WSU’s Payne Becomes All-Star On Soccer Field, In Classroom

Jody Payne led the Washington State women’s soccer team in scoring, but the senior forward from Albuquerque, N.M., enjoyed perhaps her biggest week after the 1996 season ended.

Payne was named to both the All-Pacific-10 Conference first team and the All-Academic team last week.

It’s the third time she’s been a first-team All-Academic selection, the first WSU women’s soccer player to accomplish that feat. She also was a second-team pick as a sophomore. She has a 3.81 grade-point average in exercise studies.

Payne, who scored four goals, was joined on the first all-star team by senior Tari Beck. “It’s a great way for Tari and Jody to end their careers,” WSU coach Lisa Gozley said of the co-captains.

Sophomore Jessica Glazer was a second-team pick.

Four other Cougars earned academic recognition: Junior midfielder Shalli DeWitt (3.28 GPA in biology and education) and senior marking back Colleen Loughlin (3.35, biology and education) were second-team picks and sophomores Amy Chippendale (3.15, education) and Randi Glas (3.26) were honorable mention.

Baseball

Lake Gradishar, a middle infielder from Pueblo South High School in Pueblo, Colo., has signed a letter-of-intent to attend Gonzaga University next fall, Bulldogs’ head coach Steve Hertz announced.

The 5-10, 165-pounder hit .438 with 37 RBI as a junior last spring.

Bicycling

Rick Hoover of Spokane, a freshman at University High School, placed eighth in his age group (15-18) in the American Bicycle Association’s national BMX championships during Thanksgiving weekend in Oklahoma City.

It was the first year Hoover, 15, rode in BMX competition. Because there is no track locally, he had to travel to Seattle two or three times a month to race.

College scene

Community Colleges of Spokane had seven men and eight women named to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community College’s All-Northern Division soccer teams.

The NWAACC men’s champion Sasquatch were led by midfielder Chad Brown of Central Valley, who was named the tournament most valuable player.

Other CCS men, with high schools: Forwards-Brett Fink, Coeur d’Alene; Paul Johnson, North Central; and Kevin Mosher, Shadle Park. Midfield-Adam Tajan, Sandpoint. Defense-Andrew Bruno, Walla Walla and Ryan Massey, University.

The CCS women finished fourth in their conference tournament. Sasquatch all-stars are: Forwards-Katie Snow, West Valley and Holly Vanwert, Mead. Midfield

Danae Anderson, Riverside; Kerri Stockwell, Mead; and Megan Troy, Mead. Defense-Jen Barrett, CV and Heidi Simmons, Northwest Christian. Goalkeeper-Kami McGowan, NC.

All the CCS players were to compete in the NWAACC All-Star Game on Saturday in Federal Way, Wash.

Gonzaga University student-athletes named to the WCC fall all-academic teams: (Volleyball) Christine Kubista, Sr., 3.27, physical education; (cross country) Beth Mulligan, Jr., 3.53, biology; Liz Gustorf, Sr., 3.51, mathematics; Carrie Lemieux, So., 3.48, exercise science; Cheska Fairbanks, So., 3.31, undeclared; Shane Litzenberger, So., 3.62, undeclared; Jesse Sampson, Sr., 3.68, art; Mark Van Loan, Sr., 3.61, biology; (men’s soccer) Simeon Enemuo, Sr., 3.74, philosophy.

It took Jake Schmidt three years to break into the Muhlenberg College men’s soccer lineup, but the goalkeeper from Spokane (Mead) has left his mark at the Allentown, Pa., school.

Schmidt, the only senior for the Mules and a co-captain, compiled a 0.65 goals-against average in leading Muhlenberg (11-5-4) into the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. In the process, he posted a Centennial Conference-record 0.13 goals-against average, allowing just one goal in nine games - and that was an own-goal. He also had a conference-record .971 save percentage in earning first-team all-conference.

The 6-foot-4 Schmidt had given an indication of things to come when he played seven games in 1995 when the starter was injured, and played well enough to earn all-conference honorable mention.

Schmidt, who has a 3.706 grade-point average in economics, has made the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll the last two years and was a regional Academic All-American last year.

Washington State had seven runners named to Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic cross country teams, including senior Marilyn Moberly of Cheney and Kristin Liebich to the women’s first team.

Moberly, on the second team the last two years, has a 4.0 GPA. Liebich is 3.94 in human nutrition/food science.

Second-team picks were junior Kimberly Schmolka (3.60, social studies) on the women’s team and junior David Jungk (3.66, material science and engineering) on the men’s.

Sophomore Joanne Hunsinger of Fairchild AFB and senior Dana Pevovar were women’s honorable mention.

Two St. George’s graduates, sophomore Chris Peterson and freshman Dawn Trowbridge, are members of the Middlebury women’s basketball team. Peterson also plays on the women’s soccer team at the Vermont school.

Volleyball

For a third straight year, Spokane referee Dale Goodwin is officiating in the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball tournament.

Goodwin, in his 16th year as a volleyball official, worked the Washington-Texas match Wednesday in Seattle and today’s Washington State-Kansas State match in Pullman.

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