Sunday Locals: Skiers qualify for West Region Junior Olympics

One skier from the Schweitzer Alpine Race School and two from the Spokane Ski Racing Association qualified for the Western Region Junior Olympics with their performances in the Pacific Northwest Ski Association J3 Alpine Junior Olympic qualifier last weekend at Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park.

Andrew Black of SARS, a freshman at Lewis and Clark, won the giant slalom Jan. 15 and placed second in Sunday’s giant slalom.

Michael Ewers of SSRA, a freshman at Mt. Spokane, won Sunday’s giant slalom, and Elyse Burandt of SSRA, an eighth-grader at Sacajawea Middle School, placed second in Sunday’s giant slalom and finished third in Monday’s slalom.

Others with top-15 finishes in the three-day event that drew 180 junior alpine racers from Washington, Idaho and Oregon were Taylor Bauernfeind, SSRA, fifth slalom and sixth GS; McKinley Guenzel, SSRA, seventh slalom; Abby Howard, SARS, eighth GS; Michael Estrella, SSRA, eighth slalom and 10th GS; and Kenny Collins, SARS, 11th GS.

There is another qualifier in mid-February on Mount Hood for the Western Region JO, which is March 17-20 at Squaw Valley, Calif.

Bowling

There were some big scores and lots of shuffling during qualifying, but in the end it was the hot hand of Jesse Covington that prevailed in the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at Valley Bowl on Jan. 9.

Covington, who put together a huge 982 series in the second four-game set to vault from eighth to first going into the five-person finals, outscored No. 2 qualifier Dennis Pham 279-245 to win the championship. Pham had made a big jump himself, leaping into second from 10th with a 904 series, and followed it up with roll-off games of 244 and the 245.

Bry Tillett finished third, Tony Werley was fourth and Brandon Dixon fifth.

Covington’s finals score of 279 was highest of the day for the boys. Charstie Saville rolled a 258 to lead the girls. Taylor Gamble highlighted the opening four-game set with a 917 series.

Next JBT is Feb. 13 at Sunset Lanes in Coeur d’Alene.

College scene

The Eastern Washington club hockey team ran its record to 22-2-1 by sweeping four games in a tournament it hosted last weekend in Cheney.

EWU defeated San Diego State 7-1, San Jose State 4-3, Colorado State 5-2 and Utah State 5-2.  Simon Frasier also was in the field.

Eastern, which is first in Western Division 2 of the American College Hockey Association, got six goals from senior Alex Arnold, including four in one game, and four from sophomore Ryan Pajimola of Spokane.

 Pajimola leads the Eagles with 24 goals and 21 assists in 25 games for 45 points. Arnold is second with 22 goals, 20 assists and 42 points.

EWU has two freshman goaltenders from Spokane, Cash Ulrich, who has a 12-0-1 record and 1.91 goals-against average, and Jason Greenwell, 10-2, 2.83

• Marcus Banducci of Coeur d’Alene (Lake City), a freshman wrestler at Baker University, earned his highest finish of the season, placing third at 133 pounds at the York College (Neb.) Open last weekend.

Banducci, who was unseeded, came from behind to pin the No. 2 seed, beat the No. 4 seed 7-2, then defeated the No. 3 seed 8-2 in the third-fourth-place match to avenge an earlier 7-2 loss that put him in the consolation bracket.

Golf

Eastern Washington women’s coach Brenda Howe has added two players, including Jackie Brown of Spanaway, Wash., who is transferring from Jackson State and will join the Eagles for the upcoming winter/spring season.

Caitilin Rice, a senior at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle, signed a national letter of intent and will join the Eagles next fall.

Brown spent one year at Jackson State, where she had three top-25 tournament finishes, and played in the 2010 NCAA Division I Championships for the Southwest Conference-winning Tigers. She was an All-SWAC first-team selection and was also named to the league’s all-academic team. In her senior year at Bethel High School, she placed third in the Washington State 4A championships.

Rice has competed in three Washington state championships, finishing in the top 10 as both a sophomore and junior to earn 3A all-state honors. She placed fifth in 2010.

Rice placed third in the 2010 Washington State Junior Golf Association championships, and advanced to the semifinals of the Pacific Northwest Golf Association Junior Girls Championships.