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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Local Coaching Legends Bound For Halls Of Fame

From Staff Reports

Seven coaches with Spokane-area ties - four in track and three in football - will be inducted into Washington high school coaches’ association halls of fame this spring.

Among the 12 charter members to be inducted into the Track & Field Coaches Hall of Fame Thursday night in Tacoma are Howard Dolphin, East Valley and West Valley; the late Art Frey, Lewis and Clark; Tracy Walters, Rogers; and the late Jack Mooberry, Longview, Rogers and Washington State.

The 1995 Washington State Football Coaches Association will induct four at noon June 26 at Cavanaugh’s River Inn in Spokane, including Don Anderson, Gonzaga Prep; Landy James; Mead; and Gene Smith, Reardan.

Dolphin coached for 43 years (1952-95), claiming seven league titles and one state championship. Nineteen of his athletes won state titles. Frey coached LC to 12 city championships and one state title (1962) during a career than spanned 1943-68. Walters coached 10 years at Rogers, earning seven city titles and spawning the international career of Gerry Lindgren. Mooberry coached at WSU for 28 years after a dozen years at Rogers.

Ceremonies will be at 7:30 p.m. at Days Inn on Tacoma Mall Blvd. as part of Star Track in Tacoma.

Others in the inaugural track shrine are: Mitch Angelel, Thorp and Cle Elum; Bill Brickert, Cle Elum, Shelton, Capital; Bob Dorr, Bellingham; John Eagle, Fort Vancouver; Art Sutton, Clover Park and Yakima-area schools; Noble Moodhe, Wenatchee; Dan Watson, Lincoln-Tacoma; and Lowell Wiggins, Highline.

Anderson is still coaching at G-Prep, where he’s been since 1973. He has compiled a 252-52-4 record with two State AAA titles from five Kingbowl appearances. James, who started at La Conner, was 101-29 in 13 years at Mead, winning nine league championships. Smith was a head coach for 24 years in football and basketball, compiling a 137-77-5 football record with one state championship from two Kingbowl appearances.

Joining them in the football shrine will be Dick Clark, Queen Anne of Seattle.

The football induction will be held in conjunction with the East-West Shrine Game, scheduled in Spokane June 30. Banquet tickets are $12. Info: (509) 326-5577.

AWARDS

The Inland Northwest Hall of Fame is accepting nominations.

Anyone wishing to do so should send their nomination to committee chairman Jon Heimbigner, Greater Spokane Sports Association, W1020 Riverside, Spokane 99210.

There are three categories in the hall: athlete, coach and contributor. Athletes and coaches must be retired for two years to be eligible. The nomination deadline is June 5.

The Hall of Fame is moving to the new Veterans Arena in September. There are 92 members in the Hall of Fame.

Community Colleges of Spokane will honor its spring sports athletes at an awards banquet June 7 in the Lair at Spokane Community College. A social at 5:30 p.m. will precede dinner at 6.

Honored will be those who competed in golf, tennis, track, baseball and softball.

For reservations and ticket information contact Mary Rivera at SCC, (509) 533-7230, or Nancy Zacher at Spokane Falls, (509) 533-3630, no later than June 1.

BASEBALL

The Spokane Indians and Seafirst Bank are teaming up again for the second annual free youth camp at Seafirst Stadium in August for youngsters ages 8-12.

There will be four two-day sessions - two each on Aug. 7-8 and Aug. 19-20 - with the camp limited to the first 100 to sign up for each session. Besides instruction from Indians players and coaches, the youngsters will receive a free T-shirt, a meal after each session and two general admission tickets to the Indians’ Aug. 20 home game against Eugene.

Info: Ripper Hatch, (509) 535-2922.

COLLEGE SCENE

CCS dominated the Northern Division all-star team in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges softball selections.

Six of the 13 first-teamers are from CCS Dani Fine, second base; Carla Coffield, third base; Carrie Morris, outfield; Amy Flaa, designated hitter; Julie Fountain, utility; and Deanna Fountain, pitcher.

On the second team are: Juline Parry, first base, and Tanya Palmer, shortstop.

Kenny Eilmes, a shortstop from Spokane (Central Valley), and Greg Kaatz, a second baseman from Curlew, are among the Eastern Oregon State College baseball player selected to the Cascade Conference all-league team. Both are seniors.

Kaatz had a hand in two school records, for most runs (47) and most times hit by a pitch (12, shared) as the Mountaineers went 21-21-1 and tied for third place in the conference with a 13-10 record.

James Johnson of Spokane (St. George’s), a sophomore at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, broke his school 10,000-meter record with a time of 30 minutes, 52.46 seconds in finishing third in the open division at the New England Championships last weekend. His old mark was 31:10.7, set earlier this season.

Johnson, 32nd out of 184 runners in the NCAA Division III cross country championships in the fall, has qualified for a second straight Division III outdoor track meet in the 10,000. The meet is Wednesday through Saturday in Minnesota.

Michael Craven of Spokane (Ferris) is a freshman midfielder on the Whitman College men’s lacrosse team that won the Pacific Northwest Lacrosse Association College Division championship. Craven was on the Missionaries’ national champion ski team last winter.

FOOTBALL

Gary Hughes, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound linebacker from Curlew High, has signed a letter of intent to attend Western Montana and play football for the Bulldogs of the NAIA Frontier Conference.

Besides playing linebacker, from which he led Curlew in tackles, Hughes was named the team MVP and made all-state. He rushed for 1,150 yards in six games.

GYMNASTICS

Spokane Elite Gymnastics had two top-10 finishers in the Level 9 regional championships in Seattle.

Brooke Bishop was sixth in floor exercise in the 12-13-year-old group with a 9.15 and Tara Hulbert was eighth on both bars and beam among 14-15 year olds.

Alisa Brandle of Spokane Elite was 10th in floor exercise in the Level 8 state meet.

SOCCER

One hundred teams and 1,600-1,700 athletes are expected in Coeur d’Alene during Memorial Day weekend for the 1995 Idaho Youth Soccer Association State Cup Tournament.

Gold Division teams from throughout the state will compete for spots in the Far West Regionals later this summer in Boise. This is the first time the State Cup event has been held outside the Boise area.

Preliminary matches Saturday and next Sunday will lead to championship matches May 29.

Miscellany

MISCELLANY

Kelly Richards has been hired by the University of Idaho to head up its Vandal Boosters’ office in Coeur d’Alene. She replaces Chris Zenner, who moved from the Coeur d’Alene office to the regional office in Boise.

Richards is a 1991 UI graduate, who earned her master’s degree from Gonzaga in 1993.

Coeur d’Alene high schools will hold a sports physical night Monday for next year’s athletes.

All incoming freshman at Coeur d’Alene and Lake City and all juniors-to-be are welcome to take advantage of the physical opportunity. Also, those who anticipate turning out for athletics for the first time may attend.

Cost is $10. Those planning to attend are asked to call their respective high schools (Marsha at LC, (208) 769-0769; Irene at CdA, (208) 667-4507) and preregister.

Local doctors will begin giving physicals at 6 p.m.

Registration will begin next week for Coeur d’Alene Junior Tackle for football players who will be in the seventh and eighth grades next school year.

Players may register Monday at Lakes Middle School or Wednesday at Canfield Middle School. Registration begins at 7 both nights.

Cost is $50. Parents must accompany their children.

Info: Van Troxel, (208) 664-1144, evenings.

MEMO: Cut in the Spokane edition.

Cut in the Spokane edition.