Rypien, Stocker among Wash. HOF inductees

It’s Uncle Mark’s turn again.

Mark Rypien, whose nephew Brett Rypien is making headlines re-writing Greater Spokane League football passing records for Shadle Park, returns to the spotlight as one of 14 inductees into the Washington State Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday in Seattle.

Rypien and another former Spokane high school standout, Kevin Stocker, are among eight former players who will be joined by five in the coaches/umpires/supporters category in the second class of the Legion hall of fame to be enshrined.

Rypien, a football quarterback, was a three-sport standout at Shadle Park, setting many of the marks his nephew is erasing, before going on to an accomplished football career at Washington State and the NFL. He played 11 seasons in the NFL, six with the Washington Redskins, who he led to the 1991 Super Bowl championship, where he was chosen the game’s MVP. He was also a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

Stocker, a shortstop, went from an All-GSL career at Central Valley to three standout years at the University of Washington, from where he was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the second round in 1991. He played eight seasons in the major leagues, five with the Phillies, and compiled a .254 career batting average.

• Other players to be inducted are Todd Stottlemyre, Yakima; Todd Hollandsworth, Bellevue; Travis Buck, Richland; Mike Campbell, Bellevue; Russ Swan, Kennewick; and Jeremy Bonderman, Pasco.

In the coaches/umpires/supporters category are Bob Garretson, Yakima; Bob Christofferson, Tacoma; Lem Elway, Aberdeen; C. J. Mitchell, Tri-Cities; Todd McDougall, Olympia; and Dick Pangallo, South Park.

Jack Zduriencik, executive vice president and general manager of the Seattle Mariners, will be the guest speaker. Ceremonies will be held at the SeaTac Marriott.

Bowling

Nik Gosselin started hot and stayed hot. Ryan Gately cooled off at the wrong time during the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at River City Lanes in Post Falls on Oct. 6.

Gosselin started his day with a 298 game, missing perfection by two pins, to highlight a 988 series for his first four games.

After some back-and-forth qualifying matches, Gosselin was sitting No. 1 going into the five-person match-play finals, and Gately was fifth.

Gately heated up and proceeded to knock off Garrett Boyce (who finished fifth), Justin Oens (fourth) and Jesse Covington (third) to earn a finals shot at Gosselin, who had been sitting by watching the proceedings. Gosselin stayed hot, Gately didn’t. Gosselin won 204-141.

Grace Martin had the day’s high score for the girls, a 225.

Next JBT is Oct. 27 at Orchard Lanes in Lewiston.

College scene

Jasmine Parker, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward/center at Central Washington from Mead, was a unanimous selection on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball pre-season all-star team after leading the Wildcats in rebounds last season. Parker averaged 6.7 rebounds and 8.3 points.

• Two former area standouts figure to play key roles for the Western Washington women’s basketball team that is rebuilding after the Vikings’ senior-dominated team went 29-4 and advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals last season.

Returning after picking up valuable experience are junior Jenni White, a 5-5 guard from East Valley, who averaged 7.5 points in the last four NCAA tournament contests, and 5-9 sophomore Aleisha Hathaway from Shadle Park, who lettered and averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds.

A player in the regular rotation last year, 6-3 junior center Kayla Bernsen of Moses Lake, will miss the season because of a knee injury suffered this summer.

• Isaac Griffith , a sophomore from Lewis and Clark, helped the Western Washington men post just the fourth perfect score in winning the 40th Viking Classic cross country race last weekend. The Vikings had the top five collegiate finishers in the race, placing fifth through ninth, with Griffith taking ninth with a time 32 minutes, 23 seconds for 10k.

• Elaine Whaley , a Whitman senior from Gonzaga Prep, shot a 54-hole score of 247, finishing with a 7-over 79, to help the Missionaries climb up the leader board and finish seventh among 17 schools in the GolfWeek Fall Preview women’s golf tournament last weekend in Miramar Beach, Fla.

Alyssa Maine, a Whitman sophomore from Freeman, playing as an individual, shot 161 for two days in the event that included several top-20 Division III schools.

Softball

 A dozen individuals “who have played a major role in the growth and development of softball” with the Amateur Softball Association in Spokane, have been inducted as the inaugural class in the new Spokane Metro Softball Hall of Fame.

 Members of the initial class, inducted during a banquet on Sept. 14 at the Elk’s Lodge in Spokane Valley, are Linda Bushinski, Kristi Kuntz, Terry Durland, Gary Ferster, Mike Carlson, Chuck Gaylord, Don Love, Jerry Skaife, Ron Martin, Barry Shook, Harvey Schuyler and Denny Waltermire.

Individuals were recognized “for their enduring and often unsung dedication and service,” the organization’s announcement noted.