Local judo clubs make medal haul

Six local competitors went home from the Inland Empire Judo Classic last weekend at the Convention Center in Spokane with gold medals.

Local entries also claimed 11 silver medals, with Nicole Heuett earning two second-place finishes, and five finished third in the event put on by Pacific Judo Academy and Spokane Judo. It drew more than 200 competitors from the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Tommy Murata led a 1-2-3 local finish in the men’s brown/black belt 165-pound class.

Other local first-place finishers: Bret Miche, men’s masters 160 pounds; Gregoriy Kvasov, men’s novice 145; Edward Kvasov, boys 15-16 129; Tyrell Simms, boys 7-8 59; and Micah Cluever, boys 6-and-under 50.

Seconds: Rob Layne, men’s masters 179-209 pounds; Heuett, women’s brown/black 139-169; AnnaMarie Medina, women’s brown/black 122-132; Rich Gere, men’s brown/black 196-210; Cesar Paez, men’s brown/black 165; Heuett, women’s novice 220; Leigh Yamada, women’s novice 125; Shasta Meagley, girls 9-10 125; Bryson Foster, boys 11-12, 110-121; Nicholas Chumov, boys 7-8 80; and Tomio Yamada, boys 6-and-under 50.

Thirds: Christopher Cleuver, men’s brown/black 210-266; Chad Cleuver, men’s brown/black 196-210; Josh Heuett, men’s brown/black 165; Gabrielle Cunningham, girls 6-and-under 65; and Akio Yamada, boys 7-8 60-69.

Awards

John Olerud, the former Washington State and major league baseball star, and Alli Bennett, longtime former teacher, coach and administrator at Medical Lake and Garfield-Palouse, are among eight people slated to be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame on April 15 in Seattle.

Olerud, a 1986 graduate of Interlake of Bellevue, played on the U.S. national team that competed in the Intercontinental Cup in 1987 and was the national college player of the year in 1988. Despite suffering a brain aneurysm during his junior year, Olerud was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1989.

His accolades include American League Rookie of the Year, National League batting champion, playing for both the A.L and N.L in the All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove at first base with the Seattle Mariners. He helped Toronto win the 1990 World Series.

Bennett, a 1971 graduate of WSU, started her 34-year teaching career at Medical Lake. She was athletic director at Gar-Pal for 14 years, serving as president of WIAA District 9 for 10 of those years. She coached track, field hockey, basketball and volleyball and served on numerous committees.

Others in the Class of 2009 are athletes Chris Henderson, Cascade of Everett, soccer, and Lisa Raschkow Jackson, Auburn, multisports; educator/coach/ official Mike Burton, Auburn; coaches Bill Harris, Federal Way, track and field, and Curt DeHaan, Lynden Christian, girls basketball; and official Dick Eglet, Yakima.

Bowling

Some of the firepower that highlighted the day was missing, but not the drama as Thomas Locke outscored No. 1 qualifier Dalton Shears 219-190 to win the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at Deer Park on March 8.

The day started with T.J. Besel of Yakima rolling a 300 in his first game. Before it was over, there were multiple 900 four-game series, led by Shears’ 965. Kyle Casey had a 961, Besel a 959, Ryan Gately a 940 and Locke a 933. Gately finished third, Casey fourth and Besel fifth.

The high game for the girls was a 232 by April McDonough.

The next JBT is the finals at Players & Spectators March 29.

College scene

Linse Vlahovich, Central Washington’s senior pitcher from University, earned her second Great Northwest Athletic Association weekly honor of the softball season for the week that ended with last weekend.

Vlahovich was co-pitcher of the week after running her record to 6-2 by collecting two victories against Western Oregon. She pitched a complete-game, three-hit 5-2 win in the opener of a doubleheader and earned the second-game win in relief. She struck out nine and allowed just one earned run in 11 innings.

•Inderbir Gill, a third-year point guard at University of Northern British Columbia from University, was named to the All-Canadian men’s basketball team.

Gill led UNBC with a 16.5 scoring average and 6.8 assists, a figure that led the 10-team British Columbia league.

Gill led UNBC to a 12-6 record after a 1-4 start.

Skiing

Elyse Burandt, 11, of the Spokane Ski Racing Association, was the woman’s overall champion at the Buddy Werner Championships at Mount Spokane during the weekend after winning gold and silver medals in individual events.

SSRA junior developmental coach Mark Burandt also announced that Michael Estrella, 11, won the men’s giant slalom gold medal.

The event drew 23 teams and close to 300 competitors from Washington, Idaho and Oregon.

Because of their success, Burandt and Estrella are invited to the Western Region J-4 Festival at McCall, Idaho.

SSRA won the silver medal in the overall team event.

Softball

Pat Dalsanders of Spokane was named an assistant coach for the USA Softball men’s slowpitch national team, the sanctioning Amateur Softball Association announced.

The team will compete in the inaugural Border Battle exhibition game against Canada on July 18 in Oklahoma City.

Dalsanders has been involved as a slowpitch coach and player for the Dan Smith/Menosse team for more than 12 years. His primary role will be player development and to provide leadership and experience in the dugout.

“This means everything to me,” Dalsanders was quoted as saying in a release announcing his selection. “Anytime I can represent my country and wear the red, white and blue is amazing.”

Track and field

Stan Kerr, entering his 14th season as Eastern Washington coach, has been selected as the Big Sky Conference representative on the NCAA Division I executive track and field committee.

He replaces Jim Blaisdell of Weber State University on the committee of four executive officers, 32 conference representatives and two at-large representatives.

Volleyball

Katy Rossner of Hayden, Idaho, a graduate of Coeur d’Alene High School, will transfer from Wenatchee Valley College to Rocky Mountain of the Frontier Conference, the Billings, Mont., school announced.

Rossner is a 6-foot sophomore outside hitter who was selected to the NWAACC All-Star team after earning all-star honors in three different tournaments for Wenatchee Valley.

Besides being a threat as a hitter, Rossner was “our top passer and a leading digger on the team,” said Wenatchee Valley coach Kelly Ketcham.