Nc’s Johnson Selected To All-American Soccer Team

Paul Johnson of North Central High School, co-most valuable player in the Greater Spokane League, has been selected to the Far West Regional All-American team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Umbro.

Johnson, one of just two players from the state of Washington named to the team from the farstretching region that was dominated by Californians, had GSL-leading figures of 21 goals and 13 assists in earning All-GSL honors during his senior season.

He had 39 goals and 21 assists during his NC career.

Baseball

Former Gonzaga University and Central Valley High School pitcher Darin Blood has been named to the Class A California League All-Star team that will face Carolina League stars June 18 in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Blood has an 8-4 record with a 2.45 earned run average and has walked 34 and struck out 80 in 73-1/3 innings for the San Jose Giants, who have clinched the first-half Northern Division title.

The Pacific-10 Conference North player of the year in 1995 as a Gonzaga junior, Blood was a third-round selection of the San Francisco Giants in the 1995 free agent draft. He pitched for the Everett Giants last summer in the Class A Northwest League.

Gonzaga University has signed Community Colleges of Spokane sophomore infielder Trevor Davis and Juanita High pitcher Brian Newton to letters of intent, GU coach Steve Hertz announced.

Davis, a third baseman/shortstop, hit .405 with 16 doubles and two home runs for CCS this spring while earning Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges first-team honors.

Newton, a native of Kirkland, Wash., was 5-1 with a 0.98 ERA in KingCo play in earning all-league and all-state honors. In 43 innings he struck out 70 while opponents hit just .120 against him.

Basketball

The Seattle Sonics will meet the Vancouver Grizzlies in an NBA preseason game Oct. 14 in the University of Montana’s Adams Field House in Missoula.

Tickets, ranging from $11.50 to $21, are on sale at several Missoula locations or by calling (406) 243-4051 or (800) 526-3400.

John Polm, who coaches an AAU team in Chewelah of girls entering the fifth grade, is looking for opponents. Coaches interested in scheduling games can contact Polm at (509) 935-6315.

College scene

Grant Felgenhauer, a 1992 graduate of Lewis and Clark High School, participated in Yale University’s four-race rowing sweep of Harvard last weekend at New London, Conn.

Felgenhauer, completing four years of crew at Yale, rowed in the stroke position on the third varsity boat. That crew won its 2-mile race by an 18-second margin with a headwind in a time of 10 minutes, 30 seconds.

Felgenhauer also rowed on the third varsity boat that defeated its Harvard counterpart in 1994.

At LC he lettered in cross country and track.

Greg Kaatz, an Eastern Oregon College senior from Curlew, has earned NAIA All-American honorable mention for a second straight year.

Kaatz, a second baseman, led EOC in hitting this season with a .405 average in earning all-league and all-region honors. He’s only the second EOC player to earn back-to-back All-American recognition.

Jen Harrell of Spokane (Gonzaga Prep), a freshman at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa., earned her first varsity letter in track. She had school bests in the 200 (27.81 seconds) and 400 (1:01.53) and also competed in the hurdles, long and triple jumps.

Whitworth’s men’s athletic teams tied for 10th in the 1995-96 NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association all-sports competition.

It’s the Pirates’ first top-10 finish since the competition began in 1969. Whitworth earned 80 points, the same as Lynn, Fla., in conference, regional and national levels. The Pirates earned most of their points with runner-up national finishes in basketball and swimming.

Three other Northwest schools were in the top 10 behind champion Findlay, Ohio (140 points) - Pacific Lutheran, sixth; Simon Fraser, eighth; and Central Washington, ninth.

Whitworth’s women, a top-20 finisher a year ago, were 57th. Simon Fraser (154) won with Western Oregon, tie sixth; Pacific Lutheran, eighth; and Puget Sound, ninth, also in the top 10.

Gymnastics

Liz Miller of Ferris High School had a 16th-place finish in floor exercise for her top placing in the National High School gymnastics championships May 31-June 1 in Marquette, Mich.

Miller, who is headed for Washington State, also finished 20th in the vault and 32nd in uneven bars.

More than 100 gymnasts competed. Miller’s Washington team finished fifth. Connecticut won the team title.

Lilac City Gymnastics announced it will open a second facility, to be located at 1104 N. Park Road, in late July.

“Our business has grown steadily since opening our first facility on Augusta Avenue in the winter of 1994,” president Fred Smith said in a release announcing the construction of the new facility. “The fast-growing Spokane Valley presents a wonderful opportunity for us to expand …”

Lilac City offers programs for youngsters through adults, both male and female. Info: 325-4274.

Wrestling

Shadle Park High School has hired Mark Miller as its wrestling coach.

Miller, 26, the son of retired West Valley and East Valley wrestling coach Chuck Miller, has been an assistant at EV, his alma mater, the last three years.

He will teach economics and Pacific Northwest History and will also coach freshman football.

“Mark had a feel for how to develop a program and work with kids who haven’t had a lot of competitive success,” said Shadle activities coordinator Randy Ryan.

, DataTimes