Silver lining for Parsons

ASPEN, Colo. — Last year, Joe Parsons came to the Winter X Games and knocked off the favorite to capture the gold medal in the snowmobile freestyle event.

This time around, Parsons was the one with the target on his back and Justin Hoyer took dead aim at the defending champion.

Hoyer turned in the two best scores of the night, with Parsons trailing just behind to wind up with a silver medal in Thursday’s event.

Hoyer set the pace in the first round of competition with a score of 84.33 points.

Parsons, from Yakima, had a score of 84.00 in his first ride, tied with Levi LaVallee, the man Parsons beat in this event last season.

In his final ride, Parsons could only manage a score of 83.66, leaving him short of his goal to repeat.

Hoyer sealed his victory with an impressive score of 87.00 in his final ride.

Parsons will have two other shots at Winter X Games gold when he competes in the best trick event today, and the knock out competition Sunday. Both events will be part of ESPN’s Winter X Games coverage both days.

Sprinker lifts CWU men

BILLINGS, Mont. — Chris Sprinker scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Central Washington recorded perhaps its biggest win of the season Thursday night, 73-57 over Montana State Billings in Alterowitz Gymnasium.

Central, ranked ninth in the initial Division II West Region poll on Wednesday, improved to 4-2 in GNAC play and 10-6 overall. The Yellowjackets, ranked seventh, slipped to 3-3 and 9-6 with their first home loss.

Jon Clift scored 13 points and Humberto Perez and J.C. Cook had 11 each for the Wildcats, who shot 55 percent (15 for 27) over the second half and 50 percent (28 for 56) for the game. Perez added four assists, two rebounds and a blocked shot as he, Sprinker, Roby Clyde and Coby Gibler combined for seven swats. Gibler also had six assists.

Cook, in his second game back from a knee injury, grabbed five rebounds. Toussaint Tyler, a top reserve, missed the game with a sprained ankle.

Central, coming off a disappointing 84-70 home loss on Saturday night to Western Washington, also outrebounded MSUB 42-33.

“We came to practice Monday and had an absolute bear wrestling match,” said CWU coach Greg Sparling, who was especially displeased with his team’s performance against Western. “This was definitely our biggest win. The guys played extremely hard and with a lot of confidence. And when Chris puts up numbers like that, we’re not going to lose many.”

The Wildcats led virtually wire to wire, and added steadily to a 34-30 halftime lead.

Reserve DeAndre Chambers led the Yellowjackets with 15 points.

CWU, playing six of its next eight on the road, visits Saint Martin’s on Saturday night.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Clyde 1-5 2-3 4, Sivak 0-3 5-6 5, Chris Sprinker 9-11 2-2 20, Jon Clift 4-9 3-4 13, Humberto Perez 5-9 0-0 11, Snowden 1-4 0-0 3, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, J.C. Cook 5-9 0-1 11, Shelton 0-1 0-0 0, Gibler 2-3 0-0 4, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-56 12-16 73.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS — McCrary 2-5 4-4 9, Hentzen 0-3 1-2 1, Wright 1-3 5-8 7, DaVell Jackson 4-11 3-3 11, Parghalava 1-7 3-4 6, Taylor 0-1 0-0 0, Weisz 0-1 1-2 1, DeAndre Chambers 4-12 3-7 15, Blaine 2-2 0-0 4, Hodge 1-6 1-2 3, Tanascu 0-0 0-0 0, Hickman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-51 21-32 57.

Halftime — CWU 34, MSUB 30. 3-point goals — CWU 5-15 (Clift 2-4, Perez 1-4, Snowden 1-3, Miller 0-1, Cook 1-2, Shelton 0-1); MSUB 6-19 (McCrary 1-2, Wright 0-1, Parghalava 1-6,Taylor 0-1, Chambers 4-6). Fouled out — Sivak. Rebounds — CWU 42 (Sprinker 9, Clyde 8); MSUB  33 (Jackson 9). Assists — CWU 17 (Clift 4, Perez 4); MSUB 12 (Chambers 3). Turnovers — CWU 15, MSUB 13. Total fouls — CWU 24, MSUB 20.

Hot-shooting CWU smacks Saints

LACEY, Wash. — Jenn Jacobs scored 19 points and Sara Bergner added 18 as Central Washington shot 55 percent en route to a 78-69 GNAC women’s basketball victory Thursday night over Saint Martin’s at Marcus Pavilion.

Colleen Betteridge added 10 points for the Wildcats (2-4 GNAC, 5-11 overall), who connected on 52 percent of their shots in the first half and 58 percent in the second.

Jacobs, in her first start of the season, was 6 for 11 from the field and 6 for 6 from the foul line. Betteridge added five assists.

CWU, which had lost three straight, visits Montana State Billings on Saturday.

Dara Zack scored 24 points to lead the Saints (1-6, 7-11).

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Russell 3-6 3-4 9, Sara Bergner 6-10 4-4 18, Afoa 3-3 1-2 7, Duerr 1-2 0-0 3, Jenn Jacobs 6-11 6-6 19, Colleen Betteridge 3-7 1-2 10, Calhoun 2-2 0-0 6, WalkingChild 0-2 0-0 6. Totals 27-49 15-18 78.

SAINT MARTIN’S — Dara Zack 9-15 6-7 24, Krissy Bassett 5-21 5-6 16, Hawkins 2-2 0-0 4, Mielke 4-6 0-0 9, Jamey Gelhar 5-12 0-0 12, Schang 0-1 0-0 0, Lawson 0-0 0-0 0, Busch 1-2 0-0 2, Lashua 0-1 0-0 0, Teade 0-3 0-0 0, Baker 0-1 2-2 2. Totals 26-64 13-15 69.

Halftime — CWU 32, SMU 31. 3-point goals — CWU 9-18 (Russell 0-2, Bergner 2-3, Duerr 1-2, Jacobs 1-3, Betteridge 3-5, Calhoun 2-2, WalkingChild 0-1); SMU 4-12 (Zack 0-1, Bassett 1-2, Mielke 1-1, Gelhar 2-6, Busch 0-1, Teade 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — CWU 27 (Bergner 7); SMU 35 (Zack 9). Assists — CWU 15 (Betteridge 5); SMU 12 (Zack). Turnovers — CWU 17, SMU 16. Total fouls — CWU 16, SMU 13.

Central picked 3rd in GNAC

ELLENSBURG, Wash. — Central Washington’s fastpitch team, which fell only one game short of the GNAC championship a year ago, has been picked to finish third this season in a poll of conference coaches.

The Wildcats, 29-11, came up one game short of Montana State Billings in last season’s race. The Yellowjackets, who went 30-10, have been picked to repeat as titlists along with 2008 champion Western Oregon (20-15).

The Wildcats, led by returning first-team all-conference selections Taylor Trautmann and Danielle Monson, open their season in the Mizuno Best of the West Tournament Feb. 5-7 in Turlock, Calif.

Fuerst, Sterkel plan to sign with CWU

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Valley’s two most prolific offensive football players last season — Eisenhower running back Joe Fuerst and Ellensburg quarterback Ethan Sterkel — are planning to sign with Central Washington University on national signing day next Wednesday.

Fuerst, the co-MVP of the CBBN’s Cascade Division, set school records for rushing yards (1,816) and touchdowns (20) while helping the Cadets win a school-record 11 games.

Sterkel, the MVP of the CWAC, passed for 3,671 yards and 38 touchdowns with a 76-percent completion rate as the Bulldogs won 12 games and reached the 2A state semifinals.

Fuerst shared the Cascade MVP award with teammate Ryan Watson, a defensive end who has committed to Eastern Oregon University.

Fuerst and Watson will join Air Force recruit and teammate Seth Kline at a signing party after school next Wednesday.

Longton in Showdown field

IRWINDALE, Calif. — Mike Longton of Moxee will compete in the Super Late Model racing division of the seventh annual NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown today at Toyota Speedway.

Longton’s qualifying session on the half-mile oval starts today at 4 p.m. with a 100-lap final slated for 7:35. The Super Late Model class has 55 cars in the field.

The featured 225-lap K&N Pro Series will be contested on Saturday. The SPEED channel will have coverage both days starting at 7 p.m.

QB Club luncheon Monday

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Yakima Monday Morning Quarterback Club will hold its monthly luncheon Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Shari’s restaurant at 40th and Fruitvale.

Lunch service will be available, and the public is invited.

Top female racquetball player tops bill at Yakima tournament

YAKIMA, Wash. — The Pro Kennex Winter Classic racquetball tournament returns to the Yakima Athletic Club this weekend, and this year includes the nation’s top-ranked female player.

Paola Longoria of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, will compete in the three-day even which begins at 4 p.m. today at YAC, 2501 Racquet Lane. The invitational continues Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 8 a.m. and lasting all day.

Longoria is No. 1 in the United States Racquetball Association. She was the runner-up in the U.S. Open last fall in Memphis, Tenn., after winning the title in 2008.

The tournament, which also features players from several states, is open to the public and admission is free.

1/29/10 Prep Spotlights

CLASS 4A-3A

Jacob Hino, Eisenhower diving, sophomore

A first-year diver who worked with coach Rick Alderson in the pole vault last spring, Hino won his fifth dual meet on Tuesday and has the Valley’s top 11-dive score of 254.25.

CLASS 2A

Matt Guevara, Wapato basketball, senior

Adding nine rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots to his second 30-point game of the season, Guevara led the ninth-ranked Wolves to a 70-66 win over No. 3 Ephrata.

CLASS 1A

Reed Lindhe, Goldendale basketball, junior

With 20 points and 12 rebounds in last Saturday’s win over Mabton, Lindhe has led the 10th-ranked Timberwolves to an 11-3 start. He is averaging 14.9 points and 5.4 rebounds.

CLASS 2B-1B

Star Kibby, Bickleton basketball, junior

A two-time 1B state runner-up in the pole vault, Kibby scored a career-high 30 points and added eight steals in Bickleton’s 66-56 win over ‘09 state qualifier Trout Lake-Glenwood.

1/29/10 Prep Hot Tickets

TODAY

BOYS BASKETBALL: Some of the drama could be lost to Selah’s injury and illness issues (see Prep Report), but the 10th-ranked Vikings (9-1, 10-2) host No. 3 Ephrata (9-1, 11-1) tonight at 7:30 in a CWAC game that will break a first-place tie.

Riverside Christian (1-0, 11-3) hosts White Swan (1-0, 10-4) in Mid-Valley 2B play at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

BASKETBALL: Granger’s unbeaten and third-ranked boys got their biggest scare in 13 games when they outlasted Mabton 74-70 in overtime three weeks ago. The SCAC rematch will take place in the SunDome as the 8 p.m. nightcap to Rivalry Saturday.

• West Valley is hosting a doubleheader with Eisenhower, the girls set for 5:45 p.m. followed by the boys at 7:30.

• East Valley’s seventh-ranked girls (10-0, 11-1) visit Wapato (7-3, 9-3) for a CWAC clash at 5:45 p.m.

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