Locally: Shaw, Dole lead way at YMCA Nationals

Two of the 11 members of the Spokane Area Swim Team that competed in the YMCA Nationals last week in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., had top-three finishes.

Mason Shaw, a sophomore at Lake City High School, placed second in both the 200-yard individual medley (55.32 seconds) and the 400 IM (3 minutes, 55.65 seconds). He also placed 10th in the 100 butterfly.

Jenni Dole of Mead, who entered the event seeded first, finished third in the 100 butterfly (55.32). She also was ninth in the 200 backstroke and 15th in the 100 back.

Brittney Moore from Mead was 15th in the 200 freestyle.

SAST, which is coached by Todd Marsh and placed 15th out of 221 teams, had three top-15 girls relay teams. The 800 freestyle placed eighth and the 400 free was ninth. Both consisted of Dole, Maggie Thompson (Lewis and Clark), Moore and Emri Moore (Northwood). The 200 medley of Dole, Lauren Malthaner (Northwest Christian), Brittney Moore and Thompson was 14th.

Mamie Lash (Post Falls), Kyle Marsh (Shadle Park), Alex Martinek (University), Jordan Ray (U-Hi) and Emily Renzini (Mead Middle School) also competed at nationals.

Basketball

Jordan Gregg of Lewiston, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound post who helped Community Colleges of Spokane to a 30-2 record and a second-place finish in the NWAACC tournament, has committed to play at Eastern Oregon University, Mountaineers coach Ryan Looney announced.

Gregg, a sophomore, averaged 11.7 points and 5.1 rebounds for CCS. He was named to the All-Eastern Region and All-NWAACC tournament first teams and was selected for the league All-Star game.

College scene

Jami Bjorklund, a Gonzaga junior women’s basketball player from University, has been selected to the 2008 Division I-AAA Scholar-Athlete Team as selected by the I-AAA Athletic Directors Association.

It recognizes athletes playing at schools that don’t play football.

Bjorklund has a 3.94 grade-point average in business administration.

“Bryn Mooney from Pullman, a Washington State senior, was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic first team in women’s swimming with a 3.83 GPA in fine arts.

Keara Sheahan, a sophomore from Spokane, received honorable mention.

“Three members of the Idaho women’s basketball team with area connections were named to Western Athletic Conference All-Academic teams for winter sports.

They are junior Katie Schlotthauer, from Newport, and seniors Lindsey Koppen and Sara Dennehy, transfers from North Idaho College.

“Cody Reeves, a sophomore infielder on the baseball team from Lakeside, and Chanel James, a freshman sprinter-jumper in track, are the Community Colleges of Spokane Scholar-Athletes for March.

Reeves is ranked eighth in the NWAACC with a .438 batting average and leads the team with 28 hits and is third in RBIs with 13. He is a member of the District Athletic Committee and has a 2.97 GPA.

James has NWAACC-leading marks of 12.23 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 18 feet, 1 inch in the long jump. She also has a school-record indoor jump of 18-6 1/2 and anchors the school’s 4x100 relay team that ranks second in the conference.

“Chima Nwachukwu, a freshman cornerback on the football team, will represent Washington State at the NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference May 27-29 in Orlando, Fla.

Chosen by the NCAA selection committee from four WSU nominees, he is one of 700 who will attend.

“Elise Otto, a freshman at Whitman from Lewis and Clark, is the Northwest Conference women’s tennis player of the week for the second time this season.

Otto, ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division III West Region, lost just five games in two straight-set wins to run her No. 1 singles record to 12-2. She also teamed with Margo Lentz for two doubles wins as they improved to 11-3.

“Puget Sound sophomore Caitlin McGrane from Colville established an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 14.94 seconds in winning the 100-meter hurdles at the Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma on April 5.

“Chad Langlais of Spokane wrapped up his first season on the Michigan hockey team tied for fourth place all-time in assists by freshmen defensemen with 19 after the top-ranked Wolverines were eliminated in the semifinals of the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday with a 5-4 overtime loss to Notre Dame.

Skiing

Brennen Chasse of Sagle, Idaho, won the USASA National Men’s Slopestyle competition in the 16-19-year-old division on March 31.

In winning the national title in the event that featured 32 skiers from across the nation, Chasse, 16, executed misty 7s, front flips and spins in and out of many rails.

“It was a pretty cool event, and I stuck both of my runs,” Chasse, the son of Schweitzer Mountain CEO Tom Chasse, was quoted as saying in a release announcing his championship.

Swimming

The University of Idaho has signed six recruits for its women’s team, coach Tom Jager announced.

They are Si Jia Pang, who competed on the Singapore national team; Sammy Hammerly from Denver; Calleagh Brown from Eugene, Ore., a butterfly specialist; Chelsey Stanger; Katie Hendricks, a sprinter, from Puyallup, Wash.; and Norra Stroh, a distance swimmer from Boise.

Track and field

Brianna Atkins, a quartermiler from Claremont, Calif., and Shawn Swartz, a high jumper from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, have signed national letters of intent with Washington State, Cougars coach Rick Sloan announced.

Atkins was runner-up in the 400 meters in the 2007 California state championships with a personal-best time of 54.28 seconds. She has bests of 11.67 in the 100 and 23.96 in the 200.

Swartz high jumped a personal-best 6 feet, 9 inches and was the No. 1- ranked junior male high jumper in British Columbia last year.

Wrestling

Dan Hensley, an ex-Mead and Washington State star and a successful high school and college coach, and former Eastern Washington coach Stan Opp will be among the inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for lifetime service.

Ceremonies will be May 10 at the Mirabeau Park Hotel & Convention Center in Spokane Valley. Reception begins at 3 p.m. with banquet and induction to follow. It is sponsored by the Washington Chapter, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Cost is $30.

Hensley was a high school state champion, collegiate All-American and innovator as a coach, popularizing the use of suspended lights over a mat. At Clover Park his 1973 state champions had five individual titlists and he was twice an NAIA conference coach of the year at Pacific Lutheran University.

Opp coached EWU from 1977-82, placing second in the NAIA nationals. He also wrestled internationally on USA teams from 1970-76. For 21 years, he coached at Wenatchee High.

Joining them in the Hall of Fame are Donald Fuller, a former Moses Lake wrestler and 36-year official; Bob Mason, an All-American at Wyoming who started the program at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake and officiated at all levels for 34 years; Jack Reynolds of Seattle, a 38-year official at the league, regional and state tournament and wrestling clinician; and Wayne Schutte, 21 years the head coach at Othello. Schutte wrestled at Central Washington then coached at his alma mater. His teams compiled 250-plus wins and placed second in state five times.

Info: Jay Rydell, 999-2841 or 255-6260.

Miscellany

Tickets are still available for the 27th annual Orland Killin Dinner, Dance & Auction at Eastern Washington University on April 26.

The event raises funds for the Orland Killin Academic Scholarship Fund, as well as athletic scholarships at EWU. It is named in honor of Killin, a football letter winner in 1941-42 who served as a professor, faculty athletic representative and faculty president.

Tickets are $75 and tables of eight can be reserved. The evening starts with a social hour and auction – nearly 50 items will be featured in the auction – with dinner and dancing to follow.

The weekend includes the 21st annual EWU Football Coaches Golf Tournament April 25 and football and soccer scrimmages April 26.

Info and tickets: (509) 359-2463 or on-line at www.goeags.com.