Area roundup: Connor Griffin leaves Gonzaga basketball to pursue football options

Gonzaga basketball walk-on Connor Griffin is leaving the program to try his hand at football.

The athletic 6-foot-4, 210-pound Griffin was an all-state receiver at Lake Oswego (Oregon) High. He had football scholarship offers from Portland State and Northern Colorado coming out of high school.

“I have more potential in football and missed the game,” Griffin told the Portland Tribune.

Griffin has received a scholarship offer from Portland State and he’s also been in contact with Montana and Washington, the latter as a preferred walk-on. He will have three seasons of football eligibility.

Griffin played 88 minutes in 29 games for GU in the last two seasons.

Women’s rowing

All three of Washington State’s boats advanced to today’s A/B Final at the NCAA Championships at Lake Natoma in Gold River, California.

The Cougars’ second varsity eight and varsity four crews qualified directly from their first heats, while WSU’s varsity eight boat advanced via the Repechage race.

Additionally, Washington State’s Mickey Aylard was named to the Pac-12 All-Conference team, which was announced Thursday night.

Washington also had all three of its boats – varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four – advance to the A/B Final.

Gonzaga had all three of its boats advance to the C/D semifinals.

Track and field

Washington State’s Jesse Jorgensen earned a spot in the NCAA Championships by taking first place in his 800-meter run heat at the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Jorgensen finished in 1 minute, 48.07 seconds.

Three other WSU athletes advanced to the NCAA Championships: Audrey Ketcham (women’s high jump; 5-111/2), Liz Harper (women’s 400 hurdles; 58.23) and Alissa Brooks-Johnson (women’s 400 hurdles; 58.81).

Gonzaga’s Shelby Mills also earned a spot in the national championships after 10th-place finish in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase. She broke her own school record with a time of 10:11.37.

The preliminary rounds conclude today. .