Battle in Seattle tickets on sale

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Tickets for the Battle in Seattle, which on Oct. 17 will pit Central Washington against Western Oregon in Qwest Field, are currently available through Ticketmaster outlets and will soon be on sale at the Wildcat Shop on the CWU campus.

The game, scheduled for 6 p.m., will include Western Oregon for the first time. Central opposed Western Washinngton in the first six such games, which averaged 12,392 fans including 16,392 in 2003 for the first one.

That crowd was the largest to see a small college football game in Washington.

The Wildcats, who won five of the six Battle in Seattle games against Western Washington, has beaten Western Oregon 10 straight times.

Ex-UW QB set to enroll at Central

SEATTLE — The athletic career of former University of Washington quarterback Johnny DuRocher may take yet another turn, this one to Ellensburg.

DuRocher, whose UW career ended after he was found to have a benign brain tumor and who later spent a year in the Mariners’ organ-ization as a pitcher, has applied for enrollment at Central Washington with designs on playing quarterback for the Wildcats this fall.

A CWU spokesman confirmed that DuRocher has applied for enrollment but said he could not comment further until DuRocher is officially enrolled. DuRocher could not be reached for comment.

Eligibility rules are different at Division II schools like Central, and the 25-year-old DuRocher would apparently have one season remaining to play. He would not be eligible any longer to play at Washington.

A graduate of Bethel High School in Graham, he redshirted at Oregon in 2003 and sat out 2004 after deciding to transfer. He played at UW in 2005 and 2006 before the tumor was discovered when he suffered a concussion in a game against Stanford late in the 2006 season.

After surgery, he turned out for the UW baseball team and was later drafted by the Mariners. But his baseball career ended when he suffered an injury that would have required Tommy John surgery.

Due to the nature of the different throwing motions, DuRocher has said in the past that the injury doesn’t impair his ability to throw a football.

He spent last fall at UW as a student assistant with the football team. In the spring, he participated at UW’s Pro Day for NFL Scouts, hoping to attract the attention of a professional team, saying he had been cleared by doctors to return to football.

CWU was recently ranked 10th in the nation in the Sporting News’ 2009 Division II preseason poll. But the Wildcats are looking for a new starting QB after the graduation of All-American Mike Reilly, now a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

At Central, DuRocher would be reunited with another former Husky, running back J.R. Hasty, who will be a senior this season.

— Bob Condotta

Local report — Hinton helps Pak to sweep of Hanford

RICHLAND — Lukas Hinton earned a win and save as the Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak battled its way to a 10-7, 5-4 sweep over Hanford on Tuesday to remain firmly on top of the Central Washington  League.

The Pak (11-1, 16-2) scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the opener. Hinton, who also pitched a shutout on Monday, combined with Garrett Olson to throw six shutout innings.

Jake Fife drew a bases-loaded walk to break a 7-7 tie in the ninth and finished with three RBI and Ethan Flory was 3-for-3 with three runs scored.

In the nightcap, Cory Urquhart was 2-for-3 with three RBI, including a two-run double in the sixth. Hinton closed the save with back-to-back strikeouts.

Game 1

Yakima Valley    102    120    103    —    10    12    1

Hanford    124    000    000    —    7    7    2

Johnson, Olson (4), Hinton (7) and Snider; Sauressig, Burke (7) and Beebe.

Highlights: Jake Fife 2-5, 3 RBI; Cory Urquhart solo HR, 2 RBI; Dustin Daniels 2-6, Thomas Wilcox 2-5, Ethan Flory 3-3, 3 runs.

Game 2

Yakima Valley    101    102    0    —    5    8    0

Hanford    110    002    0    —    4    8    1

Wilcox, Hinton (7) and Andreas; Burke, French (4), Wagner (6) and Beebe.

Highlights: Cory Urquhart 2-3, 2-run 2b in 6th, 3 RBI.

JUNIOR LEGION

West Valley Baseball Club 12, Pasco 2 (WV: Steven Wagar CG, 5K; Tyler Gallaway 2-4; Tanner Edler 2-3, grand slam, 5 RBI).

West Valley Baseball Club 13, Pasco 3 (WV: Jake Vetsch WP, 2-4; Cody McDonald 2-3, 2b; Gil Plath 2-3, Wagar 3-4, 4 RBI; Josh Owes 2-4, 3b).

Zillah 10, Othello 5 (Zil: Jared Olivas 2-3, 2-run HR; Jacob Olivas 2-2; Cameron Thompson 2-3; 3 RBI; Hunter Curfman WP, 8 K.)

Selah Juniors 10, Yakima Scarlets 9 (Selah: Nick Ranger 2-4, 3 RBI; Frank Rowland 3-4, 2 2b; Scott Graf 2-3, 2 RBI; Taylor Swift 2-3).

Selah Juniors 8, Yakima Scarlets 0 (Selah: Ranger CG, 8 K; Justin St. Aubin 3-3, 2b, 3b).

West Valley Bees 14, Cadet Baseball Club 4 (WV: Derek Thomason 2 hits; Jim Nagle 2 hits; Mikey Bonnett 2 hits; Trevor Hunter 2 hits).

West Valley Bees 8, Cadet Baseball Club 6 (WV: Cody LaRivierre 2 hits; Bonnett 2 hits. CBC: Woodkey 3 hits, Areand 2-run HR).

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Kudos for Wildcats, Spevak

ELLENSBURG — It’s only June, but the Central Washington football team and standout receiver Johnny Spevak are already getting some national magazine love.

The Wildcats have been ranked 10th in the Sporting News’ preseason Division II poll and Spevak has been named a preseason All-American for the second straight year.

Central, which has reached the DII playoffs the past two seasons, will rely on a veteran defense while its offense rebuilds under Ryan Robertson or Jordan Rasmussen — one of whom will likely replace All-American quarterback Mike Reilly.

Spevak was named a Little All-American last year by The Associated Press.

Central opens its season Aug. 29 at Mesa State in Grand Junction, Colo.

HIGH SCHOOLS

Borton headed to Vegas academy

Wanting extra time to develop his skills and fully recover from recent knee surgery, West Valley graduate Matt Borton will forego entering college for a year and attend Impact Basketball Academy in Las Vegas.

Borton, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds in his final season with the Rams, had surgery this spring to correct and fortify a dislocating knee cap that slowed the second half of his senior season.

The Impact Basketball Academy offers a post-graduate training program designed to help players improve their game without losing a year of eligibility. IBA will also help with Borton’s rehab from surgery.

“After visiting Impact and learning more about their track record of success, it became clear how much I could benefit from the program,” Borton said. “While it will be very demanding, in the long run I think it will be the best thing for me.”

GOLF

Mary Roche gets YCC ace

Mary Roche recorded a hole-in-one during her round Sunday at the Yakima Country Club. She used a 7-iron to ace the 133-yard 11th hole.
John Roche, and Bill and Linda Zirkle witnessed the shot.

Local report — Pak opens with sweep

RICHLAND, Wash. — Jake Fife drove in three runs in the opener, and Kevin Allan had four RBI in the nightcap as the Yakima Valley Pepsi Pak got its season off to a rousing start with a 13-2, 8-4 sweep of the Twin City Titans in a Central Washington League Senior Legion baseball doubleheader Wednesday night.

Fife went 2-for-4, including a two-run double, in the opener, and added two more hits in the second game.

Allan blasted a three-run homer to highlight his second-game effort.

Cory Urquhart had a two-run double in the opener and a solo homer in the second game, and Dustin Daniels and Trevor Dallman both had three RBI for the night to lead the Pak.

Derek Welton threw a complete-game four-hitter in the opener for Yakima Valley.

Game 1

Yakima Valley 071 50 — 13 9 0

Twin City 100 01 — 2 4 2

Welton and Snider; Anderson, Rojas (3), Dunford (3) and Jackson.

Highlights: Jake Fife (YV) 2-run 2b, 2-4, 3 RBI; Cory Urquhart (YV) 2-run 2b; Dustin Daniels (YV) RBI, 2b; Justin Windsor (YV) HR; Trevor Dallman 2-2, 2 RBI.

Game 2

Yakima Valley 340 100 0 — 8 9 1

Twin City 000 112 0 — 4 9 0

Hinton, Fife (7) and Snider; Yardley, O’Brien (2), Minnich (4) and Jackson, Repaz (4).

Highlights: Fife (YV) 2-4, 2b; Cory Urquhart (YV) solo HR; Dustin Daniels (YV) 2-run 2b in 2nd; Kevin Allan (YV) 2-3, 4 RBI, 3-run HR in 1st; Trevor Dallman (YV) RBI.

YOUTH BASEBALL

Cle Elum 9, Yakima Blues 7 (Y: Jackson Marquis 2-3, 3 runs, SB; Marcus McClurkin 2 SB, 2 RBI; Nathan Fleenor 2-4, 3 RBI; Ross Anderton 2-4.)

Yakima Valley Peppers 15, East Valley 2 (YV: Stephan Schmidt 2-4, 2b, 3b, 5 RBI; Kyle Fickes 2-2, 3 runs, 2b; Alex Fickes 3 runs.)

COLLEGES

CWU’s Wallace gets award

ELLENSBURG — Central Washington University shortstop Liz Wallace has been selected to receive an NCAA Division II degree-completion award.

The elementary education major with a 3.93 grade-point average, is the first Wildcat to receive the award in the school’s 11-year tenure at the Division II level.

Wallace, who was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, was named to the Academic All-District VIII College Division team. She will complete her on-campus studies this quarter and then be a student-teacher in the fall.

GNAC honors Reilly

YAKIMA, Wash. — Mike Reilly, Central Washington University’s record-setting quarterback, has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s 2008-09 male athlete of the year.

Reilly was runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division II football, and was also the GNAC offensive player of the year.

The quarterback threw for 3,706 yards and 37 touchdowns in leading Central to a 10-2 record (8-0 in the GNAC) and a second straight trip to the playoffs.

He broke nearly every school passing record, including career passing yards (12,448) and touchdown passes (118). Central had a 34-12 record with Reilly at quarterback.

Reilly signed a free-agent contract with the Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers on April 27.

This past Saturday, he was also named Central’s male athlete of the year at the school’s hall of fame banquet.

Reilly is the first Central athlete and the second football player to win the men’s award. Former Wildcat volleyball player LeAnne McGahuey earned the women’s honor in 2005-06.

Seattle Pacific’s Jessica Pixler, who won four national titles in three sports, was named the GNAC’s female athlete of the year for the second time in three seasons. She won her second straight national cross-country title, won her third straight 1,500 meters and the 5,000-meter title in indoor track, and won the 1,500 meters at the outdoor track and field championships.

CWU women ink JC guard

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Brittany Duerr, a 5-foot-9 guard from Centralia College, has signed a letter of intent to play at Central Washington, the university announced Wednesday.

The Newport High School graduate earned Western Region MVP honors last season, finishing sixth among NWAACC scorers at 16.1 points per game and ranking second with 74 3-point field goals. She also compiled 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Trailblazers.

“Brittany has a proven track record as a scorer,” CWU coach Jeff Whitney said. “from high school to her days at the junior college level. But beyond her abilities to score, she also has an uncanny ability to see the floor. Her passing abilities and court sense are also exceptional.”

The Wildcats finished 7-20 last season, including a 4-12 GNAC record that left them seventh in the nine-team conference.

Beating Western a highlight for Central Hall of Famer Raab

YAKIMA, Wash. — Those among current and former Central Washington athletes who don’t have a story to tell involving the Wildcats archrivals usually wish they did.

And if you think golf would not lend itself to such vivid recollect-ion, ask Robi Raab.

Having been elected to the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame, for his links exploits from 1984-87, Raab readily recounted his favorite memory in a recent interview.

And no, it wasn’t necessarily that Central reached the NAIA national tournament during Raab’s senior year.

What is it they say about the journey and not the destination?

“The highlight of the whole thing,” Raab said, “was that to get our trip we had to go to Sudden Valley (Golf and Country Club, in Bellingham) to play Western, and they’d pounded us by 22 strokes the week before. We played 36 holes the first day and 18 the second.

“We had the lead after the first day and as I was getting close to finishing on the second day, playing in the last group, I found out that if I didn’t have a heart attack and die, we’d win.”

Raab not only lived to tell about his exploits, he claimed medalist honors with a 71-72-73 216 total.

“The nice thing was that by our winning the individual and team titles, we shut them completely out (of nationals),” he said. “They’d done the same thing to us the year before at the Yakima Elks. So we celebrated and had a great time.”

Coached by former Central footballer and, later, Humboldt State head coach Doug Adkins, the Wildcats then traveled to Angola, Ind., for the national tournament and tied for 11th.

Raab, who compiled three of the five-lowest stroke averages in the program’s history, that season averaged 74.1.

The national tournament was won that year by Joe Durant of Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala. Durant has since gone on to four PGA Tour wins, and that year convinced Raab to pursue a career in something other than golf.

“He was special and hit shots like nobody else at that tournament did,” Raab said. “After watching him, I decided I’d better get a job when I got home.”

He did. He has been a teacher in the Zillah School District, where he also coached girls basketball from 1994-95 through 2002-03. Raab has coached East Valley’s girls since the 2003-04 season.

He will be inducted into the Hall on Saturday night on the CWU campus along with track coach Walter “Spike” Arlt, women’s basketball and track standout Kristelle (Arthur) Harrington, football star Kenny Russaw, track sprinter Steve Slavens and cross country and track mainstay Eric Tollefson.

CWU students approve athletic department fee

YAKIMA, Wash. — Central Washington’s athletic department, facing financial struggles similar to that of most other NCAA Division II universities, received a boost Friday when it was announced that a student fee inititiative that will add some $189,000 to the annual budget had been overwhelmingly approved.

Central’s student body approved a fee increase of $7 per quarter in elections that concluded Thursday, making the amount per student contributed to the athletic budget $42.

A $35 per quarter fee had been in place sinc 1997, the year before CWU moved from NAIA competition to Division II.

The vote, according to a university news release, was 1,376 to 271. An initiative that would have increased the fee to $18 per quarter failed last spring by 47 votes.

“It is very gratifying to know that students have spoken in favor of athletics in such an overwhelming manner,” Central athletic director Jack Bishop said in the release.

Central to offer youth football camp

YAKIMA, Wash. — Central Washington’s football program will offer a youth camp next month.

The camp, for athletes in grades three through eight, will be held from 1:30-5 p.m. on June 12 on the practice fields adjacent to Tomlinson Stadium and Nicholson Pavilion.

Cost is $20 per player and the fee covers a meal and T-shirt.

Registration will take place at 1 p.m. on camp day and all forms and physicals must be completed for campers to be eligible.

For more information, contact CWU assistant coach Stacy Collins at 509-963-1935 or at scollins@cwu.edu.

Local report: Donahue, Cook, Malone, Naughton head to state

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Brad Donahue and Christine Cook of Eisenhower both qualified for the 4A golf state tournament. Davis’ Caitlin Malone and Hannah Naughton also qualified.

Donahue finished with a two-round total of 146 to finish sixth in the district tournament being held at Walla Walla Country Club.

Cook was the highest local qualifier, finishing third with a 79. Malone finished sixth with an 87, and Naughton shot a 90 for ninth-place at the Moses Lake Golf Club.

*****
CBBN District

Boys at Walla Walla Vets, Walla Walla CC

Team scores: Walla Walla 593, Southridge 615, Eastmont 617, Pasco 628, Kamiakin 631, Richland 637, Moses Lake 649, Wenatchee 654, Eisenhower 704, Kennewick 711, Davis 796.

State qualifiers: 1, Drew Reinland (WW) 137; 2, Sam Marney (Ea) 142; 3, Greg Prins (WW) 145; 4, Brady Parsons (Ea) 146; 5, Ryan Goude (WW) 146; 6, Brad Donahue (Ei) 146; 7, Samson Martinez (P) 146; 8, Saul Martinez (P) 150; 9, Justin Sprengel (S) 152; 10, Riley Hayfield (Ka) 152. Alternate: Matt Rezendes (R) 153.

Eisenhower: Ed Curtin 177, Brock Munson 179, Tim Elkington 200, Mark Lavis 216. Davis: Martin Medina 187, Drew Winckler 202, Alex Wilson 202, BJ Pina 205, Eduardo Espinoza 216.

*****

Girls at Moses Lake GC

Team scores: Richland 324, Eastmont 369, Davis 379, Eisenhower 386, Wenatchee 415, Kamiakin 417, Southridge 419, Walla Walla 429, Kennewick 444, Moses Lake inc., Pasco inc.

State qualifiers: 1, Mary McDonald (R) 71; 2, Kristen Strankman (R) 77; 3, Christine Cook (Ei) 79; 4, Whitney Welch (Ea) 80; 5, Brittany Zier (R) 82; 6, Caitlin Malone (D) 87; 7, Madison Hamm (R) 89; 8, Hope Neidhold (R) 90; 9, Hannah Naughton (D) 90; 10, Karinne Tuttle (Ea) 91. Alternates: Jordan Takasugi (We) 91; Alexa David (R) 94.

Davis: Shannon Bedell 98, Lily Naughton 104, Sara Pittman 111. Eisenhower: Taylor Powers 98, Cortney Munson 100, McKenzie Bond 109, Stefanie Tanasse 109.

*****

Tennis

Alexis Filliol took first-place in the 3A district tournament for the West Valley girls, and Jeff Carlson of West Valley finished second for the boys.

Ammon Stancliffe and Cintia Gil of Toppenish both qualified first in the CWAC South sub-district, and Aaron Porter and Abigail Pellett of Ellensburg were the No. 1 qualifers in the CWAC North sub-district.

In the SCAC West sub-district, the La Salle boys took first and third in singles to win the SCAC West.

*****
3A District

AT YAKIMA TENNIS CLUB

BOYS

Team scores: Hanford 31, West Valley 22, Sunnyside 5.

Finals

Singles: Luke Thompson (H) d. Jeff Carlson (WV) 6-4, 6-2. Consolation final: Jeff Carlson (WV) d. Andrew Lea (H) 6-0, 6-3.

Doubles: Knox-Lan (H) d. Cooper Anderson-Daniel Wenker (WV) 6-1, 6-4. Consolation final: Cooper Anderson-Daniel Wenker (WV) d. Hubert-Thomas (H) 6-1, 6-2.

GIRLS

Team scores: Hanford 33, West Valley 20, Sunnyside 7.

Finals

Singles: Alexis Filliol (WV) d. Sam Merry (H) 6-0, 6-0. Consolation final: Sam Merry (H) d. Alexandra Sharpe (H) 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles: Dicken-B. Sharpe (H) d. Khanna-H. Wang (H) 6-1, 6-2. Consolation final: Hillary Pratt-Tiffany Sisson (WV) d. Khanna-H. Wang (H) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

*****
CWAC South

AT GRANDVIEW

BOYS

Finals

Singles: Ammon Stancliffe (T) d. Rogi Fajardo (Gv) 6-4, 6-3. Consolation final: John Surmeyer (P) d. Ricardo Ruiz (W) 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Micah Garza-Greg Shank (W) d. Ricardo Ruiz-Greg Strom (W) 0-6, 6-4, 6-4. Consolation final: Lucas Reynolds-Noah French (T) d. Young-Hobbick (P) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).

*****

GIRLS

Finals

Singles: Cintia Gil (T) d. Tiana Baker (P) 6-0, 6-2. Consolation final: Hannah Mullen (P) d. Gaby Sauve (Gv) 6-0, 6-4.

Doubles: Karmina Markus-Haily Larson (P) d. Jaime Miller-Kayla Davis (EV) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4. Consolation final: Tiffany Armijo-Lizette Melendez (W) d. Karlee Harris-Apryl Sellers (EV) 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

*****
CWAC North

AT EPHRATA

BOYS

Finals

Singles: Aaron Porter (Ell) d. Josiah Jackson (Ell) 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4). Consolation final: Tyler Van Heusden (Ep) d. Blake VanDyke (Qu) 6-4, 6-0.

Doubles: Kevin Bertelsen-Devin Teske (Se) d. Peterson-Harris (O) 7-5, 6-1. Consolation final: Colton Chandler-Alex Schnebly (Ell) d. Michael Komorowski-Bryan Elliott (Ell) 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.

*****

GIRLS

Finals

Singles: Abigail Pellett (Ell) d. Emily Carbaugh (Ell) 6-1, 6-2. Consolation final: Chloe Schmidt (Ep) d. Renee Hausske (Se) 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles: Lauren Carey-Shelby Welch (Se) d. Roylance-Schmidt (O) 6-4, 6-2. Consolation final: Knodell-Knodell (Q) d. Jessica Martin-Taylor Silverthorn (Se) 7-5, 6-1.

*****
SCAC West

AT SUNNYSIDE

BOYS

Finals

Singles: Seth Gibbons (LS) d. Ben Villa (Gr) 6-1, 6-0. Consolation final: Ansel DeLeon (LS) d. Hammack (Go) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Doubles: Matthew Newman-Ivan Perez (H) d. Fletcher Wilhite-Chase Wing (Go) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5. Consolation final: Tyler Slick-Cameron Fisk (N) d. Zack Shattuck-Adrian Sanchez (Gr) 6-1, 6-0.

GIRLS

Finals

Singles: Mariah Elsner (N) d. Brenda Velasco (Gr) 6-1, 6-1. Consolation final: Stacy Thompson (Go) d. Mengarelli (Gr) 6-1, 6-1.

Doubles: Larisa Fossum-Zori Fossum (N) d. Kylee Bellamy-Ryell Carley (Go) 6-3, 6-2. Consolation final: Janae Klarich-Emily Carpenter (Gr) d. Leticia Gonzalez-Taylor Ranger (N) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

*****

College

Seven to be inducted into Central HOF

ELLENSBURG — Selected for induction into the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame this year are Richard “Dick” Armstrong, Walter “Spike” Arlt, Kristelle (Arthur) Harrington, Robi Raab, Kenny Russaw, Steve Slavens, and Eric Tollefson. Six of the seven inductees are former Wildcat student-athletes, while Arlt spent 27 years as a coach at CWU.

The 2009 Hall of Fame banquet will be held May 30 at the Student Union & Recreation Center Ballroom on the CWU campus, with a social hour starting at 6 p.m. and the dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m. Individuals interested in purchasing tickets for the event should contact Kim Thomas at 509-963-2762 or by e-mail at thomask@cwu.edu.

*****
Central announces Athlete of Year finalists

ELLENSBURG — The men’s finalists for Central Washington University Athlete of the Year are former football teammates Mike Reilly and Johnny Spevak. The women’s finalists are track and field senior Krissy Tandle and softball senior Linse Vlahovich.

The winners in the balloting for Male and Female Athlete of the Year will be announced as part of the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame banquet May 30.

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