Mike Vlahovich

Pullman's victorious Ricardo Colon, second from left, leads an airborne foursome in the boys 100-meter dash Friday in Cheney. Sprint success helped Pullman earn 10 state berths. Photo by Christopher Anderson/The Spokesman-Review

The three amigos: Ryan Bates, Andy Schmidt and Jason Harless are poised to take Freeman to great heights in track. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

A group of West Valley seniors patiently awaited their opportunity to play varsity baseball. As a result, they changed the attitude of their coach. "We had the most talent in league last year and lost everybody," said Eagle mentor Ray Riggin. "I thought, 'Man, this will be a horrible year.' And look what happened."

Beating Ferris pitching ace Eric Sandberg was as much a mental lift as a physical one for the Region IV-bound University High baseball team. "Sandberg is probably one of the best in state, no question," said coach Don Ressa. "Anytime you beat him, it does a lot for your mental game." It didn't hurt, either, that the 6-5 victory, one of three district playoff triumphs in two days, propelled the upstart Titans into regionals for the third time in seven years.

There were no stars, and therefore not a lot of individual recognition. Collectively, however, Gonzaga Prep girls tennis team was unbeatable. "No one could be singled out, it was such a team effort," said second-year coach Donna Lenseigne, who preached selflessness. "A win at number three doubles was just as important as at number one singles." The Bullpups surprised even their coach by going 8-0 and winning 50 of 56 matches against Greater Spokane League opponents.

Carmen Evans is a standout hurdler for Valley Christian. Here, she trains with coach Linda Lanker. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Frontier League track Practice made perfect for a pair of victorious shot putters who were among the first-day state qualifiers at the Frontier League Track and Field District Meet. The duo, East Valley sophomore Loretta Serbell, who threw 35 feet, 11 inches, and West Valley senior Ryan Stockton, who reached 51-4, improved by 2 feet on seasonal bests Tuesday, but neither were surprised. "In practice I've been over 52 feet," said Stockton. "It finally happened in a meet."

Jay Rydell has been at CV for 26 years. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

When Ben Miller steps up to the plate, everybody on the Central Valley Bears watches. Miller is a power hitter for the Bears who played Shadle on Friday afternoon in District 8 playoffs. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Titan pitcher Cheryl Andrizzi leads team members through a pre-game ritual. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

Central Valley's baseball team had to make do for much of this season without its pitching ace, Erick Eigenhuis, but the team managed just fine. Eigenhuis had displayed an eye-popping 90-mile-per-hour fastball in preseason, but pitched in only three games, including Tuesday's shutout win over Rogers, games after experiencing tendinitis in his shoulder.

Last weekend's 7-1 and 3-1 baseball doubleheader sweep of Chewelah gave Lakeside High School its sixth Northeast A League championship of the 1996-97 school year. It's remarkable, considering that it was just 10 years ago that Nine Mile Falls School District passed a bond issue to build its first high school. Lakeside has been in existence seven years and will graduate only its fifth senior class this June. It is one of the NEA's smallest schools. Yet this year, Lakeside teams finished first or second place 11 times, and third twice in the league's 15 sports.

North Central's soccer team this season had a new coach and several new players, including three freshmen. Ingredients for a building year? Not in the mind of first-year coach Tim Cox, whose surprising Indians host the first round of state playoffs this weekend as number one seed after Tuesday's upset victory over Ferris.

East Valley is becoming so accustomed to winning Frontier League girls tennis championships, that all it has to do is recycle its season slogan. Last year T-shirts read, "So nice we thought we'd do it twice."

Deciding which four teams qualify for the Frontier League baseball playoffs won't be accomplished until the last out is recorded on Saturday. East Valley hosts Colville in one of two doubleheaders critical to the outcome of the standings.

Another week, another challenger in Greater Spokane League baseball. Shadle Park at one point of the season was in last place with a 2-5 record. With five wins in its last six games, the Highlanders have rocketed into a virtual third place tie with Central Valley.

Three of Spokane's track stars are Ali Krogel, Emilee Steckler and Vanessa Larkin. Photo by Kristy MacDonald/The Spokesman-Review

Bill Tincup is a three-year prep starter for the Knights. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

John Stockton's autographed U.S. Olympic Dream Team basketball jersey is one of nearly 60 items to be auctioned next Friday in a benefit for the family of the late Dan Vickrey. The silent auction and dinner dance will begin at 5 p.m. in the Central Valley High School multipurpose building.

Rob Warnock

Jessica Riehel of West Valley led from the start to win this 1600 race against EV. Photo by Steve Thompson/The Spokesman-Review

There's nothing like a sweep of a previously unbeaten league foe to make a baseball team well in hurry. Streaky East Valley's Frontier League baseball playoff chances improved dramatically with last Saturday's convincing 14-5 and 4-0 wins over league leader Cheney.

Ryan Corigliano hits practice balls to outfielders during practice at North Central. Photo by Shawn Jacobson/The Spokesman-Review

1. Shelly Bartlett competed in every event of every meet during her four-year University of Nebraska career. Photo by Ian Doremus/Lincoln Journal Star 2. Shelly Bartlett 3. Bartlett performs on the balance beam at the University of Nebraska. File photo