Area roundup: Spokane Shock receive IFL division assignment
The Spokane Shock’s closest geographic foes will be their division rivals.
Spokane, which announced earlier this month it is leaving the Arena Football League for the Indoor Football League, is joined by Tri-Cities and Billings in the Intense Conference’s West Division.
The IFL finalized divisional alignments and the playoff format last week in Las Vegas.
With the addition of Spokane and the Minnesota Havok, the IFL has 12 members and six will qualify for the postseason. The four division winners, two from the Intense and two from the United Conference, as well as one wild-card team from each conference will make the playoffs.
The top seeds in each conference will have a first-round bye while the second seeds entertain the No. 3s. The No. 1 seeds will host conference championship matchups. The United Bowl will be played at the highest-seeded conference champion.
Junior hockey
Former Spokane Chiefs players Tyler Johnson of Central Valley High (2007-11), Trevor Kidd (1990-91), Pat Falloon (1988-91) and Ray Whitney (1988-91) were honored as the Western Hockey League released a list of its top 125 players in league history.
Men’s soccer
Sophomore Christo Michaelson scored his first collegiate goal and team scoring leader Jakob Granlund also scored to spark the host Gonzaga Bulldogs to a 2-1 nonconference win over the 13th-ranked Oregon State Beavers.
GU’s last win over a ranked opponent – 2-0 over No. 21 Wisconsin – came exactly two years ago to the day.
Golf
Sean Walsh finished in a tie for 12th place and the Gonzaga Bulldogs men jumped up four spots, placing sixth, on the final day of the Husky Invitational at Tumble Creek Golf Course in Cle Elum, Washington.
Oregon and Washington tied for the team title with 2-under-par 282s. The Huskies’ Corey Pereira was the medalist with a 7-under 206.
Jacob Scarrow tied for 12th place and helped the Idaho Vandals finish fifth. WSU, led by Aaron Whalen’s top-10 effort, tied for seventh place.
• Washington State and Idaho finished 1-2 at the WSU Cougar Cup women’s tourney in Pullman.
WSU’s Cherokee Kim was the medalist with a 5-under 211 as the Cougs finished at 866 strokes.
Freshman Michelle Kim paced Idaho (880) with a 1-under 215 in her first career event, placing fourth.
Marissa Borja tied for 32nd with a 229 as the Eastern Washington Eagles finished ninth.
Awards
Three Whitworth Pirates received Northwest Conference Student-Athlete of the Week honors.
Senior Kellyn Roiko won in women’s cross country; sophomore quarterback Ian Kolste was football’s offensive player of the week; and senior Spencer Wolfe was the top defensive player in men’s soccer.
• Idaho Vandals freshman goalkeeper Amanda Poertner and junior midfielder Alyssa Lloyd were named the Big Sky Conference’s defensive and offensive players of the week.