LocallyMathews indoor winner with American record

George Mathews of Hayden Lake won the men’s 60-64 age group super weight throw at the USA Track & Field Masters Indoor National Championships in Boston late last month with an American record.

Mathews threw the 44-pound ball 34 feet, 1 1/2 inches. Mathews, who competes for the club Hammer Idaho, also came in second in the 20-pound weight throw with a mark of 59-7 3/4.

College scene

Senior Stephanie Hawk was named the best rebounder and most valuable player when the Gonzaga women’s basketball team passed out awards at its annual banquet last weekend.

Classmate Katy Ridenour (Post Falls) garnered the Fred Obde Hustle Award for the second straight season, the team’s highest honor.

Other awards were given to junior Michelle Elliott, Katy Prichard Most Inspirational Player; sophomore Jami Bjorklund (University), best defender; and freshmen Heather Bowman (Lewis and Clark) and Vivian Frieson, most improved.

“Nicole Scheer, a Susquehanna University junior from Pullman, was selected to the Middle Atlantic Conference All-Academic team in women’s swimming with a 3.93 grade-point average. She’s majoring in international studies/French.

“Puget Sound junior pitcher Allie Hooks from Pullman had a 1-1 record and 3.13 earned run average with the Loggers softball team heading into this weekend. She had 10 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings with four walks.

Gymnastics

Alana Norman, 13, and Courtney Bray, 12, both Level 8 gymnasts at Spokane Junior Gymnastics Academy, qualified for the regional meet April 20-23 in Yakima with their performances in the state meet last weekend in Auburn.

Amy Allen is their coach.

Soccer

Gonzaga University has added five players to its women’s team, head coach Shannon Stiles announced.

Signing letters of intent were Lauren Ames, an all-state goalkeeper from Albuquerque, N.M., whose team won state championships in 2004 and ‘06 with a second-place finish in ‘05; Catherine Cullen, a defender from Sidney, British Columbia, a four-year member of provincial teams; and Sheridan Jones, a playmaking midfielder and second-team all-state selection from Hillsboro, Ore.

Also, Ashley Riley, a much-honored forward from Taos, N.M., who led the state in regular-season goals (40) and points (125) in 2005; and Elle Sweeney, a defender from Highlands Ranch, Colo., who helped her club team to a state title in 2006.

“Erika Teixeira, a midfielder from Oregon City, Ore., has signed a letter of intent to play for University of Idaho women’s team, Vandals coach Pete Showler announced.

Teixeira, an exchange student from Brazil who played for that country’s U-20 national team in 2005, is a midfielder who was an all-state selection and helped her team to the state championship game last season.

Volleyball

Val Gilroy from Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, a second-team all-tournament selection at the State 1A tournament, has accepted a scholarship to play at Cascade College in Portland, Thunderbirds coach Kendra Maas announced.

Gilroy also was a second-team All-Northeast A League selection.