Spokane Runners Shine In New York Marathon

Although Kim Jones, a professional who finished sixth in the controversial women’s race, gained the headlines, three other Spokane runners were among the state of Washington’s top competitors in the recent New York Marathon.

Jackie Davenport was second to Jones, who led the state contingent, among Washington women with a 95th-place showing in the women’s race. Davenport, who was timed in 3 hours, 19 minutes and 10 seconds, was the 10th-fastest state entrant.

Bob Boyd and Neil Felgenhauer were 15th and 16th among Washington runners, crossing the finish line in 3:31.39 and 3:32.52 respectively.

Jones, women’s champion at Bloomsday last spring, was clocked in 2:32.

Six other Spokane runners finished the New York Marathon, run on Sunday, Nov. 16. They are Steven Wolf, 3:57.24; Dan Walsh, 4:05.38; Sue Miner, 4:18.47; Greg Coffin, 4:24.07; Susan Coffin, 6:18.20, and Margarete Haas, 8:12.10.

Ferris grad Jennifer Smith of Colorado placed second at the Big 12 Conference cross country meet Nov. 1 in Stillwater, Okla., running the 5,000 meters in 17:35, 6 seconds behind the winner. Smith, who won the Colorado State Invitational earlier this season, was named Big 12 newcomer of the year by league coaches.

Sister Madonna Buder of Spokane has qualified for the 1997 International Triathlon Union’s world championship, slated for Nov. 16 at Perth, Australia.

Buder will be among 200 U.S. athletes who will compete in the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-mile bike ride and 10-kilometer run.

Buder, 67, holds two age-group records for the Ironman World Triathlon Championships.

Baseball

For the fifth year in a row, Andrew Billig, president of the Spokane Indians, has received the Northwest League’s nomination for the Larry McPhail Promotional Excellence Award.

The National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues annually presents the McPhail Award, honoring the flamboyant former owner of the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers, to a minor-league executive representing one of the association’s 237 member teams.

Since Billig joined the Indians in 1993, attendance has increased to record heights each year and season ticket sales have quadrupled.

Barbara Klante, longtime administrative assistant for the Indians, has been named Northwest League Woman Executive of the Year for the second time.

Klante, who also received the award in 1986, has been employed by the Indians since 1983 after a previous stint in the front office of Spokane’s Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate in the Pacific Coast League.

American Legion Baseball of Spokane has several openings for paid AAA Senior baseball coaches for the 1998 season. Call Dennis Thompson at 624-5789 for more details. Deadline for applications is November 23.

Track and Field

The National Youth Athletics Championships will be coming to Spokane June 30-July 5, according to an announcement from the Inland Northwest Youth Committee of USA Track & Field.

Competition will be held at Spokane Falls Community College, matching athletes who meet national standards and winners from the Inland Northwest track and field championships June 27 at Washington State University.

Both the USATF National Junior Olympics multi-event championships and the National Junior Olympic track and field championships have been scheduled for Seattle, July 28-29 and July 30-Aug. 2 respectively.

For information, contact Ruth Van Buren 235-4762.

Bowling

Matt Surina’s Bowlers World in Airway Heights will be the site of the Northwest Regional Professional Bowlers Association tournament next weekend.

Tournament action, which will include pro-am competition, will run from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. The pro-am is open to the public with sessions scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday and at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Entry fees are $15 for YABA juniors, $25 for seniors and $40 for other adults.

Professionals will bowl on Saturday, starting with the A squad at 8 a.m. Pro finals will begin Sunday at 8 a.m.

Cory Hultquist led qualifiers by going 4-0 in his match games, then polished off Ben Rhodes 199-180 to win the October JBT competition at Valley Bowl.

Adam Allen posted the high game of 279. Erin Sackmann topped the girls with a 228 game.

Miscellany

Four Seattle Seahawks 50-yard-line tickets and a Snoqualmie Pass ski weekend are among items up for bid during the annual Pullman High School Greyhounds booster auction.

The auction is scheduled for Nov. 19 at the school. Dinner, priced a $4 per person, will be served from 5-6:30 p.m. The silent auction starts at 5 with the regular auction beginning at 7 p.m.

Sophomore outside hitter Leah Wiiest, a graduate of Deer Park High School, had a team-high 36 kills last weekend as Cornell University split its pair of Ivy League volleyball matches.

Middlebury College sophomore Dawn Trowbridge, a St. George’s School grad from Colbert, had 11 kills and 26 digs late last month when the Panthers (21-3) lost a volleyball match with Williams.

Chrissy Peterson, another St. George’s graduate, scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, when the Middlebury soccer team defeated Springfield 3-2. She had two more goals as the Panthers blanked Trinity 9-0.

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