Stars Win National Tourney

Twenty-one years in the making, the Spokane Stars have won their first title at a national tourney.

The breakthrough came Thursday when the Stars’ 14-and-under team defeated the West Texas Lady Bulls 46-40 Thursday to win the BCI Open National Tournament at Colorado Springs, Colo.

Later, the Stars’ 18-and-under team lost 44-40 to Puget Sound in their championship game.

Most of the 14U players will be sophomores this coming school year. That list includes tournament MVP Emily Westerberg from Central Valley and tourney All-Americans Aubree Johnson (Post Falls) and Bre Mulvey (Mead).

Westerberg scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the championship game. Alicyn Bullock (Kamiakin) added 13 points.

In the 18s championship game, Juliann Keller (Malta, Mont.) led Spokane with 14 points. Trailing by two, the Stars had possession with 50 seconds remaining but missed two shots in that final minute.

The 18-and-under team was led by tourney All-Americans Juliann Laney (Gonzaga Prep) and Rae Jewell (Central Valley).

The Stars’ previous best national finish was second-place by the 1987 18-and-under team at the AAU Junior Olympics.

Golf

Lani Elston finished tied for second in the girls division and Ryan Camp tied for 11th among the boys as the AJGA Compaq Junior Championship at Trophy Lake concluded.

Elston shot a 74 in the final round at the 5,883-yard layout in Port Orchard, Wash., but lost by six strokes to Erica Blasberg (Corona, Calif.) In the boys division, Camp had his best round of the event, shooting 72 after consecutive rounds of 77. He finished at 226, nine shots out of first.

Matt Kern (Castro Valley, Calif.) made par on the first hole of sudden death to win the tournament, defeating Breene Murphy (Los Alamitos, Calif.) David Fern of Spokane shot 78 in the final round and finished at 234.

Baseball

Mike Koentopp pitched a two-hitter, remaining undefeated in seven decisions, as Olympic Sports defeated Whitman County 3-0 in the opener of their Junior American Legion playoff series.

Kimmel, Woodard Construction and Northwest Athletics also took 1-0 leads in their series.

Kimmel got everything it needed from Eric Schaar, who struck eight batters in six innings on the mound and had a single, double and triple to drive in three runs.

Woodard Construction defeated the Spokane Storm 6-3 as Derek Sowards (8-0) struck out 11 in a three-hitter.

Danny Pecka drove in four runs with a single, double and triple and Marc Redmond struck out six in a complete-game win as Northwest Athletics defeated Panorama Twins 10-2.

In Senior American Legion, the Cannons defeated the Northstars 8-4 and 6-0. Will Murphy of the Cannons held the Northstars to one run through five innings and finished with a complete-game eight-hitter in the first game.

In the second game, Jay Pearson pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts.

Dave Marlow drove in three runs in the first game and added a double and home run in the second game.

In the opener, the Northstars’ Kurt Hibbard hit two home runs.

This sidebar appeared with the story: SOCCER Shadow players land honors

Kenny Krestian and Mike Dorrington of the Spokane Shadow were named to this week’s Premier Development League team of the week.

Krestian had a goal and two assists in Sunday’s 5-2 road victory over the Abbotsford 86ers. Dorrington scored two goals.