Gresset, Nakamura Spurlock recipients

Women’s swimmer Brittany Gresset and men’s basketball player Ross Nakamura were co-recipients of the Denny Spurlock Award when Whitworth University honored its student-athletes.

Gresset, a two-year team captain, completed her career as one of the most decorated swimmers in Northwest Conference history. Her accomplishments include four straight NWC championships in the 50-yard freestyle, three in the 100 free and NCAA Division III All-America honorable mention in the 200 and 400 free relays.

Nakamura led the Pirates into the NCAA Division III tournament each of the past two seasons, leading the nation in assists-to-turnovers ratio as a junior and finishing third as a senior.

The Spurlock award is given in memory of the former Pirates All-America quarterback (1958-61), honoring those who model his characteristics while bringing respect to the school.

Whitworth selected soccer players as its senior male and female athletes of the year.

Caleb Barnhill, the 2008 NWC offensive player of the year, was the male selection. Kelly Baker, a 2008 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III third-team All-American, was the female choice.

Baseball

Community Colleges of Spokane has secured commitments from 10 players from the Northwest, half of them from Eastern Washington and North Idaho, coach Bobby Lee announced.

Slated to enroll in the fall are Chris Allen, a right-handed pitcher/outfielder from Mead; Marshall Barnhouse, a left-handed pitcher from Timberlake of Spirit Lake, Idaho; J.T. Beach, a left-handed pitcher from Central Valley; Jake Campbell, a catcher/infielder from Rogers; and Travis Cooper, an infielder from Pullman.

Also, Beau Dahmen, a right-handed pitcher/infielder from Genesee; Jordan Hibbard, a right-handed pitcher from Seattle Christian; Quinn Holt, an outfielder, and Zach Livingston, an infielder, both from Burlington Edison; and Matthew Miller, an outfielder from Cashmere.

Basketball

Nathan Bailey from Rosalia, who has attended Eastern Washington the past two years but did not play basketball, will transfer to University of Great Falls to play, Argos men’s coach Steve Silsby announced.

Bailey, a guard, averaged 12 points, four assists and four rebounds a game as a senior at Rosalia in 2007, Silsby noted.

•Northwest Blazers girls teams recently won two division championships at the Arizona Spring Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The tournament – which featured more than 100 teams, primarily from west of the Mississippi – serves as an NCAA spring evaluation tournament.

The Blazers won the 17-U All-Star (underclassmen) division, while the 15-U team also triumphed. The 17-U team defeated Mission Recreation Center Blue of San Francisco 53-44 in the title game, while the 15-U squad defeated New Mexico Select 51-30.

The 17-U roster includes Daisy Burke (Lewis and Clark), Jazmine Redmon (Mead), Kellie McCann-Smith (Clarkston), Kayla Johnson (Colfax), Danielle Walter (Pasco), Tiffany Idler (Columbia Burbank), Christine Kirkwood (Othello) and Hana Potter (Minneapolis).

The 15-U roster: Devyn Galland (Lewis and Clark), Nikia Arquette (LC), Hayley Hendricksen (LC), Tia Presley (Gonzaga Prep), Chelsea Waters and Abby Quinette (both Moscow, Idaho), Jaime Weisner (Walla Walla, formerly of Spokane), Ellie Tinkle (Missoula) and Sophie Reicheldt (Seattle).

Both teams are coached by Steve Klees.

College scene

Ekaterina Kamendova, a sophomore at Washington State, is the Northwest Region recipient of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship, the organization announced.

Kamendova, who endured two surgeries a year ago to repair a collapsed lung that threatened to end her season, had 13 singles victories in the 2008-09 season and maintained the No. 1 singles spot all year. She is a finalist for the national award.

•Katie Griffith of Spokane, a Trinity University freshman from Ferris, was named to the All-Southern College Athletic Conference women’s tennis team.

Griffith was a singles finalist in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament and had a 15-8 record, including a 10-6 mark in dual matches during the spring portion of the season.

•Travis Fox, a Western Oregon senior outfielder from Colville, and two Central Washington players from the Greater Spokane League received Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors in baseball.

Fox was named the GNAC player of the year after batting .363 and finishing in the top three in the conference in four categories. He also was a first-team choice as an outfielder.

The first team also included Central Washington repeater A.J. Gosney, a senior outfielder from Central Valley. On the second team was first baseman Kevin Schneider, a Central Washington junior from Mead.

•China Frost of Shadle Park, a freshman at Wright State, was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer softball team.

Frost started 27 of the Raiders’ final 33 games, batted .317 in conference play and set a school record 380 putouts at first base.

Another Spokane freshman at Wright State, Mead’s Katie Kine, batted .261 for the Raiders, who had a 34-21 record.

•A women’s soccer player and men’s basketball player were named the North Idaho College student-athletes of the year at the NIC Booster Club’s annual awards banquet this month.

Natalie Nichols from Post Falls, the leading scorer on the Cardinals’ national third-place finishing team and a first-team NJCAA All-American, was the female choice.

Renado Parker, the Scenic West Athletic Conference player of the year and a first-team NJCAA All-American as a freshman after averaging 14.7 points and 6.5 rebounds, was the male winner.

Academic honors went to Marielle McKean, a basketball player from Moses Lake, and volleyball player Emily Callaway, who shared the female award with 3.92 grade-point averages, and Brian Rosco, a men’s soccer player with a 3.46 GPA.

Other awards went to men’s basketball, led by head coach Jared Phay, team of the year; John Little, booster club member of the year; and Michael O’Brien, who received a special booster club support award.

Golf

Kevin Parkhurst of Vail, Ariz., who competed in four Arizona state 4A Division I championship tournaments, has signed a national letter of intent with Gonzaga University, Bulldogs coach Robert Gray announced.

Parkhurst finished sixth at state as a senior and had a nine-hole stroke average of 35.89 during his final season. One of the most decorated junior players in Arizona, he has 43 career victories on various junior tours. He has a 3.52 high school grade-point average.

•The Washington State University Foundation golf tour will be at The Coeur d’Alene Resort on Thursday for the Devlin Cougar Golf Classic. Director of athletics Jim Sterk and members of the Cougars coaching staffs are slated to participate.

For more information and to register, contact Lori Olson at olsonl@wsu.edu or (509) 358-7541.

Soccer

Ashley Fritts of Spokane, a center midfielder from Shadle Park, has committed to Seattle University, Redhawks coach Julie Woodward announced.

Fritts had 13 goals and 18 assists during her high school career and helped the Highlanders reach the regional playoffs three straight years. She plays select with the Spokane Shadow.