Locally: Area golfers fare well at IGA Junior Amateur State Championship

Several area junior golfers scored big recently at the IGA Junior Amateur State Championship that was held in Burley, Idaho, on Aug. 15.

The youth golfers from the Spokane area and North Idaho were among more than 200 golfers who competed.

Alexander Cooke, of Spokane, won the 9-10 boys flight.

Tommy Kimmel, also of Spokane, captured the title for the 11-12 boys. In that same group, Brayden Miles, of Spokane Valley, finished fourth, and Wyatt Iacolucci of Bonners Ferry tied for 14th place with Tyler Jackson of Spokane. Bryden Brown, of Moscow, finished 17th.

Will Reeves, of Sandpoint, won the 13-year-old bracket. Also in that group, Zane Mularski of Spokane finished 11th and Hunter Schuller finished 13th.

In the 14-15 boys, Will Reeves’ older brother, Jack Reeves, won the title, and Tanner Byers, of Post Falls, finished ninth.

In the 9-10 girls category, Amanda Nguyen, of Spokane, finished third and Cali Iacolucci, of Bonners Ferry, finished fourth.

In the 11-12 girls, Kami Twining, of Liberty Lake, won the bracket.

Makena Rauch, of Moscow, won the title in the 13-year-old girl category.

Kylie Esh, of Lewiston, won the 14-15-year-old girls bracket. In that same group, Courtney Jackson, of Spokane Valley, finished 15th. In the 16-18 group, Emily Callahan, of Coeur d’Alene, finished 10th.

College scene

Jenna Widman, a junior middle blocker from Lakeside and transfer from CC Spokane, figures to start for the nationally ranked Western Washington volleball team. Widman was a second-team All-Northwest Athletic Conference pick at CCS after averaging 2.60 kills and 1.12 blocks last year.

Among the WWU returners are sophomore opposite hitter Joellee Buckner and her sister Aubrey Buckner, a redshirt freshman defensive specialist, from Colville; freshman Joslyn Bopray, a middle blocker from Lewis and Clark; and freshman Kazlyn Roullier, an outside hitter from Central Valley.

• Two transfers from North Idaho College – junior forward Adam Talley (East Valley) and junior center back Brady Ulen (Post Falls) – figure to play key roles for the Western Washington men’s soccer team.

The WWU preseason advance calls Talley, who scored 20 goals in 16 matches for NIC last year and was the Baden Athlete of the Year in the Northwest Athletic Conference, “the key addition to the forwards” and said Ulen, a first-team All-Eastern Region selection for the Cardinals, “figures to pair at center back” with senior returner Trevor Bartels.

• Idaho hired Chessey Thomas as an assistant women’s golf coach.

Thomas, of Spokane, graduated in 2014 from Tennessee, where she was named second team All-SEC. Before that, she was a St. George’s student and four-year starter for Lewis and Clark High School.

• Gonzaga recently announced several staff promotions within the Athletic Department.

Among the senior staff, Chris Standiford has been named Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Operations Officer. Shannon Strahl was named Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services and added the duty of Senior Woman Administrator. Steve Hertz was named Senior Associate Athletic Director for Major Gifts and Jared Hertz became Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Advancement.

In Student Athlete Support Services, Mike Roden was named Associate Athletic Director and Kim Vore was also named Assistant Athletic Director in Business Operations.

In Sports Medicine, Jennifer Nyland took over as Head Athletic Trainer. In External Operations, the marketing department promoted Lindsey Lessing to Director of Marketing and Meghan McNeil was named Assistant Director of Marketing. Clement Lye was named Director of Video Services.