KEEVER, FARRELL AMONG FIVE TO ENTER VENTURA HALL.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

Five area sports figures have been chosen for induction into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame, including longtime Moorpark College wrestling coach John Keever and Thousand Oaks cross country coach Jack Farrell.

Keever and Farrell will be honored at the 15th annual Induction and Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 21, at the Doubletree Hotel in Ventura.

They will be joined by the late Donald Green, a former track and field coach at Cal Lutheran University; Dave Laut, who won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the shot put and attended Santa Clara High School in Oxnard; and former Ventura High School and Ventura College football and baseball star Gerry Haflich.

``It's quite an honor to be inducted with this group of athletes and coaches,'' Farrell said. ``Especially since there is a lot of track and field involvement.''

Keever was equally thrilled.

``It's funny because when you get an award like this you think that there are so many other deserving people out there,'' Keever said. ``But I'm honored. And I'm happy that east Ventura County is being recognized.''

Farrell has been coaching at Thousand Oaks High School since 1974. His boys' cross country teams won state championships in 1993 and 1994 and were runners-up in 1992. They had national rankings of sixth in 1992, third in 1993 and second in 1994. They were CIF Southern Section champions in 1980 and runners-up in 1979, 1981 and 1995. In addition, the Lancers were Marmonte League champions nine times.

His girls' cross country teams finished second in the state in 1994 and were ranked 13th nationally. They won CIF Southern Section championships in 1993 and 1994. They've won eight league championships.

Farrell received the lifetime CIF Southern Section Service Award for cross country in 1991 and was a state-honored coach in 1994.

Interestingly, Farrell retired from coaching after the 1988 season. He returned in the spring of 1991, but only after he made an agreement with himself that he would do it strictly for the involvement with the kids. He placed little importance on winning or losing.

``I didn't worry about championships or how we did,'' Farrell said.

Ironically, the Lancers' success since 1991 nearly has duplicated their achievements during Farrell's first coaching tenure.

``It's gotten better each year,'' Farrell said. ``It's been quite a ride.''

Farrell views himself more as a motivator. He sets goals for his athletes and maps out a plan to reach them.

``And then they go out and do it,'' he said.

Clearly the top performer was Kim Mortensen, now a freshman at UCLA. As a senior, Mortensen set national records in cross country and was a long-distance track star.

``A career athlete,'' Farrell said. ``All coaches have that one career athlete, and Kim was certainly mine.''

Keever is generally recognized as the dean of junior college wrestling coaches.

His coaching career at Moorpark stretched 27 years. He's been the school's athletic director the last five years.

During his coaching tenure, the Raiders won 17 Western State Conference championships while compiling a conference record of 134-30-1. They won two state championships (1990 and 1991) and four regional titles.

Keever was voted Community College Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1990 and 1991. He was the Western State Conference Coach of the Year 16 times while developing 53 All-Americans.

Keever believes his induction reflects the athletes he's worked with.

``There's a formula,'' Keever said of his success. ``And it's always been talent. That's the bottom line.''

Along with the victories and championships, Keever's biggest thrill is the relationships he's forged with athletes and other coaches.

``I always tell people I've got the greatest job in the world,'' he said.

Green, who passed away in 1995, built the Cal Lutheran track and field program. He was the coach for 21 years, working with 44 All-Americans. Green retired in 1991.

``Don always had a tremendous feel for people and for their problems,'' said former Kingsmen football coach Bob Shoup, who was inducted into the County Hall of Fame in 1992. ``He was a good listener, counselor and friend.''

Laut won a gold medal in the shot put at 1979 Pan American Games and was the NCAA shot-put champion in 1978 and 1979 while at UCLA.

Haflich was a standout baseball and football player at Ventura High School and Ventura College in the late 1970s and early '80s. He played football at Sacramento State, setting a school record for tackles with 113 in 1981.