Spokane’s Pokorny captures Nordic race

Annie Pokorny of Spokane won the Junior National Championship 10-kilometer classic Nordic ski race last week during the 2010 Cross-Country Junior Olympics at Presque Isle, Maine.

Pokorny, 17, who left Lewis and Clark High School to train in Sun Valley this winter, was first among the nation’s top women skiers ages 16-19 and the only Pacific Northwest skier ranking in the event’s top 25.

Awards

The Greater Spokane League, in conjunction with the National Electrical Contractors Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, announced its winter sports winners of NECA/IBEW GSL Awards for demonstrating superior balance in academics, athletics and community involvement.

The winners by school:

Central Valley – Kelsey Matthews, basketball; Tanner Markham, basketball. East Valley – Jenni White, basketball; Sean Biltoft, wrestling. Ferris – Jason Bates, basketball; Alex Quann, basketball. Gonzaga Prep – Morgan Berriochoa, cheer; Paul Entzminger, wrestling. Lewis and Clark – Elizabeth Skaer, gymnastics; Keghan Caldwell, wrestling. Mead – Jazmine Redmon, basketball; Aaron Dunn, basketball.

Mt. Spokane – Bri Singer, gymnastics; Wyatt Maguire, wrestling. North Central – Tara VanWeerdhuizen, basketball; Tanner Robinson, wrestling. Rogers – Jade Clinkenbeard, basketball; Jake Harkness, wrestling. Shadle Park – Shayle Dezellem, basketball; Taylor Petterson, basketball. University – Zoe Scott, basketball; Kyle Bailey, basketball.

•Community Colleges of Spokane announced the names of five women’s cross country runners who will be inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame at a banquet April 24 at the Red Lion River Inn.

Slated to join a contributor and three teams on the dais will be:

Kari McKay of Almira (1987-89), a member of both women’s cross country teams that will be inducted. She won NWAACC championships in 1987 and ’88 in leading CCS to team titles both years. She also excelled on the track, winning six NWAACC championships in two years.

Susan Volke (1985-87) of Moses Lake, a teammate of McKay’s on the ’87 championship team. She had second- and eighth-place finishes in NWAACC championship meets and was a conference 10,000-meter winner and placer in three other events on the track.

Michelle Ballentine (1980-82) had two top-six cross country finishes and earned key points in three events on the track for 1981 and ’82 CCS conference track champions.

Trish Henderson (1981-83) a NWAACC cross country champion who led CCS to the team title in 1982 after a fourth-place individual finish the year before and was a two-event scorer for the Sasquatch in track both her years.

Para Draine (1991-93) of Rogers won the NWAACC title in 1991 and finished second the next year and also was a key scorer in track at 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Tickets to the banquet cost $25. For information, contact Nancy Zacher at 533-3630 or nancyz@spokanefalls.edu.

Bowling

Once Jesse Covington got started he couldn’t be stopped, rolling to the Junior Bowlers Tour championship at Spare Time Lanes in the Tri-Cities last weekend.

Covington dispatched three opponents en route to the title match, outscoring top-seeded Ryan Harris 244-203 for the title to cap a run that saw him put together a 924 four-game series. Harris had fashioned a 911 to charge from seventh in the match-play qualifying to capture the top spot going into the roll-offs.

Chris Gray, who had the day’s high game, a 268, finished third; Joe Gilmour was fourth and Ryan Gately fifth.

Megan Froman had the top game for the girls, a 201.

The next JBT is March 28 at North Bowl.

College scene

Three players with area ties were named to All-Frontier Conference teams in women’s basketball.

Alysha Green, a Carroll College sophomore from Mead, a second-team choice a year ago, was named to the first team along with Jessie DePell, a Montana Tech senior from Freeman. Kirsi Voshell of Lewis-Clark State, a sophomore from Pullman, was named to the second team.

•Whitworth’s men’s and women’s cross country teams have received U.S. Track & Field Coaches and Cross Country Coaches Association team academic awards.

The Pirates women had the highest cumulative grade-point average of all NCAA Division III schools, a 3.73. The Whitworth men received an all-academic award for their 3.38 GPA.

Cross country

Ruby Roberts, a two-time state cross country champion from Kingston, Wash., has signed a national letter of intent with Washington State, coach Rick Sloan announced.

Roberts was the Washington 2007 and 2009 State 2A champion and also won the 2A title in the 3,200 in the spring of 2008. She finished 18th in the 2009 Footlocker West Regional and has 3.9 GPA.

Soccer

Washington State has signed six players from California and two from British Columbia to national letters of intent, coach Matt Potter announced.

Slated to join the Cougars in the fall are forward Micaela Castain and midfielder Morgan Castain, both Castro Valley, Calif.; goalkeeper Gurveen Clair and forward Katie Turney, both Surrey, B.C.; defender Amanda Heins, San Ramon, Calif.; midfielder Eileen Maes, Oakland, Calif.; forward Danielle Parker, Alta Loma, Calif.; and forward Roslyn Pontius, Hillsborough, Calif.

In addition, defender Delaney Zalud from Mt. Spokane; forward Kerry Moller from Moscow, Idaho; and defender Lindsay Stoll of Seattle have been invited as walk-ons.

Zalud was the Greater Spokane League’s offensive co-most valuable player. Moller was named to the All-North Idaho team and first-team 4A All-Inland Empire League.

Swimming

With six swimmers combining to win 10 events, and five relay teams also placing first, the Spokane Waves Aquatic Team placed third in the Inland Empire Short Course Championships Feb. 26-28 in Ellensburg, the team’s highest placing.

The Waves had two three-event winners – Rachel Millet (100 freestyle, 400 individual medley and 500 free) and Matt Stapleton (50 free, 100 breaststroke and 200 breast). Faith Barr (100 breast), Carlie McGregor (200 IM), Nick Higgins (100 free) and Nate Endebrock (100 free) were also age-group winners.

Relay winners were 12 and under girls 200 medley (Mandi Edlin, Clair Vogelsang, Izzy Madil, Marissa Stapleton); 12 and under girls 200 free (Stapleton, Makenna Endebrock, Edlin, Madil); 14 and under boys 400 medley (Jacob White, Stapleton, Endebrock, Conner Hickey); 14 and under boys free (Endebrock, White, Stapleton, Hickey) and open 400 free (Stephanie Bayless, Taylor McGregor, Carlie McGregor, Millet).

The 38 Waves swam 154 best times and set 22 individual and four relay team records.

Kevin Wang and Kevin Eddy are the coaches.