EWU wins Big Sky Conference President’s Cup
Eastern Washington University has won the Big Sky Conference Presidents’ Cup for the second consecutive year.
The Cup combines athletic success with team grade-point averages. It’s also the third time the Eagles have claimed the Cup in the last seven years (2009-10).
Eastern Washington’s women’s basketball, men’s tennis and women’s soccer each posted an average GPA of 3.49 or better, with soccer leading the way at 3.7. EWU also had 13 of 14 its athletic programs post 3.0 GPA or higher.
The Eagles finished with 105.83 athletic points after women’s basketball and women’s cross country finished second in the conference. EWU also had top-four finishes from soccer, men’s cross country, football and indoor and outdoor women’s track and field.
Baseball
Several current and future Gonzaga baseball players were recently named to all-star teams.
Wyatt Mills and Justin Vernia were named to the Alaska Baseball League All-Star team. Mills has pitched 12 1/3 scoreless innings in eight appearances for the Anchorage Bucs. Vernia leads that league with a 0.84 ERA as of Tuesday.
Nick Brooks played in the California Collegiate League’s showcase. As of Monday, the redshirt junior was hitting .406 for the Menlo Park Legends.
In the West Coast League, Nick Nyquist and future Zag Jake Vieth were named to the WCL North team. Nyquist is hitting .260 for Walla Walla this summer, while Vieth is hitting .262 with Bellingham. Vieth, who signed a letter of intent to play for the Zags, also won the Home Run Derby with 11 blasts.
The Whitworth Pirates received the 2015-16 Team Academic Excellence Award presented by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
To qualify, the team must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.0. The Pirates were one of 33 Division III teams, and the only Northwest Conference team, to be recognized.
Golf
Gonzaga golfers Ryan Gaske, Angus Montgomery and Sean Walsh have been named Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholars.
Walsh received the honor for the second consecutive year. The three golfers are among 212 men’s golfers across NCAA Division I to receive the honor.
Golfers must play half of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average less than 76 and maintain a GPA of at least 3.2.
Soccer
Three incoming freshman soccer players for Eastern Washington have been named to the Top Drawer Soccer All-State teams for their respective states.
Brooke Dunbar, Santa Rose, California; Johanna Di Lulo, Boise; and Saige Lyons, Puyallup, Washington, earned places on the California, Idaho and Washington teams.
“These three girls are a part of a recruiting class that our staff is really excited about,” coach Chad Bodnar said. “This is a group of hard-working players, who will push each other every day.”
The Eagles are coming off their best season in school history. They went 12-4-3 overall and 6-2-2 in Big Sky action.
Washington Youth Soccer named a team of the best players to come from the state as part of its 50th anniversary.
The panel of long-time Washington soccer experts put together a roster of 18 players. Named to the team was Craig Waibel, 40, who played at Lewis and Clark High School, the University of Washington and 11 years in Major League Soccer.
Tennis
The Gonzaga men’s and women’s teams have received academic honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) as both squads recently were designated All-Academic teams.
As a group, the men’s team posted a 3.45 GPA during the 2015-16 school year. The women had a 3.35 GPA. To be honored by the ITA, a team must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.2.