MVP Solum leads Mead to win in Walla Walla

Nicole Solum tallied 31 kills, five blocks, four aces, 19 digs and was named tournament Most Valuable Player Saturday as Mead went 6-0 en route to winning the Walla Walla volleyball tournament.

The Panthers beat Post Falls 30-14; Lake City 30-17; Walla Walla 30-24; Richland 25-17, 25-12; Kamiakin 24-14, 25-16; and Selah 25-13, 25-13.

Mead’s Megan Thigpen (25 kills, four blocks, two aces and 15 digs) and Amy Herron (98 assists, one block, five aces and 23 digs) were also named to the all-tournament team. Mara Ryan added 24 kills, one block, five aces and 29 digs.

Cross country

Ryan Zentz finished in 13 minutes, 30 seconds to win top individual honors and lead Lewis and Clark to a team win at the Blackhawk Invitational in Cheney.

Zentz was 9 seconds ahead of Grangeville’s Seth Clark, who finished second, and 9 seconds ahead of third-place Dan Renz of Shadle Park.

LC’s Tigers, with 36 points, were nine ahead of second-place Shadle. Cheney was third with 103, Clarkston fourth with 105 and Grangeville fifth with 151.

On the girls’ side, Ryan Torpie led Mead to the team crown by winning the individual title in 16:09.

Torpie was well ahead of second-place Mary Graesser (North Central), who finished in 16:45. Mead’s Cailyn Torpie was third in 16:51.

Mead took the team title with 29 points. NC was second with 46, Cheney third with 68, Deer Park fourth with 119 and Grangeville fifth with 123.

•Elliott Welder of Flathead (Mont.) beat North Central’s Andrew Scott by 10 seconds to win the Flathead Invite in Kalispell, Mont.

Welder finished in 15:50, with Scott checking in at 16:00.

Flathead won the team title with 34 points, NC was second with 83 and Mt. Spokane third with 91.

•Brett Fowler of Asotin won the 3.1-mile Colfax Invitational in 16:14. Reardan’s Brad Serdar took second in 16:45. Freeman won the team title with 30 points.

On the girls’ side, Reardan’s Jenny Knezovich won the individual race, finishing in 20:11. Freeman, with 26 points, took the team title.

Football

Tanner Bircher ran for one score and caught another and Jason Azzarito threw for one touchdown and caught another as Kettle Falls (2-0) beat Brewster 27-7 in non-league action in Brewster.

In other non-league games, Cory Horstman caught two TD passes and ran for a third and Kyle Kelly threw for three TDs as Colton-Pullman Christian (2-0) routed visiting Curlew (0-1) 46-0. … Miles St. John racked up 191 yards on 24 carries and scored four TDs as Columbia-Hunters (2-0) cruised past Prescott 40-0 in Prescott. Columbia finished the day with 389 rushing yards on 48 carries. … Alex Hovde caught two TDs, but that was all Tekoa-Oakesdale/Rosalia could muster as the Nighthawks (0-1) fell to visiting Liberty Bell 14-12 at Tekoa.