Mike Vlahovich

Shaney Redmon times Paula Zammit during track practice at Rogers. Photo by Sandra Bancroft-Billings/The Spokesman-Review

Defending champion East Valley and improving West Valley may not have the Frontier League's top individual girls tennis players. They do have enough overall talent and experience to be competitive. "It's hard to tell (how we'll do)," said Knight coach Aaron Alteneder, whose team is 2-0. "Riverside and Cheney will have the first and second individuals."

East Valley's 5-4 victory over Clarkston on Tuesday spoke volumes about the Knight baseball season. The visiting Bantams sent 10 batters to the plate in the final inning, scoring all four runs, but it did no good. Coach Kurt Krauth was left shaking his head over the win, that typified EV's season. One-third of the way through, the Knights are 6-1 and first in the Frontier League.

West Valley junior Mike Schroder placed at state in javelin throwing last year and personifies a youthful Eagle track team. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

University High School girls lead the boys during warm ups before practice. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

During the initial two matches of the Frontier League boys tennis season, West Valley and East Valley experienced opposite results. The Eagles won twice by 4-3 scores, the Knights lost twice. "We're 2-0 in league by the skin of our teeth," said Eagle coach Wally Heidenson. "If the whole season goes like this I will own stock in the Tums company."

Oliver Cook of Shadle Park High School warms up with stretches using his javelin in a meet at West Valley. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

Members of Valley Fire check the building and return office keys to employee Shelly Daugherty after the bombing at the Valley newspaper office. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Central Valley's baseball team suffered a blow when R.J. Del Mese was injured and lost for the year. But it didn't keep the Bears from defeating rival University on Thursday. Del Mese, CV's pitcher and all-GSL football quarterback, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in a non-league game Saturday against Sandpoint. He will undergo surgery.

University High pitcher Jamie Fox started the season against West Valley. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

New head coach Scott Harmon prepares his North Central Indians for their first home game against Lakeside. Photo by Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review

There are only 17 Class A schools statewide that play fast-pitch softball, says Freeman coach Jackie Babin, and half of those are in the Northeast A League. The other 70 percent play slow pitch, "and it doesn't sound like they'll change," said Babin. "That's what's really frustrating." "I don't mind the (fast pitch) game, but I think all teams should be playing it. The State A schools have to make up their minds."

Following middle-of-the-pack finishes last year, Central Valley and University boys tennis teams are hoping for improvement. The Bear boys started over last year and bring back eight players who challenged for 10 varsity spots at varying times on a sixth-place team. University graduated seven seniors who were integral members of its seventh-place finisher.

University High's Sally Jamison beats a throw to West Valley first-base player Jolie Jensen in the season opener Thursday. The Titans defeated the Eagles 15-1. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Northwest Gymnastics Academy, 11712 East Montgomery, is hosting its March Madness Cup for girls gymnasts this weekend. Today's competition begins at 9:40 a.m. with sessions at 2:50 and 7:45 p.m. Sunday's sessions will be at 9:45 a.m., 1:35 and 5 p.m. "Everything from Level 4 to 10, from beginning to advanced gymnasts will be there," said NWGA owner Mike Armstrong. Among them is Erica Harrison who placed fifth nationally on bars in 1994. She attends Central Valley High School. Armstrong said the event has grown from 300 entrants last year to 450 this time. Gymnasts are here from Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Northwest Gymnastics 15-member boys team competed last weekend in CEG Invitational at Shorewood High School in Seattle. Aaron Sheck won Level II with a 40.7 all-around score and Ryan Wellborn was fourth at 39.55. Brian Velategui was second among Level IV 12-13 year olds at 34.65 with Nick Antich placing third at 34.2. In Level V, Kevin Olson and Stewart Renz placed first and second with 36.9 and 35.0 scores. Olson won floor, rings, vault, parallel bars and high bar. Renz won pommel horse and was was second in four other events. Level VI age 7-9 youngsters Paul Hannibal and Isaac Olson were second and fourth overall at 31.5 and 31.0. It was the team's final tuneup before the Washington State Championships and regional qualifying at Bainbridge Island, April 1-2.

Since Jim Spencer became coach, East Valley has never been favored to win Frontier League soccer. Perhaps that's not surprising since Spencer's Knights have never won the league title. But they've never failed to qualify for the state playoffs either. Which is why things have changed. League coaches predict that the Knights will win the league championship this year. "We're favored for the first time ever," Spencer said. "I hope that won't be our Achilles heel."

If there were any doubts, last year offered evidence that Greater Spokane League softball is as good as any in the state. Rogers finished just third in the GSL yet went on to win regionals and place second in the State AAA tournament. "It's too bad Mead and University didn't make it through regionals," Rogers coach Paul Cooley said of the two teams that placed higher than his Pirates during the regular season. "Our league has reached a very competitive level statewise."

East Valley pitcher Steve Pipkin works out by stretching surgical tubing. Pipkin was 7-2 last year and is expected to lead the Knights this year. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Goal keeper Rich Cullen grabs the ball during practice against Ben Brodsky, left, at Head High School on Monday. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

When talking about Greater Spokane League soccer playoff potential, opposing coaches mention two Valley schools. University returns most of its lineup from last year's third-place team. "I think we'll be up there," said first-year Titan head coach Brandon Deyarmin.

Dana Herberholz turned from go-karts to auto racing. The Mustang he drives, trimmed on the hood with a hockey net, is sponsored by Play It Again Sports. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Spokane Valley basketball coaches to a person were forced to attend this year's state tournaments as spectators, their minds on the future instead of the present. But it wasn't for lack of trying. Several teams had their hard-luck stories to tell. Central Valley's girls and West Valley's boys stories were the most compelling.

There is an eery symbiosis between the death last week of former University High three-sport star John Chamberlin and Terry Irwin's announcement that he is retiring as basketball coach at Central Valley. Irwin was my passenger when I drove to the State AAA basketball finals in Seattle in 1975 (and again a year later, his first as an assistant at Gonzaga Prep), when Chamberlin and his U-Hi teammates placed third. Irwin got his first taste of coaching high school athletes as an assistant on the Appleway Chevrolet American Legion baseball teams on which Chamberlin pitched. Appleway placed second in state in 1975.

Terry Irwin retires after this season as coach of the CV Bears. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review