Area athletes qualify for AAU Junior Olympic track nationals

Valley track athletes qualified for the AAU Junior Olympic track nationals during regional qualifying last weekend in Seattle.

Nationals are in Des Moines, Iowa, July 30-Aug. 6.

Among the qualifiers are West Valley graduate javelin thrower Jon Jeffreys, who reached 184-feet to win his age group regional in Seattle.

Spokane Valley Stealth track team members who advanced in the Boys Youth division for 13-14-year olds included hurdler Matt Caingles with third and second place times in the 100 and 200 meter events, and Michael Puckett, third in the 200 hurdles. He missed by one place, qualifying in the shorter hurdles race. Nathan Smith was two places away in the 100 dash.

But the trio, along with Wenatchee addition Jacob Allen qualified for nationals in the 400 relay with a second-place finish.

In girls competition, Madeline Fuchs qualified for nationals with a third in the 200 hurdles. She was sixth in the 100 hurdles and seventh in triple jump at regionals.

Evie Baker, who won at 39-5 and Dana McClendon, who was third at 38-2, advanced to nationals in the shot put. McClendon also qualified for nationals with a second-place discus finish at regionals.

Tourney next for softball teams

Next up for Spokane Valley Girls Softball teams are all-encompassing double-elimination tournaments beginning Tuesday that, over the next two weeks, determine age-group league champions.

Except for a handful of games that remained Friday, the four divisional regular seasons have ended.

Despite losing its first games of the season, 6-5 to Dana Graphics and 16-13 to Old Country Buffet, Conley’s (8-2) clinched top seed in the 16U League by beating Burlington Northern (8-2) for the second time, 14-10.

They’ll be top two seeds to the six-team tournament.

Once-beaten Old Country Buffet (9-1) and Spokane Tire (8-2) finished at least two games ahead of the rest of the 14U League which will have an eight-team tournament.

Old Country secured the top seed, Spokane Tire’s second loss coming to surging Panther Printing (6-4) in a game reported from July 1. Panther Printing won four of its final five games to be part of a three-team tie for third place.

The 12-team 12U League tournament is up for grabs after the final week of games was completed. Any of at least six teams have a shot at winning this tournament.

Home Run Construction (8-2) cooled off Epivot (7-3) 17-11 and over White Elephant (7-2) 17-15 to share the regular season title with Action Mortgage. Farrell Spray Service is also 7-2.

The 10U League is also wide open, Arby’s (9-0) the lone unbeaten. But Itron (8-2), McDonald’s (7-2) and Commercial Lending (7-2) are among several teams with records good enough to contend for the tourney title.

Reported week’s highlights: Tawny Thompson had six strikeouts for Old Country Buffet in a 12U game. In 10U, Brittany Connor doubled for Old Country Buffet and McDonald’s Cassidy Somers hit a triple.

Valley Baseball into final week

Spokane Valley Baseball League teams play the final week of their regular season beginning Monday.

Grocery Outlet is two wins away from a second straight unbeaten Giants League regular season. Blasingame Insurance moved back into second place over Mountain View and two other teams are vying for the playoffs.

Blasingame scored six first-inning runs to hold off Freeman, Riley Benton with three RBIs and Jacob Yount with two, and edged Mountain View 7-3, rallying from a 3-1 deficit. Ben Ward and Eric Critelli had two-RBI singles and during the week pitcher Mitch Peterson had 13 strikeouts.

Ward fanned eight and Cody Role was 4-for-4 in a win over Star Sports.

Freeman did have a big 6-3 win over Focus Group to tie it for fourth. The latter bounced back with a 19-3 win, Jacob Gauche with two doubles among three hits and six RBIs. James Adolfson pitched seven strong innings in the two games,

In the Midget League Spokane Deputy Sheriff’s locked up the American Division championship at 10-1 and George Velis DDS (9-1) is near the National Division title. Five other teams have playoff aspirations.

Joey Lawrence pitched three innings of shutout ball and SCSO scored 17 runs in the fifth inning to rally past Banner Fuel. Brendon Bollman and Nick Baggerley were each 3-for-3 and combined for two doubles and a triple.

In the Pee Wee League, Dr. DeCounter and Merit Electric are tied in the American Division at 9-1. Pizza Hut is 8-2 with two games remaining.

Conley’s Place, unbeaten at 10-0 has clinched the National title with three other teams vying for a playoff berth.

Dr. DeCounter won a pair of pitching duels, uncommon at this age group. It rallied 2-1 in the 10th following nine scoreless innings to beat Sterling Self Storage, and won 1-0 over Mountain Dew.

Successive singles by Hunter Wells, Brandon Davis and Carson Driskill with two outs won the first game and Driskill drove in Wells with the winner against Mountain Dew.

Wells pitched six innings allowing two hits and striking out 15 in the two wins. Davis allowed one hit and fanned 15, also in six innings. Two other pitchers, including Driskill, combined to strike out 11 more during the extra inning win.

Liberty Cup at Liberty Lake

Liberty Lake Women’s 18-Hole club golfers conducted their monthly Liberty Cup and Putting Tournament.

Raouleen Grimes was July’s winner with a net 69.

A flight putting ended in a four-way tie with 29 among Billie Etter, Patsy Lynn, Patty Gowell and Jill Grover.

There was a tie in B flight as well between Gloria Cash and Carol Schults with 32. Jean Fulks and Noreen Sale tied with 29 putts in C flight.

And the best putter among them all was Idell Jenicek whose 28 won D flight.

During Tuesday’s medal play Patty Aunan led A flight golfers with low gross 83, Kathy Brown shot 95 in B, Lily Shiosaki had 105 in C and Myrna Neubauer shot 116 in D.

Net winners A through D respectively were Patty Gowell with 75, Cathy Whitley with 69, Flurry Snyder with 78 and Jan Hussey with 79.

Sharp score at Painted Hills

Painted Hills Ladies golfer Kim Tucker turned in a sharp score during weekly league play.

Tucker shot 40 in A flight to lead the way during weekly competition.

Other low gross winners were Lynda Brautigam with 48 in B flight, Virginia Lemmer with 52 in C, Pat Rieter with 59 in D and Mary Ann Smith with 59 in no-handicap.

Net winners were Carol Blume with 44 in A, Lynne Kemmish with 33 in B, Edie Foedisch with 29 in C and Linda Shupe with 33 in D.

Drena Holzapple birdied the fourth hole with a chip-in. Patti Gowell also had a birdie, on No. 6.

Other chip-ins were by Foedisch, Sue Greany, Ina Grunwald, Nancy Hobbs and Kathy Bates.

Rowley leads way at Trailhead

Trailhead Ladies Golf Club’s Marcia Rowley took her turn atop the field during weekly play among group members.

Rowley shot a strong low gross 43 in A flight for Wednesday’s best score.

Harriet Carbon shot 50 to win B flight and Sandi Hatcher had 61 in C. No-handicap winner once more was Bambi McDowell with 54.

Net winners were Dee Elder with 31 in A, Iness Walth with 27 in B and Dee Lorenz with 33 in C flights. Deanna Hauser had a chip-in.

Strauss owns golf group

Liberty Lake Ladies 9-Hole Golf Club member Karen Strauss owns the weekly gathering.

This past week she shot a low gross 48 in first flight, beating Deanna Hauser‘s second-flight 57 and the 68 by third flight winner Wilma Capaul.

Net leaders were Arla Beck with a 37 in first flight, Polly Soderquist with 37 in second and Sue Matsui, who had a chip-in on the seventh hole, with 45 in third.

Joyce Harris also had a chip-in, on No. 8.

Softball registration

Deadline for the Spokane County Parks and Recreation fall softball season is Aug. 5 for coed and men’s leagues.

The six-week season will end with a single elimination tournament on Oct. 17. Total registration, including players’ fees, for a 12-person team is $340.

Call 477-4730 or go online to www.spokanecounty.org/parks /data/recreation.asp for registration forms.