Locally: Eastern Washington’s Kim Exner, Michael Roos named to Big Sky Hall of Fame
Eastern Washington University standouts Kim Exner and Michael Roos have been named to the Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame, the conference has announced.
Exner led Eastern’s volleyball program to a 46-12 record during her final two seasons in 1997 and 1998 as EWU went 13-3 twice in conference play. The Eagles won a share of the Big Sky regular season title in 1997 and an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament in 1998.
Exner was the unanimous selection for Big Sky Conference MVP in 1998 and co-MVP in 1997, earning first team All-Conference honors three times. She also earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region VIII accolades for her junior and senior seasons.
Roos was a four-year star for the Eagles football team, playing his first season on the defensive line before moving to left offensive tackle, a spot he would anchor for the next 35 games. As a senior in 2004, he was picked for five All-American teams and was named NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (then I-AA) Lineman of the Year.
He became the highest NFL draft selection in EWU history, going 41st overall to the Tennessee Titans in 2005, and enjoyed a 10-year NFL career that included three All-Pro honors (2008, 2010, 2012). Combining his collegiate and professional careers, Roos started in each of the 226 games he played in from 2002 to 2014, only missing time due to an appendectomy in 2012, ending a 190-game NFL ironman streak.
Beyond his many on-field accolades, Roos has also been a strong supporter of EWU Athletics. He and his wife Katherine have a giving legacy that includes the principal donation to the Red Turf project, as well as the creation of the Michael Roos Foundation, which supports local nonprofit organizations including EWU’s Eagle Athletic Fund. His number was retired in 2009, and the Eagles’ football field was renamed Roos Field in his honor in 2010.
Established in 2020, the Big Sky Hall of Fame serves to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to Big Sky athletics as a student-athlete, coach and/or administrator. This year’s class is the second to be inducted; the first was announced in 2020 but the celebration was delayed until last year due to COVID-19. Exner and Roos are two of a 14-person 2023 class and are the first Eagles to be honored.
They will be recognized at the Big Sky Conference’s 2023 Football Kickoff Weekend at Northern Quest Resort on July 22.
Academics
Six athletes from the Spokane and North Idaho region have been named to Frontier Conference Academic All-Conference teams in basketball.
In all, 42 athletes met the requirements of maintaining a 3.25 GPA as at least a sophomore in standing.
The local honorees are (name, college, hometown, year, major):
Men’s basketball: Jonny Hillman, Carroll College, Post Falls, Sr., business; Tanner McCliment-Call, MSU-Northern, Post Falls, So., business administration
Women’s basketball: Erica Nessan, Carroll College, Spokane, Sr., biology; Sienna Swannack, Carroll College, Nine Mile Falls, Sr., civil engineering; Lizzy Perry, Montana Tech, Oakesdale, Wash., Jr., exercise and health science; McKenna Reggear, University of Providence, Colville, Wash., So., biology.
Spokane Indians baseball
The Spokane Indians are hosting Fan Fest on Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Avista Stadium.
This free community event includes a Home Run Derby and the first chance to meet the 2023 team. There will also be an autograph session and 2023 player poster giveaway.
Concessions will be available and fans can browse the Spokane Indians Team Store.
The season opener is set for April 11 against the Eugene Emeralds at Avista Stadium.
Track and field
Western Washington University’s Ila Davis, a sophomore from Lewis and Clark High School, ran a personal-best time in the 3,000m steeplechase, winning her heat at the Stanford Invitational in 10:21.10.
Davis, who placed 13th at the NCAA Division II Championships in the event last season, ran the fourth best time in GNAC history. She is nearing the WWU record of 10:13.01 set by Katelyn Steen in 2015.
Davis entered the meet ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II and is likely to move into the top spot ahead of the 10:24.54 by Natalie Graber of Grand Valley State.
Junior hockey
Jake Gudelj of the Spokane Chiefs has been named WHL U.S. Division Scholastic Player of the Year and a finalist for the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy awarded annually to the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year.
Gudelj was chosen as the U.S. Division nominee, along with a representative from each of the other divisions in the WHL.
In his second season in the WHL, Gudelj, a 17-year-old product of Vancouver, B.C., secured an overall average of 96% in his core courses, including a 98% mark in chemistry II, a 97% average in physics II and a 94% grade in social studies.
On the ice for the Chiefs this season, Gudelj registered career highs in games played (68), goals (8), assists (8) and points (16). The 6-foot-2, 192-pound forward was selected by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2020 WHL draft.
The winner of the Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Memorial Trophy awarded to the WHL Scholastic Player of the Year will be announced on May 8.
Wrestling
Derrick Booth has been promoted to head wrestling coach at North Idaho College.
Booth, a Post Falls native, wrestled for the Cardinals from 2012 to 2014. While at NIC, he was a part of the 2013 NJCAA National Championship team and was an All-American in 2014.
Booth served as interim coach at NIC during the 2022-23 wrestling season and led the Cardinals to a fifth-place finish in the NJCAA National Championships.