GSL runners help state to victory
A couple of Greater Spokane League cross country standouts helped Team Washington collect a perfect score in continuing a recent trend by defeating Team Oregon in the boys division of Nike Borderclash 14 last Sunday in Beaverton, Ore.
Mt. Spokane sophomore John Dressel, the Washington 3A runner-up, finished third, clocking 13 minutes, 45 seconds over the 4.4-kilometer distance. Lewis and Clark senior Sumner Goodwin, fourth in the State 4A meet, finished fourth in Beaverton in 13:46.
Two members of North Central’s State 3A championship team, Keith Williams (13th in 14:02) and Tanner Anderson (15th in 14:08), helped give Washington 11 of the first 15 finishers.
Washington 2A state champion Patrick Gibson, a senior from Squalicom, won in 13:44, with Seattle Prep junior Joe Hardy, the 3A state champion, was second in 13:45. Skyview senior Colby Gilbert rounded out the sweep in fifth place in Washington’s 15-45 victory. The first four finishers all broke the meet record.
In the girls race, NC senior Katie Knight, the State 3A runner-up, completed a 1-2-3 Washington finish in third (15:44 for 4.4k) as Washington posted a 23-32 win over Oregon. Amy Eloise-Neale, the Glacier Peak senior who won the State 3A title, finished first in 15:33 and Camas sophomore Alexa Efraimson, the 4A state winner, finished second in 15:34.
Basketball
Entries are still being accepted for the area Elks Hoop Shoot free-throw competition for area elementary school boys and girls.
School leaders should contact tournament director Doug Holland at 496-5847 or email the Greater Spokane Elks Lodge at elks228bpoe@comcast.net with their qualifiers. The competition is Dec. 1 at Valley Christian High School.
Bowling
Steven Talbot overcame the odds to win the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at North Bowl last Sunday.
After making the cut in 10th place going into the match-play qualifying round, Talbot moved into fifth place for the five-person roll-offs, then proceeded to knock off three opponents to advance to the final against the top qualifier, Dakota Roeder. Talbot won 220-205.
Ryan Gately, who had a 276 game and 891 four-game series during the day, finished third; Nik Gosselin, who had the day’s high series, a 906, was fourth; and Bry Tillett, who also rolled a 276, was fifth. Heather Lundgren led the girls with a 235.
Next JBT is the doubles Dec. 16 at Lilac Lanes.
College scene
Laurie Yearout, Western Washington’s senior setter from Lewis and Clark, received honorable mention on the 2012 American Volleyball Coaches Association NCAA Division II West Region all-star team after being a unanimous All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection.
Yearout ranks fifth nationally in assists with an average of 11.92 per set for a Vikings team that is 23-3 and the No. 4 seed in the West Regional of the NCAA Division II playoffs that begin Thursday.
• Kaely Kight, Central Washington’s sophomore libero from Mead, received honorable mention on the All-GNAC volleyball team.
• Stephanie Logan, Washington State sophomore right-side hitter from Pullman, was named to the second team when the Pac-12 Conference All-Academic volleyball teams were announced. Logan has a 3.97 grade-point average with an undeclared major.
• Kjelby Oiland, Montana junior center from Ferris, received honorable mention on offense on the All-Big Sky Conference football team.
• Travis Long, Washington State senior linebacker from Gonzaga Prep, collected his first Pac-12 All-Academic honor in football when he was named to the second team with a 3.02 GPA in management and operations.
• Megan Lindsay, the much-honored Seattle Pacific senior forward from Gonzaga Prep, was an All-West Region selection for a third straight year when the 2012 Daktronics NCAA Division II women’s soccer team was announced. Lindsay, who led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with 12 goals, is a candidate for the Daktronics All-America team.
• Three former Greater Spokane League athletes at Gonzaga received West Coast Conference all-academic recognition in men’s soccer.
James Matern, senior midfielder from Ferris with a 3.64 GPA in mathematics, was a first-team choice while senior Casey Ames (Lewis and Clark) and sophomore Zach Hamer (Mead) received honorable mention.
• Samantha Smith, a Whitworth senior from Canby, Ore., who won three individal events and swam on a winning relay in leading the Pirates to the championship of the Northwest Invitational last weekend, was named Northwest Conference student-athlete of the week in swimming.
• Kyle Johnson, the Western Washington senior from Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls, finished 166th, timing 32 minutes, 15.1 seconds, in his third trip to the NCAA Division II cross country championships Nov. 17 in Joplin, Mo. The Vikings, ranked 10th entering the meet, finished 21st.
• For an 11th straight season, the Eastern Washington women received a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award. Of the five Big Sky Conference teams honored, EWU had the highest GPA, a 3.50.
• The Gonzaga women have joined its men’s team in receiving a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Team Academic Award. The women have a 3.54 GPA, best among four West Coast Conference schools honored and 16th among NCAA Division I institutions.
Figure skating
Two of the five members of Spokane’s Lilac City Figure Skating Club who competed in the Pacific Coast Sectional Championships in Provo, Utah, earlier this month advanced to the Junior Nationals with fourth-place finishes.
Billy Stone, 13, from Missoula who won the Juvenile Men’s division at the Northwest Regionals, used a fourth-place finish in Provo to qualify for Junior Nationals for a second straight year. The other Junior National qualifier is Cody Lithco, who skates pairs with a Montana skater.
Cheyenne King, 11, who attends Colbert Elementary and was the Juvenile Ladies champion at regionals, placed seventh in sectionals; Kayleigh Elliott, 12, Salk Middle School, the NW regional Intermediate Ladies champion, was eighth; and Courtney Kirschke, 13, Northwood Middle School, fourth in Juvenile Ladies at regionals, was eighth in Provo.
Shannon Damiano coaches Stone and King and Randy Clark coaches Elliott and Kirschke.
Letters of intent
• Eastern Washington volleyball: Chloe Watson, Kent-Meridian, three-time all-league outside hitter; Sophie Miller, Todd Beamer High (Federal Way), three-time all-league setter.
• Washington State baseball: Luke Stratman, Denver, shortstop; Layne Bruner, Aberdeen, left-handed pitcher; Cameron Frost, Olympia, outfield; Cole Johnson, Buckley, first base; Wesley Leow, Anacortes, infield/outfield; Aaron Stroosma, Mount Vernon, infield; Austin Strother, Bellevue, left-handed pitcher; and Stefan Van Horn, Puyallup, catcher.
• Portland baseball: Dan Whittaker, North Central, All-Greater Spokane League infielder.
• Washington baseball: Mitch Bevacqua, Lake City, middle infielder who hit .454 with five homers, 12 doubles and 11 steals as a sophomore in 2011.
• Weber State golf: Kaceelyn Pouttu, Kellogg, three-time Idaho State 3A girls champion.
• Washington State swimming: Kendra Griffin, Scottsdale, Ariz., freestyle/butterfly; Hailey Johnson, Genesee, Idaho, freestyle; Elise Locke, Santa Cruz, Calif., individual medley; Haley Love, Brentwood, Calif., freestyle; Emma Ronczkowski, Bloomington, Ill., all-around; and Anna Rosen, Gothenburg, Sweden, freestyle.
• Idaho tennis: Barcenilla Coll, Spain, ranked No. 111 in Spanish open women’s singles.
Officials
Thirteen area officials, five of them in volleyball, were selected for Washington high school state championships in soccer, football and volleyball.
State officials by sport:
Football: Jeff Elbracht, Pullman, 1B; Ron Schafter, Spokane, 2B; Eric Crone, Spokane, 1A; and Kevin Malone, Spokane, 3A.
Soccer: Justin Ryan and Eric Chilson, both Spokane, 1A/2A.
Volleyball: Heide Wehr, Spokane; Mark Yamamota, Spokane; Rich Waller, Pullman, 1B/2B/1A; Corey Brantley, Spokane; David Sperry, Pullman, 2A; Patty Kells, Spokane; and Lisa Paulls, Sandpoint, 3A/4A.
Softball
Ken Mathia, outgoing president of the Spokane Softball Umpires Association, was presented with the organization’s Campbell-Stewart Award at its annual awards banquet earlier this month.
Mathia’s contributions during 15 years in Spokane epitomize the qualities associated with the award, which is named for two former, long-serving Spokane ASA umpires-in-chief.
Besides being a two-term president, Mathia was a vice president and the SSUA assignor who launched on-line assigning. The former Washington State basketball player began his career 21 years ago in St. Louis and has umpired in six ASA national tournaments.
Other awards went to Gale Hart, Umpire of the Year-Adult; Bob Francis, Umpire of the Year-Youth; Paul Grubbs, Most Improved-Adult; Brian Hall, Most Improved-Youth; Bob Kuck, Rookie of the Year-Adult; and Rachel Honodel, Rookie of the Year-Youth.
Mathia presented Presidential Pride Awards to Rich and Sandy Hobson and Chuck Stewart.
Special Home Run Awards, to nonmembers who make significant contributions to softball, went to Brooklyn Robinson and Steve Fountain.
• Dallas Williams, the Spokane Softball Umpires Association president from 2008-2009, was returned to the position at the organization’s elections.
Other members of the new board are: Steve Quaid, vice president; Gary Kuck, adult director; Jeff Camp, youth director; John Isles, secretary; and Bob Kuck, member at-large.