Locally: Gonzaga midfielder Stefano Campisi named to College Soccer News team of the week
College Soccer News named Gonzaga junior midfielder Stefano Campisi to its most recent team of the week. He is one of only 14 players in the nation recognized this week for his efforts in two wins for the Gonzaga men’s soccer team.
In their season opening 2-1 win on the road at UC Riverside, Campisi alertly sent the rebound of his own blocked shot into the back of the net to get the Zags on the board. He followed that up with a two-assist and one-goal performance in Gonzaga’s home-opening 5-1 victory over Sacramento State.
• Idaho goalkeeper Kira Witte was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week following a shutout weekend at Utah Tech and UNLV.
The honor was Witte’s first Player of the Week selection this season and fourth of her career.
With the two shutouts, Witte climbed up to the No. 1 spot in Idaho history with 15 career shutouts. She is tied with Liz Boyle but has accomplished the feat in just 21 games.
• Gonzaga and Washington State were both represented in the first poll of the regular season for the United Soccer Coaches’ Top 25.
Washington State, 4-0-0 through Aug. 29, was ranked No. 17. Since that poll, WSU improved to 5-0-0 with a 2-1 victory over San Diego State.
Other Pac-12 teams in the weekly release were No. 1 UCLA, No. 3 Stanford and No. 19 Southern California.
Gonzaga, 3-1-0 through Aug. 29, was ranked No. 24. Since that poll, Gonzaga defeated Oklahoma 3-0 and Utah Tech 3-0.
Also from the WCC, Santa Clara was tied for No. 8.
Cross country
For the second straight season, the Gonzaga men’s and women’s cross country teams cracked the Top Ten in the West Region in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Regional Ranking.
The GU men ranked sixth and the women ranked ninth in the region, respectively. Additionally, the men’s team was ranked 30th in the first national poll of the season.
Coming off their third straight NCAA Championships appearance and first-ever automatic bid, Pat Tyson’s men’s runners opened the season with a perfect score at the Northwest Clash, hosted by Eastern Washington.
Led by 2x All-West Region and 2020 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year Wil Smith, the Zags return four of their top runners in Smith, Kyle Radosevich, Riley Moore and Bryce Cerkowniak. All four were a part of a 2022 team that saw its best team finishes in program history at the West Regional and National Championships, placing 2nd at the West Regionals and 13th at the NCAA Championships.
Gonzaga was picked second in the preseason WCC poll, narrowly behind Pepperdine. Moore, Radosevich and Smith all earned preseason All-WCC honors.
Gonzaga’s women’s team was picked No. 3 in the preseason WCC poll, behind No. 1 Portland and San Francisco.
The Gonzaga women placed fourth as a team at the West Coast Conference Championships and seventh at the NCAA West Regional Championships in 2022. Coach Jake Stewart‘s team returns three of the top runners from 2022, including NCAA All-West and WCC First Team recipient Rosina Machu. Also returning are seniors Alicia Anderson and Brittney Hansen.
Machu, Anderson and Sadie Tuckwood were all named to the preseason All-WCC team.
Gonzaga won the women’s division at the Northwest Clash.
• After a tremendous opening to the 2023 season, Lewis-Clark State College men’s and women’s cross country teams were named the Under Armour Cascade Collegiate Conference Team of the Week for Aug. 28–Sept. 3.
LC State Men entered the new season ranked 4th in the CCC and 14th in the NAIA preseason poll. LC State Women entered the new season ranked 3rd in the CCC and 13th in the NAIA Preseason poll. They kicked off the year on Friday at the Northwest Clash in Cheney.
The men’s team placed fourth, behind three NCAA Division I teams at the Northwest Clash. The Warriors were led by Carter Gordon (Lake City High), placing 19th (19:02.3) and besting his previous 6k-best time by seven seconds.
The women’s team finished in fifth place behind three Division I teams. The Warriors were led by Brooklyn Shell (Coeur d’Alene High), who ran a career-best 4k time of 14:57.3, placing 23rd overall.
Golf
Andrew Von Lossow claimed the Spokane City Championship winner’s trophy for the third time, finishing at 15-under par in the 54-hole event played at Downriver, Indian Canyon and The Creek at Qualchan, Aug. 25-27.
Gonzaga University’s Daniel Nunez finished second at -9, followed by Jacob Rawley (Whitworth) at -5 and Guillermo Antonio Polo Bodart (Gonzaga) at -3.
Caleb Belton (Whitworth) at -1, Sam Pauly (Whitworth) at -1 and Nick Muxlow at even par were the only other players to finish at par or better.
Chuck Christie won the Men’s Senior/Women’s Overall division at +1.
• PGA Professional Jacob Wilson of Hamilton GC defeated PGA Pro Craigh Schuh of Deer Park GC by two strokes to win low professional honors at the Callaway Golf Challenge at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, Aug. 28-29.
Wilson shot +2 over two rounds, with Schuh finishing at +4 in the two-round event.
Gordon Corder of Manito Golf and Country Club tied for eighth in the pro division.
The team of PGA Professional Grant Cation of Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club with amateurs Mark Rix, Jeff Chessum and Mike Johnson won the team competition. The Deer Park GC team of Schuh with amateurs Ray Dunn, Jim Richards and Jeff Kilgore finished second in a tiebreaker.
Dunn was fourth overall among amateurs at +9 and Josh Hunt of Esmeralda was seventh at +11. Rix was low amateur and had the best overall score at +1.
Softball
Spokane Metro Softball has announced its 2023 Hall of Fame class, to be honored Oct. 7 at 5 p.m. at the VFW in Spokane Valley.
Inductees are: Sandy Cronin, WFP, WMFP, WSP, Co-Ed SP & coach; Hannah Gaede, WFP & WSP; Patty Young, WFP, WMFP & Co-Ed SP; Angie Vulcano, WFP, WMFP, WSP & coach; Steve Bergstrom, MFP, MMFP, & MSP; Tim Bieber, MFP, MMFP, MSP & coach; Bob Blum, MFP, MMFP & MSP; Wayne Fleming, MFP, MMFP, & MSP; Marty Hare, MFP, & MMFP; Grant Hodge, MSP; Dan Kuhlmann, MMFP; Ken Lewis, MFP, MMFP, MSP, Co-Ed SP & coach; Pete Mauro, MFP & MMFP; Tom Trarbough, MMFP, MSP & coach; Dewey Ruegsegger, MMFP & coach.
Jim Perry, umpire, will receive the Denny Waltermire Distinguished Service Award for his 20 years of commitment to umpiring and to softball in general in the Spokane area.
Key: WFP – women’s fastpitch; WMFP – women’s modified fastpitch; WSP – women’s slowpitch; Co-Ed SP – coed slowpitch; MFP – men’s fastpitch; MMFP – men’s modified fastpitch; MSP – men’s slowpitch.
Pre-event ticketing only. No sales at the door. Contact Don Love at 509-467-5328 for tickets and details.
Tennis
Raleigh Grossbaum has been named the sixth head coach in Idaho men’s tennis program history.
Grossbaum spent the past two seasons as an assistant men’s tennis coach at Dartmouth. He was the lead recruiter at Dartmouth and helped sign the No. 22 ranked recruiting class in the nation in 2022.
Youth basketball
Deadline for players and teams to register for Hooptown Youth League basketball is Sept. 15.
The league, sponsored by Hoopfest, is hiring game officials, coaches, scoreboard/clock operators and gym supervisors. An officials clinic is scheduled for Sept. 24.
Go to spokanehoopfest.net or email hyl@spokanehoopfest.net for more information.