Quick hits — Washington
LOOKING AHEAD
There are seven boys basketball teams within two games of first-place Gonzaga Prep in the Greater Spokane League standings. There are five teams with less than two losses in the girls’ ranks. There are only three weeks left. What’s going to happen?
The girls race will either get real exciting on Friday (if G-Prep can upset Lewis and Clark or Mt. Spokane can do the same to University), or it will become a two-team race. By next Wednesday, the boys’ race should have cleared up a little as well, with the four 5-2 teams (Mead, U-Hi, Ferris and Mt. Spokane) each having at least one game with each other.
With so many teams in contention, it’s possible the 4A schools may be looking at tiebreakers for the No. 2 spot (and a pass into the regionals) and the No. 6 spot (the last district playoff berth). Under GSL bylaws, ties that result in state berths must be decided on the court, while those for seedings can use a tiebreaker.
In the 3A ranks, there are three girls teams (North Central, East Valley and Clarkston) tied for the top seed, while West Valley holds a game edge over Cheney and Clarkston among the boys.
Basketball
GSL games
Friday
Girls games at 5:45, boys games at 7:30: Rogers at Central Valley; Ferris at Cheney;
Gonzaga Prep at Lewis and Clark; North Central at Mead; University at Mt. Spokane; Clarkston at Shadle Park; East Valley at West Valley.
Tuesday
Girls game at 5:45 p.m., boys game at 7:30: Gonzaga Prep at Central Valley. Girls game at 6:15, boys game at 8: North Central at East Valley. Boys games at 5:45, girls games at 7:30: Shadle Park at Cheney; Rogers at Clarkston; Mt. Spokane at Ferris; University at Mead; Lewis and Clark at West Valley.
Wrestling
Tonight, 7 p.m.
GSL-placing matches: Mead at North Central; Mt. Spokane at Lewis and Clark; Cheney at West Valley; Shadle Park at Gonzaga Prep; Ferris at Rogers.
Saturday at East Valley
Losers of Wednesday matches for third and fourth, 5 p.m.; winners of Wednesday matches for first and second, 7 p.m.
Gymnastics
Tonight, 6:30 p.m.
Ferris, Central Valley, North Central at Mead.
Rogers at Shadle Park.
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Mt. Spokane, University, Lewis and Clark at Lakeside.
Looking around
Barnes hits the road
Mead distance runner Laef Barnes will mix business with pleasure this weekend. Or is it business with business?
He’ll visit the United States Military Academy at West Point and is entered to compete with fellow prep mile standouts at the Reebok Boston Indoor games.
“It made sense going over there (to the meet) since I was going there the same weekend for the visit,” said Barnes. “I can kill two birds with one stone. From what they’ve told me, it will be a good deal and a lot of fun.”
The high school mile race will feature reigning Foot Locker national cross country champion Kenneth Cormier and standout runners from England and Scotland, as well as other prep stars from across the United States. Barnes ran a 4-minute, 9.61-second mile last year, one of the nation’s top high school times.
He received appointments to the two military academies. He visited the Naval Academy in Annapolis and the University of Washington and has a visit planned for UCLA.
An end-of-season stress fracture kept him from state last year and still bothered him during the cross country season. He finished fourth in the State 4A meet.
“Everything’s going good so far,” Barnes said, although he felt a twinge in his other leg during recent training for Saturday’s race. “It’s a long process and I still have to be a little cautious and get more miles under my belt.”
The 10th Reebok Boston Indoor Games are at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center at Roxbury Community College. It is scheduled to be broadcast Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.