry.gittelson(at)dailynews.com

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

MILTON KNOX JR.

Sophomore, Birmingham

He rushed for 192 yards and caught five passes for 96 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown catch on a third- and-20 pass from James Beloff. The score pulled Birmingham of Lake Balboa to within a point of host Crespi of Encino with eight seconds left. Knox then bulled through the middle of the Crespi line for a two-point conversion to give defending City Section champion Birmingham (1-2) a 28-27 victory over defending Southern Section Div. X champion Crespi (2-1), which had won 11 consecutive games.

NIKKI CANDELA 

Senior, Notre Dame

Following the graduation of Meredith Rice, last year's Daily News Player of the Year, a young Notre Dame team figured to struggle early in the season. But thanks to the leadership of Candela, the Knights of Sherman Oaks are 5-0. Candela, an outside hitter, had 17 kills Thursday as Notre Dame rallied to win in five games over La Reina of Thousand Oaks. Candela also had 16 kills and 16 digs in a five-game victory over La Canada last Tuesday.

UP & COMER

JULIE HERRERA

Flintridge Sacred Heart

Herrera, a first-year varsity player, has succeeded in helping her team overcome the graduation loss of All- Southern Section outside hitters Kelly Smiland and Katie Kriste. Herrera, a junior, was all-tournament at the 32-team Gahr of Cerritos tournament, helping Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada to third place, its best finish in five trips.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos, 7 boxes

Photo:

(1) MILTON KNOX JR.

(2) NIKKI CANDELA

(3) JULIE HERRERA

Box:

(1) ATHLETES OF THE WEEK (see text)

(2) UP & COMER (see text)

(3) THINK YOU KNOW?

(4) RANDOM NUMBER

(5) THEY SAID IT

(6) DAY PLANNER

(7) TRIVIA ANSWER