Nc Shot Putter Tosses His Way To Regional Competition

Until two years ago, Brett Jordan hadn’t lifted a shot.

Last year he wasn’t particularly good at putting it.

This year, North Central’s 280-pound junior is very good indeed.

His personal best 54-foot toss for second in the Taco Time/GSL District 8 track meet last weekend was three feet farther than he had thrown before and a whopping 9-foot improvement over last year.

“It’s the wrong week,” Jordan mused after his toss. “I’m supposed to do that (this) week.”

If he duplicates his performance in Richland during Friday and Saturday’s regional meet, there’s a chance Jordan will qualify for state.

He’s one of the nearly 80 Greater Spokane League North Side athletes who qualified for regionals. Twothirds of them are from Mead High.

Twenty-five Panther boys are spread among all 17 events, including champions Matt Sturm in two sprints, D.J. Miller in both horizontal jumps, Jim Hughbanks in the 400, Beau Chandler, whose 204-9 throw won the javelin, and the 4x100 relay team.

Seventeen Panther girls are represented in 13 of 14 individual events, and Mead has teams in all three relays.

Included are double hurdles winner Autumn Wood, javelin thrower Allison Beatty, high jumper Emily Williams, sprinter Jen Dunford and two winning relay teams.

NC sends seven boys and four girls plus members of the girls 4x200 relay team. Shadle Park sends six boys and eight girls plus its 4x200 relay team. Rogers has six entrants, including double-qualifiers Shaun McMackin, Nathan Smith and Kelly Hughes.

NC shot putter Jordan transferred from Cheney to North Central last year as a sophomore.

“I’d played baseball all my life,” he said. “They asked me to come out (for track) and said I might be good at it.”

The season was more learning experience than productive.

“It was a bummer until the end,” he said. “I didn’t even make districts.”

He turned out to be a quick study.

Mead makes do with hits

Mead’s baseball team had only four hits but made them count during a critical 5-4 playoff victory over University in Greater Spokane League district baseball last week.

The Panthers had only four hits in the game but they included Matt Armitage’s misplayed two-run double in the first inning and John Barneson’s two-run triple in the fifth.

Armitage had Mead’s only hit until the fifth inning when number nine hitter Jarrett Robbins singled and Sam Hess followed with an infield hit.

A batter later, Barneson’s blow to left-centerfield won the game for the Panthers.

Next day they outlasted Gonzaga Prep 9-7, Armitage and Barneson with two each of Mead’s 11 hits.

But the Panthers, despite getting several days rest because of rain, were beaten Tuesday on a three-run seventh inning by Central Valley and their season came to an end.

Deja vu all over again

During a district playoff that mirrored last season, Mead and North Central advanced once more to regional softball tournament.

This weekend’s playoff with four teams from the Big Nine is at Franklin Park.

Although the outcome was much closer, like last year the Panthers beat NC, 3-2, to reach the tournament final. The Indians had advanced by eliminating Rogers 4-0.

Also like last year, NC played University, weather permitting, for third and fourth regional seeds. Mead and Central Valley, which beat the Panthers twice during regular season, met for first and second.

Third year for tennis league

The National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) is beginning its third season for interested youth between the ages of 8 and 17.

Last year 100 youngsters partook of the training and competition in the NJTL, which was founded by the late Arthur Ashe to promote a lifetime interest in tennis.

The program at Mission Park, Mission and Perry, begins with a kickoff party on June 11 at 7 p.m.

Sessions are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays June 18 through July 25, at 8 a.m. for 8-10 year olds, 9 a.m. for 11-13 year olds and 10 a.m. for 14-17 year olds.

Basic skills, strategy and inter-team play will be conducted on the respective days.

Registration fee is $32 for ages 8-13 and $44 for ages 14-17, made payable to the Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, Class RegistrationTennis League, Seventh Floor, City Hall, Spokane 99201-3317.

All participants will receive a T-shirt and will be provided a racquet if needed.

Pony baseball team wins Slugfest

The Woodard Construction White Sox repeated last weekend as the Spokane Pony Baseball Slugfest Tournament champions.

The White Sox defeated three previously unbeaten teams during the 18-team tournament while defending their title.

Derek Sowards pitched 11 scoreless innings for the Ken Kirsch, Jamie Almquist and Dean Sowards coached team.

Other players are Greg Smith, Josh Dvorak, Brad Kirsch, Ryan Carlson, Tyler Stevenson, Travis Kindig, Adam Morrison, Kevin Cooley, Jamie Almquist and Nick Stewart.

, DataTimes