Fast Break
Wrestling
Owen receives all-star invites
University High wrestler Brian Owen joined select company after being invited to compete in two prestigious national all-star tournaments.
Owen will wrestle in the 34th Dapper Dan Classic in Pittsburgh on March 15, pitting national all-stars against Pennsylvania state champions. He’s also been chosen for the Wrestling USA Magazine/Cliff Keen Athletic Dream Team Classic, which will be in Iowa in April.
One other Greater Spokane League wrestler, Travis Pacoe in 2000, was selected to compete in both. Jared Lawrence from Sandpoint also competed at both in 1998.
U-Hi coach Don Owen calls it the equivalent of being selected a McDonald’s All-American in basketball.
“Brian is wrestling at a level that has surpassed any I’ve seen in the GSL,” said Owen of his nephew, who has been untouchable. “Maybe I’m prejudicial, but he’s so dominating this year.”
Owen is ranked third nationally at 125 pounds on HSWrestling.net.
College baseball
Gonzaga picked fifth in WCC
West Coast Conference baseball coaches picked San Diego to repeat as conference champion in the preseason poll, but dropped Gonzaga, last year’s runner-up, to No. 5.
The Toreros, who have been ranked as high as No. 5 in the national preseason polls, received 49 points in voting by the coaches.
Pepperdine was picked second with 42 points, followed by Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga, San Francisco, Portland and Saint Mary’s.
Gonzaga, which fell to San Diego in the WCC championship series after posting a second-place conference finish last year, narrowly missed out on postseason selection after notching a 33-25 overall mark. The Zags return a pair of first team All-WCC selections in senior outfielder Shawn Wayt (.341) and junior first baseman Ryan Wiegand, who batted .338 with a team-high 45 RBIs a year ago.
NBA
Sonics trial set for June 16
A judge on Tuesday scheduled the Seattle SuperSonics’ bid to break its lease with the city to go to trial in June.
Judge Marsha Pechman’s decision to set the trial for June 16 effectively split the timeline between the Sonics’ request for a March trial and the city’s request for the matter to be resolved in October.
SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett has asked the NBA for permission to relocate the team to his hometown of Oklahoma City, and the team wants to expedite the process so the move could take place prior to next season.
The city of Seattle requested an October trial date to perform extra depositions, but waiting that late would have jeopardized the team’s ability to move during the off-season.