Rainwater Wins Titles In Big Sky

Eastern Washington’s Joyce Rainwater won two events and the outstanding female track athlete award Saturday in the Big Sky Conference indoor track and field championships at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

Rainwater, a senior, captured the 55-meter (7.01 seconds) and 200-meter (24.12) titles. She had faster marks in Friday’s qualifying and earned provisional acceptance into the national indoor finals in Indianapolis, March 10-11.

EWU’s Christian White finished second to Rainwater in the 55-meter finals and fourth in the 200.

Idaho men’s 1,600 relay team posted a mark of 3:15.12 to edge Weber State for the title.

Idaho’s Chris Kwaramba, who came into the meet as the top ranked triple jumper, finished second. Jason St. Hill and Niels Kruller finished second and third in the 200. Bernd Schroeder was third in the mile and Felix Kamangirira was third in the 400.

Eastern Washington’s Kevin Whitson finish third in the shot put at 51-10. The Eagles also picked up points in the 800 with Ryan Ollerman, Ryan Zackula and Matt Read finishing third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Boise State University won its second straight women’s title and Northern Arizona captured its ninth men’s title in 15 years.

Jen Johnstun of Weber State was named the women’s outstanding field athlete. Johnstun won the high jump, 800-meter run and anchored the winning 1,600 relay.

Northern Arizona’s Ray Nelson won the men’s track award by winning the 55 and 200 sprints.

Montana State pole vaulter John Wurtz won the men’s field athlete award with a winning mark of 17-0 3/4.

Baseball

Banana Belt: Pitcher Darrin Blood posted his second victory of the young season and Brendan Hare had four hits, including a home run, as Gonzaga defeated Portland State 10-2 in the Banana Belt Tournament at Lewiston.

Hare had three RBI and Tom Willard added a two-run single for the Bulldogs.

Whitworth 10-4, Puget Sound 4-0: Senior right-hander Traye Radach pitched a four-hit shutout as the Pirates defeated the visiting Loggers 4-0 at Merkel Field.

The Pirates won the first game 10-4. Sean Peterson had three hits and Grant Good two hits.

Notre Dame 2, WSU 1: The Irish won a pitchers’ duel in the College Baseball Classic at the Seattle Kingdome.

Notre Dame starter Darin Schmalz outlasted the Cougars’ Robert Ramsay for the win, finishing the game with six strikeouts while allowing only four hits in 8 1/3 innings.

Ramsay threw all eight innings for Washington State, allowing only three hits will striking out six. Rob Ryan had a run-scoring single in the third for WSU.

Swimming

The Whitworth women’s team finished third in the NAIA national championships in San Antonio, Texas.

It was the Pirates’ highest-ever finish. Simon Fraser won with a record-breaking 828 points followed by Puget Sound and the Pirates.

Mary Ryan led Whitworth finishing second in the 200-meter breaststroke. Ryan, Desire DeSoto (200 backstroke) and Dorian Reese (200 butterfly) all broke school records.

Whitworth’s men finished ninth. John Rasmussen (200 and 100 breaststroke) and Steve Schadt (1650 freestyle) broke school records. Jeff Rice placed fifth in the 200 backstroke.