Zags sign Hatcher, Funkhouser
Gonzaga University head men’s soccer coach Einar Thorarinsson has announced the addition of four new players for his team’s 2006 roster.
Signing national letters of intent with GU are local products Ben Funkhouser and Joe Hatcher, along with Nick Barclay (Centennial, Boise) and Tim Muravez (Corvallis, Ore.).
Funkhouser plays at East Valley High, where he was a first-team All-Greater Spokane League selection in 2005. Funkhouser is also a member of the U-18 ODP national player selection pool for 2006.
Hatcher plays at Ferris High, where he was a second-team All-GSL selection in 2005 playing defender and midfield. Hatcher was a member of the U-14 Western Division Champions while playing for Yakima.
“Former Gonzaga soccer player Brian Ching was named Major League Soccer player of the week after scoring four goals in the inaugural game for his Houston Dynamos team – just the ninth time that feat has been done by an MLS player.
College track
Washington State junior Julie Pickler is in second place after the first four events of the women’s heptathlon at the 79th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays being held at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas.
Pickler’s 3,408 points are 18 behind the 3,426 of leader Ryanne Dupree, a UT-San Antonio senior who is redshirting the outdoor season.
WSU’s Diana Pickler, Julie’s twin sister, is fifth with 3,306 points. WSU’s Katie Miller, a senior, is 18th with a first-day personal-best of 3,018 points.
There are 22 women competing in the event.
Julie Pickler started the day running the third-fastest time of the six heats of the 100-meter hurdles in 13.92 seconds, which is also an NCAA regional qualifying mark and equaled the fastest time she has run as a Cougar.
Diana Pickler’s 14.16 in the hurdles was the fourth-fastest time while Miller’s time of 14.29 was a personal best and eighth overall.
In the high jump, both Picklers cleared 5-feet, 61/2 inches, tied with three others for the fifth-highest mark. Miller passed cleared the bar at 5-3.
The Cougars’ shot put marks were solid as Julie Pickler threw 38-31/2, Diana Pickler 37-21/2 and Miller 32-61/4.
In the final event of the first day, the 200, the runners battled a headwind around the turn but had the wind at their backs on the straightaway. Julie Pickler ran 24.46, the third-fastest time, while Diana Pickler ran the fifth-fastest time of 24.97. Miller ran a PR in 25.74, 13th overall.
College basketball
Eastern Washington guard Tim Scheffler, who redshirted last season after a preseason knee injury, has signed at Rocky Mountain College, an NAIA school in Billings, Mont.
Scheffler transferred to EWU after one season at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo.
Women’s golf
The University of Idaho tied for fourth at the Brigham Young University Dixie Classic at St. George, Utah.
Sophomore Renee Skidmore, with a final-round 70, finished at 230 and tied for seventh place. Senior Jennifer Tucker (235) was 14th.
Eastern Washington made solid improvement each day and finished 15th.
The Eagles finished with a 126-over-par total of 990 to place third among five Big Sky Conference schools. The tournament was Eastern’s final tune-up before competing in the Big Sky Conference Championships April 17-19 at Palm Valley Golf Course in Goodyear, Ariz.
Sophomore Chelsey Lollar paced EWU with a 24-over total of 240, including a final-round 78 that was the team’s top performance of the tournament. She finished 30th among the 102 individual competitors.
College baseball
Michael Campo’s three-run double in the bottom of the second inning boosted Community Colleges of Spokane to a 5-0 win over Blue Mountain (7-18, 1-4) in Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges play at Spokane Falls CC.
A.J. Proszek allowed five hits and struck out two in six innings to pick up the win for the Sasquatch (8-13, 3-2). Travis Bertholf struck out three and allowed only one hit in three innings of work to earn the save.
The second game of the doubleheader was rained out and will take place today at noon.