In brief: Eagles left out of football playoffs

Eagles left out of football playoffs

Football: Eastern Washington will not successfully defend the national championship it won last year.

The selection committee for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs made that a certainty Sunday morning when it omitted the Eagles from this year’s playoff field.

Eastern, after blasting Idaho State 45-14 on Saturday, was holding out hope that its 6-5 overall record, which included six wins in its last seven games, might be enough to at least pique the selection committee’s interest.

Still, the Big Sky earned two playoff berths with Montana (9-2) earning the league’s automatic bid by virtue of Saturday’s win over previously top-ranked Montana State (9-2), which was awarded an at-large berth. (Pairings in Scoreboard, B4)

NC’s Knight top girl at Nike Border Clash

Cross country: Spokane-area runners helped Washington win the boys and girls competitions at the Nike Border Clash in Beaverton, Ore.

North Central junior Katie Knight won the girls race, finishing the 4,387-meter course in 15 minutes, 44 seconds. Washington runners swept the top five spots in the annual showcase of top high school runners from Washington and Oregon. Knight, the state 3A champion, beat Washington teammate Amy-Eloise Neale by 14 seconds. The two have waged a spirited rivalry in high school competitions.

Nathan Weitz of Shadle Park finished third in the boys race in 13:49. Washington runners claimed the first eight positions and 12 of the top 13 spots for a seventh consecutive title.