Spokane’s Prugh qualifies for U.S. Open
Spokane’s Alex Prugh is headed to next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh.
The Ferris High School graduate and University of Washington product fired rounds of 71 and 69 in an Open sectional qualifying tournament Monday at Gold Mountain’s Olympic Course in Gorst, Wash., to earn a three-stroke victory over Canada’s Ryan Zylstra.
“It means a lot,” said Prugh, 22, the only one in the 20-player field to shoot two sub-par rounds. “A major championship is a major championship.”
Zylstra had a one-stroke lead after the morning round.
Track and field
Mead’s Nikki Codd became the fourth-fastest Washington high school female 800 meter runner with her record performance during last weekend’s Brooks Meet of Champions track meet.
The meet, at King’s High School’s Woolsey Stadium, pitted top Washington men’s and women’s high school track and field athletes against counterparts from Oregon.
Washington girls won 405-263 and the boys won 404.5-247.5.
Codd, who will continue her career at Northern Arizona, won the 800 at 2 minutes, 7.51 seconds.
It is the 11th fastest time by a Washington prep runner, behind Rogers Becca Noble (who has four faster marks, including a state best 2:03.73 set in 2005), Issaquah’s Deanna Coleman (four faster times) and Eisenhower’s Cheryl Roulier (three). The latter two competed during the 1970s.
Codd anchored Mead’s 1,600 relay meet record setting 3:51.93 win. Other team members are Alexa Banaugh, Taylor Cook and Jazmine Redmon. Cook, Redmon, Andrea Silver and Amanda Dahlstrom were third in the 400 relay at 48.93.
Several other Spokane-area athletes helped Washington to team titles during the meet.
Among them were Ferris’ Kelly McNamee who beat Saxons teammate Kelsey Adams 5-foot-8 to 5-7 in the women’s high jump and was third at 15.29 in the 100 meter hurdles.
Colville’s David Musson threw a meet record 211-9 in the men’s javelin, an inch of his new implement state record, and Chewelah’s Erin Smith won the women’s long jump at 18-1 ¾.
Newport’s Adam Walden was second at 14.86 in the 110 high hurdles and fourth in the 300 intermediates.
Mead’s Ashley Hutchinson finished second 2 1/2 inches ahead of Ferris’ third-placer Tanya Romanchuk in the shot put with a 40-8 ½ throw and was third in the discus at 127-5.
Ferris’ David Hickerson ran 4:16.54 for second at 1,600 meters, North Central’s Justin Brayton was third at 6-6 in the high jump and Central Valley’s Tylor Thatcher finished third at 3,200 meters.
•Idaho Vandals junior pole vaulter Melinda Owen has withdrawn from the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships because of a foot injury suffered during the NCAA West Regional meet.
Owen broke a bone in her foot while warming up and still managed to tie for eighth place.
Hockey
Spokane Chiefs captain Adam Hobson has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks.
Hobson was Chicago’s seventh-round choice in the 2005 entry draft.
Men’s basketball
Washington State University’s Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver have accepted invitations to participate in the USA Basketball Men’s American Games Team Trials.
The Cougars guards are among 30 collegians vying for 12 spots on the roster of the 2007 USA Pan American team. Tryouts will be held July 12-14 in Haverford, Pa.
Women’s rowing
Gonzaga University’s Kelly Steinhaus is one of 30 rowers invited to participate in the U-23 National Team tryouts from June 4-30. The tryouts begin in Charlottesville, Va., before heading to Princeton, N.J., on June 19.
Teammate Liz Moore was invited to attend the National Team Freshman Camp from June 18-24 in Madison, Wis.
Football
University of Idaho linebacker David Vobora and cornerback Stanley Franks earned preseason all-conference recognition by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook.
The two seniors were all-Western Athletic Conference first-team selections in 2006.