Notebook: State’s top players visit West Valley

A strong contingent fills team rosters for the Washington All State Girls Basketball series Saturday at West Valley.

Games begin at 1:30 p.m. with B-East versus B-West, followed by 1A East versus West at 3:30 and 3A/2A East versus West at 5:30. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and children age 12 and under.

The annual games, coordinated by Lakeside athletic director Tom Oliver, are sponsored by Spokane Teachers Credit Union, NBC Camps, Kimmel Athletic, Baden, Nvest Real Estate, Coca Cola, Phase 1 Physical Therapy and Leo’s Photography.

Among the standouts scheduled to compete are Kayla Johnson, tournament MVP for State 2B champion Colfax, Freeman first team all-tournament selection Megan McIntyre and West Valley All-Great Northern League players Shaniqua Nilles and Hannah Love from 1A and 2A third-place state finishers.

The East 3A/2A team also includes East Valley’s Morgan Manchester; five more All-GNL performers Jordan Levenseller and Katie Guettinger from 2A state placer Pullman, scoring champion Kellie McCann-Smith (20.9 ppg) and KC McConnell from Clarkston, and Jorden Brons from Colville.

Other area 1A players are Freeman’s MacKenzie Taylor, Lakeside’s Leslie Stillar, Kettle Falls’ Chelsea Brisbois and Newport’s Miranda Frederick.

East B players are Kelly Van Lith from 1B state runner-up St. John-Endicott; Katie Worley, Valley Christian; Mariah Mielke, Davenport; Kelly Hennessey, Liberty; Kelsey Arlt, Ritzville; Bryanna Bailey, Northwest Christian, and Serena Condon, Inchelium.

East coaches are WV’s Loren Carlon, 3A/2A; Jeff Pietz of Lakeside, Ashlee Taylor of Freeman and Andy Affholter of Granger, 1A; and Corey Baerlocher of Colfax, and Alyssa Goins of LaSalle, B.

USGA qualifiers

The USGA Junior Amateur Championship girls and boys qualifying tournaments will be at Manito Golf and Country Club on Monday.

Top four girls and the winning boy advance to the national tournament in New Jersey at the end of July.

A total of 33 girls and 22 boys will tee off beginning at 7 a.m.

Local girls: State 4A champion Chessey Thomas, Kaitlen Parsons, Megan Haase, Alyssa Maine and Sydney Kersten, Spokane; Savana and Sierra Bezdicek, Colbert; Paige Whidbee, Pullman; Kaceelyn Pouttu, Kellogg; Kati Greear, Moscow; and Madeline Dodge, Post Falls.

Boys: Connor Brutocao, Garrett Howard, Peter Gullickson, Robert McKee, Dylan Maine, Eric Annett, Stephen Thoen and Justin Haase, Spokane; Michael Baldeck and Tyler Carlson, Clarkston; Zachary Davis and Alex Pounds, Coeur d’Alene.

Volleyball trainees

Six Spokane Splash volleyball players have been selected for USAV High Performance training at various locations this summer.

The High Performance program is a pipeline for USA National and Olympic teams.

The six are Samantha Hill, North Central middle blocker, A-1 in Florida; Madison Dahlstrom, Mead outside hitter, A-3 San Francisco; Taylor Ellingsen, Northwood libero, A-3 Texas; also, Charley Lee, Mead outside hitter, Caity Cunningham, Lewis and Clark middle blocker and Jordan Bonertz, University outside hitter.

Diamond gems

The Bandits last weekend reached the finals of the two-day weekend Pendleton tournament, losing 12-0 to Walla Walla in the title game. Stephen Hertz pitched a two-hit shutout 13-0 over LaGrande in the semifinals and Trenton Hauff doubled twice.

•Club Spokane Dodgers U17 team won last weekend’s Palouse Summer Series tourney, allowing two runs in three games. Scott Simon pitched a one-hitter to beat Strike Zone 10-0 in the final game and was named outstanding pitcher. Tournament Gold Glove for defense went to Dean Neilson. They beat Richland Knights 6-1 and Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen 4-1 in other games. Sage Poland, with five hits, and Fano Pau, four, hit safely in all three.

•The Dodgers 18U team reached the semifinals of the Cardinal Classic in Seattle, winning four straight – 3-2 over Riptide, 7-6 over the Brewers, 15-1 over the Shockers and 12-3 over Baden – before losing 2-0 to Mudville Baseball. Mitch Peterson and Grant Fink hit safely in all five games. Peterson had nine hits, including two home runs against the Shockers. Fink had eight hits, Nate Blackham had two three-hit games and J.J. Turbin had six hits.

•In American Legion AAA league competition, the Blue Devils have a 5-1 record to lead the Cannons (3-1) and North Stars (4-2). AA American League South leader is Cheney (4-0) while Mt. Spokane (11-1) and Mead (7-1) top the North. National League East’s University (8-1) leads by three games. The West is a two-team race between Whitman County (7-0) and Ferris (6-1).