Prep volleyball — Selah opens CWAC with sweep

SELAH — Opening defense of its three straight CWAC titles, Selah’s volleyball team swept Prosser 25-16, 25-7, 25-15 on Tuesday at Kellman Gym.

Kacey Hartman had 13 kills and five blocks to lead the Vikings, who own a 35-match conference win streak.

Selah, ranked second in this week’s 2A state coaches poll behind Burlington-Edison, improved to 10-1 for the season heading into Thursday’s home match against East Valley.

Selah highlights: Cheyenne Merritt 13 assists, 7 digs; Kera Dexter 10 assists; Kacey Hartman 13 kills, 5 blocks; Kailee Wood 8 kills, Tori Dexter 7 kills, 8 digs; Mary Michael Graf 6 aces.

Prosser highlights: Claire Childers 9 digs; Becca Niemeyer 9 service points, 3 kills; Karissa Flores 7 blocks, 3 kills; Taylor Meirndorf 8 service ponts, 11 assists.

EAST VALLEY 3, ELLENSBURG 0: At East Valley, Sam McCrumb and Maddie Gamache combined for 19 kills as the Red Devils rolled 25-21, 25-17, 25-15.

Maci Beierle had 22 assists and two aces for EV, which won its league opener and improved to 5-1 going into Thursday’s match at second-ranked Selah.

East Valley highlights: Sam McCrumb 11 kills, 2 aces, 14 digs; Maddie Gamache 8 kills, 3 aces; Mikeala Zimmer 3 kills, 2 blocks; Maci Beierle 22 assists, 2 aces; Ashley Bailey 11 digs, 2 aces.

TOPPENISH 3, QUINCY 0: At Quincy, Belen Carriedo and Anissa Godina combined for 21 kills and 27 digs to power the Wildcats, who swept 25-23, 25-11, 25-22 in their league opener.

Toppenish.highlights: Belen Carriedo 11 kills, 9 digs; Anissa Godina 10 kills, 18 digs, 2 aces; Taylor Kendall 6 kills, 2 aces, 2 blocks; Sophia Jimenez 8 digs, 2 aces; Yanet Bravo 18 assists; Theresa Comeslast 12 digs.

GRANDVIEW 3, OTHELLO 0: At Othello, Taylor Hall amassed seven digs and served six aces as the Greyhounds won their league opener, 25-14, 25-21, 25-13. Payton Parris had 10 digs and three kills for Grandview, which hosts Ephrata on Thursday.

Grandview highlights: Payton Parrish 3 kills, 10 digs; Tayler Hall 6 aces, 7 digs; Alexia Candido 3 digs, Crystal Navarro 3 service ponts, 21 digs

EPHRATA 3, WAPATO 0: At Wapato, the Tigers prevailed 25-16, 25-12, 25-17 in their league opener.

Wapato highlights: Darian Gasseling 3 kills, 6 digs; Kaneata Haynes 3 kills; Andrea Castro 2 blocks.

CBBN 3A

WEST VALLEY 3, PASCO 0: At Pasco, Erika Crawford and Ally Moore had 15 kills each as the third-ranked Rams rolled 25-12, 25-10, 25-14.

Linnea Phillips totaled 17 digs and Moore added 16 for WV (7-0 league), which continues league play at home against Southridge on Thursday.

West Valley highlights: Erika Crawford 15 kills; Ally Moore 15 kills, 16 digs; Hannah Marang 2 kills, 2 blocks; Jillian Segaline 3 kills; Bridgette Webb Maddie Poston 3 kills; Linnea Phillips 17 digs; Carly Riehl 9 digs; Julia Nathe 28 assists, 14 digs.

CBBN 4A

WALLA WALLA 3, EISENHOWER 1: Brooke Brown compiled 16 kills, nine digs and five aces in the Cadets’ 25-13, 21-25, 27-25, 25-10 setback.

Eisenhower highlights: Brooke Brown 16 kills, 9 digs, 5 aces; Shelby Hein 9 kills; Shannon Patterson 8 digs; Mikel Sydney 23 assists.

MOSES LAKE 3, DAVIS 0: At Moses Lake, M’Kiela Rosales put away five kills and had four digs for the Pirates, who fell to the home team 25-15, 25-9, 25-16. Davis travels to Wenatchee on Thursday.

Davis highlights: Jasmine Martinez 8 digs, 2 kills; Maria Nunez 3 digs, 8 assists; M’Kiela Rosales 4 digs, 5 kills; Ebony Johnson 6 digs, 2 kills.

SCAC

ZILLAH 3, HIGHLAND 0: At Zillah, the Leopards swept 25-10, 25-4, 25-8 and improved their league mark to 4-0 heading into Thursday’s West Division showdown at Goldendale, which is also 4-0.

Zillah highlights: Delanie Slack 12-12 serving, 5 aces, 5 assists, 2 kills; Felina Razey 8-8 serving, 4 aces, 10 assists, 2 kills; Hannah Stewart 11-11 serving, 4 aces, 3 kills; Kassidy Ruggles 6 kills, 2 aces; Whitney Winters 7 kills; Tiffany Kelly 4 aces; Leigh-Ann Purdy 4 perfect passes.

Highland highlights: Jessica Pellicer 3 kills; Kendyl Preston 5-5 serving, 2 digs, 5 assists; Chelsey Fisk 5-5 serving, 4 digs, 4 pp; Tamson Reed 2 kills.

GOLDENDALE 3, GRANGER 1: At Granger, Lexi Cameron totaled 22 kills and Brooke Graff added 10 as the Timberwolves kept pace with Zillah for the division lead with by outlasting the Spartans 25-14, 25-17, 24-26, 25-17.

Goldendale highlights: Lexi Cameron 22 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces; Haley Hoffman 44 assists, 7 kills, 2 aces; Kylie Montgomery 12 digs, 3 kills, 12 perfect passes; Karissa Ihrig 14-15 serving, 6 digs, 6 kills; Crysta Counts, 6 digs, 13 pp; Allison Hutchins 5 kills, 4 aces; Brooke Graff 10 kills; Sarah Henderson 2 aces.

Granger highlights: Paige Blodgett 4 kills, 4 digs, 14-14 serving; Nohely Diaz 3 digs; Brook John 4 kills; Vanessa Nava 2 digs; Angelica Oliveros 7 digs, 10-10 serving, 2 aces; Lyndsay Oswalt 8 kills, 7 digs, 17-21 serving, 8 aces, 6 assists; Elizabeth Ramirez 5 digs, 9-9 serving; Aubriey Sanchez 4 digs, 11-12 serving; Alina Villa 5 kills, 8 digs, 7-8 serving, 5 assists.

NACHES VALLEY 3, CLE ELUM 0: At Cle Elum, Justine Benner had 12 kills and Katie Reeder added 11 as the Rangers prevailed 25-10, 25-11, 27-25.

Naches Valley highlights: Justine Benner 12 kills, 10 perfect passes; Katie Reeder 11 kills, 11-12 serving, 3 aces; Alex Krapf 28 assists, 23-24 serving, 10 aces.

Cle Elum highlights: Chloe Newton 5 aces, 5 kills; Ashley Morehouse 10 digs, 3 blocks; Sara Ferguson 3 blocks; Chelsea Cameron 14 assists.

BURBANK 3, MABTON 2: At Burbank, Jazzee Sustaita had 15 kills to go with five digs, two blocks and 9 for 13 serving with two aces, but the Vikings fell 25-22, 23-25, 25-4, 16-25, 15-12.

Mabton highlights: Evelia Mendoza 15 assists, 2 kills, 4-5 serving; Isabela Ahumada 3 digs, 3 perfect passes, 8-11 serving; Celia Diaz 18 assists, 9-10 serving; Jackie Cruz 4 kills, 5 aces, 7 digs, 1 block, 2 pp, 22-23 serving; Jazzee Sustaita 15 kills, 2 aces, 5 digs, 2 blocks, 2 pp, 9-13 serving; Cassandra Madrigal 5 kills, 1 ace, 4 digs, 15-16 serving; Veronica Vasquez 9 kills, 1 block; Angela Martinez 1 ace, 10 digs, 6 pp, 7-10 serving.

NORTH CENTRAL 2B

RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN 3, WHITE SWAN 0: At White Swan, Kendra Staymates and Onyx Gibbs teamed for 21 kills as the Crusaders swept 25-10, 25-15, 25-14.

Riverside Christian highlights: Onyx Gibbs 10 kills, 9 digs; Breezy Byrne 4 aces, 29 assists; Sara Lara 5 aces, 20 digs; Kendra Staymates 11 kills, 5 digs.

White Swan highlights: Jessica Sheppard 2 kills, 2 blocks; Amber Jones 4 kills; Cayla Jones 2 kills, 2 blocks; Emily Botkin 4 blocks.

KITTITAS 3, WARDEN 1: At Warden, Dakota Adams had 14 kills and Erica Clerf and Tori O’Shaughnessy combined for 13 more as the Coyotes prevailed 25-18, 23-25, 25-6, 25-19, improving to 3-1 in league play.

Kittitas highlights: Dakota Adams 14 kills; Erica Clerf 7 kills; Tori O’Shaughnessy 6 kills, 5 aces; Hannah Nelson 3 blocks; Jessica Lawrence 33 assists, 8 aces.

NORTH CENTRAL 1B

THORP 3, EASTON 0: At Easton, Christina Price had 10 kills, 14 digs and six aces as the Tigers (2-0 league 3-2 overall) swept 25-14, 25-22, 25-22

Thorp highlights: Christina Price 10 kills, 14 digs, 6 aces; Kerry Hanks 23 assists, 5 aces; Kearstyn Brammer 5 kills, 4 aces; Katelyn Pendley 12 kills.

Prep roundup — Gjestrum, Hanses carry Rams to victory

YAKIMA, Wash. — Jaden Gjestrum and Sandy Hanses scored two goals each in the first half to send West Valley on its way to a 6-0 victory over Sunnyside in CBBN 3A girls soccer on Tuesday at Cottonwood Field.

Hanses finished with a hat trick, lifting her season total to 12, and goalkeepers Rozlyn Pratt and Stephanie Gibson combined on the shutout.

West Valley, which improved to 4-2 in league and 6-2 overall, hosts Pasco on Saturday while Sunnyside hosts Kennewick.

First half: 1. WV, Jaden Gjestrum (Courtney Wells), 12:00; 2. WV, Sandy Hanses, 17:00; 3. WV, Hanses (Gjestrum), 21:00; 4. WV, Gjestrum (Abby Gaukly), 26:00.

Second half: 5. WV, Wells (Brittnee Rider), 43:00; 6. WV, Hanses (Rozlyn Pratt), 58:00.

Saves: Rozlyn Pratt (WV) 0, Stephanie Gibson (WV) 1; Liz Escobar (S) 8.

CWAC

EAST VALLEY 5, OTHELLO 0: At East Valley, Shallise Rodriguez recorded a hat trick with an assist and goalkeeper Katie Freisz made three saves for the shutout in EV’s league opener.

Rodriguez, who has 11 goals for the season, knocked in two scores in the first 11 minutes for the unbeaten Red Devils (6-0-1), who host Ellensburg on Thursday.

First half: 1. EV, Shallise Rodriguez (Samantha Herzog), 8:00; 2. EV, Rodriguez (Mariah Rojas), 11:00; 3. EV, Ashlee Betancourth (Herzog), 21:00.

Second half: 4. EV, Rodriguez (Betancourth), 48:00; 5. EV, Salome Yates (Rodriguez), 58:00.

Saves: Katie Freisz (EV) 3; Allesha Reyes (O) 13.

SELAH 6, WAPATO 0: At Wapato, Ashley Kuhlmann fired in three goals and Mackenna Lackey scored twice as the Vikings won their third straight, improving to 2-0 in league and 4-3-2 for the season.

First half: 1. Selah, Mackenna Lackey (PK), 23:00; 2. Selah, Ashley Kuhlmann (PK), 30:00.

Second half: 3. Selah, Lackey, 47:00; 4. Selah, Sarah Bersing, 49:00; 5. Selah, Kuhlmann, 51:00; 6. Selah, Kuhlmann, 53:00.

Saves: Elia Martinez (W) 20; Kelsi Kuhlmann (S) 10.

PROSSER 6, ELLENSBURG 0: At Ellensburg, Helen Petersen scored Prosser’s first three goals — all in the opening 12 minutes — and Madison Moore added two more first-half goals to lead the Mustangs past Ellensburg (0-1 league, 2-5-1 overall).

First half: 1, Prosser, Helen Petersen, 4:00; 2, Prosser, Petersen, 7:00; 3, Prosser, Petersen, 12:00; 4, Prosser, Madison Moore, 26:00; 5, Prosser, Moore, 28:00.

Second half: 6, Prosser, Rylee Suhadolnik, 79:00.

Saves: Jamie White (P) 5; Rachel Engeland (E) 3, Sammy Bell-Ruelas (E) 1.

SCAC

NACHES VALLEY 2, MABTON 0: At Mabton, Kate Frazier and Delaney Romero scored first-half goals seven minutes apart and goalkeeper Mackenzie Matthes stopped six shots as the Rangers improved to 5-1-1 overall with their league-opening win.

First half: 1, NV, Kate Frazier (Delaney Romero), 20:00; 2, NV, Romero (Emma Wilcox), 27:00.

Second half: No scoring.

Saves: Mackenkie Matthes (NV) 6, Maria Gutierrez (M) 9.

HIGHLAND 4, GOLDENDALE 1: At Highland, Caitlin Long scored a hat trick and Mayra Rios made 10 saves to power the Scotties to their first victory of the season.

First half: 1, Highland, Caitlin Long (Alma Gomez), 19:00; 2, Highland, Long (Alex Ornelas), 25:00.

Second half: 3, Gold, Eileen Kelsey, 44:00; 4, Highland, Long (Reina Perez), 60:00; 5, Highland, Kalie Watson (Penalty kick), 64:00.

Saves: Dallas Smith (G) 4; Mayra Rios (H) 10.

CLE ELUM 4, GRANGER 2: At Granger, Ashleigh Fraser scored twice in the first four minutes to ignite the Warriors.

First half: 1, Cle Elum, Ashleigh Fraser, 3:00; 2, Cle Elum, Fraser, 4:00; 3, Granger, Maira Gutierrez (Rosa Estrella), 28:00; 4, Cle Elum, Morgan Cross, 39:00.

Second half: 5, Granger, Marlene Ramos, 55:00; 6, Cle Elum, Brooklyn Burchak, 67:00.

Saves: Elizabeth Caballero (G) 12; Madison Evens (CE) 6.

BOYS SOCCER

RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN 5, DAYTON 0: At Dayton, Luke Vickers and Josh Cowin both had a goal and an assist to lead Riverside Christian (4-1).

First half: 1, RC, Luke Vickers (Kirk Gartrell), 5:00; 2, RC, John Stein (Josh Cowin), 23:00.

Second half: 3, RC, Nate Vantuinin, 55:00; 4, RC, Adam Soelburg (Vickers), 60:00; 5, RC, Cowin, 69:00.

Saves: Tyler Greenwood (RC) 3, Dayton 12.

GIRLS SWIMMING

Hanford tops WV, Sunnyside

RICHLAND — Sunnyside’s Marisa Broersma won the 200-yard individual medlay and 100 breaststroke in a CBBN 3A meet against Hanford on Tuesday.

In the other half of the double dual, West Valley’s Heather Seaman (50 free) and Robyn Sundlee (diving) were winners against the Falcons, who won both meets.

HANFORD 135, WEST VALLEY 50

West Valley highlights

200 medley relay: 3, West Valley 2:14.26. 200 IM: 3, Lauren Feldman 2:38.91. 50 free: 1, Heather Seaman 26.71. Diving: 1, Robyn Sundlee 155.85. 100 fly: 3, Feldman 1:09.42. 100 free: 2, Seaman 59.73. 500 free: 3, Sydney Tollackson 6:43.64. 200 free relay: 3, West Valley 1:58.96. 100 back: 3, Sundlee 1:20.13. 400 free relay: 3, West Valley 4:19.20.

HANFORD 141, SUNNYSIDE 24

Sunnyside highlights

200 medley relay: 3, Sunnyside 2:14.70. 200 IM: 1, Marisa Broersma 2:24.01. 50 free: 3, Payton Sample 29.27. 200 free relay: 3, Sunnyside 1:59.69. 100 breast: 1, Broersma 1:14.23.

 

9/28/11 Davis-Eisenhower photo gallery

 

Here is a photo gallery from Tuesday’s Davis-Eisenhower CBBN 4A girls soccer match at Marquette Stadium.

Latest news for Mike Reilly, Mike Sellers and Rick Welts

A few items of note from the weekend, and beyond.
First, kudos to Mike Reilly on his brief but nonetheless notable appearance for the BC Lions in their 42-5 rout of the Roughriders at Saskatchewan.
Reilly, who in 2008 completed a four-year Central Washington career as the most decorated quarterback in school history, saw his first regular-season professional action Saturday.
Succeeding BC starter Travis Lulay (Montana State) and Javarious Jackson (Notre Dame), Reilly completed 1 of 2 passes for 12 yards.
It was his first live-competition play since Nov. 15, 2008, when Reilly led CWU to a near-upset of West Texas A&M in a first-round NCAA Division II playoff game.
Reilly remains the only college player — at any level — to have started every game at one institution for four years and to have thrown at least one touchdown pass in each game.

Those watching Monday night’s 18-16 Cowboys win over the Redskins in Dallas might have noticed veteran Mike Sellers lining up as the blocking back for the game’s only touchdown — a 1-yard pass from Washington’s Rex Grossman to Tim Hightower.
Sellers is a North Thurston High School graduate who in an early 1990s playoff game almost single-handedly defeated a heavily-favored South Kitsap team in a first-round playoff game I staffed for the Bremerton Sun in Lacey.
Playing running back and linebacker while also standing out on special teams, Sellers staged what longtime SK coach Ed Fisher said was one of the most dominant overall performances he’d ever seen.
Sellers went from Thurston to Walla Walla Community College, which still had football back then, and began his pro career at age 19 in 1995 for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos before moving to the NFL.
He made the 2009 Pro Bowl and has been named one of Washington’s 25 greatest running backs by The Seattle Times and one of the state’s 100 greatest athletes by The News Tribune of Tacoma.

And last but not least, congratulations to Rick Welts, former media relations director for the Sonics, on his appointment Tuesday as president at chief operating officer of the Golden State Warriors.
One of the most respected executives in the NBA, the 58-year-old Welts began his career as a Sonics ballboy more than 40 years ago. He was Seattle’s chief media liaison when the Sonics won the championship in 1979, and soon thereafter moved to the league office in New York.
In 2002 Welts became president of the Phoenix Suns, and last May revealed that he is gay, thereby becoming the first openly-gay executive for a major sports franchise.
I sent Welts an e-mail commending him for his announcement and soon afterward received a grateful response, in part recalling his days with the Sonics and the multiple trips to Washington a group of us made during the 1978 and 1979 NBA Finals — the first of which Seattle lost to the Bullets.
His sister, Nancy, succeeded him with the Sonics when Welts left for New York.
A person of extraordinary organization, intelligence and professionalism, Welts had disclosed on his recent resignation in Phoenix that he was leaving to be closer to his partner, who lives in Sacramento. He initially had planned to make some speaking engagements and perhaps write a book before the Warriors came calling.

FROM THE QUOTE FILE
“All I care about — all we care about — is winning. That’s it. This guy is simply the single best executive we could possibly have hired.”
— Joe Lacob, Golden State Warriors co-owner, on hiring Rick Welts as the team’s president and chief operating officer.

State cross country, volleyball polls

WASHINGTON STATE CROSS COUNTRY COACHES POLL No. 4

BOYS
Class 4A: 1, Eisenhower; 2, Jackson; 3 Wenatchee; 4, Gig Harbor; 5, Mead; 6, Ferris; 7, Lewis & Clark; 8, Auburn Riverside; 9, Puyallup; 10, Lake Stevens. Others: Bellarmine, Redmond, Garfield.
Class 3A: 1, North Central; 2, Kamiakin; 3, Bellevue; 4, Seattle Prep; 5, Mt. Spokane; 6, University; 7, Nathan Hale; 8, Blanchet; 9, Peninsula; 10, Shadle Park. Others: Lakes, Hazen, Camas.
Class 2A: 1, Lindbergh; 2, Sehome; 3, Squalicum; 4, Cedarcrest; 5, Renton; 6, Deer Park; 7, Ellensburg; 8, Bellingham; 9, Selah; 10, White River. Others: 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, Snohomish; 5, Lewis & Clark; 6, Eastlake; 7, Redmond; 8, Jackson; 9, Auburn Riverside; 10, Central Valley. Others: Skyline, Richland, Wenatchee.
Class 3A: 1, Glacier Peak; 2, Shadle Park; 3, Kamiakin; 4, Peninsula; 5, Mercer Island; 6, Seattle Prep; 7, Mt. Spokane; 8, Prairie; 9, Enumclaw; 10, Camas. Others: Columbia River, Bainbridge, Capital.
Class 2A: 1, Sehome; 2, Interlake; 3, Cheney; 4, North Kitsap; 5, Bellingham; 6, Burlington-Edison; 7, Lindbergh; 8, Cedarcrest; 9, Lakewood; 10, Kingston; Others: 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.

VOLLEYBALL

Class 4A: 1. Mead; 2. Jackson; 3. Olympia; 4. Kentwood; 5. Bellarmine; 6. Curtis; 7. Richland; 8. Woodinville; 9. Kamiak; 10. Skyline.
Class 3A: 1. Mt. Spokane; 2. Auburn Mountainview; 3. West Valley (Yakima); 4. Eastside Catholic; 5. Meadowdale; 6. Mercer Island; 7. Holy Names; 8, Seattle Prep; 9, Prairie; 10. North Central.
Class 2A: 1. Burlington-Edison; 2. Selah; 3. Anacortes; 4. Tumwater; 5. Pullman; 6. Black Hills; 7. Cheney; 8. West Valley (Spokane); 9. Mark Morris; 10. Lynden.
Class 1A: 1. King’s; 2. Chelan; 3. Colville; 4. Castle Rock; 5. Freeman; 6. Lynden Christian; 7. Ridgefield; 8. Cedar Park Christian; 9. Cascade; 10. Okanogan.
Class 2B: 1. Reardan; 2. Bear Creek; 3. Northwest Christian (Spokane); 4. Riverside Christian; 5. Colfax; 6. La Conner; 7. Pateros; 8. Darrington; 9. Kittitas; 10. Toutle Lake.
Class 1B: 1. Christian Faith; 2. Tekoa-Oaksdale; 3. Almira/Coulee-Hartline; 4. Moses Lake Christian; 5. Wilbur-Creston; 6. Klickitat; 7. Colton; 8. Thorp; 9. Lopez; 10. Hunters.

Harrowing voyage: Couple to share sailing stories, including scary whale encounter

YAKIMA, Wash. — Darryl O’Sickey jolted into consciousness and stared into the darkness, horrified by what he had just experienced. A whale had slammed into the 36-foot sailboat he and Donna Foth had bought less than two years before, and in the violent shaking that followed, Donna had been thrown overboard and crushed between the whale and the hull.

It had felt so real, but … was she really dead? Was he really alive? Was he even awake?

Darryl rose from the sleeping sofa in the below-deck salon and peered up to the cockpit area in the back, and there was Donna, safely at the helm — and tethered firmly to the metal guardrail around the steering wheel.

She’s fine, he assured himself. It was just a nightmare.

But that would be only the first of many such unsettling awakenings for Darryl. He and Donna were on only their second extensive cruise on their sailboat, the Luffin It, and what had happened just 36 hours earlier had been even more harrowing than their first trip.

The only memorable thing that had happened to the Sandpoint, Idaho, couple on that initial cruise, after all, had been what Darryl remembers as “40 hours of pure terror.”

• • • •

The sailing thing was old hat for Darryl, who has been sailing for more than half his 70 years. Donna, though, hadn’t been sailing until, at 65, she met this energetic widower who shared her enthusiasm for outdoor adventure.

For four years they have hiked, skied, biked and kayaked together. He also introduced her to his love of the sea — first on a one-week charter, then a two-weeker — and she was hooked.

In the summer of 2009 the two bought Luffin It, the title both a play on words — lovin’ it — and a reference to a sail-related nautical term.

“It’s never boring on the Sea of Cortez or the ocean,” says Donna, who lived in Yakima from the late 1970s to the early 1990s and will, with Darryl, return next Tuesday (Oct. 4) for a photographic presentation of their sailing experiences at the Yakima Valley Museum. “It’s the kind of thing where there are long moments of absolute peace, just very calm, and then moments of absolute hysterics.”

Their October 2009 “shakedown cruise” aboard Luffin It was, for the most part, the former.

The trip was full of dazzling sunsets reflecting off the placid Pacific horizon … evening swims in sun-warmed lagoons … on-board barbecues with the many other “cruisers” who became their good friends … and playful dolphins that would swim to the boat at the sound of Donna’s clapping and put on a show right off the bow.

Right up until Oct. 11.

• • • •

That was the day they left La Paz, near the southern end of the Baja Peninsula, en route to Mazatlan, on the mainland coast 250 miles away. They knew a storm was brewing more than 300 miles to the south, but its northward arc was veering increasingly west toward Hawaii. It didn’t figure to pose a problem.

On the evening of Oct. 12, though, the storm — by now officially known as Tropical Storm Patricia — abruptly turned more than 90 degrees northeast toward the Baja Peninsula. Directly toward the Luffin It.

Already being pelted with heavy rain, Darryl and Donna found themselves in 10-foot swells, then 15- and 20-footers, pushed by 25-knot winds. Out of radio contact and 100 miles from land, they had no way of knowing if they were heading into the teeth of a hurricane or simply a testy October squall.

Darryl had great faith in both the seaworthiness of his vessel and their ability to navigate it in difficult conditions, but he’d also seen “The Perfect Storm.” Images from that movie — in which a commercial fishing boat sinks in stormy seas — ran through his mind.

He kept apologizing to Donna for putting her into such a scary and dangerous position. Her inevitable response: “Darryl, it was my choice. I’m here with you because I want to be.”

For 40 hours, Darryl and Donna remained tethered to the boat at all times to keep from being tossed overboard as the storm raged. Then, as suddenly as it had arisen, it died.

Darryl and Donna did not.

• • • •

Fast-forward to the afternoon of March 2, 2011.

Check that. Don’t fast-forward. Take your time. Take it easy, feel the breeze in the sails and the ocean water against the hull, watch the dolphins cavorting off the bow and the graceful glide of the manta rays just below the surface, breathe in the sea air and the aroma of those spare ribs sizzling on the barbecue.

That’s what Donna and Darryl had been doing for three months up and down Mexico’s Pacific coast as they sailed into Tenacatita Bay, on their way to meet other cruising couples in one of their favorite anchorages.

Donna and Darryl were both in the stern (back of the boat) at the cockpit when, 1 1/2 miles from shore, they felt a sudden jarring and Luffin It lifted briefly out of the water. Each instinctively grabbed a railing and Darryl, who knew this bay intimately, shouted something that made no sense to him even as the words left his mouth.

“We’ve run aground!”

To Donna’s left, she could see the enormous gray back and flukes of a large humpback and shouted, “It’s a whale!”

A second or two passed, followed by more impact and rattling, more prolonged than the initial shock. They didn’t know it then, but the whale — rising to breach, traveling left to right — was being bounced along the keel as the sailboat continued forward.

Then there was another solid impact, and an instant later, heart-stopping pounding and thrashing. The whale, stuck between the keel and the reinforced rudder, was trying to get out, and its thrashing whipped the boat 50 degrees to the right, far enough over that the jib sail actually skimmed the water.

The boat righted itself for just a moment.

Then it was slammed again to the right.

Donna and Darryl didn’t make a sound. They just held on.

“It felt violent. Violent,” Donna says. “Harsh. Intense. Short but very violent.”

The whale, having extricated itself, swam on.

It could have been six seconds or 26. It was too intense for Donna and Darryl to know.

Just like that, it was over. But the damage had been done.

• • • •

Four months earlier to the day, a 40-foot sailboat struck by one or more whales some 50 miles off the Mexican coast sank in 45 minutes. Donna had read all about it in a sailing magazine.

She couldn’t know, of course, about the 43-footer that would sink seven months later off northwest Australia after striking a whale, or about the 34-foot sloop that had its hull smashed by a breaching humpback whale just two months ago. That one sank in barely five minutes.

Neither Donna nor Darryl panicked. Donna checked the switch for the automatic bilge to see it was in the “on” position, then grabbed the handle to the manual bilge and began furiously pumping. Darryl raced below and, seeing that water indeed pouring in below the lower-deck floorboards, got on the radio and made the mayday call.

The people receiving that emergency call — the very cruisers they were on their way to meet — were at least 10 to 15 minutes away, even at full throttle. If the bilge pumps couldn’t expel the incoming water as fast as it was pouring in, Darryl and Donna might have to abandon ship. But the bilges, recently overhauled and cleaned, were up to the job.

Their friends arrived with rescue dinghies in tow, and one went under in a diving suit to assess the damage. The boat would be able to make it to port, but they’d need a “buddy boat” to go with them — just in case.

Only then did the panic begin to set in.

• • • •

Until that day, those few frenetic seconds, seeing whales — however distant or near — had been the highlight of the day.

“You have to understand,” Donna says, “before this, we were all over the sailboat, up on the gunwale (the narrow walkway around the boat’s edge) — we had so little fear. The closer they got, the more excited we were, the more we loved it.

“Afterwards, every little bump we were like, ‘Omigosh, what’s that! Is it another whale?”

Every sound, a whale. Every splash lapping against the hull and every creak, a whale.

They were using the propeller at just over 2 knots when, in the black of night, there was an awful clatter, a loud CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. A whale?

The sound stopped.

They found out later it had been the badly damaged propeller breaking all the way off. Luffin It would have to be towed the rest of the way to port.

In the rare moments Darryl could actually sleep, he began having the nightmare, always the same one: the whale hitting the boat, Donna being tossed overboard and the whale crushing her against the hull of the boat.

None of the sounds they heard on the way back to port, of course, was a whale. They never saw another one.

The sailboat was removed from the water back in port at La Cruz, revealing cracks in the hull and the damage to the rudder, as well as the missing prop, its shaft bent beyond repair. The surveyor declared Luffin It a total loss.

The joy Donna and Darryl feel in sailing, though, was not lost. That love affair is alive and well, thank you — it’s merely been relocated to Lake Pend Oreille, where the North Star, their new 30-foot Catalina, is moored behind their lakeside home.

Suffice it to say, Lake Pend Oreille doesn’t have a long history of tropical storms.

Or whales.

Phillips: Enough is enough … except for the hunting stuff

YAKIMA, Wash. — My wife, Terri, has been telling me this for years, but I have finally come to the conclusion that I may just have too much hunting stuff.

This occurred to me the other day as I scrounged around through the several spots where I keep all my gear, looking for everything I needed to go sight in my muzzleloader.

Actually, it may not be that I have too much stuff. I just don’t have enough space to store it all.

My main storage area is the garage, and specifically the “sports” closet in the garage. The tiny closet became the sports closet when we moved into the brick rambler some 30 years ago. I needed a place for all my stuff, and that little closet was a perfect spot for it. At that time, pretty much everything I owned for all my outdoor pursuits fit in that one closet.

Oh, how times have changed.

Over the past three decades I have accumulated probably 10 tiny garage closets worth of stuff. The items have long since spilled out of the closet space and are now flowing out onto the many shelves along the walls of the garage.

As it turns out, that was still not enough storage area for my continually growing stash of stuff.

Not long ago, after having two mounted deer heads in our living room for the past 10 years, Terri decided her best opportunity to get the mounts out of the main gathering room in the house was to construct a “man cave.” Not only was the intent of this new room to get what Terri called “Bambi I” and “Bambi II” out of her living room, it was to give me more storage for my hunting gear.

Who was I to argue?

So we took one of the unused bedrooms, moved the bed and furniture out, painted it, moved a couch and credenza in, hung a few heads and horns and turkey tail fans and dozens of pictures, and just like that, we had a man cave.

Oh, and she insisted the new room have a large flat-screen TV with cable so, as she put it, “the rest of the family isn’t forced into watching your stupid hunting shows.”

I never forced anyone to watch anything. If she didn’t want to watch Tuesday Night Pursuits on the Outdoor Channel, she certainly could go read a book or watch the little TV in our bedroom. Heck, it gets four or five channels.

My man cave is nice. I do enjoy sitting in there and looking at the photos and reading my outdoor magazines and watching sports on TV, but I find it’s turning into more than just a room for sitting. It’s quickly becoming a catch-all for my hunting stuff.

The closet in the man cave is now stuffed to the gills with hunting coats.

Now, right here, some of you ladies might be asking, “how many hunting coats does one man need?” I know you are asking that, because I get asked that same question frequently in person, by the person who lives with me. And since she is a woman, I assume other women don’t have the proper understanding of the need for more than one or two or 10 hunting coats.

This could be a lengthy explanation, but let’s just say when you enjoy different types of hunting in different types of weather conditions, you need a number of different types of coats. You can’t wear your blaze-orange coat while duck hunting, or your marsh-grass camo coat while chukar hunting.

Well, I guess you could. But, besides being harassed mercilessly by your hunting buddies, you most like wouldn’t bag anything and you might even be breaking the law.

Anyway, my man room closet is now in the same state as the garage and the sports closet. There is absolutely no more room for anything. I either need to get rid of some of my underused hunting stuff, or stop buying more stuff.

Or, I guess we could look at adding on to the house. A man cave is nice, but a man wing would even be nicer.

That, however, is probably not going to fly. I’ve been told the living room needs to be updated first. The deer heads are gone and Terri has a plan for some remodeling. Hmmm … maybe I can see if we can put in a new closet somewhere in the mix, because I really hate the thought of getting rid any of my gear. As soon as I did, I would need it.

Yes, I may have too much stuff, but I know I’ll use every last bit of it at some point in time. That is, if I can find it.

• Rob Phillips is a freelance outdoor writer and partner in the advertising firm of Smith, Phillips & DiPietro. He can be reached at rwphillips@spdadvertising.com.

Local report — CWU’s McKole wins GNAC honor

YAKIMA, Wash. — Central Washington junior Carson McKole was named GNAC women’s soccer player of the week Monday.

McKole had an assist in Thursday’s 2-1 win against Western Oregon, and then scored the lone goal just 99 seconds into the match in a 1-0 victory Sunday versus Saint Martin’s.

It was her team-leading fourth goal.

 

PREP VOLLEYBALL

WHITE SWAN 3, ENTIAT 0: At White Swan, Wash., Amberlie Jones had nine kills, seven aces and 22 service points to help White Swan beat Entiat in a league match, 25-14, 25-11, 25-23.

Shelby Clark added two kills, two aces, nine service points and 16 assists, and Jessica Sheppard had four kills, two blocks and 10 service points for the Cougars (3-2, 5-2).

 White Swan highlights: Amberlie Jones 9 kills, 22 serving, 7 aces, 15 perfect passes; Shelby Clark 2 kills, 9 serving, 2 aces, 16 assists; Jessica Sheppard 4 kills, 10 serving, 2 blocks, 12 pp; Dottie Scabbyrobe 16 pp.

 

Prep swimming

SATURDAY’S LATE RESULTS

Selah 88, Cheney 82

Selah top three

200 medley relay: 1, Taylor Jones, Kelsey Clifton, Delainee Viernes, Melanie Garza, 2:19.48; 3, Lauren Allan, Kya Raschko, Mikel Perez, Georgi Hansen, 2:34.35.

200 free: 2, Rachel Krawczyk 2:30.46.

200 IM: 1, Kelsey Clifton 2:44.59.

50 free: 1, Melanie Garza 29.29.

100 butterfly: 2, Dalainee Viernes 1:22.68; 3, Melanie Garza 1:34.82.

100 free: 1, Kelsey Clifton 1:06.04; 3, Brittany Borchert 1:10.73.

500 free: 3, Georgi Hansen 7:48.54.

200 free relay: 1, Rachel Krawczyk, Dalainee Viernes, Brittany Borchert, Kelsey Clifton, 1:59.26; 3, Kathy Cousins, Michelle Bauman, Kya Raschko, Georgi Hansen 2:19.31.

100 back: 2, Taylor Jones 1:20.10; 3, Lauren Allan 1:23.02.

100 breast: 2, Brittany Borchert 1:26.57; 3, Rachel Krawczyk 1:29.49.

400 free relay: 2, Taylor Jones, Brittany Borchert, Rachel Krawczyk, Melanie Garza 4:42.12.

09/27/11 — Outdoors What’s Happening

White, Switzer sweep Big Yak trap weekend

Richard White of Yakima was the big winner at the weekend-long Big Yak trap-shooting event held Sept. 17-18 at the Pomona range, finishing as the high all-around shooter, capturing three events and winning one of the coveted Joe King Memorial Big Yak blankets.

White topped the 79-shooter field in the Champion 100 Handicap, won the Memorial Handicap at the 22-24.5 yardage and also took the C Class in Championship Doubles.

Jake Switzer dominated the Junior class, taking that division in preliminary singles, Memorial Handicap, Joe King Blanket Shoot and Champion 100 Handicap.

It was a big weekend for the trap-shooting Klingele family as well. Brothers Paul and Dale Klingele captured the C and A class, respectively, in preliminary singles, while nephew Jason Klingele took the B class. Jason’s brother, Jim, captured the D class in the Joe King Blanket shoot, and their dad, John Klingele, also won a blanket.

Ken Smith took the AA class in preliminary singles with a 99. The weekend’s lone 100 round was turned in by Marion Dukes of Auburn, grand champion in the blanket shoot.

 

Wolf plan on agenda at commission meet

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will discuss the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) recommended Wolf Conservation and Management Plan during an Oct. 6 special meeting Oct. 6.

The special meeting will be followed by a two-day meeting Oct 7-8, when the commission will receive briefings on issues including the status of north coast steelhead stocks and population goals for deer and elk.

The meeting will begin Oct. 6 at 9 a.m. at Olympia’s Natural Resources Building, the same location as the ensuing briefings. Agendas are available on the commission’s website.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect a time change.]

 

BIRD ALERT

Two band-tailed pigeons were observed as they flew west of a pair of hikers on the Sheep Lake trail. Although this large pigeon looks a lot like the introduced rock pigeon, it’s a native and rarely observed in Yakima County. Another group on the two mile hike-from the Chinook Pass parking lot to Sheep Lake tallied a list of 14 species.

An immature pine grosbeak was spotted within the first half mile on a cedar stem until a second grosbeak landed adjacent to it; the first bird then went into a shivering crouch of shameless begging, obviously still dependent on mom for food as she transferred a wealth of something down the first bird’s gullet. Other birds of note along the trail included gray gay, Steller’s jay, Clark’s nutcracker, red-breasted nuthatch, golden-crowned kinglet, Townsend’s solitaire, and pine siskin.

A mid-morning trip out to Wenas Lake only found two species of shorebirds, killdeer and spotted sandpiper. Good looks at a merlin, though, helped make up for the lack of shorebirds. Along Longmire Road, two perched Swainson’s Hawks and three red-tails were noted.

Please call your bird sightings into the Yakima Valley Audubon phone line at 509-248-1963.

— Kerry L. Turley

 

AROUND AND ABOUT

MULTIPLEX SHOOTING: The Pacific International Trapshooting Association’s statewide Multiplex competition gets under way this Saturday, with participants shooting 100 targets at all five events and their scores going against shooters at other locations around the country. Shooting begins at 10 a.m. the first Saturday of each month through February; the local site is the Pomona range in Selah. For info, call Paul at 509-945-0604.

PASS TO PASS MASTERS: Two veteran Cascadians, 73-year-old J.R. Phillips and Pat Sexton, 72, hiked the 29-mile “Pass to Pass” over the weekend along with Sexton’s son, Sean. They did it south to north — from White Pass to Chinook Pass — which is generally considered the harder route. They gained and lost roughly 4,400 feet of elevation over their 121?2-hour trek.

LAKE UMATILLA TO RISE: Water levels may be up to three feet higher behind the John Day Dam (Lake Umatilla) from Oct. 1 to Oct. 31, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins storing additional water for power generation. Higher water levels may also be seen on the nearby wetland areas of the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge.

 

ON THE CALENDAR

THIS MORNING: The Cascadians’ Tuesday hikers will hike to Rampart Lakes, a 9.6-miler with roughly 2,300 feet of elevation gain. The group meets at 7:30 a.m. at the 40th Avenue Bi-Mart parking lot. Bring lunch and plenty of liquids. A note: This will be the season’s last 7:30 start. Beginning next week, the group will meet at 8 a.m.

THIS EVENING: The season’s last Tuesday afternoon/evening ride hosted by the Mount Adams Cycling will get rolling at 5:30 p.m. from YAC Fitness in Terrace Heights, a 24- to 30-mile ride.

WEDNESDAY: Mount Adams Cycling’s weekly 21-mile Naches loop ride starts at 5:30 p.m. from the SunTides Golf Course. Like the Tuesday ride, this will be the season’s final ride for this loop, which will get rolling again when the days get long enough next spring. A note: The club’s scheduled morning rides have also ended for the season.

THURSDAY: The Cascadians’ Pokies are going to Government Meadows, an area of historic significance along the Longmire trail. For meeting time and place, call Eleanor Hungate at 972-3427. A note: Bicyclists looking for the regular Thursday mountain afternoon/evening mountain biking at Cowiche Canyon will have to fend for themselves; the weekly Chinook Cycling group is done for the season.

SATURDAY: The Cascadians will lead a hike to Snow and Jim Lake near Snoqualmie Pass, starting out from Alpental. The group will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the 40th Avenue Bi-Mart lot and head out from there. Participants should call trip leader Ed Huang in advance at 509-457-1533 for a head-count.

Former WSU standout Gleason says he has ALS

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Steve Gleason may always be remembered most for his blocked punt on the night the Louisiana Superdome reopened for the first time after Hurricane Katrina — a play that stirred an already emotional crowd into a deafening, drink-spilling frenzy.

The retired New Orleans Saints folk hero only hopes he can continue to lift people’s spirits by the way he handles what until now has been a private struggle with ALS, a debilitating and ultimately fatal disease for which there currently is no cure.

On Sunday, five years to the day after his memorable play became a symbol of a devastated community’s will to carry on, Gleason, 34, went public with his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“In a way, I see this as an opportunity to continue to be an inspiration, maybe even more so than I ever have been,” said Gleason, a 5-foot-11, former Washington State standout who forged an eight-year NFL career in New Orleans as a special teams leader and reserve safety.

Now the native of Spokane, Wash., who settled in New Orleans after retiring in 2008, is setting up an organization called Team Gleason. Its mission is to improve the lives of those who have ALS, the symptoms of which include gradual paralysis.

“You have to continue to do things you love,” Gleason said. “There’s technology available that, if I’m proactive, I can continue to do some of those things. You have to engage in passionate, remarkable human relationships, which has always been important to me.”

Gleason was an honorary captain for the coin toss of Sunday’s game against Houston, walking with a limp to the center of the field with his hand on quarterback Drew Brees’ shoulder. The crowd in the sold-out Superdome rose for a standing ovation when he was shown, wearing his old No. 37 jersey, on the stadium’s video board.

He raised his left arm over his head to initiate the crowd’s traditional pregame “Who Dat!” chant. Brees then hugged him and walked with him back to the sideline, where Gleason’s wife, Michel, now nearly eight months pregnant, gave him another hug and a football-style pat on his back side.

Most people live three to five years with ALS after diagnosis, though some have lived longer and research on treatments continues.

When Gleason was diagnosed last January, he and Michel had been seeing fertility specialists in hopes of conceiving their first child. He also was trying to finish a master’s program in business administration at Tulane University.

He briefly considered abandoning his school work, but returned to Tulane and got his MBA.

He also had to address whether he and Michel should keep trying to start a family.

“More than ever I wanted to have a child, but it really was my wife’s decision, because if things ran their course with me, potentially she’d have to be taking care of and supporting two people,” said Gleason, who has limited use of his right arm, and who finds eating and drinking more challenging because of a weakening in his mouth and throat.

“Luckily for me, she didn’t hesitate,” Gleason said. Their first child is due Oct. 28.

When Gleason played, he was easily recognizable by the long curly locks of light brown hair dangling from his helmet, and was a favorite among fans and teammates for the flair with which he played and lived.

In 2006, his last season playing before spending 2007 on injured reserve, he was third on the Saints in special teams tackles with 14. His blocked punt in the victory over Atlanta on Sept. 25, 2006, was the fourth block of his career.

Saints coach Sean Payton said the crowd’s reaction was “probably the loudest I’ve ever heard any stadium — ever.”

Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita, who played in New Orleans from 2006-09, said the play was his “most electric sports memory,” and drove home how important the Saints’ return to the city really was.

Gleason used the term, “infinite joy,” to describe what he felt in that moment.

Fujita, who remains friends with Gleason, has been both saddened by Gleason’s condition and uplifted by his enduring sense of humor and zest for life.

“He even said to some of us on the phone that he views this as an exciting challenge and opportunity,” Fujita said. “Steve’s one of the few people I think in this situation who could say something like that and actually mean it.”

Because scientific studies have shown increasing links between brain disease, such as dementia, and the frequency of concussions among football players, Gleason cannot help but wonder if his football career had something to do with his condition.

Yet the question of whether he regrets playing football is a complicated one. He cannot be certain that he would have been spared from ALS had he never played football.

He also cherishes the friendships and experiences he gained from his NFL career.

“It was amazing. I got this incredible adventure,” Gleason said. “I did all these things most boys grow up dreaming to do.”

Dr. Steve Perrin, the chief scientific officer at the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge, Mass., said he is aware of 27 cases of NFL players being diagnosed with ALS, which is much higher than any other major American pro sport. However, he stressed that a conclusive link between concussions in sports and ALS has been tough to prove. He noted, for example, that there are no documented cases of NHL players with ALS, which remains a relatively rare disease in general.

At this point, Gleason said he is more concerned with how he’ll live with ALS than how he got it.

For now, he can still walk without a cane, however gingerly, and enjoy dinners out with family and friends, though he sometimes needs help pulling a shirt on, washing his hair or cutting a steak.

Talking is getting harder as well, so Gleason has been working on a video library in which he shares his most poignant memories and life lessons, both good and bad. He hopes the videos will allow his child to know him as he was before his symptoms made it more difficult for him to move or speak.

“Especially here in New Orleans, most of the people that my child will encounter, if I’m not here, will say, ‘Your dad was amazing and he had this great football career, he was a hero for the city,’ and almost in a sense build kind of a mythical image of me,” Gleason said. “So what I’ve tried to do is sit down and really explain some of the struggles I’ve gone through and the less desirable parts of myself. … I want them to know I went through a lot of the same things they went through. And I’ve had to go through one of the hardest things a person can go through, but hopefully shown the courage and grace and joy you can still have despite these circumstances.”

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