Mariel Alvarez says, "I love playing basketball," smiling some. "That's why I came to Bishop Amat, because I knew the school had a good program."

The 18-year-old senior had plenty to be happy about this year at the La Puente campus. The Lancers won the Del Rey League, the CIF championship and the Southern California Regional final. On March 20, they lost the Division III state final to powerhouse St. Mary's of Stockton in a title game played at Sacramento's storied Arco Arena.

"Our chemistry was good," Alvarez points out. "And we played together for all four years. We had six seniors on the team. So we knew each others' strengths and weaknesses."

Still, there was one rather sizable challenge to overcome --- the tent.

For a year, the Catholic coed high school has been building a $5 million Student Activity Center, which will include a new gym. So the girls had to practice in a dirty, un-air-conditioned, unheated white tent that resembled a huge Hershey's candy kiss they not-so-affectionately call "The Tent." During workouts last summer, Alvarez and her teammates broiled; in fall and winter, they put on sweatshirts and jackets to keep from freezing.

"It was hard to get used to, because you were either hot or cold," she reports. "And the floor wasn't very good. But we didn't let it get us down."

The South El Monte teenager with the almost straight-A 4.0 GPA says she learned about perseverance and personal discipline at Bishop Amat Memorial High School. She also learned a thing or two about life from doing Christian service projects --- specifically, coaching junior soccer and serving meals to the homeless.

"It made me realize how lucky I was to have the things I had, compared to these people who didn't really have anything," explains Alvarez, who hopes to study pre-med at USC and one day be a pediatrician. "So it kind of made me look at things differently."

'Lots of 4.0s'

Richard Wiard has coached the girls' basketball team at Bishop Amat, his alma mater, for the last nine years. His teams have had good seasons before, but this is the first time any has won more than 30 games. Going 31-4, the girls' basketball squad bested the school record of 28 wins.

"All five of the starters this year were starters last year, so they had a great deal of experience and talent," he points out. "And when you have talent and experience, that's a good combination. Erin Myrick is one of the top players in the country."

But the class of '82 alum is equally impressed with the off-court qualities of team members.

"I think the lowest GPA amongst the seniors is something like 3.7," he reports. "And there are a lot of 4.0s. One has gotten into UCLA, another the Air Force Academy. We were blessed with great senior leaders. They're really solid kids. Not just as basketball players, but as young ladies and academically.

"We get top quality student athletes. I never have to worry about them academically or socially. They're always going to be top of the line in the classroom, and they're going to be good representatives of Bishop Amat. So we're lucky."

Team player

Chasmine Jones, 18, feels lucky to have gone to Bishop Amat.

"At first I was very hesitant about coming here," the senior admits. "But I was kind of awakened. It was a lot more structured, with uniforms, study habits and type of courses."

The West Covina adolescent blossomed at the Catholic school, earning a 4.1 GPA and getting a full four-year athletic scholarship to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. She starred in track (all-league in shot put and discus) as well as averaging 13 points and 9 rebounds per game in basketball.

"I look back on it now and I say, 'I'm really glad I came here,' because it helped with how I want to structure my life in the future," she says. "In the corporate world, I'm going to need to wear a uniform. I'm going to need to abide by rules. I'm going to need to have to carry strenuous workloads.

"I found out a lot more about myself and my capabilities," she stresses. "It was great to be in an environment where you're surrounded by a lot of kids who want the same thing --- which is excellence."

The Key Club, National Honor Society, California Scholastic Federation and Black Student Union member worked on Christmas community projects, collecting presents for poor children. She also helped prepare meals for skid row residents. And she tutored other Amat students.

These extra-curricular activities helped her develop as a whole person. And playing sports taught her more than how to make a left-handed jump shot or throw the shot put an extra five feet.

"It showed me how to be a team player," Jones says. "And showed me that I could be independent, because your parents aren't always going to be there to watch your every move. You're going to have to make rational decisions on your own.

"The rest of your life you're going to be a team player, whether you're married or working in a job with coworkers," the student-athlete adds. "You're always going to be part of a team."