Local report — YVCC soccer drops opener

TUKWILA — Yakima Valley Community College’s women’s soccer team opened the season with a 1-0 loss to Tacoma on Wednesday at the Starfire Sports Complex.

In one of 11 matches during the first day of the NWAACC Soccer Friendlies, Tacoma’s Delaney Smith scored the lone goal on an assist from Alisha Reed.

The Yaks play again today in the 40-team gathering, facing Peninsula at 1 p.m.

GOLF

Kent gets ace at Mount Adams

TOPPENISH — Hal Kent recorded his third career hole-in-one during his round Sunday at Mount Adams Country Club. He aced the 172-yard eighth hole using a 5-wood.

Sue Stovall, Stephanie Kent and Alexie Kent witnessed the shot.

9/1/11 Bulletin Board

FOOTBALL: Toppenish Parks and Recreation will host its annual NFL Punt, Pass and Kick competition at 6 p.m. on Sept. 7 at the Toppenish Middle School football field. Participants will need a parent or guardian and their birth certificate. Competition is for ages 7-15 with seperate competitions for boys and girls. For more information, contact the Parks and Rec at 509-865-5150.

RUNNING: The Davis High School Buccaneer Band Boosters are hosting the inaugural Run Like a Pirate Day at 9 a.m. on Sept. 17 at Sarg Hubbard Park. There will be a 10-kilometer, 5K and kids 1-mile Run for the Treasure. Early registration and entry fee must be postmarked by Saturday, Sept. 10, and the cost is $12 for the 10K, $10 for the 5K and $5 for the 1 mile. Costs increase to $15, $13 and $8, respectively, if you register late or on the day of the race. Come in costume (there’s a prize for best costume). For more information, contact the race director at 509-969-6770.

SOCCER: The Verizon Youth Soccer Clinic will return to Yakima on Sunday, Sept. 18. Ramon Ramirez, who has played in two World Cups for Mexico, will be there. Registration will be from 1-4 p.m. Saturday at the Verizon Wireless store, 2401 S. 1st Street. The clinic is free and open to youths ages 5-17. For more information, go to www.alianzadefutbol.com.

SWIMMING: The Yakima YMCA swim team will welcome new swimmers at the YMCA pool from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. If you would like to join the YMCA swim team go to the Tuesday or Thursday practice from 4:30-5:30 p.m. For more information, call Roger Coburn at 509-972-5272.

9/1/11 Valley Sports Weekly

Golf

Black Rock Creek

MEN’S DIVISION

Banana Belt Tourney

Low gross: Gary Hutchins 144. Low net: Brian Bliesner 136.

First Flight — Gross: 1, (tie) Zach Wanderscheid 148, Perry Page 148; 3, Troy Wilmoth 149; 4, Brad Donahue 152; 5, Andrew Schutt 154; 6, George Jackson 155. Net: 1, Akira Nozaka 139; 2, Tony Hidalgo 141; 3, (tie) Sean Tudor 145, Doug Veach 145; 5, (tie) Lucas Pruneda 146, Lyn Dasso 146, Mike Chambers 146, Russ Arbuckle 146, Don Cardenas 146.

Second Flight — Gross: 1, Gary Heslop 161; 2, Keith Sattler 168; 3, Rick Mitoff 172; 4, Jerry Besel 173; 5, (tie) Dick Poteet 174, Larry Kingsells Jr. 174. Net: 1, (tie) Dave Wilson 137, Jason Ebark 137; 3, Aaron Rodriguez 142; 4, (tie) Stew Rogers 144, Troy Monholland 144; 6, Paul Hart 148.

Third Flight — Gross: 1, Gary Hoff 180; 2, Chuck Mattocks 181; 3, Stan Davis 186; 4, Dean Benson 188; 5, Eli Gonzalez 190; 6, Gary Lambdin 191. Net: 1, Darryl Coleman 142; 2, Frank Cabelloro 143; 3, Gary Lydum 145; 4, Rick Hoh 147; 5, Bill Beaupec 149; 6, (tie) Jon Gonzalez 151, Ken Herber 151.

Mount Adams

MEN’S DIVISION

Bestball, Aug. 25

Gross: 1, Lyn Dasso-Mike VanWingerden 67; 2, (tie) Turk Holford-Tony Washines 73, Joe Razote-Turk Holford 73. Net: 1, (tie) Tony Whitley-Tye Barrett 59, Keith Fowler-Gary Hyatt 59; 3, Monte Heggie-Louie Aguilar 60; 4, Ron Smith-Denver Campbell 61.

Individual Play, Aug. 27

First Flight — Gross: 1, Mike VanWingerden 64; 2, Aaron Louis 72; 3, Tye Barrett 78. Net: 1, Scott Karr 62; 2, Javier Valdez 67; 3, Hank Besel 68.

Second Flight — Gross: 1, Tony Whitley 84; 2, Jim Whitaker 91; 3, Louie Aguilar 92. Net: 1, Steve Ridgeway 68; 2, Ted Smalling 71; 3, Steve Knopp 72.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Matchplay winners, Aug. 24

Gloria Campbell, Gloria Hintze, Carlisle Ibatuan, Elsie Pearson, Connie Rogers.

COUPLES DIVISION

3-3-3, Aug. 26

Gross: 1, Denver Campbell-Shelley Alcala 38. Net: 1, Todd Lensiegne-Maria Frank 29; 2, Louis Alcala-Connie Rogers 311?2; 3, James Rogers-Gloria Campbell 32; 4, Mike Chambers-Loreen Lensiegne 361?2.

SunTides

MEN’S DIVISION

Thursday League Scramble

Gross: 1, RJ’s Tire Factory; 2, The Culls; 3, 429 Goldsworthy. Net: 1, Weapons of Grass Destruction; 2, Rocc’s; 3, Northwest Autobody.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Foxy Lady Tournament, Aug. 25

First Flight — Gross: 1, Pat Wehr; 2, Claudette Haubner; 3, Karen Cooper. Net: 1, (tie) Grace Wagoner, Susan Lowary; 3, Helen Gallagher.

Second Flight — Gross: 1, Deloris Kirk; 2, Helen Wendt; 3, Kathy Thomas. Net: 1, Diane Oeltjen; 2, Donna Erhart; 3, Vi Bond.

Blind Holes, Aug. 30

A Division — Gross: 1, Karen Cooper 44; 2, (tie) Val Thompson 48, Lori Nulliner 48. Net: 1, Karin Kohls 351?2.

B Division — Gross: 1, Sue Morgenthaler 44; 2, Grace Wagoner 51. Net: 1, Pat Mosley 381?2; 2, Julie Thompson 39.

C Division — Gross: 1, Bev Morgan 54; 2, Vi Bond 55. Net: 1, Donna Erhart 37; 2, (tie) Carol Hammermeister 41, Dianne Oeltjen 41.

Buckskin qualifier: Sue Morgenthaler 60.

COUPLES DIVISION

Friday Chapman

Gross: 1, Hannah & Paul Cobleigh 34; 2, Tony & Lori Thomas 42; 3, Don Brown-Lori Nulliner 43. Net: 1, Len & Becky McCloud 32; 2, Ron & Kathy Thomas 34; 3, (tie) Jerome & Shaina McCloud 35, Chuck & Karin Kohls 35, Lou & Sally Anderson 35.

Westwood West

MEN’S DIVISION

Final Wednesday League

Fatz 158, Tim Troy 157, Footwedges 156, Helliesen Lumber 149, 3-B’s 142, Green Attack 116, Baughman Saw 115, 3-HC 97, Shuel’s Lumber 62.

Final Thursday League

No Name 194, AB Transmission 191, Auto Care 161, Valley Lab 161, Semo 156, Westwood Wanna Bees 154, Team Foreplay 141, All-Seasons 126, CH Robinson 74, Advance 58.

2-Man Bestball

First Flight — Gross: 1, Ron Knight-Zack Edmondson; 2, Kevin Lick-Tim Lick. Net: 1, Spike Adams-Ripplinger.

Second Flight — Gross: 1, Bob Connelly-Jon Munson; 2, Steve Freeman-Don Ruff. Net: 1, Paul Grant-Phil Skirvin; 2, Dave Donahue-Bob Hartley.

WOMEN’S DIVISION

Long Drive #17, Aug. 24

A Division: Paula Bush. B Division: Paul Redd. C Division: Kathy DeMoss.

COUPLES DIVISION

Scramble, Aug. 25

1, (tie) Jim & Janie Richartz 38, Adrienne Quinnell-Phil Skirvin 38; 3, Lee & Paula Bush 39; 4, John & Vicki Balmer 40; 5, Al & Shirley Rogstad 43; 6, Pam Kingsboro-Marnie Finney 46.

Yakima Elks

MEN’S DIVISION

4-Man bestball: Jim Russi-Kurt Schlect-Chris Schlect-Tom Sauve 118; Mark Mochel-Lee White-Terry Matthews-John Jamieson 124; Larry Lenz-John Crimin-Ron Donaldson-Jack Howell 124.

2-Man bestball — Gross: Ron Capps-Don Capps 70; Lee Scrimgeour-Mark Cuneo 70; John Jamieson-Mark Mochel 72; Terry Matthews-Mark Mochel 73. Net: Mark Mochel-Lee White 59; Mark Mochel-Jim Nichols 59; Lee White-Jim Nichols 60; John Jamieson-Lee White 61.

Back 9, First Flight — Gross: Fred Thysell 34. Net: Mark Mochel 34.

Second Flight — Gross: Kurt Schlect 40. Net: Jim Nichols 35, Dave Betzing 35, Ron Capps 35.

Third Flight — Gross: Lance Cussons 42. Net: Larry Lenz 351?2.

BFW Mixer, Aug. 27

Team: Aaron Adams-Warren Pollock-Jack Lee-Mike Broadhead 120; Corey Degrood-Jim Smith-Ron Capps-Lance Cussons 125, Mark Blore-Kurt Schlect-Don Giuntoli-Jeff Jones 127, David Uhlman-Jeff Baldwin-Jonoah Nicholls-Steve Slaven 129.

First Flight — Gross: Corey Degrood 67; Mark Blore 69; Joe Plaisance 72; Jack VanVleck 72. Net: Aaron Adams 63; Kasey Benjamin 64; Jim Page 65; Jeff Baldwin 65.

Second Flight — Gross: Kurt Schlect 74; Bruce Damaskos 80; Dave Crouch 80; Dennis Kline 82; Gary Erb 82. Net: Warren Pollock 69; Joe Folk 69; Jack Lee 69; Steve Jacobsen 71; Mike Combs 71.

Third Flight — Gross: Mike Broadhead 84; Carson Olafson 85; Lee White 85; Janoah Nicholls 85. Net: Larry Lenz 68; Tim O’Connor 69; John Crimin 71; Rod Wilkins 72; RD Dalebout 72; Robert Weiss 72; John Ford 72; Jim Russie 72.

COUPLES DIVISION

Aug. 26

Gross: Brad & Brianna Nelson 39; Dale & Christy Fordyce 41; Dan & Shelly Yarbrough 43. Net: Del Halker-Flo Holm 313?4; Bruce & Nyda Damaskos 321?4; Don Hugdahl-Lois Schaap 331?4.

Softball

Yakima Parks and Recreation

MEN’S SUMMER LEAGUE

Standings, Aug. 29

A Division: Longmire T&T/Tequila’s 9-1, Shield’s Bombers 7-1, G-Hawks 2-4, OTP Saloon-Beer Nutz 1-7, Bombers 1-7.

B Division: Outlaws 6-2, Pain Killers 5-3, Financial Management 5-3, Desperate Athletes 4-4, Shockers 3-5, Foursquare Fungos 1-7.

C Division: Michael’s Mudsharks 8-0, Hooligans 5-3, 601 Esquires 5-3, Sports Center 3-5, Herbie’s Hornets 3-5, Juggernauts 0-8.

D Division: The Bench Warmers 7-1, Chinook 5-3, The Styx 4-4, The Dutch 4-4, Spikes 3-5, Hop Union/CH Robinson 1-7.

E Division: Farwest Fabricators 5-3, Desperado’s 3-3, IFP/All Seasons 3-5, Morning Star Misfits 2-4, Swamp Donkey’s 2-6, Moss Adams LLP 1-5.

F Division: Off Constantly 7-1, Gladiators 5-3, Going Home 4-4, Retrofits 1-5, Slow Rollers 1-7, Gifted 0-6.

WOMEN’S SUMMER LEAGUE

Standings, Aug. 29

Platinum Division: Planned Parenthood/Pastime 6-2, Lady Outlaws 4-4, Hazardous 4-4, Peak Performance 0-8.

Gold Division: T&T Lounge/Mickey’s Misfits 7-1, Pixie’s 3-5, No Glove No Love! 2-6, Over & Under 2-6.

Silver Division: Munsters 7-1, Little Dutch Inn 6-2, Knockouts 3-5, Ball Busters 0-8.

Bears cruise past Ems to keep pace in East

Yakima remains one game behind first-place Tri-City||

YAKIMA, Wash. — It’s entirely possible, given the nature of recent events, that the question Jimmy Comerota posed to anyone who’d listen Tuesday stemmed primarily from nervous energy.

Still, it was valid.

“You ready for this?” the Bears first baseman asked repeatedly, hours before his teammates responded by roughing up Eugene, 7-1, before an announced group of 1,388 at Yakima County Stadium.

By answering affirmatively, Yakima stayed within one game of first-place Tri-City in the Northwest League’s second-half East Division race with four to play. The Bears (18-16 second half, 31-41 overall) also gained one on Spokane in the quest for the best season record among the three remaining teams, which would determine a playoff berth should the first-half champion Dust Devils prevail in the second.

“The thing is,” Comerota said afterward, “you always wonder if a little thing like an off day (Monday), the trip home or the loss we had in our last game in Everett might derail you.”

Not in this instance, due to seven innings of one-hit pitching by starter Blake Perry plus a six-run fourth inning, Yakima’s biggest of the season.

“I think what’s happened,” said Danny Pulfer, whose 3 for 5 night included a two-run single in the Bears’ pivotal inning, “is we came back from Tri-City (a three-game Dust Devils sweep that on Aug. 20 left Yakima six games out of first place) and just said, ‘Screw it, let’s just play.’ We’ve been looser, playing more like we’ve got nothing to lose. And it’s helped.”

It has if eight wins in nine games since the aforementioned Dust Devils debacle are an indication.

“Two weeks ago we weren’t thinking about this (the division race),” said manager Audo Vicente. “Now we have an opportunity, and we don’t want to put pressure on our players. All we’re telling them is, ‘Keep playing the way you’ve been playing, and take things day by day.’”

Perry, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound 19-year-old in his second start since being promoted from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Rookie League squad, retired his first seven hitters. The right-hander endured a one-run speed bump that included a one-out walk, hit batsman and two-out, RBI single in the third, then faced the minimum 12 batters over his final four frames.

“I had some help,” Perry said. “The wind was blowing and it knocked a couple of balls down that they’d hit hard. My defense picked me up, too. I just tried to do what I could.”

After each team scored a single run in the third, Yakima broke it open in the fourth.

The Bears sent 12 hitters to the plate with five of them rapping out hits — the most productive of which was Pulfer’s single inside the bag at first that scored two runs. A third scored on a throwing error by Eugene first baseman Travis Whitmore.

Tyler Bream’s run-scoring double, which plated the first run of the inning, extended his hitting streak to 12 games. Justin Hilt capped the scoring with an RBI single, running his own hitting streak to six games.

Jae Yun Kim and Garrett Weber also had base hits during the uprising, which included two errors that made Yakima’s final two runs unearned.

Comerota, who lined out to center during the Bears’ big inning, singled up the middle in the sixth, marking the ninth consecutive game in which the newly-named all-star had hit safely.

“I’d been telling the guys,” he said, “that it’s not the double that really helps you, it’s what you do before the double. Hilt walked before Bream’s double, and those two things got us going.”

The Emeralds (20-14, 44-28) saw a six-game winning streak snapped, issuing twice as many walks (six) as they totaled hits (three).

8/31/11 Yakima Bears update

Next game

Opponent: Eugene Emeralds.

When, where: 7:05 p.m. today, Yakima County Stadium.

Radio/Internet: KUTI (1460)/yakimabears.com

Probable pitchers: Yakima RHP Yiomar Camacho (2-1, 3.25) vs. Eugene RHP Colin Rea (3-4, 1.98).

Notes

JIMMY ALL-STAR: Bears first baseman Jimmy Comerota was named Tuesday to the Northwest League all-star team.

Comerota, known also as Jimmy Baseball, made the team as a third baseman even though he has not played that position this year. In his second season in Yakima, the 18th-round draftee in 2010 from Rice University is hitting a team-best .319 to rank fourth in the league. He has 10 doubles, three triples, one homer and a team-high 34 RBI. He also has stolen 11 bases in 13 attempts and has struck out only 21 times in 207 at bats.

He also has been charged with just five errors, thus compiling a .990 fielding percentage.

The team was selected by the league’s eight managers. Comerota finished in a tie at third base with Eugene’s Travis Whitmore, who ironically was in Tuesday night’s lineup against the Bears, also at first base.

TIE GOES TO DUST DEVILS: Yakima, which trailed Tri-City by one game in the second-half East Division race entering play Tuesday, must win the title outright to reach the playoffs.

The tiebreaker is head-to-head record, and the Bears are only 2-12 against the Dust Devils this season and have lost their last eight with Tri-City.

Should Yakima and the Dust Devils meet in the divisional round — Tri-City won the first-half championship — the Bears would host the first game of the best-of-three series on Monday with the second and, if necessary, third games in Pasco next Tuesday and Wednesday.

If the Devils claim both halves, the second playoff berth would go to the other East team with the best overall record. Starting play Tuesday, the Bears trailed Boise and Spokane by two games each in that competition.

ROSTER ADDITION: Cody Geyer, a right-handed pitcher, has been promoted to the Bears from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Rookie League team in Arizona.

Geyer, 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, was a 14th-round draft choice last June out of Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tenn.

With the D-backs rookies, Geyer was 3-2 with a 6.17 ERA in 20 relief appearances, striking out 15 and walking 12 in 231?3 innings.

 

YVCC volleyball wins opener

EVERETT, Wash. — With six players back from one of the best seasons in program history, Yakima Valley Community College’s volleyball team opened the new season with a victory over Everett on Tuesday night.

The Yaks defeated Everett 25-20, 21-25, 25-8, 25-17 in a nonleague match and will continue a westside swing on Thursday at Linn-Benton in Albany, Ore.

Eisenhower grad Tori Farias (formerly Fisher) anchors the returning core from a team that placed third in last year’s NWAACC tournament. The sophomore outside hitter earned second-team All-American honors in her first season.

Lauren Smeback, a Selah grad who ranked second to Farias in kills last season, joins Kylie Huffman, Danielle Najera, Traci Schweyen and Raini Weaver as returning second-year players.

YVCC’s home opener is an East Division opener against Columbia Basin on Sept. 7.

Did I see this Bears surge coming? Quite honestly, no

So was this Bears’ surge into the thick of the Northwest League’s East Division second half race something I saw coming?
To be honest, no.
Especially after Yakima was swept in a three-game series at Tri-City on Aug. 18-20. It left the Bears 10-15 in the second half and last in the division, six games behind the first-place Dust Devils.
But oh, how things have changed.
For one, Yakima started hitting and scoring runs — this after producing three runs total in the aforemention series at Pasco. For another, it did something it hadn’t done all season — it won on the road, claiming four of five at Everett.
The Bears had not won a series away from Yakima County Stadium all year, even though many of their defeats had been close.
Jimmy Comerota’s return from Class AA Mobile on Aug. 10 has been an obvious boon to a team that has struggled to score runs for much of the season.
But others have emerged with timely contributions, including middle infielder Garrett Weber and left fielder Kerry Jenkins.
The lights-out work of Yakima’s newest closer, Justin Albert, has also been crucial.
If anything, something that has not surprised me has been the Bears’ collective competitiveness. Even after they’d come up empty at Tri-City earlier this month, I expected them to play hard through the end of the season, trying to further their individual prospects while seeking also to benefit the team.
They have. And look, now, where it’s gotten them.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“If everything that happened to us in the first half evens out in the second half, it will be a very interesting last week of the season.”
— Jimmy Comerota

Ike boys No. 1, girls No. 2 in cross country poll

WASHINGTON STATE CROSS COUNTRY COACHES POLL No. 1

BOYS
Class 4A: 1, Eisenhower; 2, Gig Harbor; 3, Ferris; 4, Wenatchee; 5, Mead; 6, Auburn Riverside; 7, Lewis & Clark; 8, Walla Walla; 9, Skyline; 10, Jackson. Others: Bellarmine, Redmond, Puyallup, Garfield.
Class 3A: 1, North Central; 2, Bellevue; 3, Kamiakin; 4, Seattle Prep; 5, University; 6, Blanchet; 7, Everett; 8, Mt. Spokane; 9, Hazen; 10, Peninsula. Others: Lakes, Columbia River, Camas.
Class 2A: 1, Lindberg; 2, Sehome; 3, Cedarcrest; 4, Squalicum; 5, Ellensburg; 6, Deer Park; 7, Selah; 8, Mark Morris; 9, White River; 10, Bellingham. Others: Olympic, Chehalis, Lakewood, North Kitsap.
Class 1A: 1, Charles Wright; 2, King’s; 3, Colville; 4, Lakeside; 5, La Center; 6, Lynden Christian; 7, Cashmere; 8, Montesano; 9, Onalaska; 10, Royal. Others: Meridian, Toledo, Port Townsend.
Class 2B-1B: 1, Tri-Cities Prep; 2, Northwest Christian-Lacey; 3, Republic; 4, Davenport; 5, St. George’s; 6, Northwest Christian-Spokane; 7, Crosspoint Academy; 8, Mossyrock; 9, Waitsburg-Prescott; 10, Mt. Rainier Lutheran. Others: Bear Creek, Riverside Christian, White Pass.

GIRLS
Class 4A: 1, Bellarmine; 2, Eisenhower; 3, Tahoma; 4, Stanwood; 5, Eastlake; 6, Redmond; 7, Walla Walla; 8, Auburn Riverside; 9, Redmond; 10, Jefferson. Others: Central Valley, Davis, Skyview, Jackson.
Class 3A: 1, Glacier Peak; 2, Shadle Park; 3, Kamiakin; 4, Peninsula; 5, Lakeside; 6, Mt. Spokane; 7, Prairie; 8, Enumclaw; 9, Camas; 10, Columbia River. Others: Bainbridge, Seattle Prep, Capital.
Class 2A: 1, Sehome; 2, Cheney; 3, North Kitsap; 4, Interlake; 5, Lindberg; 6, Bellingham; 7, Kingston; 8, Lakewood; 9, Cedarcrest; 10, Burlington-Edison. Others: South Whidbey, Hockinson, Ellensburg, Ephrata.
Class 1A: 1, Riverside; 2, King’s; 3, Lakeside; 4, Cedar Park Christian; 5, Bellevue Christian; 6, Montesano; 7, Highland; 8, Bush; 9, La Center; 10, University Prep. Others: Omak, Cle Elum, Zillah.
Class 2B-1B: 1, Northwest Christian-Lacey; 2, Northwest Christian-Spokane; 3, White Pass; 4, Oroville; 5, St. George’s. Others: Asotin, Bear Creek, Ocosta.

Snow-covered change

Snowmobilers from around the state can expect some changes when they converge on the Ahtanum’s two Sno-Parks this winter.

First: Those places won’t be Sno-Parks any more. Ahtanum Meadows and the Ahtanum Guard Station — along with the erstwhile Sno-Parks at Manastash, Rattlesnake and Lily Lake — will now be Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Winter Recreation Sites.

Second, and more important: Snowmobilers won’t have to do their own fundraising campaigns, like the ones spearheaded by the Yakima Ski Benders in each of the last two winters, to keep them open and maintained.

Because from here on out, all snowmobilers — not just the few — will be paying the freight, in the form of the $30 cost of the Discover Pass that will be required behind the windshield of every rig in the parking lot.

“The thought is that if we require a Discover Pass, that will bring in enough revenue to fund the management costs of that area,” said Mark Mauren, the DNR’s Southeast Region recreation manager.

Can snowmobilers take that to the bank? The Ahtanum snowmobile circuits will be open, groomed and maintained without another last-minute bail-out by the likes of the Ski Benders.

“I’m taking that to the bank,” Mauren said. “This is a priority for us. Now we finally have the capability to be able to do it.”

Of course, it also means snowmobilers will have to purchase a Discover Pass to be able to use those DNR Sno-Parks-turned-winter-rec-sites. In the past, Sno-Park passes came with their registration, and for the last two years there just wasn’t enough money in the DNR recreation coffers to pay for the Sno-Parks’ on-site management.

So does this option — everybody paying a little more so a few don’t have to fork out a lot more — represent the lesser of two evils?

“Very much so,” said Washington State Snowmobile Association (WSSA) president Ronna Younie of Selah.  “State Parks doesn’t have enough money, and as the economy goes down there’s less and less snowmobilers, but they all want the same services.”

Ski Benders vice president Devin Dekker said his club supports the move if only because it spreads the cost around.

“The Discover Pass is a more equitable way among all snowmobilers to pay for it, because last year it was basically 30 percent paying for the other 70 percent of the users,” Dekker said. “Some people don’t want to hear about (the Discover Pass) and some people forget about it, but now everybody’s basically on equal footing.

“This is a tremendous load off the club and off those individuals that gave a lot last year — in disproportion — to cover the entire cost.”

Even with the Discover Pass taking care of maintenance and monitoring of the parking areas, though, grooming is still expected to take enough of a financial hit that some areas may be groomed less frequently than the past.

Grooming is handled by the State Parks Winter Recreation Program, which in turn depends on revenue from snowmobile licensing. And while snowmobile registrations are expected to be slightly up, there are no carryover funds from last year.

“A lot of times when the winter is mild we have some carryover. If we didn’t spend it, it carries over,” said parks spokesman Wayne McLaughlin. “(In 2010-11) we used almost all of the grooming funds and actually had to dip into the emergency reserve for snow removal.”

The agency expects a 19 percent reduction in grooming funds from what was budgeted last year, McLaughlin said. “That reduction means we’re going to have to adjust grooming schedules.

“There’s talk of another La Niña winter,” he added, noting that a “wetter, snowier winter … is good for riding, but is also expensive. We’re going to have to make the available money last through the 16-week seasons, and that may mean starting a little later and grooming a little less frequently.”

Matt Mead, who edits WSSA’s “Snoflyer” newsletter, admitted having mixed feelings about the Discover Pass now being required at what used to be Sno-Parks where fees were covered by snowmobile licenses.

“I can see both sides of it. The fact that we’re down so much money this year,” he said, “and the cost of this is the Discover Pass.

“The one comment made to me is (that) we’re kind of fracturing the way the snowmobile program is supposed to work. What’s next? Is the Forest Service going to start charging a fee for the ones on their land?

“It’s just going to surprise a lot of people.”

None of this surprises Younie, WSSA’s president.

“I think this is the way things are going to be in the future,” she said. “It’s going to be pay-to-play.”

 • Outdoors editor Scott Sandsberry can be reached at 509-577-7689 or ssandsberry@yakimaherald.com.

Local heroes aplenty: Ellensburg will be well-represented at annual rodeo

When the Ellensburg Rodeo returns to the Kittitas County Fairgrounds for its 89th performance this Friday through next Monday, as usual local fans will have some very hometown heroes to root for in the timed events.
But this year it won’t only be the team-roping Minor brothers.

The Minors, Header Riley and Heeler Brady, are poised to qualify for yet another National Finals Rodeo. They rank 12th and 11th, respectively, in the PRCA standings coming into this week.

Should they maintain their positions in the top 15 — which, as all rodeo fans know, is how many competitors in each event qualify at the end the season for December’s National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas — it would mark the fourth NFR for 26-year-old Brady (who made it in 2006, 2008 and 2009) and the third for younger brother Riley, 23, who was Brady’s header on each of the elder Minor’s last two NFRs.

This year, tie-down roper Jake Pratt of Ellensburg is also within striking distance of the top 15.

Pratt, 23, finished 64th as a PRCA rookie in 2009 and moved up to 36th last year, and coming into this week he ranks 24th — roughly $12,000 in earnings out of the 15th position. Two weeks ago he earned $3,457 at the Farm-City Pro Rodeo in Hermiston, Ore., where he won the average with rounds of 9.4 and 9.7 seconds.

“It’s really a thrill to get a big win like this so close to home,” Pratt told ProRodeo.com. “I’ve never been in this position (so close to the top 15) before, so it’s going to take some getting used to.
“It’s exciting.”

The three Cooper brothers from Decatur, Texas — Tuf, Clint and Clif — rank first, second and 12th in the tie-down standings, with another Washington roper, Tyson Durfey of Colbert (north of Spokane) sitting sixth.

• Shane Proctor of Grand Coulee, the runaway leader in the bull riding standings, is not the only Washington rider with a shot at Reno. Sitting 16th in the standings is Allen Helmuth of Ellensburg, who is in his fifth year as a PRCA card holder having a huge year.

After winning the Dodge Columbia River Circuit Finals Rodeo last season in Redmond, Ore., this year the 28-year-old has hit the road to win at such places as Pasadena, Texas and Oklahoma City. With earnings of more than $51,000, he’s less than $2,000 out of the top 15.

• Another interesting family plot line is developing in the saddle bronc standings, where two brothers — Heith DeMoss, 26, and older brother Cody DeMoss, 30, are both in the top 10.

That’s not surprising, considering that Cody has been in seven NFRs and Heith has qualified for three. What’s new this time around, though, is that Heith has the upper hand for the moment. He’s fourth with nearly $62,000 in earnings, and Cody is ninth at just over $45,000. Heith has never finished the season ahead of his older brother.

• Will Lowe, whose 2002 victory at Ellensburg as a mere 19-year-old foreshadowed a run of nine consecutive NFRs and three world titles, leads the bareback standings while two-time reigning world champ Bobby Mote — a Northwest favorite from Culver, Ore. — is well within striking distance in fourth place.

But Mote was injured on Saturday night he was slammed into the chutes by the bronc he was riding at the Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. He suffered broken ribs and a lacerated pancreas that necessitated surgery on Sunday morning, and since he is expected to be hospitalized for at least five days, his presence in the Ellensburg lineup is definitely in jeopardy.  

One of Mote’s traveling partners, Ryan Gray of Cheney, is right on the bareback bubble in 15th place.

 • Outdoors editor Scott Sandsberry can be reached at 509-577-7689 or ssandsberry@yakimaherald.com.

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