Thomas Clouse

New Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier completed her coaching staff Monday with the hire of a very familiar assistant coach: her husband. Fortier hired Craig Fortier, who had been the top men’s assistant at Eastern Washington. He joins fellow assistant coaches Jordan Green and Stacy Clinesmith.

New Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier completed her coaching staff today with the hire of a very familiar assistant coach: her husband.

Former Bloomsday champion Allan Kiprono hung with the lead pack early in Sunday’s race and he followed a fellow Kenyan all the way to the base of Doomsday Hill. Kiprono then put on a running clinic, leaving 24-year-old Cloephas Ngetich and another fellow Kenyan, Kevin Kochei, far behind as he took a commanding lead coming out of Doomsday Hill and won the 12-kilometer race going away in 34 minutes, 11 seconds.

Former Bloomsday champion Allan Kiprono hung with the lead pack early in the race and he followed a fellow Kenyan all the way to the base of Doomsday Hill. He then won going away.

A Spokane basketball blue blood who has won numerous Hoopfest titles, played in the WNBA and led Mead to a state championship has been hired as an assistant coach for the Gonzaga women’s basketball team. Stacy Clinesmith, 36, will join new coach Lisa Fortier, who was hired to replace Kelly Graves. He left last month after 14 years to become head coach at Oregon.

Ferris catcher Alex Jondal leaned over the plate, holding the bat high in his long arms. He readied himself for the pitch from Mead’s Justin Dolezal. But the ball got away and plunked Jondal, who didn’t flinch before he took off for first base.

Mead batters jumped all over Ferris’ Griffin Davis to start the game Tuesday, but the Saxons’ bats rescued Davis who ended up getting a complete-game victory in the 10-2 win. The victory ended a three-game skid for Ferris, (10-7, 9-6 Greater Spokane League) which still could wiggle into a tie for third place in the GSL with Lewis and Clark (12-5, 11-4), which beat Shadle Park (12-5, 10-5) on Tuesday. The Saxons are mathematically eliminated from catching Gonzaga Prep (15-2, 14-1).

If you’ve conquered Doomsday Hill enough times during a 12-kilometer race on the first Sunday in May, your name almost becomes familiar in Bloomsday circles. Last year, Jon Neill, who serves as the elite athlete coordinator, predicted that 2012 champion Allan Kiprono, of Kenya, would repeat. But Belete Assefa raced to the front last year to become the first Ethiopian to win Bloomsday.

New Whitworth football coach Rod Sandberg barks out instructions as his linebackers and defensive ends run through a series of padded dummies and deliver sweeping haymakers before they run and tackle the last one and roll to their feet. The players and coaches all sprint to their next station and all must answer the coach when he yells out a question. “What are we about?" ‘FAMILY,’ the team screams in response.

Gonzaga followed its history and turned to one if its own by hiring Lisa Mispley Fortier to replace Kelly Graves as the women’s basketball coach. Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said the interview that resulted with his offering the job to Fortier actually started years ago on bus rides and airplane trips to tournament games.

Gonzaga followed its history and turned to one if its own by hiring Lisa Mispley Fortier to replace Kelly Graves as the women’s basketball coach.

With a new football coach in hand, the Whitworth Pirates started spring practices this week with the tall order of learning new offensive and defensive schemes.

Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth specifically proclaimed Thursday that the women’s basketball opening is the best available job in the country. He then declined to give any specifics about how many people have applied or whether he’s reached out to any other athletic directors to inquire about other coaches to lead the Bulldogs, who finished 29-5 and ranked No. 22 in the final USA Today coaches’ poll.