Locally: Spokane duo successful in Special Olympics

Two Spokane athletes are coming home with four top-five placings in the Special Olympics World Games that wound up late last week in Shanghai, China.

Kamilah Williamson had three top-fives in aquatics, including a first-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle. She was on the U.S. team that placed second in the 4x100 relay and had a fifth individually in the 100 free.

Stacey Johnston placed fourth in the 18-hole individual golf event.

Bowling

Brandon Roush, the No. 2 qualifier, knocked off top qualifier Michael Johnson 229-199 to win the Junior Bowlers Tour stop at Players & Spectators last Sunday.

Johnson had turned in the day’s top series, an 865, to vault from 12th into the No. 1 spot going into the roll-offs. Roush claimed second with an 852.

Chris Gray, who shot an 856 in the first four-game block, finished third; Alex Earle fourth; and Brandon Doney fifth in his first time in the top five.

Justin Johnson had the day’s top score, a 279. April McDonough led the girls with a 221.

The next JBT is Oct. 21 at Sunset Lanes.

Fishing

Spokane competitors claimed three of the top seven places in the 12th annual Tri-Cities Prep Salmon Derby last weekend in Richland.

Daren Hathaway placed third with a Chinook salmon that weighed 35.10 pounds. Brooks Fickenscher was fourth at 31.54. Jim Tondlini caught a 30.76-pounder for seventh.

Dean Wilcox of Richland won the $1,000 first prize with a 36.28-pound catch. He also had the largest total catch, 120.36 pounds.

Officiating

With a change of seasons comes an appeal for officials groups that work wintertime sports in the area.

“The Spokane Basketball Officials Association, which works school and recreation leagues, will have an informational meeting Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at North Central High School.

Prospective officials are encouraged to attend.

Info: Steve Ayres, 951-5566, or by e-mail at spokanebasketball@msn.com.

“The mandatory Idaho state high school basketball rules clinic for referees will be Oct. 22 at Coeur d’Alene High School.

Registration begins at 6 p.m., with the clinic at 7.

District I commissioner John Posnick said new officials are needed.

Info: Posnick, (208) 753-1131 or (208) 512-3100.

“There will be a meeting for all wrestling officials at West Valley High School on Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Interested officials are asked to bring a three-ring binder.

Info: Rich Tschirgi, 328-3654 or 448-5734.

Soccer

Two women’s and one men’s team from Spokane captured division championships in the annual Penticton Oldtimers Thanksgiving Classic that wound up last Monday in the British Columbia city.

Shawn Bannon’s sudden-death goal in extra time gave Spokane Celtic FC a 2-1 win over the host Penticton Oldtimers in the men’s 35-and-over A Division. Spokane had placed third in the division last year.

Spokane Celtic FC won the women’s A Division, 2-1 over Okanagon Cruzwear. Psycho Chihauhuas won the women’s B Division, 1-0 over Aldergrove United.

Tennis

Bryce Cooper has been named an assistant coach at Eastern Washington by interim head men’s and women’s coach Darren Haworth.

Cooper, nearing the completion of a master’s degree in business administration at Gonzaga University, played for the Bulldogs (2002-06) and has served as a tennis assistant at Spokane Racquet Club since May.

Track and field

George Mathews of Hayden Lake won the USA Track & Field National Masters men’s 60-64 superweight throw in Seattle last weekend, tossing the 44-pound weight 32 feet, 2 inches.

Mathews also was second in the 20-pound weight throw at 61-9 3/4.

Wrestling

North Idaho College will hold its Red & Gray intrasquad match at Mead High School on Wednesday beginning at 6:30 p.m. following “Sumo suit” wrestling at 6. Cost is $2.

NIC announced that among those expected to compete are Trevor Powell from Lewis and Clark and Lucas Chesher from Central Valley.

College scene

Freshmen are the scholar-athletes of the month for September at Community Colleges of Spokane.

Stephanie Hopkins from Mt. Spokane, who netted four goals from her defensive position for the women’s soccer team during the month, is the female choice. She’s one of the top four goal scorers on the team, which was third in the Eastern Region after nine matches.

The male selection is Dak Riek, who had two top-10 finishes in men’s cross country. His second overall helped CCS win the team title at the University of Washington Sundodger Invitational. He was 10th in the Willamette Invitational with a school-record time of 24 minutes, 33 seconds for 8K.