Five Spokane Track Standouts Qualify For Junior Olympics

Three boys and two girls from Spokane, competing unattached, qualified last weekend in Pullman for the National Junior Olympics track and field championships Tuesday through Sunday this week in Houston, Texas.

Demetrius Scott, who attends Shadle Park High School, won the 200 meters and was second in the 100 and 400 in the regional qualifier to advance in all three events.

Desmond Brown, Shaw Middle School, qualified in the 100 and 200 with seconds; Robby Juan, Shaw, won the high jump.

Melissa Alake, Shadle Park, advanced with a second in the shot put, and Amy Ridings, Shadle Park, was second in the 200 hurdles.

All are 14.

Baseball

The Seattle Mariners will hold a tryout camp in Spokane on July 30 at Ferris High School. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the camp starting at 9.

It’s open to players ages 16-22. Campers should bring their own gear and wear baseball attire. Info: Mariners scout Larry Harper, (415) 593-4277.

Football

Wishing Star Foundation, which will benefit from proceeds from Football Family Frenzy on Aug. 24-25 at Shadle Park, has put out a call for 120 volunteers to try and ensure the 6-on-6 flag football event runs smoothly.

Anyone interested in helping as a referee, scorekeeper or in another job should call Wishing Star at 744-3411. The event, which has divisions for most everyone, including families, corporations and neighborhoods, runs from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. both days.

Hockey

Teams of select 18-and-under hockey players from the United States, Canada, Japan and Finland will compete in the sixth annual Air Canada Pacific Cup in Nelson and Castlegar, British Columbia, Aug. 13-18.

Only Canada and Russia have won the event, being played outside Japan for only the second time.

This year’s event will benefit the Ernie Gare Memorial Scholarship program at Notre Dame University in Nelson. Gare Sr., who died in 1982, was a longtime member of the Notre Dame athletic staff and a senior hockey player whose stops included Spokane.

Teams will play a single round-robin schedule, followed by a medal round. The event attracts scouts from all the NHL teams looking at players in their pre-draft year. Info: (604) 354-1955.

Softball

Sunset Bar/Sports Cellar from Quad Park in Post Falls went 4-0 to capture the Maloney’s slowpitch tournament, a Class B national qualifier, last weekend in Butte, Mont.

Sunset Bar/Sports Cellar defeated T.J.’s Bootleggers of Great Falls, Mont., 19-13 in the title game. Jeff Andrews batted 17 of 24 and John Klingaman went 9 of 10.

Thirty-two of the top 14-and-under girls fastpitch teams in the Northwest, including four from Spokane, will be at Franklin Park July 26-28 for the Region 15 championships.

Games will begin at noon on Friday and 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, with the championship game in mid-afternoon Sunday. At stake is a spot in the Amateur Softball Association national tournament Aug. 8-11 in Midland, Texas.

Miscellany

The fall may be the last thing on people’s mind in mid-July, but associations that provide officials for three fall high school sports are thinking ahead - and in the recruiting mode.

If you’re interested in officiating football, volleyball or soccer, here are the people to contact and first scheduled meetings:

Football-Chic Sale, 924-1936, Aug. 5, 6 p.m., Operating Engineers building, 510 S. Elm. Volleyball- Jack Wilcox, 466-8092, Aug. 18, 6 p.m., Gonzaga University administration building, room 203. Soccer- Cathy Perry, 466-4303, Aug. 29, 6:30 p.m., Lewis and Clark High School, room 110.

, DataTimes