Sports

A day after the sudden death of Kyle Busch, a feeling of disbelief swept over Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, casting a pall over a weekend that was supposed to be a celebration of motorsports in the United States but now comes with a new reality that everyone is struggling to grasp.

Amblessed Okemgbo became Whitworth’s first female track and field national champion in 11 years by winning the shot put throw Friday at the NCAA Division III finals in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Holiday weekends are great. Even those, like this one, whose purpose is not to kick off a season but to honor sacrifice. Hopefully, in between watching baseball and basketball and hockey and auto racing and who knows what else, every sports fan in America will take a moment and remember those who gave their last full measure to help make it possible.

Things are trending up for the nation’s best discus thrower.

PULLMAN – When he reflects back on this Washington State baseball season, about the way the Cougars made history and have their eyes set on a whole lot more , Nathan Choate likes to highlight a couple games.

Can a player achieve legendary status from just one game? If that’s possible, Jack O’Dowd will always have a place of glory in the annals of Spokane Indians lore.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Top-seeded Gonzaga was outpaced at the plate by fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s in a matchup of the West Coast Conference’s top two offensive teams. The Zags’ first-team all-conference starting pitcher was outshined by a Gaels reliever who had his best performance of the season.

From staff reports

The most amazing thing about the Mariners is that they’re two games back.

The Big Sky Conference announced its 2026 Hall of Fame class on Thursday, headlined by Dennis Erickson, who launched a legendary head-coaching career at the University of Idaho from 1982-85.

Kyle Busch, one of the purest racing talents NASCAR has ever seen and winner of more national series races than any other driver in history, has died after falling severely ill, NASCAR announced Thursday.

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. – Big Ten executives have coalesced around commissioner Tony Petitti’s plan for a 24-team College Football Playoff during conference meetings this week at the luxurious Terranea Resort overlooking the Pacific. One of the newest members required zero convincing.

Most high school seniors have little to no idea what they might want to accomplish in the future. But to hear Cy Reeves talk, he knows exactly where he wants to be and what he wants to do – eventually succeeding Tim Klein as head baseball coach at Lakeside High School.

Gonzaga’s road to another championship game berth at the Players Era Festival will start with a Big 12 program under the guidance of a first-year coach. Then Mark Few’s team could go through two of the three opponents they faced last season at the Las Vegas tournament.

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Well, that was quick. Two seasons. That’s all the latest professional sports franchise lasted in Spokane. The Spokane Zephyr are no more.

Fly fishing

Today is my birthday.