Area roundup: Idaho golfer Nakashima qualifies for NCAA tourney
Idaho junior Kelly Nakashima became the first female golfer in Vandals history to qualify for the NCAA Championship tournament Saturday.
Nakashima finished with a three-round total of 222 and tied for 15th at the NCAA West Regional at Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club in St. George, Utah.
As a team, Idaho took 12th with a 918. Washington State finished 11th with a 913.
WSU freshman Diana Hong shot a final-round 72 to finish in a tie for 19th at 224.
Joining Hong in the top 25 was teammate Amy Eneroth (Mead), a sophomore who shot a 226 and finished tied for 23rd.
Women’s basketball
Former Pullman High School star Kate Werner has joined the Washington State women’s basketball staff.
Head coach June Daugherty said Werner will serve as director of basketball operations.
Werner, who graduated from Pullman in 1995, lettered three times each in volleyball, basketball and softball and was an All-Frontier League honoree in volleyball and basketball.
Werner attended Whitworth College, where she played basketball and softball.
As a senior at Whitworth, Werner set a single-season school record for three-point percentage by making 31 of 66 attempts. She averaged 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Rowing
Lindsay Mann-King (Colville High School), Amelia Whitcomb (Ferris) and Samantha Marikis (Republic) all rode in Western Washington’s varsity 8 boat who won at the NCAA Division II West Regionals on Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif.
WWU, ranked No. 1 nationally in the US Rowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division II poll, earned the automatic berth to nationals where the Vikings are two-time defending champions.
The NCAA II National Championships are May 25-27 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Softball
Sam Banister hit a game-winning, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving No. 3 Arizona a 5-4 win over No. 11 Washington in a Pac-10 Conference game in Tucson, Ariz.
Taryne Mowatt earned the win for the Wildcats (39-12-1, 15-5-1) after allowing nine hits and striking out nine in the complete game.
Washington (35-16, 12-9) finished third in the conference, marking its highest conference finish since 2002.