Local softball body sees change in leadership

There’s been a softball leadership change in Spokane. Fuzzy Buckenberger has retired as commissioner after 22 years. Jamie Stewart has been appointed his replacement.

“USA Softball is excited to have Jamie on board to help upgrade the quality of our sport in the Spokane community,” said Bill Parks, the USA Softball of Idaho commissioner in announcing the change. ”His knowledge of the sport should help us make great strides in upgrading our programs in both youth and adult play.”

Since 2015, when Spokane lost its status as a stand-alone metro association, it has been District 8 under the Idaho state umbrella. This summer, Stewart was appointed northern districts player representative by Parks.

Stewart, 46, got involved in the sport as a player in adult programs in 1989. In 2000, when his daughters began playing the game, he moved on to coaching. The last 17 years he has coached girls fastpitch at the Junior Olympic and high school levels.

“It’s time,” said Buckenberger, 69, a “softball lifer” who has been involved in the game for five decades, of retiring. “It was a nice ride. It was fun.”

“Fuzzy is a sensitive heart who remained loyal to ASA softball for over 30 years,” said Parks. “I wish him good luck in his future endeavors.”

Buckenberger’s resumè as a player, coach and administrator has gained him residence in three halls of fame, including the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

College scene

Emma Liband, a Willamette senior from Sandpoint, was named a Northwest Conference Volleyball Student-Athlete of the Week. The middle hitter led the Bearcats with 26 total blocks (6 solo, 20 assists) during the week, averaging 1.37 blocks per set. She also had nine digs as a front-row player.

Gabrielle Nicodemus, a Yakima freshman from Mead, called by her coach a key component in the Yaks’ defense that only allowed two goals in its first three matches, was the NWAC Women’s Soccer Player of the Week.

The previous week, Linnea Pretzer, a North Idaho freshman forward from Idaho Falls, was the NWAC women’s soccer selection after collecting three goals and an assist in two matches and Community Colleges of Spokane freshman forward Arturo Bahena from Las Vegas, Nevada, received the men’s honor after having two goals and three assists in two wins.

Four women at area schools, two of them at Washington State, have been included in the Oracle Intercollegiate Tennis Division I preseason rankings.

Michaela Bayerlova, a WSU freshman from Germany, is No. 3 on the freshman/newcomer list and teammate Tiffany Mylonas, a junior from Belgium, is 90th in singles. Bayerlova is ranked No. 740 in the world. Mylonas had a 30-5 singles record as a sophomore.

Also on the singles list are Idaho junior Marianna Petrei from Italy, the reigning two-time Big Sky Conference MVP, who is rated 71st, and Gonzaga junior Sophie Whittle from Nipomo, California, who is 89th.

Petrei has gone 10-0 in Big Sky singles for two straight seasons and was 22-3 overall in the spring, 19-1 in singles. Whittle, first-team All-West Coast Conference in both singles and doubles in the spring, was 10-3 in singles in duals and 12-2 in doubles.

Johnathan Williams, a redshirt senior at Gonzaga, attended the NCAA Elite Men’s Basketball Student-Athlete Symposium last weekend in Indianapolis.

The NCAA leadership development program event is intended to educate college athletes on the expectations and responsibilities they may face should they turn professional and offer insite on other possible post-graduate opportunities.

Golf

Reid Hatley of Hayden Lake, the 2015 and 2016 Pacific Northwest Golf Association Men’s Mid-Amateur Player of the Year, finished second in the 32nd PNGA Mid-Amateur Championship last week at Bend, Oregon, Golf & Country Club.

Hatley shot 2-under-par 214 in the 54-hole event to finish two shots back of Mike Haack of Bellevue, Washington, who made a third-round charge with a 4-under 68 to win a second straight title in the event for post-college amateurs.

Dustin Garber of Spokane Valley and Nate Hair of Edwall were in a six-way tie for 15th at 9-over 225.

Rowing

Karl Huhta, who has been on the women’s rowing staff at Washington State since 2014, has been promoted from assistant to associate head coach, head coach Jane LaRiviere announced.

Huhta, a 2008 graduate of WSU, where he was a four-year member of the men’s rowing team, joined LaRiviere’s staff as coordinator of operations before being promoted to assistant coach in 2015, working primarily with the novice team the last two seasons. WSU has advanced to the NCAA Championships the last three seasons with Huhta on aboard.