Boxer Israel Alvarez advances to semifinals
Spokane boxer Israel Alvarez will fight again Friday in the semifinal of the USA Boxing Junior Olympic National Championships in Dallas, Texas.
Alvarez, 16, won a unanimous decision Wednesday over Eduardo Mendoza, of Ulysses, Kansas. Alvarez also won his first bout in the 145-pound weight class on Tuesday.
Patrick Cody, 15, who is Alvarez teammate at the Howard Street Boxing Club, lost a split decision Wednesday to Braden Reed, of Dyersburg, Tennessee, in the 101-pound weight class, his trainer Ray Kerwick said.
Cody previously won his first bout on Tuesday in the tournament that hosted more than 800 boxers.
Swimming
Emma Schanz, of Colville, finished 53rd in the 200-meter breaststroke Thursday in the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Schanz finished in 2:33.77, which was 7.50 seconds off the pace set by Micah Lawrence, who swam it in 2:26:27. Schanz was also nearly 3 seconds behind her best time of 2:30.95.
She completes her four events Friday when she swims in the 200-meter backstroke.
Football
Three Spokane Empire players were named to the All-Indoor Football League first team.
Running back Trevor Kennedy, offensive lineman Dave Lefotu and defensive back Robert Brown were first-team choices.
Empire players named to the second team were quarterback Charles Dowdell, defensive lineman Benjamin Perry and linebacker Nick Haag.
Basketball
Gonzaga University has confirmed that Jordan Mathews signed a financial aid agreement and will transfer from the California Golden Bears and play basketball for the Bulldogs men’s team.
Mathews, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 13.5 points per game last season. He graduated from Cal this summer.
The Gonzaga women’s team will play in the 2016 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas. The eight-team, three-day event takes place Nov. 24-26.
GU will open against Michigan, play Florida State in the second game and close out the event against Winthrop.