Wheelchair Games need volunteers
More than 3,000 volunteers are needed to assist with the 2009 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, taking place in Spokane July 13-18.
Volunteers are needed to assist with registration, meals, transportation, site set-up, timing, scoring, towel and water distribution, and other important tasks. All volunteers will receive a Games T-shirt and the satisfaction of helping veterans with disabilities achieve a tremendous personal triumph.
Volunteers under age 18 must have written parental guardian permission to participate in this volunteer program.
More than 500 veterans are expected to compete this year, making the National Veterans Wheelchair Games the largest annual wheelchair sports competition in the world. Athletes come from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Great Britain, and represent veterans who have served from World War II to operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Among the featured 17 competitive events are handcycling, power soccer, basketball, weightlifting, track and field and softball.
To volunteer contact Kathy Kovalesky, Volunteer Coordinator for the Games, at (509) 434-7510 or Kathleen.Kovalesky2@va.gov.
Baseball
Gonzaga University’s Matt Fields has been named to the Louisville Slugger TPX All-America third team, announced by Collegiate Baseball.
Fields, the 2009 West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-WCC selection, becomes the seventh Zag ever to earn All-America honors, becoming the first to do so since Clayton Mortensen earned the same recognition in 2007.
Basketball
North Idaho College men’s coach Jared Phay announced five athletes who have accepted scholarships to play for the Cardinals during the 2009-10 season.
The group: Emeka Iweka, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Seattle’s Rainier Beach High; Michael Hale, a 5-7 point guard from Federal Way (Wash.) High; DeAndre Taylor, a 6-1 combo guard from Seattle’s Garfield High; Charlie Gouin, a 6-0 shooting guard from France; and Shaquille Mckissic, a 6-3 wing from Kentridge High in Kent, Wash.
Cross country
Second-year Gonzaga University cross country and track coach Pat Tyson has added 11 men and 12 women with his first full recruiting class.
Tate Kelly of Gonzaga Prep is one of the additions on the men’s side. He has a personal best of 4:21 for 1600 meters and 9:23 for 3200 meters in his first season of track for the Bullpups. He made the switch to track after being on the golf team.
Others include Christian Burger (Portland), Ben Lance (Mill Creek, Wash.), Jared Gregorio (Denver), Patrick Richie (Grand Rapids., Minn.), Jared Christian (Portland), Samot Turina (Portland), Taylor Goade (Boise), Brian Hernandez (San Rafael, Calif.), Michael Bozzini (Napa, Calif.), and Mitchell Fry (Portland).
Lauren Bergam of East Valley High School joins the Bulldogs after finishing 22nd in the Washington State 3A Cross Country Championships last fall. A four-time State 3A participant, she has a personal best of 18:40 and also represented Spokane at the Foot Locker Nationals.
Others include Lacey Nation (Arlington, Wash.), Emily Thomas (Camas, Wash.), Anne Staeheli (Hanford, Wash.), Brenn Donnelly (Eugene, Ore.), Darby Jenkins (Chelan), Taylor Moravec (Bellevue), Jaime Van Lith (Caldwell) and Kristine Csicsery (Sacramento, Calif).
Three current Gonzaga students who have not previously competed are Kristen Lightfoot (Phoenix), Mallory Cocco (Bend, Ore.) and Kelly Wilkinson (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
Golf
Washington State University junior men’s golfer Nicholas Grigsby (Central Valley) and senior women’s golfer Jessica Black were each named to the Pacific-10 Conference Men’s and Women’s Golf All-Academic teams, respectively.
Grigsby, who boasts a 3.55 grade-point average in management and operations, was named first-team all-academic, while Black, who owns a 3.33 grade-point average in sport management, was named second-team all-academic.
•Linfield junior Tyler Nelson, a 2006 graduate of Shadle Park, was named to the all-Northwest Conference team for the third consecutive year.
Track and field
Eastern Washington University announced the signing of nine athletes, including distance runner Jordan Curnutt of Mead High and hurdler Gregory Barnes of Central Valley High.
Other signees: Whitney Leavitt, sprinter, Kiona-Benton (Wash.) High; Elizabeth Jepsen, hurdles/jumps, Kamiakin High in Kennewick; Marlyn Anderson, discus/shot put, Snohomish (Wash.) High; Cody Fishel, high jump/400, Kentwood (Wash.) High; Anthony Johnson, high jump/long jump, Seattle’s Garfield High; Peter Gilbert, distances, Pasco High; and Jonathan Buchanan, shot put/discus, East Valley (Yakima) High.
Volleyball
Sideout/NBC Camps U-16 won the Emerald City Classic Volleyball Tournament held at the University of Washington in Seattle last weekend.
Sideout/NBC Camps went 9-0 over the three-day tournament to win the 16-open gold division. Team members include Ellie Bilyeu, Danika Christen, Kaely Kight, Katie Lewis, Vickie Mauer, Kristi McGowan, Katie Miller, Kuulei Zalopany, Annie Arnzen, Alexa Kerr, Megan Nelson and Sydney Weber. The team is coached by Kelly Kight and Lacey Anderson.
They will represent Spokane at the Volleyball Festival in Phoenix at the end of June.