Prep notebook: Region favored at Blair basketball classic
For the first time in the 17-year history of the Jack Blair Memorial Girls Basketball Classic, the Region team will be favored over the Metro.
The Region broke through last year, winning for the first time.
“This is by far the best Region team ever,” game founder and Spokane Stars director Ron Adams said.
The Metro team is comprised of first- and second-team Greater Spokane League players along with a couple of honorable mention selections. The Region team features the top players from North Idaho and greater Eastern Washington.
This year’s game is June 7 at University High School, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Headlining the Metro team is two-time GSL most valuable player Jazmine Redmon of Mead. Redmon, a senior who has signed with Gonzaga University, led Mead to the State 4A championship game. She was named MVP in the recent Oregon-Washington all-star game.
Joining Redmon on the Metro team are sophomore guard Brooke Gallaway, senior guard Kelsey Matthews and senior forward Loree Hill of Central Valley; junior guard Tia Presley and sophomore guard Lindsay Stockton of Gonzaga Prep; senior guard Zoe Scott of U-Hi; sophomore forward Aleisha Hathaway of Shadle Park; sophomore guard Devyn Galland and junior forward Hayley Hendricksen of Lewis and Clark; junior guard Taylor Ingrebitsen of Mead; junior guard Riley Holsinger of North Central; and senior guard Jenni White of East Valley. Coaching the Metro are Freddie Rehkow of CV, Gabe Medrano of NC and Regan Drew of Mead.
Headlining the Region team is Hofstra-bound Katelyn Loper, a senior guard/wing from Post Falls. Loper was selected as the 5A Inland Empire League’s player of the year.
Joining Loper on the Region team are senior forward Dayna Drager, junior post Carli Rosenthal and freshman forward Kendalyn Brainard of Coeur d’Alene; junior guard Jordan Loera of Moses Lake, who is considering scholarship offers from four Pac-10 teams; junior guard Shaniqua Nilles and junior forward Hannah Love of West Valley; junior guard Sydney Butler of Lake City; junior post Shelby Cheslek of Pullman, who has made an oral commitment to Gonzaga; junior guard Taylor Mackenzie of Freeman; junior guard Lexie Zappone of Lakeside (Nine Mile); and senior guard Katelyn Maley of Rosalia. Coaching the Region is Dale Poffenroth of CdA.
Track meet
The Inland Empire League championships will be decided today at Lake City. The meet begins with field events at 2 p.m. and running finals at 2:30.
Coeur d’Alene’s girls are favored and the CdA and Lake City boys will battle for a team title.
Tennis tourney
The Inland Empire Championships, the nation’s longest-running high school tennis tournament, according to the organizers, will be held Friday and Saturday for the 65th year with 47 teams and 620 players competing in 10 events.
Play begins at 9 a.m. Friday at nine sites.
The girls No. 1 singles are at Mt. Spokane; the girls No. 2 singles are at Gonzaga Prep; the girls No. 1 doubles are at Mead; the girls No. 2 doubles are at Rogers; the boys No. 1 singles are at U-Hi; the boys No. 2 singles are at Ferris; the boys No. 1 doubles are at Central Valley; the boys No. 2 doubles are at Hart Field; and the mixed No. 1 and No. 2 teams are at East Valley.
The top girls seed is Slovakian exchange student Karin Chymcakova of North Central and the No. 1 boys seed is Ethan Vaughn of Mead.
Semifinals and finals are at Mead beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.