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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Fast Break

Junior hockey

NHL ranks Cowen No. 1

Spokane Chiefs defenseman Jared Cowen leads the NHL Central Scouting rankings of draft-eligible skaters from the Western Hockey League in its preliminary rankings for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

The 6-foot-5 defenseman is in his second season as a Chief. He was the first overall selection in the 2006 WHL Bantam draft and was the rookie of the year last season.

Tuesday’s release ranked the top 25 skaters and the best goalies in the Ontario Hockey League, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the WHL. Also, the top European prospects were rated by country, and NCAA players were ranked by league.

“Cowen has an offensive upside to him as well as size,” said NHL Central Scouting Director E.J. McGuire. “I really think the combination of them both is why right now, in mid-November, why he (Cowen) is a notch ahead of (Vancouver’s) Evander Kane.”

Running

Bloomsday adds money incentive

The Lilac Bloomsday Run has added a $20,000 purse for United States citizens who finish in the top 25 at the 33rd running of the 12-kilometer race May 3, 2009.

The additional prize money brings the Bloomsday total – including open, masters, wheelchairs, and U.S. – to more than $93,000, one of the largest purses in the country for a non-marathon road race.

“We’re hopeful the American purse will draw top U.S. runners to Spokane and show that they can compete with the world’s best,” said Bloomsday elite athlete coordinator Jon Neill.

The U.S. citizen purse replaces Bloomsday’s policy of doubling prize money payouts for U.S. citizens, which has been in effect since 1997. Under the new system, the top U.S. male and female will each receive $5,000 plus any prize money due for their finish in the open division.

If a U.S. runner wins Bloomsday, he or she will receive $12,000, which includes both the open prize of $7,000 and the U.S. prize of $5,000.

The second through fifth U.S. runners will receive $2,500, $1,250, $750 and $500, in addition to any open prize money due, assuming they finish in the top 25 overall.