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

Sunday local briefs

From Local And Wire Reports

The Greater Spokane League handed out its highest awards Thursday to one female and one male athlete from each school during a luncheon at the Spokane Club.

Recipients of 2014-15 GSL Scholar/Athlete Awards, which recognize students who excel in the classroom, community and athletics, by school:

Central Valley - Madison Hovren, 3.95 grade-point average, 10 varsity letters (two in volleyball, four in basketball, four in track), headed to U.S. Military Academy to play basketball; Briton Demars, 3.87, eight varsity letters (four in cross country, four in track), will attend BYU.

Ferris - Siniva Areta, 4.0, a class valedictorian, 10 varsity letters (three in volleyball, three in basketball, four in track), will attend Gonzaga University on Act Six Leadership scholarship and compete in track; Liam Cossette, 3.83, six varsity letters; (three in cross country, three in track), undecided on a college.

Gonzaga Prep - Laura Stockton, 3.2, six varsity letters (three in soccer, three in basketball), will attend Gonzaga University on a basketball scholarship; Nick Wood, 3.93, five varsity letters (three in football, two in basketball), will attend the University of Oregon on a merit-based scholarship.

Lewis and Clark - Sierra Kersten, 4.0, a class valedictorian, four varsity letters in golf, will attend Stanford and play golf; Taylor Duncan, 3.7, seven varsity letters (three in football, two in basketball, two in track), undecided on a college.

Mead - Hanna Bjerkestrand, 4.0, a class valedictorian, nine varsity letters (four in gymnastics, four in track, one in cheerleading), undecided on a college; AJ Layton, 4.0, nine varsity letters (four in football, four in track, one in wrestling), will attend the University of Washington.

Mt. Spokane - Cheyenne Konrad, 3.96, five varsity letters (four in track, one in soccer), undecided on a college; Jacob Yedica, 3.96, six varsity letters (three in football, three in track), will attend Montana Tech on football and academic scholarships.

North Central - Jessica Huffman, 4.0, five varsity letters (three in fastpitch softball , two in slowpitch softball), undecided on a college; Andrew Vandine, 4.0, a distinguished valedictorian, eight varsity letters (four in cross country, four in track), will attend Montana State on scholastic and athletic scholarships.

Rogers - Kabao Xiong, 3.95, two varsity letters in volleyball, will attend Eastern Washington; Avram Sin, 3.8, four varsity letters (three in soccer, one in football), undecided on a college.

Shadle Park - Sofia Pizzillo, 3.91, 10 total varsity letters (two in soccer, three in basketball, four in track, one in cheer), will attend Eastern Washington and run track on an athletic and academic scholarships; Sam Stratton, 3.66, five varsity letters (three in basketball, two in football), will attend Carroll College on football and academic scholarships.

University - Emma Kennedy, 4.0, seven varsity letters (three in basketball, four in soccer), will attend Saint Martin’s on basketball and merit scholarships; Tate Orndorff, 3.98, eight varsity letters (three in football, four in wrestling, one in golf), will attend Oregon State on a wrestling scholarship after serving two-year LDS mission.

College scene

Kristen Hansen, the Western Washington junior from Mead, continues to shine on the golf course when the spotlight is the brightest.

The Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year two years ago and Player of the Year last year claimed medalist honors in the 2015 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships that wound up Monday at The Coeur d’Alene Resort in leading the Vikings to a fifth straight league title.

Hansen shot identical 5-over-par 76s in the 36-hole tournament for a winning score of 10-over 152 as the Vikings compiled a winning team score of 627, 14 strokes better than runner-up Montana State Billings.

“Overall, we were pretty solid,” said Hansen, who was third in the championships in 2014 after tying for sixth in 2013.

•Twelve Eastern Washington athletes from the area earned Big Sky Conference All-Academic honors for the winter sports season with grade-point averages of 3.20 or better.

The athletes by sports:

Women’s basketball – Mariah Cunningham, freshman, Central Valley;    Jade Redmon, sophomore, Mead.

Men’s indoor track & field – Braden Barranco, freshman, Newport (Mead High); Aaron Brenton, senior, Cheney/Community Colleges of Spokane; Austin Upmeyer, so., University.

Women’s indoor track & field – Courtney Bray, so., Mt. Spokane; Dominique Butler, fr., Lewis and Clark; Anandae Clark, so., Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls); Erin Clark, so., Cheney; Selina Koon, fr., Moses Lake; Megan Murphy, fr., North Central; Johanna Sherman, fr., Cheney.

•Idaho had five athletes from the area with GPAs of 3.20 or better earn Big Sky Conference All-Academic honors for the winter sports season.

They are Karlee Wilson, a sophomore from Lewiston, in women’s basketball; seniors Taylor Hewett from Culdesac and Helga Machleidt from Moscow in women’s indoor track and field; and Pierce Fix, a freshman from West Valley, and Al Taylor, a senior from Moscow and Community Colleges of Spokane, in men’s indoor track and field.

•Montana placed four from the area on the Big Sky Conference winter All-Academic list with GPAs of 3.2 or better – Kayleigh Valley, sophomore, University, women’s basketball; Brandon Gfeller, so., Colfax, men’s basketball; Shayle Dezellem, senior, Shadle Park and Community Colleges of Spokane, women’s indoor track and field; and David Norris, sr., Coeur d’Alene High, men’s indoor track and field.

Kelli Peckham, a Northwest University junior from West Valley, was the Cascade Conference softball Pitcher of the Week after closing the team’s season last weekend with complete-game victories over No. 23 Coburn.

It was the first career weekly award for Peckham, who struck out 12 during the day, finishing with 62, No. 5 in the conference. She had a 7-11 record for the 13-23 Eagles.

Letters of intent

Walla Walla Community College men’s basketball – Dalton Thompson, guard, Post Falls. 5A All-Inland Empire League co-MVP as senior, Idaho State All-Star game, first-team 5A All-IEL as junior, 5A IEL co-Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore.

Portland State women’s basketball – Michaela Kay, 5-foot-6 guard, Lewis and Clark. First-team All-Greater Spokane League as senior, honorable mention as junior, played in Jack Blair Memorial as senior.

Western Washington volleyball – Jenna Widman, 6-foot middle blocker, Community Colleges of Spokane and Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls. Second-team American Volleyball Coaches Association/NWAC All-American, first-team NWAC All-East Region, two-time second-team All-Northeast A League in high school.

Whittier University volleyball – Sydney Underwood, 5-foot-11 outside hitter, Lewis and Clark.

Lewis-Clark State women’s golf – Sammi Jo Spring, Lewiston. Three-time 5A All-IEL, three-time 5A Idaho State qualifier, placing eighth in 2014 as a junior.