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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Coaches, media pick Vandals for fifth place

The Idaho Vandals were pegged to finish fifth in the Western Athletic Conference preseason coaches and media men’s basketball polls, released Tuesday.

Last year UI went 18-14 and finished third in the conference, despite being voted eighth in the preseason.

The Vandals’ lone returning starter is senior point guard Deremy Geiger.

Women’s basketball

Big Sky Conference coaches picked Eastern Washington to finish in seventh place in their preseason poll.

The media poll placed the Eagles, who return three starters and six other letterwinners, in sixth place in the nine-team conference. Portland State is favored in both polls.

• WAC coaches and media predicted a seventh-place finish for Idaho in the eight-team conference.

The Vandals lost four starters from a team that earned a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational.

Louisiana Tech took the top spot in both polls.

Men’s golf

Washington State placed 14th among 16 teams at the Alister MacKenzie Invitational at Meadow Club GC in Fairfax, Calif.

Hank Frame (University HS) led the Cougars, tying for ninth at 8-under-par 205, 10 shots back of Oregon’s Eugene Wong.

Oregon and California both finished at 811, but Cal won the tourney with a better third-round score.

Washington State shot 858.

Women’s golf

Gonzaga placed eighth among 13 teams at the Hoosier Fall Invitational at Crooked Stick GC in Carmel, Ind. The Zags finished at 72-over 936, 24 shots behind Eastern Michigan. GU’s Han Wu (230) tied for 18th, 10 shots behind champion Becca Huffer of Notre Dame.

Arena football

The Spokane Shock announced the signing of defensive lineman Pierre Walters (Eastern Illinois) and offensive linemen Thomas Claiborne (Boston College) and Ryan Cave (Hampton University) to their 2012 roster.

Walters played in three regular-season games for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs while serving primarily as a practice squad member the past three seasons.