Locally: Spokane awarded 2020 USA BMX Lumberjack Nationals

Spokane BMX has a grand party planned to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The local organization and Spokane Sports announced the city has been awarded the 2020 USA BMX Lumberjack Nationals for the second time in four years. It’ll be Aug. 21-23 on the BMX track at the Dwight Merkel Sports Complex where the 2017 event was held.

“2017 was a pivotal year for Spokane BMX,” Cicely Bradley of Spokane BMX is quoted in the release announcing the 2020 event. “We knew after the nationals finished that year that we wanted to host it again.

“We almost cried when we were told we were awarded the 2020 Lumberjack Nationals. Already, we’ve heard from athletes all over the country who say they are coming back.”

The track, a product of a $43 million park bond passed in 2007, held its first event in the spring of 2011.

For the 2017 races, the Dwight Merkel track was transformed into a national-caliber facility, complete with a new start gate, raised turns and a resurfaced track with paved corners. The release said 2020 competitors can expect more improvements that will include a full makeover on all four straightaways.

The release said 1,500 bicycle racers of all ages and 2,500 spectators are expected on the track that “has earned its place as the number one track in the state of Washington and currently ranks 16th out of 316 tracks in the country.”

Cross country

Maximus Cervi-Skinner led a 1-2-3-4-5 sweep by North Idaho XC boys in the 13-14-year-old division to highlight the showing by the host team at the USTAF Inland Northwest Association Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships last weekend at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene.

North Idaho XC athletes won three age-group and three team championships, and Spokane Mercury Athletic won two individual and three team titles. Valley Flash, a third area team in the field, had three runner-up team finishes.

All the runners qualified for the Pacific Northwest Regionals on Saturday in Eugene, where the top 35 in each age group qualify for nationals next month.

Area regional finishers:

8U boys (2,000): 1, Kian Nelson, Spokane Mercury Athletic; 2, Owen Nydegger, SMA; 3, Quentin Enser, SMA; 5, Isaac Sproule, SMA; 6, Hawk Gamble, SMA; 7, Will Wood, North Idaho XC; 8, Samuel Cheney, Valley Flash; 12, Brooks Cleveland, SMA. Team: 1, SMA.

8U girls (2,000): 3, Olivia Olson, VF; 5, Hannah Horsley, VF; 8, Shae Cope, VF; 10, Madeleine Le Friec, SMA; 11, Kennedy Racicot, VF; 12, Mary Miner, VF; 13, Ava Magers, VF. Team: 2, VF.

9-10 boys (3,000): 1, Rowan Henry, NIXC; 2, Kingston Wilson, NIXC; 4, Samuel Mandel, NIXC; 5, Ronan Kennedy, NIXC; 6, Justin Geffken, SMA; 7, Zachary, Kanyer, VF; 8, Nicholas Ray, VF; 9, Max Vazquez, SMA; 11, Brookes Bresson, SMA; 16, Alistair Smith, NIXC; 17, Will Schrock, SMA; 18, Isaac Stachofsky, SMA; 22, Jackson Danaraj, SMA; 24, Leo Thompson, SMA; 25, James Webster, VF. Team: 1, NIXC; 3, SMA.

9-10 girls (3,000): 1, Teagan Enser, SMA; 2, Adalyn Depew, NIXC; 3, Olivia Abbey, NIXC; 5, Kaiya Weiler, VF; 6, Keely Cleveland, SMA; 7, Morgan Snyder, SMA; 8, Paisley Ray, NIXC; 9, Payton Richter, VF; 10, Ellen Sproule, SMA; 11, Sarah Kovich, VF; 12, Alison Avery, VF; 14, Peyton Fisher, VF; 15, Morgan Sulpizio, VF; 16, McCall Calkins, VF; 17, Rosemary Tellvik, SMA; 18, Eden Beert-Nordeen, SMA; 19, Lilly Teague, SMA; 20,Capri Thompson, SMA. Team: 1, SMA; 2, VF.

11-12U boys (3,000): 2, Mitchell Rietze, NIXC; 3, Logan Anderson, NIXC; 4, Ethan Martin, SMA; 6, Parker Sterling, NIXC; 7, Gavin Ahumada, VF; 9, Nathaniel Kanyer, VF; 10, Paul Davidow, VF; 11, Finnegan Cunningham, SMA; 12, Noah Martinet, VF; 16, Jackson Duff, VF; 17, Axton Magloire, SMA. Team: 2, VF.

11-12 girls (3,000): 1, Camhbrie Stam, NIXC; 2, Olivia May, NIXC; 3, Anna Lynn, Comets Track; 4, Hadassah Duff, VF; 7, Helen Oyler, NIXC; 8, Halle Del Mese, SMA; 9, Becca Wade, SMA; 12, Sofia Combs, VF; 13, Olivia Mallo, SMA; 15, Kendra Kane, VF; 16, Sommer Brosvik, VF; 18, Taylor Teague, SMA; 19, Emma Danaraj, SMA; 20, Jennifer Husband, SMA; 22, Rebekah Webster, VF. Team: 2, SMA; 3, VF.

13-14 boys (4,000): 1, Maximus Cervi-Skinner, NIXC; 2, Zachery Cervi-Skinner, NIXC; 3, Neil McCarthy, NIXC; 4, Lachlan May, NIXC; 5, Nathan Russell, NIXC; 6, Chase Fitterer, SMA; 8, Eli Lengl, VF; 10, Benjamin Morales, SMA; Aaron Sproule, SMA; 13, Brayden Martin, SMA; 14, Ethan Hickok, NIXC; 15, Abraham Little, SMA; 16, Nolan Oyler, NICX; 17, Samuel Schurter, VF; 20, Parker Whitmore, SMA; 21, Liam Argaw, VF; 23, William Beert-Nordeen, SMA. Team: 1, NIXC; 2, SMA.

13-14 girls (4,000): 2, Josie McLaughlin, SMA; 3, Elliana Rietze, NIXC; 4, Zara Munyer, NIXC; 5, Ann Marie Dance, NIXC; 6, Jenny Elliott, NIXC; 7, Natal Davis, NIXC; 10, Rosemary Kennar, VF; 11, Neala Hart, NIXC; 12, Cassidy Sill, VF; 13, Maria Schug, VF; 14, Addyson Green, SMA; 15, Madilyn Danaraj, SMA; 16, Natalie Blair, SMA; 17, Aidan Thompson, SMA. Team: 1, NIXC; 2, SMA.

15-18 boys (5,000): 4, Logan Davis, NIXC; 5, Kellen Souza, NICX; 6, Zachary Denker, SMA; 7, Tristan Tellvik, SMA; 8, Johann Atiqi, SMA. Team: none.

15-18 girls (5,000): 4, Emily Spiering, SMA; 5, Clare Heinen, SMA. Team: none.

Hockey

Spokane Chiefs captain Ty Smith collected two assists for Team WHL in Game 6 of the CIBC Canada Russia series Nov. 14 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, in a game the Western Hockey League team lost 4-3 to Russia in a shootout.

That gave the CHL and Russia a 3-3 split of the six-game series that started with two games each against Quebec and Ontario league teams. Five of the games were decided by one goal, four in overtime or a shootout. The teams went to another shootout following the Game 6 decision to decide the series winner, and the CHL prevailed in the seventh round.

Smith, a defenseman who was also captain of Team WHL, was joined by Chiefs forward Adam Beckman on the WHL team, which defeated the Russians 2-1 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Nov. 13.

Letters of intent

Gonzaga women’s track/cross country: Sadie Tuckwood, distances, Juneau, Alaska.

Idaho women’s track/cross country: Leah Holmgren, distances, Ellensburg; Maya Kobylanski, distances, Surrey, British Columbia; Arianna Bush, jumper, Lacey, Washington (Timberline HS).

Idaho men’s track/cross country: Shea Mattson, distances, Selah, Washington; Lorenz Herrmann, middle distance, Germany.

Idaho men’s golf: Jose Suryadinata, Indonesia; Joe Gustavel, Boise HS.

Washington State men’s golf: Nate Plaster, Gonzaga Prep, GSL Player of the Year as a freshman, All-GSL as a sophomore and junior; Max Sekulic, Rycroft, Alberta; John Cantafio, Tustin, California.

Washington State women’s swimming: Hailey Grote, freestyle, Battle Ground, Washington; Payten Irwin, butterfly, Erie, Colorado; Sarah Jarding, backstroke, breaststroke, IM, Carmel, Indiana; Kaya Takashige, fly, breast, free, back, Wahiawa, Hawaii; Lauren Lewis, back, Woodbury, Minnesota; Josie Liebzeit, long distance, Lakewood, California; Ula McPherson, free, Bend, Oregon; Makayla Poloni, back, free, Rancho Cucamonga, California; Kiana Swain, fly, New Zealand; Emily Ward, IM, free, breast, Auburn, Washington; Alexandra Vartiainen, IM, breast, free, Sweden.

Central Washington volleyball: Hannah Stires, S, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

Montana State Billings softball: Brie Frazier, SS, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

Saint Martin’s men’s soccer: Nathan McLellan, MF, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

Doane University women’s soccer: Lexi Torok, F, Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls).

Eastern Washington women’s tennis: Jennifer Kida, Wilmington, California.

Miscellany

The National Vandal Scholarship Fund singled out 11 individuals for its 2019 annual awards.

Jon Newlee, who guided the Idaho women’s basketball team to the 2018-19 Big Sky Conference championship, was named Vandal Coach of the Year; Mark Boatman of Lewiston was the Vandal Booster of the Year; and Phil Soulen of Weiser, who died last month, was given the John Kirtland Vandal Spirit Award posthumously.

Eight people, including Kirtland, received the Elsbeth Bush Distinguished Service Award honoring the late woman who served both the Idaho athletic department and the Vandal Boosters.

Also honored were Casey Bender, Boise; Ellen Boatman, Lewiston; Mallory Cook, Boise; Don Meyer, Moscow; Rick Sparks, Hayden; Heather Stegner, Boise; and Nathan Jerke, Buhl, Idaho.