Howell breaks Bucs’ 42-year-old record

Whitworth’s Brandon Howell broke a 42-year-old Pirates record while winning the 800-meter run Saturday at the Sam Adams Classic at Boppell Track in the Whitworth Pine Bowl.

Howell won the 800 in 1 minute, 51.34 seconds, breaking the record of 1:51.44 set by Loren McKnight in 1965.

Other highlights included Eastern Washington’s Steve Keith sweeping the 100 (11.10) and 200 (22.72). CC Spokane’s Kurt Williams (first, long jump, 21-2 3/4) and Dave Howard (first, shot put, 49-7 1/4) were also victorious.

On the women’s side, EWU’s Crystal Williams won the 100 (12.87) and Whitworth’s Emily Hurd took the 1,500 (4:56.20).

•Western Washington senior Chad Portwood (Cheney High) posted a national provisional qualifying time of 31:08.52 in the men’s 10,000 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.

Portwood’s time was eighth-best in school history.

•Four Washington State track and field members improved their NCAA Regional Qualifying marks at the Rafer Johnson/Jackie Joyner-Kersee Invitational at UCLA’s Drake Stadium.

Robert Williams (first, 110 high hurdles, 14.11), Jessica Zita (fourth, shot put, 48-4), McKenzie Garberg (fourth, discus, 164-11) and Catie Schuetzle (fifth, triple jump, 40-11.75) all improved their NCAA Regional Qualifying marks.

Baseball

Tommy Medica went 3 for 4 with two runs as Santa Clara (18-18, 5-3) topped Gonzaga 5-3 in a West Coast Conference game at Schott Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Shadle Park graduate Brandon Harmon took the loss for GU (22-17, 5-3) after allowing five runs on nine hits in seven innings.

•Eric Sogard and Andrew Romine each went 3 for 3 as Arizona State (28-10, 9-2) edged visiting Washington State 4-3 in a Pac-10 Conference game at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.

Jeff Miller hit a solo homer to lead WSU (16-16, 1-7).

•Whitworth (11-18, 8-9) scored three runs in the first and coasted to a 9-6 win over host Puget Sound in the first game of a Northwest Conference doubleheader at Logger Field in Tacoma.

Ryan Webb hit a solo homer and J.J. Jones added a two-run single for the Pirates.

In the second game, Whitworth stranded 10 runners and fell 5-3. Shaun Kiriu went 2 for 3 with two runs to lead the Loggers (13-16-1, 12-8).

•CC Spokane swept Blue Mountain (6-12, 0-12) in a NWAACC doubleheader.

Cole Janini went 4 for 6 with two RBIs as the Sasquatch won the first game 7-3.

In the second game, Cody Brubaker hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Tommy Barlow went 4 for 5 with two RBIs as CCS (17-12, 7-4) won 15-1.

Softball

CC Spokane split a NWAACC doubleheader with Wenatchee Valley. Laurel Wyatt and Ramzy York each homered as the Knights (21-8, 10-6) won the first game 9-6.

In the second game, Jackie Purser hit a three-run home run in the first and the Sasquatch (12-14, 8-8) won 11-10. Mellisa Peiphoff hit an RBI-single in the seventh to break a 10-all tie.

•Ninth-ranked Whitworth swept Lewis & Clark (4-26, 2-18) in a Northwest Conference doubleheader in Portland.

In the opener, Jessie LaPlante hit a three-run home run in the fourth and Whitworth won 11-8. LaPlante (13-0) also picked up the win for the Pirates. In the second game, Amber Fowler hit two homers, leading Whitworth (23-3, 18-0) to a 12-0 rout in five innings.

Heather Case (7-2) picked up the win after allowing two hits in the complete game.

•Dena Tyson went 2 for 3, including a solo homer in the seventh, as No. 12 Washington (27-10, 4-3) topped No. 16 Oregon State (32-13, 4-3) 3-1 at the OSU Softball Complex in Corvallis, Ore.

Rowing

Gonzaga’s men earned a victory over UC Davis in its first race of the day before falling to Washington in their second race at the fifth annual Windermere Real Estate Rowing Classic on Redwood Shores Lagoon in Redwood City, Calif. The Washington State women’s varsity 4 posted victories over Central Florida and Tennessee.