Locally: Chiefs past, present earn WHL scholarships

Twenty former and six present Spokane Chiefs are among 351 past and present Western Hockey League players awarded scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year in the WHL Scholarship program.

It’s the largest number awarded in any one season. The grants total nearly $1 million.

Current Chiefs who received scholarship money are attending Spokane Community College – Chris Bruton, Seth Compton, Cody Esposito, Curtis Kelner, Ondrej Roman and Stefan Ulmer.

Many of the 227 former WHL players who received scholarships are playing university hockey while furthering their education.

Former Chiefs by school:

University of Saskatoon – Ryan Blatchford, Stephen Mann, Steven Gillen, Andy Schenn and Mason Wallin.

University of Alberta – Chad Klassen, Tim Krymusa and Derek Ryan, a Shadle Park High graduate.

University of Calgary – Liam Couture, Jevon Desautels and Barry Horman.

University of British Columbia – Scott Lynch, Jason Lynch and Jeff Lynch.

Also, Andrew de Sousa, University of New Brunswick; Jim Watt, University of Windsor (Ontario); Joel Rupprecht, Mount Royal College (Calgary); Danny LaPointe, Camosun College (Victoria); Darren Lefebvre, Olds College (Alberta); and Michael Senseman, University of Oregon.

The list also includes Aaron Roberge from Post Falls, who played for the Portland Winter Hawks, who is attending Boise State.

College scene

Gonzaga senior forward George Josten has been named to the ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) District VIII All-Academic men’s soccer team for a third straight year. He carries a 3.83 grade-point average in civil engineering.

“Brooke Bemis from Coeur d’Alene (Lake City), a senior forward at Washington State, was named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII first team in women’s soccer. A third-team selection in 2006, she has a 3.84 GPA as a history major.

“Britta Rustadis, a junior midfielder/defender at Idaho, is an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team selection in women’s soccer for the second time in her career. The only Western Athletic Conference player on the team, she has a 4.0 GPA in international studies.

“Four Whitworth women’s soccer players are ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII College Division selections, two on the first team and two to the second.

Jael Hagerott, a senior midfielder from Mead with a 3.99 GPA in kinesiology, and Greta Thibodeau, a senior forward with a 3.80 GPA in kinesiology, are first-team repeaters.

Penelope Crowe, a junior forward with a 3.87 GPA in biology, and Kelly Baker, junior defender with a 3.73 GPA in business management and accounting, are second-team picks.

“Central Washington sophomore linebacker Buddy Wood from Chattaroy (Riverside High School) was a co-Defensive Player of the Week for football in the North Central Conference last week.

Wood had a career-high 16 tackles to lead the Wildcats defense in a 27-16 homecoming victory over Augustana College. He had eight solo tackles, a tackle for loss, a quarterback sack, a forced fumble and broke up two passes. It was the second time this season he had 15 or more tackles in a game.

Hockey

Two members of the Spokane Braves, center Bret Kellogg and defenseman Jacob Walsh, played for a Kootenay International Junior Hockey League all-star team against a Canada East A team in an exhibition preceding the World Junior A Hockey Challenge this week in Trail and Nelson, British Columbia.

Canada East won 4-1 Thursday in Nelson. Kellogg is the Braves’ leading scorer and No. 4 in the KIJHL with 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists).

“Former Brave Evan Witt, who is playing for the Vernon Vipers in the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League, has accepted a scholarship to Michigan Tech, Braves coach Michael Bay announced.

Witt, an All-Greater Spokane League infielder in baseball as a junior at North Central during the 2006-07 school year, was runner-up in KIJHL scoring last season.

Softball

A Spokane-based team, Morris Clark Siding & Roofing, finished second to earn the silver medal in the 31-team 70-and-over division at the World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, last month.

The team includes Morris Clark, Larry Hodge and Bill Smithpeters from Spokane; Dave Johnston, Okanogan; Gervin Shelburn, Langley, British Columbia; Wally Swanson, Eagle Point, Ore.; and seven from Wenatchee – Bill Mooney, Carroll Shook, Leroy Jones, Sam McGaha, George Tutton, Roger Wake and Al Thompson.