Mead, Nc Gymnasts Bounding Still Higher

Five North Side gymnasts have qualified for this weekend’s state meet in Tacoma.

Included are three from Mead: Kelly Herron, who finished seventh on balance beam at 9.15; Heather Salo, who was ninth at 8.6 on vault; and Marki Stewart, who qualified both on vault at 8.55 and floor exercise at 8.95.

Two from North Central, Shelly Betts and Emily Jones, scored 8.6 on balance beam to earn a trip to the state meet.

Riverside wrestlers to state

A pair of Riverside wrestlers, who have been there before, qualified for state in their second life.

Last year, Dan Kruger at 158 pounds and Matt Morin at 168, both went 2-2 during the State A-B tournament.

This year the two will be part of Mat Classic VIII in the Tacoma Dome as AA wrestlers.

At last weekend’s Region IV tournament, Morin reached the 168-pound finals with 4-1 and 15-5 decisions before placing second to state runner-up Luke Ellis of Prosser.

Kruger, after a semifinal loss at 158, came back with a pair of wins to place third.

Can Umbach do it again?

Clint Umbach has seen his weight go from 108 pounds as a sophomore to 141 pounds this year.

He’s finished first and second and last weekend was third in regionals.

This weekend Umbach will be seeking a third straight appearance in the State A-B finals.

Second in state at 108 and 129 the previous two years, Umbach is one of five Deer Park wrestlers who will be at Mat Classic this weekend.

The others are state veteran Don Forbes, who finished second at 122 pounds, regional runner-up Dana Nelson at 275, third-place Tom Barclay at 190, and Jeb Race, who finished fourth at 148.

Race is a junior, and the others are seniors.

Basketball playoff outlook

Six teams were chasing five available district playoff spots going into the final two games of the Greater Spokane League basketball season.

Since challenging for first place with eight successive wins, Mead showed how unpredictable the league has been following five losses in six games.

The Panthers are in the playoffs. But a team that looked like a lock for second place awhile ago now can only tie for it.

Mead and Shadle Park’s girls are in. The Panthers clinched a title tie, the Highlanders a tie for fourth.

A win over Clarkston this weekend by Riverside’s boys will put them in the playoffs in their first Frontier League season. The second-place girls have qualified.

Riverside’s boys took a big step with Saturday’s 87-79 upset of West Valley in a game in which 56 fouls, the equivalent of 11 players fouling out, were called.

Lakeside’s boys finished second, and the girls won the Northeast A League championship. Both earned byes into the double-elimination portion of districts beginning this weekend at Mead High School.

Deer Park’s girls and boys are also in, finishing fourth and sixth respectively in the league.

, DataTimes