Uh-Hi, CV hoops teams keep their eyes on state

Can University’s girls basketball team make its fourth straight state appearance? Will Central Valley’s boys get a chance to duplicate its state finals appearance?

Those and other questions will be answered over the next week or two. District 8 4A high school basketball begins on Tuesday when the Bears (9-11) play at Gonzaga Prep.

They need to win in order to qualify for regionals and position themselves for a possible state return.

U-Hi’s Angie Bjorklund, who on Thursday ran her record-setting scoring total to 1,907 points during a four-year career, has never missed a trip to Tacoma.

Already assured a regional berth where a minimum of two wins would qualify for state, Greater Spokane League runner-up U-Hi (18-2) is idle until Thursday.

Freeman boys and girls, No. 2 seeds in the Northeast A League playoffs, begin their annual state trip quest Wednesday with games at 3:30 (girls) and 5 p.m. (boys) at Mead. Scotties’ boys (15-5) play Friday’s Lakeside-Newport winner, and the girls (16-4) play either Lakeside or Kettle Falls.

Liberty girls and boys have both qualified for Class 2B regionals. The Lancers girls (20-2) reached the district finals with 50-36 and 60-45 wins over Northwest Christian and Davenport, respectively.

Shawn Hennessey scored 35 points in the Lancers’ two wins. They play Lind-Ritzville for the championship at Spokane Falls Community College tonight at 5:45.

The boys (17-5) lost 66-63 in overtime against Selkirk but bounced back to beat Reardan 54-45. They played St. George’s Friday and, depending upon the outcome, have a seeding game either at 12:45 or 4 p.m. at SFCC.

Andrew Canning continued to carry the Lancers in the fourth quarter. Against Selkirk he had 10 of his 22 points and against Davenport 8 of 21 in the final period.

Liberty continually rallied from deficits against Selkirk, trailing by five points in the second quarter and seven points in the third before forging ties. Canning’s steal and layin with 17 seconds left in the game put Liberty ahead by a point before the Rangers caught up at 56-56.

There was no rallying from a 61-56 deficit in overtime, however.

The eight-team regional 2B tournament starts next Saturday.

Wrestlers seek state

Sixty-one area wrestlers in various enrollment classifications had state aspirations heading into this weekend. Today they will learn their fate.

University, which qualified 16 wrestlers to this weekend’s tournament, is hosting the two-day 4A event. It concludes today with semifinals beginning at 10 a.m., consolation finals at 2 p.m. and championships scheduled for 3:30.

Central Valley had five No. 1 seeds. Juniors Tanner Teeples (112 pounds), Josh Renfro (152), Jake Neumann (189) and Tyler Cochran (215) and senior Jeff Croskrey (135) were district champions.

The Titans had three champions, two-time state finalist junior Brian Owen (125), seniors Greg Mitchell (171) and Brad Peterson (275).

Four per weight qualify for Mat Classic next weekend in Tacoma.

East Valley, which moved 11 wrestlers to regional, had four subregional champions, competes today in Sunnyside for 3A state.

Seniors Caleb Alvarado (145), Dan Michalski (189), Jimmy Martin (215) and junior state runner-up Clete Hanson (171) were the subregional champions last weekend.

West Valley had three qualifiers for 2A regionals in Ellensburg, Freeman had eight for 1A regionals in Colfax, and Liberty had a dozen for B regionals in Reardan.

Regional Gymnastics

University and Central Valley are in Kennewick today, 2 p.m., at Southridge High, for the eastern regional 4A gymnastics meet.

The Greater Spokane League’s second and third place finishing teams are competing against champion Mead, fourth-place Shadle Park and Columbia Basin League Richland for state berths.

One team, one all-around competitor and three individual berths each on uneven bars, floor exercise, balance beam and vault, will qualify for state.

Spokane Valley Baseball

Spokane Valley baseball is going back to its roots.

“Instead of a (developmental) ‘house’ league,” said league director Mike Asan, “we want to become a baseball league again, teach fundamentals and give the kids an opportunity to get to the next level.”

Spokane Valley Baseball competes in the summer from June until August for youngsters beginning with Tee Ball at age 5. For the older players, ages 11 to 14, official baseball rules this year will apply.

Costs are $70 per player for Tee Ball (ages 5-6) and Coach Pitch (7-8), $95 for Pee Wee (9-10) and Midgets (11-12) and $125 for Giants (13-14)

For the money, players in the older three leagues this year will be provided with complete uniforms as well as most of the necessary equipment.

Also this year, Giants League will play exclusively on fields at Centennial Middle School and use 54-foot pitching mounds and 80-foot bases instead of regulation 60 and 90 feet as in recent years.

Registration will begin in March, Asan said, with informational brochures available in Valley schools. The Spokane Valley Baseball office will open March 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. Regular office hours will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Coaches, sponsors and umpires are always needed, Asan said. For information call 922-0420, fax 922-4119 or access the website at www.spokanevalleybaseball.com.