Fast Break
College athletics
Eastern will hire search firm
Eastern Washington plans to hire a search firm by the end of the month to help find an athletic director to replace Darren Hamilton, whose contract was terminated last month after about six months on the job.
“We’re down to three potential firms,” interim athletic director Michael Westfall said. “We have to get bids.”
Westfall said the search firm will help set the criteria for the position.
“We’re leaning toward previous athletic director experience,” said Westfall, who will not be a candidate. “We need as much experience as possible.”
The goal is to have a new A.D. in less than six months.
SportsLink
Shock news all the time
Online sports columnist Vince Grippi is ready to Shock at spokesmanreview.com/ sports. Immediately after tonight’s Spokane Shock arenafootball2 game at the Arena, Vince will file a story and then provide commentary.
You can read the latest Shock news in Jessica Brown’s blog Shock Talk.
Auto racing
Local racing starts today
The local motorsports season kicks into gear today. Both Spokane Raceway Park and Stateline Speedway have test and tune events.
Spokane Raceway Park’s general manager, J.R. Tice, has announced the track will feature the first of three weeks of “Test ‘N Tune” sessions from noon to 5 p.m. The drag strip’s only testing session will be April 21. SRP’s schedule begins May 4 and 5.
Stateline has its annual Racers Jamboree today with time trials set for 4 and racing at 5:30. The jamboree provides one final tune-up for all of the track’s classes before the season starts in earnest with next week’s Wednesday Night Fever.
Paul Delaney’s weekly local motorsports column begins its 21st year Friday in The Spokesman-Review.
Correction
More Whits in NFL draft history
Whitworth tight end Michael Allan expects to be selected in the upcoming NFL draft. If so, he will have quite the company of fellow Pirates in the history of the National Football League draft.
In Thursday’s sports section, a small story accompanying the story on Allan listed just one Whitworth player, Ken Sugarman in 1964, as being drafted.
Because of an alert Whitworth alum and some research at drafthistory.com, the following players can be added to that list:
Offensive tackle Eric Kelly, 1972, 14th round, Lions; linebacker Ray Johnson, 1964, 19th round, Colts; guard Gene Baker, 1964, 20th round, 49ers; receiver John Murio, 1963, 15th round, Vikings; and back Warren Lashua, 1960, 15th round, Bears.