Sports in brief: Harris will return to play for Zags
College basketball: Gonzaga University forward Elias Harris announced Thursday he will return for his sophomore season next year.
The 6-foot-8, 215-pound Harris, a native of Speyer, Germany, averaged 14.9 points per game, a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game and shot 54.7 percent from the field (180 for 329). He was an All-WCC selection and was also named the WCC Newcomer of the Year.
There was speculation throughout the season Harris would opt for the NBA draft since he meets the 19-year-old minimum age requirement.
The Bulldogs lose just one starter off this year’s team in senior WCC Player of the Year Matt Bouldin.
Several players are all-state
Prep basketball: Colfax’s Kayla Johnson (2B) and Colton’s Kelsey Moser (1B) were repeat choices as Players of the Year in their respective girls classifications when the Associated Press all-state teams were announced Thursday.
Korina Baker of Freeman was chosen player of the year for 1A girls while Wellpinit’s Cody Flett was the 1B boys player of the year.
Ryan Nicholas of Gonzaga Prep was chosen to the boys 4A team while Jazmine Redmon of Mead was picked for the girls team.
Jim Maley (Rosalia) and Warren Miller (St. John-Endicott) were tabbed for the boys 1B first team.
Kellie McCann-Smith of Clarkston and Shaniqua Nilles of West Valley are on the girls 2A first team. Haley Moser of Colton is on the girls 1B team.
The complete list of selections, including area players given honorable mention, is on Scoreboard, page B6.
Memorial service set for Burgess
A memorial service for former Gonzaga University basketball standout and U.S. District Judge Frank Burgess will be held April 10.
The 10 a.m. service will be held at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 7112 S. 12th St., in Tacoma.
The service will be followed by a 12:30 p.m. reception at the student center at Bellarmine Preparatory School, 2300 S. Washington St., in Tacoma.
Burgess died March 26 at the age of 75.
The high-scoring Burgess led the NCAA Division I basketball ranks in scoring in 1961 at 32.4 points per game.
Gonzaga retired his No. 44 jersey on Feb. 19, 2005.