Gonzaga Prep Tops Lc In 5 Games

The state’s reigning volleyball champion gave way reluctantly Saturday to the team that seeks the crown.

Brandy Barratt had 29 kills and 13 blocks, including the match-deciding block, as visiting Gonzaga Prep (6-0) outlasted defending State AAA champion Lewis and Clark 10-15, 15-12, 13-15, 15-3, 15-12 in a Greater Spokane League thriller.

Katie Williams added 23 digs and Story Tombari 55 assists for the Bullpups, who built a 14-10 final-game lead and held on.

The Tigers (4-2) scored five unanswered points in their first-game win, then lost the second game after rallying from 11-3 down for a 12-12 tie. LC pulled away from a similar 12-12 tie to win the third game, but never mustered anything in Prep’s fourth-game cakewalk.

Ingrid Lindeblad had 32 assists and four aces, and Sarah Hiss 17 kills for LC.

Clarkston maintained its lock on first place in the Frontier League as it defeated host Riverside 15-2, 15-4, 15-7 at Chattaroy.

The Bantams (4-0) were led by the 15 service points of Christy Jacobs and Crystal Poskey’s 25 assists. Amy Metcalf of Clarkston provided a team-high 12 blocks. Erin Nelson and Katie Putman each had three digs for the Rams (0-3).

At Pullman, Molly Senger’s tip and Molly Fisher’s block scored the final two points as the Greyhounds (3-1) overcame a 14-5 fifth-game deficit to defeat Cheney 9-15, 15-11, 15-5, 11-15, 16-14.

Loni Eastep of Pullman served seven consecutive points, including three aces, in the clincher. Senger and Fisher had 12 kills apiece.

Cross country

Led by sixth-place Angie Simmers, the East Valley girls won the A Division at the Coeur d’Alene Invitational at Farragut State Park.

The defending State AA champion Knights scored 69 points to the 78 of runner-up Boise. North Central (122) was third and Central Valley (138) fourth.

Jenni Saling of CV finished third, in 20 minutes, 19 seconds, while Cheney’s Jeannette Zimmer (20:25) edged Simmers by 1 second. Ann Marie Adams (21:01) of EV was seventh, 7 seconds ahead of CV’s Melissa Sherwood.

Gonzaga Prep finished second among A Division boys, with 106 points to the 70 of winner Boise. Chewelah (115) was third. Chris Henderson of EV was third in 16:57 and Cameron Hatch of Rogers (17:14) took fifth.

Katie Kneeshaw (21:26) of Colfax won the girls B Division, with Lindsay McElroy (21:36) of Lakeside fourth. Riverside won the boys B, led by champion Jon Ashcraft (17:12), who beat Christian Laugen of St. George’s on a lean. Riverside scored 50, second-place Pullman 68.

The AAA top-ranked Mead boys, led by sixth-place Jason Fayant, settled a score with Gig Harbor by winning the Curtis Invitational at Tacoma.

Fayant finished the 3-mile course in 16:13 as the Panthers scored 341 points. Runner-up Gig Harbor, a Class AA team that beat Mead at Curtis last year, scored 325.

Winner David Bazzl of O’Dea ran 15:58. Mark Mohrlang (16:23) and David Green (16:38) of Mead were the last two runners in the top 10. University, with 244 points, finished fifth in the 14-team field.

The U-Hi girls scored 319 and nipped defending champ Mead by one point for second place. Kelso, behind champion Tammy Green, won the title. For Mead, Lynde Johnson was eighth in 19:39 and Amber Wood 11th in 20:23. U-Hi’s Robyn Cross (20:36) was 12th.

Jessica Riehle and Matt Wheeler of West Valley were individual champions and led the Eagles to team titles at the eight-team Wenatchee Invitational.

Riehle ran the 3-mile course in 19:11, 47 seconds better than Amy King of King’s (Seattle). WV’s Heather Harmon was third, another 4 seconds back, as the Eagles scored 32 to the 64 of runner-up and host Panthers.

Wheeler’s 16:17 edged Brian Wendt of Wenatchee by 3 seconds. The Eagles scored 40, second-place Wenatchee 52. Clayton Holmes (16:27) of WV was fifth.

, DataTimes