Idaho’s Winger earns NCAA bid
Idaho’s Russ Winger made it through a rugged discus competition to become the area’s lone national qualifier Friday at the NCAA West Region Track and Field Championships in Provo, Utah.
But a number of others are still alive, thanks to some fast work in the preliminary heats.
Winger, a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., hurled the discus 189 feet, 10 inches to nab the fifth and final national qualifying spot as the finals severely juggled the order of finish. Arizona’s Sean Shields went from sixth to first with a 196-3 toss, leader John Caulfield went from first to a non-qualifying sixth and UCLA teammate Jason Rider jumped from eighth to fourth.
Washington State’s Matt Lamb got off a toss of 187-8 for seventh, but teammate Drew Ulrick failed to make the finals after throwing 173-2.
Two other Cougars had near-misses as well. McKinnon Hanson finished in a tie for fourth in the high jump at 5-7 3/4, but was the odd-woman out in the jumpoff for the last two qualifying spots. And javelin thrower Jenna Dean, fifth after the prelims with a 156-11 heave, was bumped to sixth when Fresno State’s Mallory Webb launched a 163-3 heave to jump from ninth to second. Jordan Baughan of Eastern Washington was eighth at 152-11.
EWU’s David Paul broke his own school record in the hammer with a 204-5 spin, but finished sixth – 18 inches out of a qualifying spot. Idaho’s Matt Wauters (202-8) was seventh and Jake Boling had a lifetime best 191-4 in 10th.
Mt. Spokane graduate Chelsea McKell of host Brigham Young was sixth in the women’s 5,000.
The best Inland Northwest shows came in the heats – the most surprising being freshman Justin Woods’ wind-aided 20.66-second lifetime best to win his heat of the 200 meters, with WSU teammate Jaycee Robertson right behind in 20.91. Both also ran legs on WSU’s 4x100 relay team which won its heat in 39.67 seconds, its second-fastest time of the year.
WSU’s John Cassleman won his heat of the 400 hurdles in 51.06 ahead of EWU’s Alex Moon, who zipped a 51.27 qualifier. And Idaho’s Driss Yousfi won his heat of the 800 in 1:49.48.
•In other regional action, Mt. Spokane graduate Cameron Schwehr of Kansas advanced to the 1,500 final in the Midwest with a time of 3:53.10.
Montana’s Alicia Mills (Central Valley) was 13th in the women’s javelin (148-1), while teammate Allie Brosh (Sandpoint) failed to finish the 5,000 meters.
In the Mideast region, Alabama’s Jason Dixon (Lewis and Clark) threw 151-10 for 25th in the discus.
•Washtucna’s Lindsey Blankenship, competing for George Fox, earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division III championships in Lisle, Ill., with an eighth-place finish in the women’s hammer, throwing 164-3.
Whitworth’s Sarah Marken, eighth going into the final two events, finished 12th in the heptathlon with a score of 4,408 points. Teammate Derrick Dewindt threw 165-0 in the hammer and failed to make the finals.
•Northwest Nazarene’s Amanda Merrell of Mead finished 12th in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division II championships in Emporia, Kan., scoring 4,592 points.
•Ritzville’s Brett Pflugrath, competing for Northwest University, no-heighted in the high jump at the NAIA championships in Fresno, Calif.
Rowing
Washington State’s Jane LaRiviere was named the Pac-10 women’s coach of the year.
The Cougars’ varsity 8 boat, currently ranked third nationally, took second in its 2,000-meter heat at the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships in West Windsor, N.J.
The honor is the first in WSU history and the second award for LaRiviere in the last week after being named the West Region coach of the year Monday by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association.
Also announced were the members of the Pac-10 all-conference team. Three Cougars earned spots: seniors Kasia Bloch and Jody Thomas and junior Sarah Waterfield.
Washington’s varsity 8 finished fifth in its morning heat at the championships, but the Huskies bounced back to win the repechage and earn a spot in today’s semifinals.
Softball
Shannon Thomas had an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to lead Texas to a 1-0 victory over Washington at an NCAA Super Regional in Austin, Texas.
The loss means the Huskies (35-24) will need to beat Texas (53-7) twice today to earn a spot in the Women’s College World Series next week in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Golf
Led by Paige Mackenzie, who took eighth, Washington’s women finished sixth at the NCAA Championship in Columbus, Ohio.
Mackenzie shot an even-par 72 to finish at 5-over-par 293. The Huskies finished with a team total of 1,202. USC’s Dewi Schreefel won the individual title at 2-under 286. Duke won its second consecutive team title with a total of 1,167.
Baseball
Lewis-Clark State (42-8) scored three times in the eighth, but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling to Lubbock Christian (48-15) 4-3 in the opening round of the NAIA World Series in Lewiston.