Former Vandal Vobora honored with Stan Bates Award

Former University of Idaho linebacker David Vobora was honored with the Stan Bates Award – the highest academic honor in the Western Athletic Conference.

Vobora graduated last spring as a communications and psychology major. He is the second Vandal to earn the award.

Vobora was the WAC’s top tackler his junior and senior seasons. He was a four-time academic all-WAC honoree and a member of the ESPN the Magazine All-District Academic Team. He was a two-year team captain and served three terms on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He recently was honored as a member of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society, which recognizes “superior academic performance and excellence in intercollegiate football.”

As a senior, Vobora volunteered for the Race for the Cure and Relay For Life, and served as a volunteer teacher at West Park Elementary in its extended reading program. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in April with the 252nd pick in the NFL draft – the last overall pick – earning him the title “Mr. Irrelevant.”

The WAC gives the Stan Bates Award annually to its top male and top female student-athlete. It is named after former WAC commissioner Stan Bates.

College scene

Kristina Gargaro, a sophomore on the Eastern Washington University women’s golf team, finished in the top 30 at the Royale Canadian Junior Championship on Aug. 8 at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She posted a 314 (79-79-77-79) and finished tied for 27th.

In her freshman season at Eastern, Gargaro compiled the third-lowest scoring average in school history (77.07 – 2,081 strokes in 27 rounds) and made the All-Big Sky Conference’s first team.

She also won the individual title at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic, played in Chandler, Ariz., from April 7-8, the first Eagle to do so since Kelly Gardner won the Pilot Women’s Invitational, played from April 5-6, 2004.

•Jason Azzarito has transferred from the Community Colleges of Spokane to the Gonzaga University men’s golf team.

Azzarito, a native of Kettle Falls, finished tied for third in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges tournament as a sophomore in May, posting 72-68 for a 36-hole total of 140. He was an NWAACC and Eastern Region All-Star, won the Bigfoot Invite in 2008 and was team captain and a team medalist.

•Ryan Reitmeier, a junior right-handed pitcher from Medical Lake, and Chris Bartenhagen, a junior catcher from Gilbert, Ariz., are transferring to Whitworth University’s baseball team.

At the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, N.M., Bartenhagen started all 56 games last season and hit .301. He was a team co-captain and an honorable mention all-conference selection. Reitmeier played two seasons for the Community Colleges of Spokane. He won Most Valuable Player honors at Medical Lake High School in 2006.

•Gonzaga University’s men’s and women’s tennis programs were honored by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for academic achievement.

Both squads earned ITA All-Academic Team honors. The Bulldog women have a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average; the men, 3.28.

Eight Bulldogs earned ITA-Scholar-Athlete status. They are graduates Erin Humphrey (3.78 GPA, business) and Sydney Lederhouse (3.67, business); senior Aglaya Kokurina (3.57, accounting); junior Katie Colton (3.68, sports management); sophomore Laura Housinger (3.81, sports management); graduate Charles Adams (3.69, business); and juniors Roman Dojcak (3.92, business) and Zack Radetzky (3.97, business).

Track and field

George Mathews of Hayden Lake set an American record of 34 feet, 9½ inches in the men’s 65-69 44-pound superweight throw last weekend at the 27th annual Hayward Classic at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore. He also won the 20-pound weight throw at 65-3 ½ and the hammer with a throw of 162-1.

Motor sports

The Northwest Motor Sports Hall of Fame has announced its inaugural class of 32 inductees.

Auto drivers include Dennis, Pat and Walt Austin, Gordie Bonin, Bill Cammarano, Derrike and Donald Cope, Leo Dobry, Jim Green, Darell Hagen, Chad Little, Peter Lovely, Herm Peterson, Jerry Ruth, Tom Sneva, Al Sewindahl and Cactus Jack Turner.

Hydroplane drivers include Ole Bardahl, Bill Brow, Norm Evans, Lou Fageol, Bob Gilliam, Chip Hanauer, Chuck Hickling, Ron and Ted Jones, Rex Manchester, Bill Muncey, Stan Sayres, Bill Schumacher, Dave Villwock and Steve Woomer.

An induction ceremony will be held in early November in conjunction with MotorSports 2008, a show at the Tacoma Dome and Exhibition Hall, Nov. 7-9.

Officiating

There will be a mandatory rules clinic for North Idaho high school football coaches and referees at the Coeur d’Alene High School Auditorium on Tuesday. New referees welcome. Registration is at 6 p.m. with the meeting at 7 p.m. Info: Jim Kravik (208) 771-0953.

•The Southeastern Washington Football Officials Association is recruiting men and women to officiate junior high, middle and high school football games. Particularly needed are new officials from smaller communities outside the Pullman/Moscow area.

An organizational and training meeting will be held on Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Pullman High School. The first regular-season scheduling meeting will be on Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. at PHS. Info: Executive Secretary Karl M. Johanson: 509-334-5510.