Locally

Former Gonzaga Prep standout to play basketball in Germany

Recent Carroll College graduate Greg Johnson has turned his passion into a profession.

On August 10 Johnson leaves for Herten, Germany, where he will play for the Herten Loewen in the second division, of three, of the German professional basketball league.

A 2000 Gonzaga Prep graduate, Johnson was voted Greater Spokane League MVP his senior year and moved on to start his junior and senior year at Carroll College where he played all four years.

Johnson was All-State and All-Region during his Gonzaga Prep years, averaging 13 points and seven assists a game for a Bullpups team that finished 25-4.

At Carroll, Johnson led the Frontier Conference with 7.3 assists a game, finishing third in the nation his junior season. The 2002 Fighting Saints finished with a record of 27-8.

The 6-foot guard from Spokane says he is thankful for the opportunity to play professionally and gain the experience of traveling through Europe, something he has never done.

“It’s been a dream and I just want to continue my quest,” Johnson said, adding that he hopes to play in Germany’s first division, where players are paid more, after a season in the second division.

If the aspiration of a long career doesn’t pan out then Johnson, who received his degree in Sports Management, says he would like to coach.

Johnson’s first game in Germany is September 10 and he is scheduled to return late next March.

College Scene

Nine incoming freshman will play for the Community Colleges of Spokane women’s volleyball team this fall.

Outside hitters include Mead’s Vanessa Fleetwood, Amber Smith of Mountain Home (Idaho), Mt. Spokane’s Heidi Yohe and Arianna Perez of Canby (Ore). Middle hitters include Mead’s Nicolette Wittwer and Shadle Park’s Amanda Cochrane. Jessica Barbour of Lakeside will join the Sasquatch as a setter and defensive specialist.

•Mead High softball standout Lacy Parry has signed a letter of intent with the Community Colleges of Spokane women’s softball program. Parry, a third baseman, was a four-year letter recipient at Mead.

•Gonzaga University has added Barak Poulin from Sammamish, Wash., for the Bulldogs’ men’s cross country program. Poulin attended Skyline High where he finished thirteenth in the Washington State Cross Country Championships during his senior year.

•Four local athletes, three women and one man, have signed letters of intent to compete for the Portland State University track program. West Valley graduate Molly Cole for distance, Rogers High graduate Emily Dahl for hurdles, Eastern Washington University’s Angel Davis for sprints and Mead High graduate and CCS athlete Nate Boyer for middle distance.

Cole was a four-time state performer in cross country and placed second in the 2002 state championships, while Dahl was the 2004 Washington 4A state champion in the 100 and 300 hurdles. At EWU, Davis was the 2004 Big Sky 55-meter indoor champ and posted the fourth-fastest 55-meter time in Big Sky history. Boyer, a five-time junior college All-American, was the 2004 NWAACC champion in the 800 meters and an All-State choice for Mead in the 1600.

•Coeur d’Alene High and North Idaho College standout Erika Hauck has signed with Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., to play soccer. A 2002 graduate of CdA, Hauck was awarded athlete of the year honors for her achievements in basketball, track and soccer. She was also voted MVP while playing for NIC basketball and soccer.

•Gonzaga University senior Kelsey Posedel has been named to the Division I National Golf Association All-American Scholar Team. Posedel, a native of Salem, Ore., carried a 3.66 GPA in business administration and marketing.