Steve Christilaw

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Sports

Lost season leaves track athletes’ potential unfulfilled

Thu., June 4, 2020

The days set aside for the state’s track and field championship meets, sometimes referred to as Memorial Day Weekend, came and went, passing with a few melancholy sighs over what might have been. Athletically, at least.

News >  Spokane

Limits on funerals deepen grief for families

Thu., May 28, 2020

Saying a final goodbye to a loved one is never easy. In the best of times, planning a ceremony to formalize that farewell is a time of raw emotion flooded with memories. Navigating the task during a pandemic can feel as if you’re trying to build a sandcastle with a pair of chopsticks. Long-held plans and final wishes go unfollowed due to emergency regulations to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Sports >  Outdoors

Business takes off at Spokane Valley Silver Bow Fly Shop as some fishing restrictions are lifted

Thu., May 7, 2020

The sport tailor-made for social distancing is once again available to Washington state residents. In fact, it’s so suited to social distancing you can almost consider it antisocial distancing.

Sports

West Valley coach, son remain hopeful for football season

Thu., April 30, 2020

Craig Whitney laughs. “This is the longest I’ve ever been away from West Valley,” he says.

News >  Spokane

Spokane’s Tomato Lady is growing interest in raising produce

Thu., April 23, 2020

There have been warnings during nonstop coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic: The food supply is under threat.

News >  Spokane

Spring and summer sports play is a waiting game with pandemic

Thu., April 16, 2020

Springtime in the Greater Spokane Area is, when an unseasonable snowfall hasn’t mucked up the works, a time of activity.

News >  Spokane

HUB Sports Center prepared for rainy day, but closure amid pandemic makes deep cut in revenue

Thu., April 2, 2020

Governor Jay Inslee’s order to shut down nonessential businesses meant the Spokane Valley’s HUB Sports Center was going to take a big economic hit.

News >  Education

SNAP steps up in pinch to feed Cooper Elementary schoolchildren

Thu., March 26, 2020

Sometimes the most difficult part of solving a problem is simply asking for help.

Sports

Spokane Boxing, Mellow Monkey Yoga Gym adjust to state shutdown

Thu., March 19, 2020

Rick Welliver and Sara Teal don’t know each other, but they are in the same boat.

Sports >  High school sports

Storybook ending: New Central Valley head coach leads Bears to sixth state 4A title

UPDATED: Thu., March 12, 2020

Felice Orrell’s first season as girls basketball coach at Central Valley reads something like a movie script, complete with a storybook ending.

Sports >  High school sports

Retired Mead boys tennis coach recalls snowy courts past, making starting lineups

Thu., March 5, 2020

Bill Wagstaff hasn’t had any difficulty filling his proverbial dance card these days.

Sports

High school softball season begins Monday

Thu., Feb. 27, 2020

Shadle Park and University high school softball coaches prepare for Monday’s first day of practice.

Sports >  High school sports

Deer Park boys, girls basketball find similar situations entering district tournament play

Thu., Feb. 13, 2020

Deer Park’s boys and girls basketball teams are in the same situation for Friday’s semifinal games in the District 7 1A tournament. Both teams are the No. 2 seed and both are ranked No. 13 in the latest RPI.

Sports >  High school sports

East Valley’s Brie Holecek only second Knight to reach 1,000 career points

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 5, 2020

Brie Holecek is fairly typical of the kind of leading scorer the East Valley girls basketball program develops season after season: a sharpshooter who is just as happy to pass the ball to a teammate with a better shot.

Sports

After Olympic goal falls just out of reach, Spokane marathoner sets new goals in masters races

Thu., Jan. 30, 2020

The seed was planted early in Mariah McConnaughey’s running career.

Sports >  High school sports

Steve Christilaw: East Valley, West Valley split Golden Throne spirit games

Wed., Jan. 22, 2020

This year’s Golden Throne spirit game between West Valley and East Valley came at the intersection between hard work and future promise.

Sports >  High school sports

Former wrestler giving back to sport as referee as sport struggles with shortage of officials

Thu., Jan. 16, 2020

Conner Krouse finished his high school wrestling career in 2017 with his arm raised and his head held high.

Sports >  High school sports

Eagle Holiday Classic came to being at right time, still going strong after six years

Thu., Jan. 9, 2020

For the last six years the two primary gymnasiums at West Valley High School turn into a hotbed of basketball activity for three days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve as the school, along with Lakeside High School, sponsor the Eagle Holiday Classic tournament.

Sports >  High school sports

Former Bear takes reins: Felice Orrell lands ‘dream job’ as coach of CV girls basketball

Thu., Dec. 19, 2019

Central Valley varsity girls coach Felice (Moore) Orrell knows all about the traditions and culture that have grown up around girls basketball at Central Valley High School. As a player she was not only shaped by it, she helped grow it. And she’s now charged with nurturing it.

Sports >  High school sports

New University wrestling coach Ryan Montang has good grip on teaching sport he loves

UPDATED: Wed., Dec. 11, 2019

Ryan Montang is well into his first season as the wrestling coach at University, where he takes over from Don Owen – recently elected to the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Sports >  High school sports

Boys basketball: Humphrey name a legend on local hoops circuit

Thu., Dec. 5, 2019

It’s been a while since Jay Humphreys’ dad, Hall of Fame high school basketball coach Denny Humphrey, would help out with practices at West Valley.

News >  Spokane

Finally, free from seizures: An innovative surgery tames Nabors Biviano epilepsy

Sat., Nov. 30, 2019

Amy Nabors Biviano considers herself fortunate.

Sports >  High school sports

Genial Eagles-Scotties rivalry plays out at state: Lakeside tops Freeman for third in volleyball

Thu., Nov. 21, 2019

Kara Moffatt can trace the arc of her Lakeside volleyball team’s drive to a third-place trophy at last weekend’s state Class 1A volleyball tournament to a mid-October night in its Nine Mile Falls gym.

News >  Spokane

Mt. Spokane’s offensive line clears way to state 3A playoffs

Thu., Nov. 14, 2019

Through the first two games of the season the Wildcats had run, well, wild. Senior do-everything-back Kannon Katzer had run for 471 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

Sports >  High school sports

University’s Jacob Easton to represent Titans at state cross country meet

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 6, 2019

Jacob Easton is going it alone, something he’s done twice before: The University senior is headed to the Class 4A state cross country meet as the school’s lone representative.