Mead’s Cory Set To Play At University Of New Mexico

Jodi Cory, a first-team all-league player and defensive standout for Greater Spokane League girls basketball champion Mead, has signed a letter of intent to play at the University of New Mexico.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited,” Cory said. “It was so great down there. The coach is really a neat guy and I fit it with the players.”

Don Flanagan took over the floundering Lobo program after a 401-13 record and numerous Class AAAA state titles at Eldorado High School in Albuquerque.

Cory, a 5-foot-7 guard, was considering walking on at Washington State or playing at Fort Hays State in Kansas.

“I kind of knew I wanted to play,” she said. “I was getting discouraged. I’m starting my workouts tomorrow.”

In her three years at Mead, the Panthers won one league title, tied for another and finished second, running up a record 32-game winning streak in league games. The Panthers also finished third, fourth and fifth in her three trips to the Class AAA state tournament.

Martial arts

Spokane-area youngsters brought home five medals from martial arts championships earlier this month in California.

Brandy Gillmore of Newman Lake, who’ll be a freshman this fall at East Valley High School, earned two medals in the 15th U.S. Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships in the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Gillmore earned a bronze medal for a third-place finish in the forms competition and a gold for winning her free-fighting division, for 13-14-year-old blue and purple belt holders weighing 95 to 104 pounds.

Gillmore, in Taekwondo for three years, is a student of Troy Allen at Defense Arts Academy.

In the 32nd U.S. Judo Federation Youth and Team National Championships at the Bren Center at the University of California Irvine, Pacific Judo Academy and Seiki Kan Judo Club both had medal winners.

Pacific’s Layne Brower was first and Kayla Heuett third in the 8-year-old female bantam division. Heuett was named the outstanding competition for 12-and-under females for her four throwing victories coming out of the losers’ bracket to claim the bronze medal.

Other members of head instructor Robert Harder’s Pacific team who competed but didn’t place were Josh Heuett, 11; Nicole Heuett, 13; and Tyson Devin, 16.

Benjamin Pettis of Seiki Kan was third in the 9-year-old boys division. Richard Yamamoto is his coach.

Hockey

Ferris High School graduate and former Spokane Braves defenseman Wynn Henricksen, has committed to play hockey at the University of Illinois-Chicago, a member of the NCAA Division I Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Henricksen recently completed his final year of junior hockey in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League with the Bellingham Ice Hawks.

Baseball

The Seattle Mariners will hold four tryouts in the Northwest for players between the ages of 16-23 in the week between July 27 and Aug. 2. Players must furnish their own equipment and American Legion players need written permission from their coach to participate.

The tryouts, all of which begin with registration at 8 a.m.: July 27, Roseburg, Ore.; July 28, Newberg, Ore.; July 29, Everett, Wash.; Aug. 2, Victoria, British Columbia.

Info: (206) 628-3555.

Hydroplanes

Tickets are on sale for the 30th Budweiser Columbia Cup unlimited hydroplane race on the Columbia River in the Tri-Cities July 28-30.

A “supersaver” ticket good for all three days costs $20, a $7 savings. Advance tickets for race day, July 30, cost $12, with bleacher-seat tickets on the straightaway with near-by parking are $20. Ticket sales at the gate are $5 for July 28, $7 July 29 and $15 July 30. Children under 12 are admitted free.

There’s also camping space on the west end of Columbia Park for $25 for the weekend and the purchase of race tickets is required.

Tickets may be purchased through G&B ticket outlets at (800) 325-SEAT.

Reservations are still being taken for overnight RV parking in Columbia Park. Included in the $200 RV package are four general admission tickets, four pit passes and a parking pass for an additional car.

For RV reservations, or race weekend information, call the Tri-Cities Water Follies Association, (509) 547-2203.

Soccer

Jamie Day, a 1995 graduate of Cheney High School, has signed a letter of intent to play soccer for Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo.

Day, who also played basketball and competed in track and field at Cheney, is a midfielder and forward who was the Frontier League’s offensive MVP last fall. She also earned her team’s most inspirational award.

Running

Larry Vandenburg of Spokane completed last month’s Western States 100-mile endurance run in less than 24 hours.

The grueling run, which ends in Auburn, Calif., included treks through snow and 115-degree temperatures.

Wheelchair sports

Tyler Byers, 13, of Spokane won eight medals at the Junior National Wheelchair Championships held in Fort Collins, Colo., earlier this month.

Byers, born with the birth defect spina bifida, won six golds in track events: the 100 meters, 800, 1,500, slalom and two relays. He won silver in the 200 and 400. He was chosen junior athlete of the year along with Ashley Hovey of Colorado.

The championships involved 300 athletes ages 8 to 18 who qualified at regional meets in sports that included track and field, archery, weight lifting and swimming.

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