Former Ferris Saxons player John Mietus came into his own as a basketball standout at a college in Oregon, named of all things, Lewis & Clark. But for all of his individual and team successes, Mietus rates the Hoopfest title he won with Happy Wife Happy Life in 2004 as the pinnacle of his accomplishments.
For Lapwai, Idaho, sisters Jaci and Margaret McCormack, it had been a decade since they've experienced Hoopfest. On a day when summer heat and Hoopfest collided in full, their eclectic Team McCormack, including a player from Illinois and another from Calgary, Alberta, made the most of their Elite Women's competition start.
The Midget League in Spokane Valley Boys Baseball tightened up considerably last week at season's mid-point. Two previously unbeaten teams lost, resulting in a temporary three-way first-place tie among Valley Instant Printing (Trentwood), Banner Furnace and Fuel (Pasadena) and Randall & Hurley Inc. (Ponderosa).
The Spokane Valley will be well represented during Washington All-Star football games the next two Saturdays. Small-school players kick things off in Yakima this weekend and Freeman's state quarterfinalist will be represented by Andrew Wilkerson. His coach at Freeman, Jim Wood, will assist.
East teams won two out of three games Saturday over their West counterparts during a day of one-sided Washington All-State girls basketball games at East Valley High School. The one that got away was the 1A West team's 81-66 victory, sparked by Bellevue Christian teammates Michelle Teng and Melissa Reich.
Leaders of the Spokane Valley Baseball Giants League maintained their position during a week that was affected by rainy weather. Valley Electric from Mountain View improved to 3-0 with a 31-8 win over Jim Frazier Pro and Trophy Shop (Centennial).
On Monday, West Valley High School football, in conjunction with the Seattle Seahawks, will again host the Gatorade Junior Training Camp. The football clinic, limited to 300 participants, is free and will run from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Another season of Spokane Valley Baseball for players ages 14 and under began this past week. In the Giants League (ages 13 and 14) Valley Electric from Mountain View Middle School got off to a 2-0 start with 11-1 and 16-5 victories over Autocraft and Grocery Outlet.
For the first time in her life, Tonya Schnibbe is interviewing for a summer job. Her busy schedule had prevented her from holding one until now. Schnibbe's time since kindergarten has been consumed year-round by sports and the required travel. The University High senior's athletic endeavors have been so successful that she had to choose between basketball and soccer to play in college. She picked Weber State and basketball.
Make no mistake about it, the Valley's high school sports highlight reel for the year just completed is full. There were individual state champions and medalists, personified by East Valley's three-sport state qualifier and wrestling champion Tyler Jolley. There were team trophy winners, including EV's season-capping boys State 3A track title.
The annual Jack Blair Memorial Girls AAU Basketball Classic at University High Wednesday was strictly a hands-on experience for the Metro All-Stars. The Metro defense made life miserable for their Region counterparts in a 74-40 victory, its 13th straight.
For someone who came to basketball later than many of her contemporaries, Heidi Heintz has made the most of her career. The Central Valley senior, this year's Greater Spokane League scoring leader, didn't begin playing basketball seriously until eighth grade, but has stamped herself among the best in league history.
Evergreen swept all four meets during this year's Vern Fox Middle School All-League boys and girls track and field championships. In boys competition Evergreen edged Freeman 84-76 during the Class A meet and beat Bowdish and Horizon 121-82-80 in the B meet.
What South Side state track qualifiers lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality. Cameron Elisara, the seasonlong premier shot putter in Washington, didn't disappoint in his final performance at the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington 4A state meet in Pasco.
University's Dana McClendon is only a sophomore, but her track and field future is bright. Last weekend at the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington State 4A track meet, McClendon became the second-best shot putter in Spokane girls history in winning the state championship.
As Pullman's boys and girls can attest, track relay events can be a source of concern or a cause for elation. Three botched exchanges afflicted both at state this weekend, but a second-place finish in the meet-concluding boys 1,600 relay Saturday ultimately brought great joy.
Freeman's softball team completed its appointed round by qualifying for the State 1A high school tournament. The Scotties (13-9) overcame maddening inconsistency to go from third place in league to district champions in delivering their eighth state berth in nine years.
Colville junior Brittney Williams showed on the first day of State 2A/1A/B track at Eastern Washington University that there's more than one way to win a distance race. While Cedar Park Christian counterpart Jane Larson was adding to her impressive State 1A track story Thursday with an uncontested runaway 3,200-meter victory, Williams proved in the 2A contest that slower and steady can also prevail.
East Valley heavyweights have the Knights well-represented in Friday and Saturday State 3A track meets. A dozen athletes in individual events and four relay teams have 11 events covered in boys and 10 in girls meets, giving them at least one trophy opportunity and maybe two.
Mead has been involved in so many penalty kick shootout matches this year, winning all seven, that activities coordinator Dick Cullen suggested a T-shirt saying "Can't we win one in regulation?" Cullen, Mead's former soccer coach, said he's never seen a season like this.
There's a lot of Lind – and Nick Ashley – in the Lind-Ritzville baseball team making its second straight State B baseball semifinals appearance. Seven Broncos regulars, including Ashley, attend school at the first half of the hyphenated squad that opens play Friday against Pateros in Yakima County Stadium.
Garrick Phillips, boys basketball coach at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash., for the past 13 years, has been hired for the vacant position at University High. It will be a homecoming for Phillips, 36, who graduated from Northwest Christian in 1988.
Ferris' stay was brief in the State 4A baseball playoffs on a day when the Tahoma Bears made a 300-mile weekend trip to Spokane worthwhile. The Saxons (19-3) were beaten 6-0 by Chad Arnold and the Southridge Suns in the second game of Sunday's tournament at Avista Stadium.
West Valley coach Don O'Neal is hoping that Saturday's first round of State 3A baseball for West Valley is a repeat of regional, even if the location has changed. The Eagles play Selah at Yakima County Stadium today against Selah; a team they beat 5-3 at WV to open regional play.
After 28 years as head baseball coach at University High School, Don Ressa is taking a supporting role. He announced that he'll swap places with Scott Sutherland, his nominal assistant.
