As Seattleites languished in hotels and lined their windows with foil during last week’s historic heat wave, Trevor Kostanich and Scott Rinckenberger reached a mountaineering milestone. They climbed, summited and skied down the state’s five volcanoes in five days.

Hunters are anxiously waiting to see how this year's fires impact fall seasons, some of which start as soon as Aug. 1.

Washington State University football coach Nick Rolovich has both supporters and critics after he declined to say Wednesday which exemptions to WSU’s COVID-19 vaccination requirement – whether religious, medical or personal – applied in his decision not to get the vaccine.

Mitchell Kilkenny pitched seven strong innings and the visiting Spokane Indians beat the Tri-City Dust Devils 6-1 in the second of a six-game High-A West series at Gesa Stadium in Pasco on Wednesday.

Rui Hachimura, who leads the Japanese national basketball team, and two-time world champion wrestler Susaki Yui will carry Japan’s flag and lead the host nation’s contingent of nearly 600 Olympians into Olympic Stadium. Ira Brown, who plays on Japan’s 3x3 basketball team, won’t be too far behind Hachimura during the ceremonies.

Visually, Garrett Goody stood out.In a sea of blue blankets and fans in Kraken gear during Wednesday night’s NHL expansion draft at Gas Works Park, Goody’s red, white and green Seattle Metropolitans jersey was easy to pick out of the crowd.

Every Olympic athlete has a notable story, but Ira Brown’s inspiring, implausible journey is one of a kind. “Absolutely not,” Brown responded when asked if he dreamed of becoming an Olympian during his hardscrabble childhood in Texas. “My whole life has been unbelievable.”

Web extra: Submit your own outdoors-related photographs for a chance to be published in our weekly print edition and browse our archive of past reader submissions online at spokesman.com/outdoors.

Alan Liere’s fishing-hunting report for July 22.

Texas and Okahoma have reportedly expressed interest in leaving the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference.

In less than a week, the Pac-12’s football coaches will convene in Hollywood for the conference’s annual Media Day event.

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed on a five-year contract extension with Fred Warner that makes him the highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the NFL.

Austin Gomber pitched effectively for six innings in his return from the injured list, Dom Nunez hit a three-run double in a five-run first inning and the Colorado Rockies beat the Seattle Mariners 6-3.

The first increment of the $1.5 billion sale of the Minnesota Timberwolves to e-commerce mogul Marc Lore and former baseball star Alex Rodriguez has been approved by the NBA.

The Kraken expansion draft lacked drama after all 30 picks leaked out hours before they were revealed, but it had plenty of Seattle to introduce the NHL's 32nd franchise.

Max Borghi, who’s expected to be one of the nation’s top returning running backs in 2021, was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list for the third time in as many years.

There was a special gathering in Indianapolis this week: Helio Castroneves, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears – the only other drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 four times.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Fifty years ago we watched, mesmerized, as two Hall of Fame players, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA title. Last night it just took one future HOFer to earn the franchise’s second one.