Klug Earns Gymnastics Scholarship From UW

Mandi Klug of Clarkston, a Level 10 competitor with Northwest Gymnastics Academy of Spokane, has accepted a scholarship to compete at the University of Washington, the NWGA announced.

Klug, a senior at Clarkston High, lives in Spokane during the summer, but during the school year makes the 120-mile commute on weekends to train.

She reportedly chose UW over several schools to remain close to her family. A brother attends Western Washington in Bellingham.

Klug will become the sixth NWGA member to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school. Others are Shelly Bartlett (Nebraska), Stacie Bain (UW), Kathy Klubben (Seattle Pacific), Vickie Moody (Seattle Pacific) and Ericka Harrison (Southeast Missouri State).

Basketball

Thursday’s non-conference women’s game between Gonzaga University and Idaho has been changed to a 2 p.m. tipoff at Martin Centre on the GU campus.

The game was originally scheduled for 7 p.m.

The game will benefit the Spokane Food Bank. Gonzaga coach Kellee Barney and Idaho coach Julie Holt are both expectant mothers. Fans bringing two jars of baby food will be admitted free.

Barney and husband Michael are expecting their first child next spring. Holt and husband Nick are expecting their second child in late February.

College scene

Shad Nichols of Spokane (Ferris), a junior linebacker at Principia College in Elsah, Ill., earned first-team football honors in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

He is majoring in sports management at the private liberal arts school in southern Illinois, 45 minutes from St. Louis.

Racquetball

Erin Brannigan, 18, from Sagle, Idaho, who attends Sandpoint High School, made it to the semifinals in singles and the finals in doubles at the International Racquetball Federation Junior World Championships in Fountain Valley, Calif., last week.

Brannigan lost in the 18-and-under singles semis 12-15, 15-8, 11-5 to Richie Wagner of Huntington Beach, Calif. In doubles, he and his partner fell to Jorge Trevino and Ignacio Bustillo of Mexico 15-13, 15-12.

The U.S. won the team competition.

Skiing

Once again, Jimmie Heuga’s Toyota Ski Express fund-raiser for multiple sclerosis is including Schweitzer Mountain on its itinerary for its 11th year.

This season’s stop will be Feb. 1.

Skiers of all ages and abilities form three-person teams and raise donations for the Jimmie Heuga Center in Edwards, Colo., then participate in a day of skiing - a downhill marathon and a dual giant slalom. Top teams based on fund-raising and skiing can qualify for the finals April 9-13 in Vail, Colo. Schweitzer entries have fared well.

Susie Luby, a former six-year member of the U.S. Ski Team, heads up the Schweitzer event, and another former U.S. Ski Team member, Debbie Armstrong, is slated to be on hand at Schweitzer.

Info: Luby, (509) 455-8600 or Bruce Valentine at the JHC, (800) 367-3101, ext. 279.

Track and field

World-record holders Iouri Sedykh (hammer) and Natalia Lisovskia (shot put) will headline the list of instructors for a field-events specialties clinic March 8-9 at Eastern Washington University.

Others slated to take part include Kevin Carr (discus), Brent Harken (high jump), Dan Liken (pole vault) and Tatiana Gammichia (long and triple jumps).

Cost is $75 before Feb. 15, $90 after that date.

Info: Performance Athletics, 17616 N. Judy Dr., Colbert, WA, 99005.

, DataTimes