Whitworth’S Blake Makes All-America

For the first time in 10 years, Whitworth has a football AllAmerican.

Defensive end Sky Blake, the co-defensive player of the year in the Northwest Conference, was named Monday to the American Football Coaches Association Division III All-America team.

Additionally, Blake has been selected to play for the NCAA Division III all-stars against a team of Mexican all-stars in the Aztec Bowl on Saturday in Merida, Mexico. No U.S. television is planned.

Blake, from Lynnwood, Wash., arrived in Mexico today.

“He’s been a great player for four years and really deserves this honor,” said Whitworth coach John Tully. “He has to be as good a defensive end as there is at our level in the country.”

Blake, who led the NWC with 110 tackles, including 15 for losses totaling 49 yards, is one of only two players from the NWC honored by the AFCA. Pacific Lutheran quarterback Chad Johnson was also an All-America and Aztec Bowl selection.

Only a first team was named.

Whitworth’s last All-American was punter John Karuza in 1990. Wide receiver Wayne Ralph was the last position player picked, in 1986. Both were NAIA Division II All-Americans. This was Whitworth’s second season at the NCAA Division III level.

Women’s soccer

Two former Spokane high school standouts were selected Sunday by the Boston Breakers in the inaugural Women’s United Soccer Association draft.

Kim Stiles, a 1995 Mead High School graduate, was chosen in the ninth round while Jen Tissue, a 1993 graduate of Shadle Park, was taken in the 15th round.

Stiles, the Gonzaga University assistant women’s soccer coach to her sister-in-law the past two seasons, was the 70th pick overall. Tissue, who has played the last three seasons for the San Francisco Knighthawks of the Women’s Professional Soccer League, was the 118th overall choice.

Sun Wen, a member of five Asian women’s championship teams, was the first pick overall by the Atlanta Beat.

Stiles, who has attended two U.S. National Team training camps, is a 1999 University of Portland graduate, where she was an All-West Coast Conference selection in 1997 and ‘98. She played in three national championship semifinals for Portland.

Tissue, a four-time first team All-Northwest Conference selection and league MVP as a senior at Whitworth in 1996, is one of only two non-NCAA Division I athletes drafted. She participated in a pre-draft combine that included about 200 players.

“It’s such an honor,” said Tissue. “I really didn’t expect to get drafted. I thought I had a good shot at getting signed as a free agent.

“Kim and I were talking about the possibility of ending up on the same team, and Boston was one of the teams we thought would be really great.”

Tissue said she’s heard from other players that Boston players “are a really fun group.”

Twenty-eight players are expected to report for training camp in March. The roster will be pared to 20 by the first week of April. Play in the eight-team league will begin in mid-April.