Fast Break

College football

Allan will Hula in January

Whitworth tight end Michael Allan received a remarkable honor for a Division III football player when he accepted an invitation to play in the 2007 Hula Bowl, a showcase event for senior college players.

The game will be played in Honolulu on Jan. 14 and televised by ESPN.

Allan, from Bellevue, Wash., has been seen by scouts from every NFL team this season. Allan, 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds, leads the Pirates in receptions (40) and receiving yardage (737) this season and holds the school record for career touchdown receptions with 27.

Paterno goes on injured list

Joe Paterno declared himself “out” for Penn State’s game Saturday, designating assistant Tom Bradley to take over in the school’s first contest without the coaching icon since 1977.

The 79-year-old coach had surgery Sunday to repair a fractured shinbone and two torn knee ligaments in his left leg, injuries sustained in a sideline collision in a loss last week to Wisconsin.

Softball

Skillingstad picks Oregon

Although just a junior, Shadle Park pitching star Samantha Skillingstad has picked her college.

She announced an oral commitment to attend the University of Oregon.

“I knew I wanted to go to the Pac-10 or somewhere big,” Skillingstad said. “(Eugene) reminded me of Spokane and when I walked into the football stadium when Oregon played UCLA it was just incredible. It took my breath away.”

During her first two years at Shadle, Skillingstad helped the Highlanders to fourth- and second-place state finishes. Last year she was 27-3 with a 0.50 earned run average and 423 strikeouts in 191 innings.

Colleges

Athletes are making the grade

The latest federal graduation rates show athletes are more likely than the general student body to earn a diploma, and that female athletes continue to post higher numbers than their male counterparts.

Federal rates are calculated over a six-year period for each incoming freshman class.