Whitworth names four to its hall of fame
A two-time national champion, a couple of two-sport standouts and the third individual from her sport to be enshrined comprise the 2017 Class of the Whitworth University Athletic Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame.
Cody Stelzer (track & field), Matt Stueckle (football and men’s soccer), Leslie (Nelson) Morrison (cross country and track & field) and Natalie Danielson (volleyball) comprise the 28th class that will be inducted on Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. in the HUB Multi-purpose room on campus.
It will bring to 95 the number of individuals in the hall. There are also eight teams enshrined.
Stelzer, an eight-time All-American in the high jump, won NCAA Division III national championships in the high jump in 2008 (outdoor) and 2009 (indoor). He qualified for both national championship meets in each of his four years and never finished lower than sixth.
He was also a four-time Northwest Conference champion in the event, setting an NWC meet record of 6-feet, 10 ¾ -inches in 2008. He still holds Whitworth’s school records in the indoor (6-11) and outdoor (6-11.5) high jump.
Stueckle competed in football and soccer, a rare two-sport double since both occur in the fall. He played football from 1996-99 as a wide receiver, place kicker and punter, earning All-Northwest Conference at both positions. He finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in points (262) and yards per catch (17.3).
He adjusted his academic schedule and played two years of soccer (2000 and 2001), earning first team All-NWC and a second team National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American in ’01 after leading Whitworth to the best goals-against average in NCAA Division III (0.59) as the Pirates made the school’s first appearance in the Division III national tournament.
Nelson Morrison was a cross country and track & field All-American. She qualified three times for the NCAA Division III cross country championships, becoming the Pirates’ first All-American in that sport when she finished 14th as a senior in 2003.
On the track, Morrison was a three-time NWC champion in the 10,000 meters and a two-time qualifier for the NCAA Division III championships, earning All-America honors as a senior for a sixth-place finish in the 10,000. In 2004, she pulled off the 10k- 5k double at the NWC meet, setting a conference record in the 10k. She still holds the Whitworth and NWC championship meet records in the 10,000.
Danielson’s two-year career at Whitworth (2004-05) after transferring from Community Colleges of Spokane earned her selection as just the third women’s volleyball player to be inducted into the school’s Heritage Gallery hall of fame.
A middle blocker, Danielson was the NWC Player of the Year and a first-team American Volleyball Coaches of America NCAA Division III All-American after earning second-team All-NWC recognition as a junior. Her senior year she averaging 4.21 kills and 1.05 blocks per set while leading the conference in hitting percentage (.330). The 22-4 NWC-champion Pirates hosted the NCAA Division III West Region tournament, winning their first two matches before falling in the championship match.
The induction ceremony includes a breakfast and reservations can be made by calling 509-777-3224. Cost is $15. The 2017 class, along with all current Heritage Gallery members attending, will be recognized at halftime of the Whitworth-George Fox football game that afternoon in the Pine Bowl.
College scene
Kelly Hopper, a Montana State sophomore from Gonzaga Prep, and 13 student-athletes at area Division I schools have been named All-American Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association.
The WGCA release reads, “the criteria for selection … are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50.”
Other area selections by school:
Gonzaga - Ciera Min, a 2017 graduate, who collected her first WGCA honor.
Eastern Washington - Mercedes Khumnark, sophomore; Kirsten Ishikawa, soph.; Madalyn Ardueser, freshman; Kimberlie Miyamoto, junior; Ashley Ohland, fr. Khumnark, Ishikawa and Miyamoto were all honored for a second straight year.
Idaho – Kendall Gray, jr.; Clara Moyano, fr.; Amy Hasenoehrl (Lewiston), sr.; Michelle Kim, so. Gray and Hasenoehrl were honored for a third straight year.
Washington State - Elodie Bridenne, fr.; Alivia Brown, jr.; Madison Odiorne, so. It is the third WGCA honor for Brown and the second for Odiorne.
Golf
Spokane’s Kelly Hopper placed fourth and Sierra Kersten tied for fifth in the Washington State Golf Association Women’s Amateur Championship June 27-29 at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington.
Hopper finished 3-over 219 and Kersten was at 5-over 221. Julianne Alvarez, a University of Washington junior, won with a 6-under 210. Her sophomore teammate, Karen Miyamoto, was second at 2-under 214. They were the only players in the 33-player field to finish under par.
Letters of intent
Gonzaga baseball – Taylor Davis, RHP/inf, Federal Way, Washington/Lower Columbia CC; Cole McKenzie, OF, Billings, Montana/Yakima Valley CC.
Idaho volleyball – Kristin Williams, MB, Pendleton, Oregon/Blue Mountain CC; Donnèe Janzen, S, Surrey, British Columbia.
Shooting
Spokane Junior Rifle Club Gold finished 29th out of 46 teams at the 2017 National 3-Position Civilian Marksmanship Program Championships in Camp Perry, Ohio, last month.
Gold team members and their scores and results: Cassidy Wilson, 16, home school, 586 out of 600, 27th; David Wright, 19, Riverpoint Academy, 581, 76th; Taylor Christian, 15, Spokane Valley Tech, 578, 107th; and Ben Tafoya, 15, St. Aloysius, 550, 233rd. There were 241 competitors.
Correction: SJRC Gold was 27th at the 2017 National 3-Position Air Rifle Junior Olympic Championships. Its finish was incorrect in last Sunday’s “Locally” because of information supplied to the newspaper.