Spokane’s Paton Honored For Contribution To Youth Sports

Jim Paton of Spokane, whose involvement in sports has reached to Russia, has been named to receive Washington’s 1995 SGMA HEROES award for his dedication and volunteer work in youth sports.

The award is given in partnership between the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association to those who have made an exceptional and lasting contribution to sports.

Paton, 52, was a high school teacher and baseball coach for 25 years before retiring from those positions at Rogers because of Parkinson’s disease. But he remains active in youth sports, particularly American Legion baseball, and youth baseball camps.

During his years as a coach, Paton was instrumental in creating the all-star feeder series that allow high school players to play their way on to state all-star teams. He says one of his biggest honors is having a baseball field in Russia named after him.

Paton, who will receive a $100 cash award and a $400 donation to a local sports program, is eligible for one of three SGMA HEROES national awards. Winners will be announced Feb. 5 in Atlanta.

Baseball

The Spokane Tigers all-star team wound up third out of 80 teams in the 30-and-over National Championships last weekend in Phoenix.

Spokane won its pool with a 5-1 record and its first game in the medal round, but lost 5-3 to Riverside, Calif., which went on to win its second straight championship.

The Tigers, who finished with a 6-2 record, placed left-fielder Mike Smith on the all-tournament team with a .518 batting average and 13 RBIs.

Other key contributors were catcher Scott Malone (.348), utilityman Shawn Mackin (2-0 as pitcher, .392), right fielder Paul Sorensen (.392, eight stolen bases), first baseman Steve McDonald (.355) and pitcher Jim Olsen (2-0, .400).

Basketball

Registration for the high school intramural AAU program for 9th-10th- and 11th-12th-grade boys and girls teams is due Monday, except for those trying out for high school teams. Their registration is due Nov. 27.

Info: (509) 927-9167.

Boxing

The Inland Northwest Sub-Novice Tournament, for boxers with five bouts or less, will be Saturday and Sunday at the Spokane Karate Center, 1818 E. Sprague.

Boxers from throughout the Northwest and Canada are expected. Weigh-in and physicals begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. Elimination bouts begin at 1 and 7 p.m. Finals begin Sunday at noon.

Info: Dan Vassar, (509) 928-6584.

Racquetball

Two men from the Spokane Club had a golden experience at the ninth annual Huntsman World Senior Games last month in St. George, Utah.

Bernie Goble of Spokane compiled a 6-0 record, winning 17 of the 18 games he played, to win the gold medal in the men’s 70-75-year-old singles division.

George Sherman of Worley, Idaho, had a 7-0 record and beat the country’s No. 2 ranked player en route to winning the men’s 60-65 division.

And together, they won the men’s 60-65 doubles.

The victories earned the two, who earlier in the summer had similar success in the Idaho state championships, berths in the U.S. Senior Olympics in 1997 in Texas.

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