Sports in brief: WIAA to honor Mead boys, Helfer

The highly successful Mead boys cross country program will be part of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association 2010 Hall of Fame class that will be inducted May 12 in Renton.

Mead captured 15 state championships from 1976, when it claimed its first state title, through 2008. The Panthers also finished second seven times. Mead won nine straight championships in that stretch (1988-2006) and 10 individuals earned state titles 11 times.

Among four athletes who will be inducted is Jeanne (Eggart) Helfer. The former Mead and Mt. Spokane girls basketball coach was a four-sport athlete at Walla Walla High School. She played basketball, tennis, track and volleyball. She was a state javelin champ and led three basketball teams to state while setting multiple state tournament records. She was a basketball and track standout at Washington State University. She set several records at WSU, some of which still stand.

Others who will be inducted are Tom Gorman, Rick Noji, Joe Steele, Brian Steves, Frank Ahern, Virginia Greenlee, Irv Leifer, Jerry Penney, Ken Jones, Don Davison and Bob Regan.

The Los Angeles Sparks will play host to the Seattle Storm in the WNBA’s second outdoor game.

The Sparks said on Monday that the night game on June 5 will be played in the Home Depot Center’s tennis stadium in Carson, Calif., which has a capacity of 8,000.

The New York Liberty and Indiana Fever played the WNBA’s first outdoor game in July 2008 at New York City’s Arthur Ashe Stadium.

In case of rain, the Sparks-Storm game would be moved to July 7 and take place in Staples Center.