Award honors Rocha

Kaimi Rocha, Whitworth’s senior outside hitter, became the first volleyball player from the school to win a national weekly honor at the NCAA Division III level when she was selected by D3VB.com as its national player of the week.

Rocha averaged 4.6 kills and 3.7 digs per set as the Pirates (11-0 overall, 6-0 Northwest Conference) knocked off nationally 17th-ranked Puget Sound 3-0 and 20th-ranked Pacific Lutheran 3-1 during the weekend to take a two-game lead in the conference. She averages 3.67 kills per set, which leads the NWC, and 3.35 digs.

College golf

It’s best-ever score for a round at Spokane Country Club, a 3-over-par 291 Monday, propelled the Whitworth men to a five-stroke victory in its own invitational tournament.

The Pirates had a 36-hole total of 11-over 587. Puget Sound was second. North Idaho College finished third with a 594.

Pacific Lutheran sophomore Dustin Hegge was medalist with a 2-under 142. Whitworth’s Christian Boudreau tied for third at 1-over 145.

Taylor Reed of NIC tied for fifth at 147.

• Emily Guthrie of Whitworth finished second for a second straight week, her 12-over-par 156 leading the Pirates to second place in the Whitman Women’s Invitational in Walla Walla that wound up Sunday.

Whitworth’s 658 was 25 shots back of Whitman.

Elaine Whaley of Whitman, a 2010 Gonzaga Prep graduate, had her best collegiate round and tied for fourth at 17-over 161.

Men’s basketball

Gonzaga junior forward Elias Harris has been named to the preseason Top 50 list for the John R. Wooden Award for a second straight season.

He’s the only WCC player on the list.

Arena football

Defensive back Travis Williams, a member of Spokane’s 2010 ArenaBowl championship roster, has been added by the Shock for 2012.

Williams, the 20th player added by the Shock, spent the last two seasons with the CFL’s B.C. Lions.