Greyhound Park Record Falls

Inland Northwest racing fans produced the biggest wagering day in the history of Greyhound Park on Saturday.

Attracted by the seven championship races of the Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs, plus off-track betting on races at 15 other tracks nationwide, horse players sent $200,000 through the betting windows at the Post Falls facility, Greyhound Park general manager Don Gross said Monday.

“That’s more than we ever handled on any one day, even when we had live dog racing,” Gross said.

The track opened in August 1988. Although on-site greyhound racing was discontinued in 1996, simulcast wagering on horse and dog racing continued.

With the closure of Playfair Race Course to off-track betting this summer, and with Yakima Meadows closing Sunday, the Post Falls facility is the only racing venue east of the Cascades.

Contrary to published reports, there is a chance on-site greyhound racing will be revived by the Idaho legislature, Gross said.

Football Giorgio Usai toppled a couple more marks as his record-breaking season at Yuba (Calif.) College heads down the stretch.

Usai, a 5-foot-6, 190-pound sophomore from Central Valley High School, rushed for a career-high and school-record 314 yards on 38 carries and scored three touchdowns in the 49ers’ 41-0 win over Marin College on Saturday. One of the TD runs was for 91 yards.

Usai, who broke the school single-game record with a 304-yard effort the previous week, ran his season total to 1,648 yards. That’s 100 yards more than the mark that had stood since 1969. He has 2,494 career yards, 283 from the record with two games remaining.

“I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I knew I had a shot (at the records),” Usai told the Yuba Appeal-Democrat. “I’m just hoping our team (now 5-3) will be remembered the way the 1969 team was.”

Women’s soccer

Eastern Washington freshman midfielder/forward Deszeray Dougherty has been selected to the Big Sky Conference women’s soccer all-tournament team.

Dougherty, from Pasco, made both her goals this season count, connecting on game-winners against Idaho State and Cal State Northridge. She did not take a shot in a 2-1 semifinal loss Thursday that ended the season for the 3-15 Eagles.

Cross country

The Inland Northwest cross country championships, both for Junior Olympic and older athletes, will be Saturday at Selah, Wash., Middle School.

Junior Olympians, to age 18, will begin at 10:30 a.m. The top 25 and top three teams qualify for regionals the following Saturday at the same site with national berths at stake.

Those 19 and older will run an 8K course beginning at 2:30 p.m.

USTAF membership is required in both divisions.

Info: Ruth Van Kuren in Cheney, 235-4762.