University High Student Ellis Wins Soccer Refereeing Award

Dave Ellis of Spokane, a junior at University High School, was selected by the Washington State Youth Soccer Association to receive one of its two Paul Raymore Young Referee awards for 1995.

Ellis, nominated by the Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Association, is the first winner from the Spokane area.

“He not only calls an excellent game, he has earned the respect of many coaches and players,” said his assignor, Lena Cooley. “He is constantly attending clinics to learn more. … He is a great role model for young referees.”

Ellis, who carries a 3.2 gradepoint average at U-Hi, also is a vice president of the Spokane Flames soccer club and is in his fourth year of coaching in the program.

He said his goal is to become a FIFA referee.

The other Young Referee winner was Adelle Fay of Kirkland, Wash.

Bowling

Five of Spokane’s top women bowlers combined their talents Friday to take over first place in the Classic (open) Division at the Women’s International Bowling Congress Tournament in Tucson, Ariz.

Sandy Hanson (563), Julie Twiss (635), Kim Sternod (541), Kathy Thomas (618) and Julie Heath (573) put together a 2,930 score.

That’s 46 pins better than the team that had led the division of the national event since the end of March.

Twiss had high game for the Spokanites, a 254.

They give Spokane leaders in two of bowling’s major amateur tournaments. Matt Surina leads the singles in the men’s American Bowling Congress Tournament under way in Reno, Nev. He bowled a record-tying 826 in mid-February.

College scene

Cris Coffield of Spokane (Rogers High School), is one of four members of the Northeast Louisiana baseball team honored on the All-Southland Conference team.

Coffield, a junior outfielder, who leads the team with a .331 batting average and six home runs, with 38 RBIs, was selected to the second team. NLU is having its best season in 11 years, 34-18 heading into the league tournament.

Kenny Eilmes of Spokane (Central Valley) is the second-leading hitter on the Eastern Oregon baseball team with a .396 average. He is also second in runs (36) and hits (50) for the 21-17-1 Mountaineers.

Ryan Fleming of Spokane (Mead), a junior defenseman at Michigan State, was named Most Improved on the Spartans hockey team.

Fleming, who had one goal and 16 assists, earned a regular shift in the third game and missed only three games the rest of the way as the Spartans went 25-12-3 and finished third in the Central Collegiate Hockey League. He has five goals and 27 assists in his career.

Kari Eckberg, a former All-Greater Spokane League infielder from Mead, was selected the third baseman on the All-Pacific Northwest Athletic Conference softball team. Eckberg is a senior at Puget Sound, the PNWAC champion and ninth-ranked team in the NAIA.

Lisa Christman, a Western Washington junior from Republic, received honorable mention.

Nate Williams of Liberty Lake, a Navy freshman from East Valley, had the best record on the Midshipmen men’s tennis team this spring, going 15-9 at No. 4 singles. Navy finished second in the Patriot League.

North Central High graduate Michelle Greenwood has signed to play women’s basketball at the University of Idaho. The 6-foot Greenwood played forward/center at North Idaho College the last two years, averaging 11.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in 1994-95.

Judo

Claiming five firsts, a second and two thirds, the North Spokane Judo Club won the Katsuta Kup in Raymond, Alberta, April 15.

Alex Wardian, Casey Lust-Liggins, Roman Hernandez, Casey Coulter and Zach Carey received first-place awards. Eric Hernandez got the second and A.J. Hernandez and Katie Lust-Liggins the thirds.

Also, Billy Duong of NSJC placed second in the novice division at the Kootenay Open Judo Championships in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

Fermin Garcia and Steve Beck coach the team housed at the East and West central community centers.

Synchronized swimming

Six members of the Spokane Silver Mermaids qualified for the United States Age-Group National Championships in Orlando, Fla., in June with their performance in a zone qualifier last weekend in Portland.

Beth Moore and Megan Murphy qualified in three events - duet, trio with Nikki Velategui and team. Others on the team are Velategui, Becky Weaver, Karissa Crossley and Karly Johanson.

They are in the 14-15-year-old group, where the trio placed first, the team second and the duet third.

Other Spokane results at the national qualifier:

11-under, duet-Miranda Crossley-Lacey Davis, third. Figures-Crossley, sixth. Team-Crossley, Davis, Joanna Brasch, Hilary Nelli, fifth.

12-13, duet-Katie Enemark-Patricia Reed, seventh. Solo-Johanson, ninth.

14-15, solo-Velategui, seventh; Crossley, eighth; Weaver, ninth. Figures-Moore, fifth.

Track and field

The Inland Northwest Multi-Events Championships, part of the Cheney Invitational June 10-11 at Eastern Washington University, leads off the schedule of major USA Track & Field meets for area youth this summer.

Other highlights include the age-group championships June 17 in Pullman, Junior Olympic Championships June 24 in Cheney and Region XIII Junior Olympic Championships July 6-7 in Seattle.

Competitions are open to youngsters ages 6-18. The Cheney Invitational also has adult divisions.

Info: Cheney Track Club, 418 Cocolalla, Cheney, WA 99004, or phone Ruth Van Kuren, (509) 235-4762, evenings or 6:30-7:15 a.m.