Longtime Area Track Coach Honored

Jerry Martin, longtime former coach at Washington State and Eastern Washington, was among five people honored Saturday by the Washington State Track and Field Coaches Association in Spokane.

Martin was recognized at the Kimmel Athletic Clinic for his induction into the state group’s Hall of Fame.

The WSTFCA also honored coaches of the year for 1998 and 1999. They were Mike Hinz, Pullman, boys and Cheryl Schauble, Kamiakin, girls, for 1998; and Keven Frandsen, University, boys and Bill Carpenter, Colville, girls, for 1999.

Martin, from Colfax, coached for more than 35 years, including stints at Colfax and North Central high schools and Columbia Basin and Spokane community colleges as well as WSU and EWU.

He coached more than a dozen collegiate All-Americans and his 1982 EWU men’s cross country team won the NCAA Division II national championship. Many of his athletes are now coaches themselves.

Basketball

Former Gonzaga University men’s coach Dan Fitzgerald will conduct the inaugural Dan Fitzgerald Signature Girls Basketball Camp May 5-7 at Eastern Washington University.

Sponsored by the Spokane Regional AAU Basketball Club, the elite camp will offer instruction, competition and evaluation for high school-age girls (ninth-graders in 2000-2001 through 12th).

Info: 892-4930.

Details on upcoming youth basketball tournaments:

March 17-19: Chewelah, Bob Lynch Memorial, high school girls. Divisions: A, B schools and JV teams from 2A, 3A and 4A schools; varsity teams from 2A, 3A and 4A schools (all players must be from same school). Fee: $140; 4-game guarantee. Info: Drew Landram, (509) 935-8472.

April 14-16: North American Youth Sports, Spokane (University High School), boys and girls grades 5-12. Fee: $90, 2-game guarantee. Deadline: March 24. Info: Mark Hein, 921-0731; Harry Ennis, (888) 629-2275.

Replay: Telephone contact for the WSU Cougar and EWU Eagle classic youth tournaments printed in last Sunday’s local briefs is Kevin Graffis, (208) 798-8083.

College scene

Lewis-Clark State College freshman guard Alyssa Erickson of Wilbur was named Frontier Conference women’s basketball player of the week.

Erickson, a 5-foot-9 guard, scored 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting in wins last weekend over Montana State-Northern and Western Montana. Erickson also had seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals as the NAIA Division I Warriors improved to 15-0, 3-0.

Sarah Sowers of Post Falls is a starting guard for the Concordia University women’s basketball team. In a 75-65 loss to No. 2 ranked Northwest Nazarene last week, Sowers scored a game-high 17 points.

Thirty-one Eastern Washington University student-athletes were selected to Big Sky Conference All-Academic teams for the fall.

To qualify, athletes must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average or a 3.20 in the previous three quarters, must have participated in at least half the team’s competitions and must have attended Eastern for at least one full year.

Football: Lance Ballew, junior, business administration; Greg Belzer (Chewelah), jr., health; Aaron Best, senior, social science; Luke Fritz, jr., health; Tim Gutmann, jr., chemistry; Scott Johnson, sr., recreation management; Rich Naccarato (Mead), sr., health education; Ole Olesen, jr., physical education; Chris Polinder, sophomore, business admin; Asim Poston, so., geography; Kurt Sigler (Coeur d’Alene), freshman, biology; Wayne Timmons so., arts; Alvin Tolliver so., biology; Julian Williams sr., P.E.; Joe Zelinski (Mead), fr., recreation & leisure services.

Volleyball: Lacey Coover, sr., studio art; Jennifer Dick, so., interdisciplinary studies; Jennifer Gabel, jr., reading; Angie Hall (Colfax) so., electronic media & film; Joene Heimbigner (Shadle Park), jr., reading; Kim Maxwell, sr., biology; Tarah Pond, sr., P.E.; Lea Ruhl, (Ferris), sr., marketing management.

Men’s cross country: Chris Henderson (East Valley), jr., biology.

Women’s cross country: Katie Ellison, sr., health ed; April Franck, sr., communication disorders; Amber Johnson (North Central), sr., dental hygiene.

Soccer: Courtney Kelley, so., biology; Sophia Pacheco, so., biology; Tracy Wilcoxen, jr., P.E., Anna Zumwalt, so., education.

Twin sisters Colleen and Devin Huck, transfers from Community Colleges of Spokane, earned fall academic honors at the University of Toledo.

The cross country team, for which the Hucks run, had a school-best 3.615 grade-point average for the fall semester.

North Idaho College sophomore shot putter Nate Keith has signed a letter of intent to attend Life University in Marietta, Ga.

Last year, Keith won the shot at the NJCAA indoor championship and was second at the NJCAA outdoor event. His personal best is 55 feet, an NIC record.

Life University is the three-time defending NAIA champion.

Hockey

The Spokane Storm women’s team won the Yakima Sting Invitational six-team tournament last weekend, defeating the host team 5-2 in the championship game.

Spokane goalie Naomi Collard won the trophy for most saves.

The Spokane American Youth Hockey Association will play host to the prestigious Pacific Northwest Amateur Hockey Association Washington State Tier II Championships Feb. 25-28.

Thirty-five teams will compete in four divisions - Squirt, ages 9-10; Pee Wee, 11-12; Bantam, 13-14; and Midget, 15-17 - at Eagles Ice-A-Rena and Ice World USA at Liberty Lake. Championship games will be Feb. 28. There is no charge for spectators.

Spokane will have teams in each division.

Info: Tim Gump, 475-4888.

Running

Finishing what she starts has gained Carol Dellinger of Spokane additional recognition in the world of marathon running.

Dellinger, who runs for Saucony shoes, completed her 120th marathon Jan. 16 in San Diego.

That moved her into fifth place on the all-time list of American women marathon runners. Like Dellinger, 37, all four ahead of her are still running and most average 14-15 marathons a year. The No. 1 runner on the list was at 164 at the end of 1999.

Softball

The Spokane Girls Fastpitch Softball Association will conduct a coaching clinic Feb. 26 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at University High School.

Cost is $30 if postmarked by Feb. 15, $40 after that or at the door. The clinic is approved for 5 clock hours by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Clock hour credit costs $5.

Clinicians include Don Williams, North Idaho College; Keith Snyder and Ken Van Buskirk, Community Colleges of Spokane; Mick Hokanson and Jess Menzia, Big Bend CC; and Clyde Brown, Colville High School.

Info: Gary Blake, 328-1921 or e-mail at garyoblake@aol.com.

Track and field

A session for the beginner coach or parent volunteer will be featured during a three-way clinic at Eastern Washington University on March 4.

The developmental coaches clinic is designed for the newer coach and volunteers. It will cover such things as age-appropriate activities, how to set a practice and risk management. It is not event-specific. It will run 9 a.m.-noon and cost $15.

Info: Ruth Van Kuren, 235-4762.

There will also be a learn-by-doing session for coaches and athletes from 8:30 a.m.-noon. Cost is $15.

Info: Marcia Mecklenburg, 359-2426 or Stan Kerr, 359-2376.

The third will feature world-class javelin thrower Tom Petranoff. Those attending either of the other sessions can attend free. Cost for others is $15. It starts at noon and will include the Turbo javelin that is moving into grade school and middle school programs.

Info: Lawson Van Kuren, 235-4762.