Genatone joins Vikings staff

Former Washington State University football player and coach Al Genatone will join the Western Washington University Vikings as their academic coordinator and linebackers coach.

Genatone, who received his bachelor’s degree at WSU in 2004, was a graduate assistant coach for the Cougars last year. During his four-year Cougars playing career, he started 27 games and finished with 137 tackles.

During his playing days at Kamiakin High School, Genatone recorded a school-record 16 quarterback sacks as a junior and broke seven school records, including a career sack total of 32.

Basketball

Melissa Baker, from Freeman High School, has signed a letter of intent to play for Black Hills (S.D.) State University next fall.

Baker will transfer to BHSU from Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., where she broke the free-throw record by making 478 out of 500 attempts.

During her career at Freeman, Baker broke the school record in assists and steals.

College scene

Eastern Washington University’s women’s basketball team again finished with the third-best team GPA in NCAA Division I and was honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) academic top 25 honor roll.

The team had a GPA of 3.474, ranking behind Indiana State (3.612) and national champion South Dakota State (3.730).

It is the fourth consecutive year that the Eagles ranked at least third or better on the WBCA honor roll.

•Sarah Sheffield and Lauren Phillips, both of Gonzaga University, have been named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American scholar teams for Division I.

Sheffield, a sophomore, had a 3.78 grade point average, while Phillips, a freshman, carried a 3.89 GPA.

To be selected for this honor, student-athletes must maintain a 3.5 GPA and compete in at least 50 percent of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.

•Washington State All-American Anastasia Kostina was named to the National Golf Coaches Association Division I All-American scholar team for the second consecutive year.

She was one of 101 Division I women named to the team.

•Washington State University was among the 22 Division I men’s track and field teams that had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and was honored by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for its academic and athletic accomplishments during the 2006 indoor and outdoor track seasons.

The Cougars posted a 3.03 GPA for the spring.

•Eastern Washington University’s women track and field team was named to the Division I U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team.

In addition, six Eagles student-athletes from the men’s and women’s track and field teams were individually honored by the USTFCCCA by maintaining a 3.25 GPA.

Individuals honored were John Timeus from the men’s squad and women’s team members Haley Heater, Jordan Baughan, Lyndsey Johnson-Cooper, Sarah Hegna and Stephanie Ulmer.

Cycling

Coeur d’Alene’s Mike Vincent defended his title at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships by winning the expert 65+ downhill race in Sonoma, Calif., on July 15.

Vincent, the 2005 national downhill champion, crossed the finish line in 3 minutes 43.98 seconds over the 1-mile course.

He will head to Rotorua, New Zealand, on Aug. 22-27 to compete in the world finals as a member of the U.S. national team.

Rowing

Washington State women’s crew team member Sarah Waterfield is representing her native Canada at the World Rowing U-23 Championships, which end today in Hazelwinkel, Belgium.

Waterfield, from Kingston, Ontario, was named to the Pac-10 first-team and All-Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association West Region, and became the first Cougar to earn CRCA All-America first-team honors last spring.

She will be in the women’s 8 boat for Canada.

Miscellany

Gonzaga University associate athletic director of development Mike Hogan has announced his resignation effective Sept. 1 to enter private business.

Hogan received his master’s degree from the university in 1994 and is ending a 10-year association with Bulldogs athletics.

A search for his replacement has begun.

•Former Gonzaga University standout Richie Frahm will be the featured speaker at the North Idaho College Booster Club luncheon at noon Tuesday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Shore Lounge.

After stints with the Seattle SuperSonics, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Frahm will be entering his second season with the Houston Rockets.

The public is welcome to attend this event.