Locally

Freshmen Moeller and Wilson earn CCS, All-America awards

Two Community Colleges of Spokane freshmen cross country runners doubled up in honors announced by the school last week.

Mark Moeller from Shadle Park and Mercedes Wilson from Colville not only were named the school’s male and female scholar-athletes of the month for November, but also were among five Sasquatch runners who earned Junior College All-America recognition.

Moeller was honored for finishing third in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championships, the second Sasquatch across the finish line as CCS knocked off previously undefeated Lane, Ore., for its fifth straight conference title.

Other CCS men who earned JC All-America honors were sophomore Andrew Fuller from Tacoma, who was second in the NWAACC meet, and freshman Rick Bogatay from Puyallup, Wash., who was fourth.

Wilson also was the second CCS finisher in the NWAACC women’s meet, placing fourth overall, as the Sasquatch placed second as a team, missing first by four points. In doing so, she lowered her personal-best time by 30 seconds.

Joining her as a Junior College All-American was freshman Kelly Turner from Kamiakin in Kennewick, who placed second in the NWAACC meet.

Baseball

Gonzaga University coach Mark Machtolf announced the signing of three players – two high school seniors and a junior college sophomore – to national letters of intent.

Slated to enroll at GU as freshmen in the fall of 2006 are Bryan Barnes, a middle infielder from Mountlake Terrace (Wash.) High, and Mark Ellis, an infielder from British Columbia. The JC transfer will be Sebastian Herve, a switch hitter from Cochise (Ariz.) Community College.

Barnes was first-team all-league and second-team all-state as a junior after hitting .485 with two home runs. Ellis hit .425 as a junior and led the Premier League in RBIs (58) and doubles (21). Herve was a second-team all-conference and all-region selection after hitting .357 with a league-high 28 stolen bases.

Bowling

Malina Brown couldn’t carry a hot start all the way to the end and wound up second in the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at Players & Spectators on Nov. 20.

Brown, the only player to average better than 200 for the first set, was beaten 211-178 by Matt Descoteaux, who got untracked in the second qualifying set and charged from 12th to go into the finals in third place.

Josh Schmehl finished third, Jared Descoteaux fourth and Evan Nash fifth. Brown had the high score for the girls, a 223. Jared Descoteaux was high for the boys with a 245.

The next JBT is the doubles today at Lilac Lanes.

College scene

Community Colleges of Spokane had nine soccer players and three volleyball players participate in Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges all-star competition last weekend.

In the men’s soccer match at Tukwila, Wash., won 3-1 by the North and West over the South and East, CCS was represented by sophomores Chad Thornton of Cheney, Avery Washington of Ferris and Keith Kirsch and Eric Bofenkamp, both of Mt. Spokane.

In the women’s soccer match, a 1-1 tie at the same site, CCS had sophomores Katie Blood of West Valley, Randi Brickner of Mead and Alexis DeLeo of Gonzaga Prep, and freshmen Kathleen Laughlin of East Valley and Amy Danielson of Kennewick.

The East Region, which included CCS sophomores Vanessa Fleetwood and Nikki Wittwer, both outside hitters from Mead, and setter Andrea Light from Olympia, finished in a three-way tie for first in the volleyball all-star event at Vancouver, Wash., with a 2-1 record.

“Matt Harnetiaux of Spokane (Lewis and Clark), a freshman at Whatcom Community College, helped the school’s first-year men’s soccer team to the North Division championship and a fourth-place finish in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championships.

Harnetiaux, a starting midfielder, had four goals for the Orcas, who had a 13-1-4 conference record, and was selected as an alternate for the NWAACC all-star game but had to decline because of illness.

Football

Thirteen members of the Spokane Collegiate Football Officials Association were assigned to NCAA and NAIA postseason playoff and bowl games, five of them selected for two games apiece.

Officials with two assignments and their games:

Steve Hudson, Sugar Bowl (Georgia vs. West Virginia, Jan. 2, Atlanta) and a first-round NAIA playoff game in Helena; Gary LeFors, Independence Bowl (South Carolina vs. Missouri, Dec. 30, Shreveport, La.) and NAIA semifinal in Helena; Jim Northcott, Motor City Bowl (assignment turned back) and a second-round NAIA playoff game in Helena; Tim Davis, NCAA Division I-AA quarterfinal in San Marcos, Texas, and NAIA quarterfinal in Helena; and Glenn Hepner, NAIA semifinal in Helena and I-AA first-round playoff in San Marcos.

Those receiving one assignment:

Dan Malcom, Eric Crone, Bob Guerin, Tony Stoddard, Steve Currie and Shane Anderson, all NAIA first round in Helena; Dan Meyer, Scott Cordell and Ron Schafer, all an NAIA quarterfinal in Helena; and Roger Stewart, NCAA Division I-AA first round in San Marcos.