Locally

Three local college teams earn national academic honors

The Washington State University women’s golf and track and field teams, as well as the North Idaho College women’s basketball team, were honored last week by national coaches associations in their respective sports for academic excellence.

Washington State women’s golf earned National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-Scholar Team by having a cumulative 3.625 grade point average, fourth highest among Division I teams in the nation. USC (3.752) won the All-Scholar Team GPA Award for the highest team GPA.

Last month, Jay-Lee Longbottom and Maria and Anastasia Kostina were named to the NGCA Division I All-American Scholar Team for their academic accomplishments during the 2004-05 season.

Washington State women’s track and field was honored by the United States Track Coaches Association for a 3.266 cumulative GPA, 12th highest among Division I teams and the highest in the Pacific-10 Conference.

Eight Cougar athletes also earned All-Academic honors by attaining a minimum 3.25 GPA and qualifying for an NCAA Regional: Haley Paul, Kaylee Gardner (Bellingham, Wash.), Rachel Bertholf (Mt. Spokane), Meghan Leonard and Tamara Diles (Bellevue) from the women’s team. Ryan Scott (Kalama, Wash.), Drew Ulrick (Mead) and Alex Grant (Bellingham, Wash.) were awarded from the men’s team.

North Idaho women’s basketball was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll for the Junior College/Community College Division. Their 3.147 cumulative GPA was ninth highest in the nation. Lincoln College (3.380) was first.

“Former Washington State thrower and volunteer assistant coach Matt McGee has joined the Cougar track and field team on a full-time basis, helping with all jumping events, specifically the high jump.

McGee volunteered on the staff last season after a year as an assistant at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, Calif. He graduated from WSU in 2003, finishing second in the Pac-10 Championships and 10th at the West Region Meet in javelin his senior year.

“Gonzaga University will add two new members to head volleyball coach Kip Yoshimura‘s staff. Former Montana State associate head coach Jerry Wagner will become Yoshimura’s top assistant, while former Eastern Oregon coach Ryan Platt will be a volunteer assistant.

“Gonzaga has hired Kyle Pifer as a member of the compliance office. Pifer, who worked as a graduate assistant in the athletic department for two years, will assume the role of compliance officer.

“The Community Colleges of Spokane will host a reception and dinner for retiring head volleyball coach Irene Matlock on Sept. 24, coinciding with a CCS match against Treasure Valley at 2:30 p.m.

Matlock, also the chair of the physical education department at Spokane Falls, won 700 matches during her 20-year tenure at CCS, including 20 Northwest Athletic Association of Community College (NWAACC) tournament appearances and four NWAACC championships.

She was named NWAACC Coach of the Year four times, as well as American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Community College Coach of the Year in 1994 and AVCA West Region Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2004.

Matlock coached at Sandpoint High for four years prior to her CCS tenure, compiling a 101-8 record and winning four Idaho State championships.

Former CCS player and 1996 first team All-American Jenni Rosselli will replace Matlock.

Track and field

George Mathews, 62, of Hayden Lake won the 60-64 men’s division at the USATF National Masters Weight Pentathlon, held Aug. 13 in Arlington, Texas.

Mathews scored over 4,000 points in the event, consisting of the hammer throw, discus, shot put, javelin and weight throw, to win his fourth national championship in three weeks.

Baseball

The Spokane RiverHawks placed two players on the Rawlings Gold Glove team, named by the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL).

The conference honored second baseman Bryan Winston (Richland/CC Spokane ‘05/Gonzaga), who led the league in both double plays (24) and stolen bases (11), and outfielder Brent Mertens (West Valley/CC Spokane ‘05/Western Oregon University), who led all outfielders in putouts (78) without recording an error.

Earning second team All-WCCBL honors were RiverHawks outfielder Cory Rickard (Republic) who plays collegiate ball for the University of Washington, as well as Aloha third baseman Darin Holcomb (Shadle Park) and designated hitter Shawn Wayt (Beaverton, Ore./Westview High), who play for Gonzaga.

Prep sports

The Washington Officials Association inducted Bill Cheatley of Longview, Lynn Gillespie of Kennewick and Malcolm Boyles of Bothell into their Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Yakima Convention Center.

Paul Collard of Pacific Northwest Football will be the first recipient of the Thomas A. Cross Service Award, recognizing individuals who exemplify the ultimate service to the association.

In addition, the association will honor the following officials of the year: Rick Fox (Western Washington Baseball), Paul Patterson (Snohomish County Basketball; boys’ basketball), Stacy Brodzik (Seattle Basketball; girls’ basketball), Bill Turnquist (Inland Empire Football), Laurie Chadwick (Spokane Gymnastics), Cameron Corey (Kitsap Peninsula Soccer; girls’ soccer), Mark Matthews (East King County Soccer; boys’ soccer), Rafael Rodriguez (Yakima Valley Softball), Darhsan Smaaladen (WSSJA; spirit), Pete Bell (Spokane Volleyball) and Gerald Entzel (North Central Wrestling).