Ewu Return Specialist Honored By Publication
Eastern Washington University’s record-breaking return specialist, Bashir Levingston, has been selected as the Football Gazette’s specialist player of the year for Division I-AA.
Levingston, a senior from Seaside, Calif., was also selected as the publication’s first-team All-America punt returner as well as the first-team kickoff returner.
EWU offensive tackle T.J. Ackerman from Nooksack, Wash., and running back Mike MacKenzie from Vancouver, British Columbia, were named honorable mention All-Americans.
Levingston was also named to the American Football Coaches Association, USA Today/ESPN, Sports Network and Associated Press All-America teams.
The senior transfer from Utah State led NCAA Division I-AA in punt returns, averaging 20.8 yards per return, with three touchdowns, and was third in kickoff returns at 29.5 yards per return with three more scores. He was also 21st in all-purpose running yardage (rushing, receiving, returns) with an average of 145.2 yards per game. He handled the ball 64 times in 1998, scored 12 touchdowns and accumulated 1,597 yards (25.0 yards per touch). He broke or tied seven I-AA records.
Ackerman was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference offensive lineman after playing the first full season of his career. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound Ackerman had his 1995 and 1996 seasons shortened by season-ending knee injuries. In all, Ackerman started 27 games as an Eagle. With him in the lineup, Eastern was 16-11 and averaged 187.6 rushing yards a game.
MacKenzie, a second-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, also was named to the NCAA Division I-AA Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
He was earlier on the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America second team and twice earned GTE/CoSIDA District VIII Academic All-America honors. He will also become a four-time Big Sky Conference All-Academic pick when that team is announced later in January. MacKenzie has a 3.46 grade-point average as a physical education major. He will receive his bachelor’s degree this spring.
MacKenzie finished his career with seven-straight 100-yard rushing games and ranked 15th in Division I-AA with an average of 126.9 yards per game. He also finished 11th in I-AA in scoring (9.82 points per game) and 18th in all-purpose running (150.6).
His 1998 totals of 1,396 yards and 18 touchdowns are the second-best single-season efforts in EWU history.
Baseball
The Safeco Seattle Mariners caravan is coming to Spokane Jan. 29 for a free clinic in the Spokane Falls CC gym.
Mariners coaches and players will demonstrate skills in pitching, hitting and fielding. Scheduled to appear are players Carlos Guillen and Mark Leiter, coach Steve Smith and broadcaster Ron Fairly.
The clinic is open to anyone, but youngsters and coaches are especially encouraged to attend. The clinic will run 4-5:30 p.m.
Fans attending will receive a free photo of Safeco Field and 1999 M’s schedules.
Info: (800) MY-MARINERS.
Bowling
Consistency finally paid off for David Miller on the Junior Bowlers Tour.
Miller, regularly one of the top bowlers in the competition, collected his first victory Dec. 20 at North Bowl after entering the TV-style rolloff in third place.
He knocked off top qualifier Keith Christensen 209-204 in the championship match after dispatching Anthony Hernandez, who finished fourth, and Matt Gipson (third). Joe Henson finished fifth.
Christensen had high game for boys, a 279, while Becky Smith led the girls with a 233.
Next JBT is the doubles at Bowlers World.
J.J. Boston, Bryan Bass and Ray Springer combined to win the Alycia Stevens Memorial junior tournament Jan. 3 at Colonial Bowl. The event attracted 23 teams.
The “A Team” of Adam Allen, Adam Utt and Jeremy Allen was second, with Eric Morasch, Shawn White and Matt Descoteaux third.
Sharon Moore, Teral Stevens and Danny Green were fourth and Terry Long, Mandy Trudeau and Brian Long fifth.
Deadlines are approaching for the Spokane men’s and women’s city tournaments.
Deadline for entering the Spokane Women’s Bowling Association Tournament is Jan. 24. Team events will be at Deer Park Lanes Feb. 13 and 21 and singles and doubles at Silver Lanes Feb. 14 and 20.
The “early bird” deadline for the Spokane Bowling Association five-man team event is Friday. There will be $500 added money for teams that beat the deadline. Entries in the men’s tournament are accepted up to the start of the final squad in each event.
Men’s dates are Feb. 6, 7, 13 and 14, with five-man team at Players & Spectators, three-man team at Valley Bowl and singles, doubles and senior singles at North Bowl. A masters event for the highest-average bowlers will be at Lilac Lanes with qualifying Feb. 6, 13, 14 and 20 and the finals Feb. 21.
Entry blanks for all are available at area bowling centers.
College scene
University of Portland senior midfielder Kim Stiles of Spokane (Mead) is at the U.S. National Team training facility in Orlando, Fla., through Thursday, participating in a training camp conducted by the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Stiles is working with a group referred to as the National B team. The U.S. National team also is there, preparing for this summer’s World Cup.
In December, Stiles was among a group of players called in to the U.S. National team training camp in California to fill in for veteran players embroiled in a labor dispute on the eve of a game against the Ukraine. The dispute was resolved before the game and the veterans reported. Stiles suited up for the Dec. 16 game, but didn’t play.
Former North Idaho College basketball player Jon Bussell is averaging 8 minutes and 3.7 points a game for the Northwest Nazarene men’s team.
Former Moscow, Idaho, prep Anna Allen averages 13 minutes and 3.3 points for the NWN women.
Football
The local chapter of the National Football Foundation will announce its first nominees to the College Football Hall of Fame at its annual scholar/athlete banquet Jan. 18.
The dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. in the Doubletree in downtown Spokane, is to honor the 10 finalists for the Ray Flaherty Award.
This is the first time in its five-year history the Inland Northwest chapter has submitted names for the College Hall of Fame. Five have been nominated, representing Washington State, Idaho, Eastern Washington and Whitworth.
Tickets for the banquet are $30 or $250 for a table of 10. For more information, call (509) 924-7768.
Only a few tables remain.
Guest speaker will be EWU football coach Mike Kramer.
Running
Spokane ultramarathon runner Bill Misner logged a world-best 7,533 miles during 1998, bringing his total in the Million Mile Ultra to 11,450 miles run since Jan. 1, 1997.
Misner, who took the lead in competition recorded on the Internet in June, was the first in the Million Mile Ultra to reach 10,000 miles, reaching that milestone in mid-October.
He continues to extend his lead over second-place Claudia Berryman-Shafer, who has 10,230. They are the only two to pass 10,000. In fact, only one other runner in the field of 219 worldwide has more than 8,000 miles.
The 7,533 miles reportedly is the most ever recorded by a runner older than 50 in one year. That effort, and Misner’s completion of 10,000 miles in 650 days, 15 hours, 13 minutes, 17 seconds, are being submitted to the Guiness Book of World Records.
Softball
The Spokane Sliders 19-U girls fastpitch organization is looking for competitive and experienced players for the 1999 season.
Info: George Lynn, 468-5084.
Wrestling
Spokane School District 81 middle schools will serve as hosts for the six national teams competing in the XXVII World Cup of Wrestling April 2-3 in Spokane at the Arena.
The countries and their host school: Canada, Sacajawea; Cuba, Chase; Germany, Salk; Iran, Garry; Russia, Shaw; and United States, Glover. Wrestlers and delegation members will visit the schools to meet students and participate in planned activities.
“(This) will offer an exciting cultural experience for our area middle school children,” said Glover principal Phil Newsum.
All-session tickets for the World Cup are on sale at G&B Select-A-Seat outlets. There will be four sessions in the dualmeet format.