Locally

Sun Belt honors Spokane’s Benzel

Erik Benzel and the University of Denver men’s basketball team surprised a lot of people last winter by winning the school’s first Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship.

After all, the Pioneers had been picked to finish last in the preseason coaches poll.

It should have come as no surprise last week, however, that Benzel, a senior from Ferris High School who led the Pioneers to the title, was named the Sun Belt’s Male Student Athlete of the Year for 2004-05.

Besides his exploits on the basketball court – he led the Sun Belt with 101 3-pointers and was an all-tournament selection – Benzel maintained a 3.69 grade-point average as a finance major.

College scene

Joe Byers, a Community Colleges of Spokane pitcher from Lewis and Clark, has been named winner of the Seattle Mariners Scholar Athlete Award for 2005.

Byers stood out on the field and in the classroom. He has been on the President’s Honor Roll each of his first five quarters at CCS and has a 3.87 GPA in pre-med.

To qualify, an athlete must have completed two years of eligibility at the same school, played baseball and maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher. Byers is the first CCS player to win the award in its 13 years.

“Patrick Donovan, a Gonzaga junior from North Central, was named to the West Coast Conference all-academic team for baseball. He has a 3.60 GPA in sport management.

“Greg Biagi of Colfax, a sophomore at Big Bend Community College, was named to the NWAACC All-Eastern Region baseball first team.

Biagi was Big Bend’s starting shortstop, hitting .325 while scoring 20 runs with six doubles, 12 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases. He had a .944 fielding percentage.

“John Cox, a Willamette senior from University High, earned honorable mention on the All-Northwest Conference baseball team.

The first baseman led the NWC in putouts with 329, had 35 hits, including nine doubles and six home runs, drove in 28 runs and scored 25.

“Two Community Colleges of Spokane freshmen have been selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America softball team for the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

Stephanie Day of Colville, who led CCS with 11 home runs and hit .479, seventh in the conference, was named to a position in the outfield. Monica Judd from Lakeside-Nine Mile Falls, who hit .430 with a team-leading 32 RBIs, 49 hits, eight doubles and eight home runs, was the designated player.

“Ashley Lynn, a Wichita State junior softball player from Shadle Park, was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-academic first team with a 3.55 GPA in sociology. She was honorable mention last season.

Lynn, an outfielder who helped the Shockers into the regional round of the NCAA Tournament, tied for first on the team with 12 homers and finished second in runs (38), RBIs (39) and total bases (90). She had a .269 season batting average after hitting a team-leading .583 in the MVC tournament and .429 in the NCAAs.

“For the third year in a row, Whitworth senior swimmers Cory Bergman and Serena Fadel have been named to ESPN The Magazine All-District VIII College Division at-large teams.

Bergman, from Bellingham, made the men’s team with a 3.938 GPA. He has a double major in biology and religion. Fadel, from Boise, was a women’s selection with a 3.90 GPA in biochemistry.

The team honors 10 men and 10 women from so-called “minor” sports.

“Jody Thomas, a Washington State junior, was named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association West All-Region first team after earning second-team honors as a sophomore.

Thomas rows on the nationally 19th-ranked Cougars’ varsity eight.

“Three Washington State Cougars and two from Gonzaga were named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National Scholar Athletes.

Named from WSU were senior Maryann Lundberg, junior Kasia Bloch and sophomore Lina Brazibnskaite. All are members of the varsity eight.

Selected from Gonzaga were senior Karen O’Hagan and junior Kari Durgan.

To be selected, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in standing with a 3.5 GPA or higher.

Climbing

Three Spokane-area students who competed in the USA Climbing regionals last weekend at Wild Walls have qualified for divisional competition this weekend in Tigard, Ore., where they’ll vie for spots in the nationals in Boston in July.

Advancing were Melissa Main from Lewis and Clark; Kennedy Krossen, who is home schooled; and Bryan Brenize from Gonzaga Prep.

Women’s rowing

Gonzaga University has signed three rowers from Western Washington, head coach Glenn Putyrae announced.

Signing national letters of intent are Jana Holcombe from Fircrest, who attends Bellarmine Prep; Kate Little from Fall City, who attends Mount Si; and Lauren Rundberg from Bainbridge Island. All have competed in club rowing for two years.

Women’s soccer

Eastern Washington has signed six players to letters of intent, including versatile all-league selection Abby Jensen from Sandpoint, who has helped the Bulldogs win state titles three of the last four years.

Also signing with the Eagles are Melissa Guthrie from Hanford High, a two-time, first-team all-league selection; Jocelyn Bement from Kamiakin, the Big Nine Conference scoring champion and player of the year in 2004; Brittney Doran from Lynnwood, Wash., a midfielder-forward and three-year varsity starter at Meadowdale High School; Megan Roper from Andover, Kan., a center midfielder; and Erin Curry, a center midfielder from Windsor, Calif.

Volleyball

Community Colleges of Spokane coach Jenni Rosselli has announced the signing of seven players from the area, including 6-foot-1 middle hitter Emily Wittkopf from Mt. Spokane and Felicia Kinder, a 5-10 middle hitter from North Central.

Also signing with the Sasquatch are Meagan Stanley, a 5-9 All-Northeast A League middle hitter from Newport; Heather Yirak, 5-6, outside/defense, from Sprague-Harrington; Ashley Baer-Dorsey, 5-3, outside/defense, from Selkirk; Cassie Duncan, a 5-9 second-team Spokesman-Review All-North Idaho outside hitter from Lakeland; and Theresa Arstein, a 5-9 setter from Richland High School.