GNAC adds postseason tourneys

Basketball to start next season. women’s soccer begins in 2011//

YAKIMA — Central Washington personnel applauded the GNAC’s announcement Tuesday that conference tournaments will be held for men’s and women’s basketball and women’s soccer, but also expressed concern that changes might be necessary for the events to survive.

At issue is the present format which stipulates that games be played at the site of the highest seed, as opposed to having some or all games at a predetermined location. And in a conference featuring schools in Billings, Mont. as well as Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, travel costs in an age of continuing budget constraints loom large.

“It’s a concern,” Central athletic director Jack Bishop said. “We had a number of different proposals, and this is ultimately what we came up with. Personally, I’ve wanted a tournament since I’ve been here (in July of 2000). So what I would say is this is a great way to start it, then we’ll evaluate it after the first year and hopefully we’ll always have a tournament.”

While men’s and women’s basketball will begin conference tournament play next season, scheduling conflicts have pushed the inaugural event for women’s soccer, which competes in the fall, to 2011.

The GNAC had been one of only two NCAA Division II conferences without a postseason basketball tournament — the other being the PacWest Conference — to determine its automatic playoff berth. Eight of the GNAC’s nine teams will qualify.

“I think it’s very good for the conference,” CWU coach Greg Sparling said. “I’m a fan of the tournament and I think it’s long overdue. As coaches, talked about having it a predetermined site because in this economy the last thing you want is to get hooked for a lot of money when it’s over.”

Bishop said the financial element isn’t much of a concern for Central’s men, who have finished among the conference’s top four teams of late and would thereby host at least a first-round game. The women’s squad has struggled, however.

“My preference would be to have a site where the men and women would both play so fans could watch if their school had both teams playing,” Bishop said. “But I think this is a good start, and hopefully we’ll find a way to tweak it in the future.”

Said conference commissioner Richard Hannan in a news release, “This is something the athletic directors and our management council have examined for years. Due to travel challenges and because of our geographical setting we have been unable to move forward.

“The management council felt it was time to explore this format and the opportunities it presents.”

A genius beyond X’s and O’s

For Dean Nicholson, coaching was about far more than just calling plays//

YAKIMA — On a cold Saturday night in 1974, Dean Nicholson addressed his Central Washington basketball team before a barren chalkboard in a quiet locker room.

“Guys,” he said, pausing to make eye contact with everyone in the room, “I’m not gettin’ through to you. I’m not sure what the answer is, but we’re going to try something different. You guys get together, talk about what you want to run tonight and who you think should start. Then go out and go through your warmups. I’ll see you out there.”

With that, Nicholson spun on his heel and left the visitor’s quarters at Eastern Oregon.

Minutes later the Wildcats emerged, began their layup line and, a couple of hours later, left La Grande, Ore. with an 85-82 victory.

A student assistant to the college’s information office that year, I’d traveled with the team some and kept the scorebook. Afterward I phoned the wire services, the Seattle papers and of course the Herald-Republic.

From a booth outside a drive-in where the players were loading up with burgers for the ride home, I reached the late Tom Burnside at the YHR, reported the scoring and some details of the game.

Then I handed the phone to Nicholson, who produced a slight grin and said, in his trademark gravelly voice, “Tom? We got out with our lives.”

That was it in a nutshell.

That was Dean Nicholson, too.

Though never at a loss for words, Nicholson never wasted them. Nor did he take poor performances personally, such as the 89-67 blowout Central had absorbed the previous night against then-rival Eastern Washington in Cheney.

That defeat had hamstrung the Wildcats’ NAIA playoff hopes, making the Eastern Oregon game that much bigger. So rather than mount a soap box and make an impassioned plea on behalf of himself, his father Leo (for whom the team’s home arena was named), and the legions of Wildcat lovers back in Ellensburg, Nicholson shut up.

He let his players think. And then he let them play.

That was only part of Nicholson’s genius. As good a coach as he was — and I’ve never known one better — he never let his ego interfere.

It’s just another reason that Nicholson will on Thursday be inducted into in the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in Tacoma.

He will join Edgar Martinez, longtime Seattle sports columnist Emmett Watson and mountaineers Jim and Lou Whittaker in the Hall, which was formed in 1960. It will number 168 men and women with the class of 2010.

Saturday at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Nicholson will be honored at a reception on the CWU portion of that campus.

Enshrinement will not be new to Nicholson. He’s already a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame, the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the CWU Athletics Hall of Fame.

And the Tacoma ceremonies will bring him to familiar turf. His first job was at Puyallup High School, where he coached 14 years before succeeding his father at Central.

What Nicholson did on the aforementioned evening was not a ploy. He was being honest — with himself and his players — and they responded by winning eight of their last 10 games and qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City.

And there was a related story from that pivotal weekend that speaks to two of Nicholson’s many qualities — his sense of humor and an ability to always see the forest for the trees.

After the Eastern Washington debacle, we drove to the Tri-Cities and spent the night. Before heading to La Grande the next day, Nicholson gathered players in his hotel room to watch video of that night’s opponent.

During the session one of the team’s deep reserves, a guy named Dave Pemberton who was on the squad primarily for comic relief, would periodically run past the door outside emitting a high-pitched cackle. The mood in the darkened room grew tense, and I feared Nicholson might lose his temper.

Then after one especially loud outburst, which also happened to occur especially close to the coach’s door, and which also interrupted the coach in mid-sentence, Nicholson said calmly, “It’s good to see that David’s finally come out of his shell.”

This time everyone laughed — long and hard.

And the 1974 Central Wildcats became much more relaxed. Much better, too.

IF YOU GO
Washington Sports Hall of Fame induction

When: Thursday, 5:30-9 p.m.

Where: Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.

Cost: $45 (as of Tuesday morning about 40 tickets remained).

More info: 253-677-2872.

Dean Nicholson Reception

When: Sunday, 4-7 p.m.

Where: Building 2 at CWU-Des Moines on the Highline CC campus, just off Highway 99 in Des Moines.

Cost: $15 at the door, refreshments and no-host bar available.

More info: Ashley Crawford 509-963-2160 or crawford@cwu.edu.

Nicholson festivities set

YAKIMA, Wash. — The deadline for purchasing tickets to Dean Nicholson’s induction into the State of Washington Hall of Fame is Saturday.

Ceremonies will be held Thursday, June 3, in the Tacoma Dome exhibition hall from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Cost is $45 for dinner and a 56-page souvenir program.

Tickets must be purchased with a credit card, and persons desiring to do so may call Terry Ziegler at 253-572-9922 between 9 a.m. and noon and 1-4 p.m. today, or Marc Blau at 253-848-1360 or 253-677-2872 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

Persons can also call Blau at the aforementioned numbers Tuesday to see if openings remain.

For those unable Nicholson will also be honored at a reception June 6 at Central Washington University-Des Moines, which is on the Highline Community College campus. The event is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. with a cost of $15 at the door. There will be refreshments and a no-host bar.

For more information call Ashley Crawford at (509) 963-2160 or at crawford@cwu.edu.

Deadline approaching to order tickets for Nicholson induction

YAKIMA, Wash. — The deadline for purchasing tickets to Dean Nicholson’s induction into the State of Washington Hall of Fame is Saturday.

Ceremonies will be held Thursday, June 3, in the Tacoma Dome exhibition hall from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Cost is $45 for dinner and a 56-page souvenir program.

Tickets must be purchased with a credit card, and persons desiring to do so may call Terry Ziegler at 253-572-9922 between 9 a.m. and noon and 1-4 p.m. today, or Marc Blau at 253-848-1360 or (253) 677-2872 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.

Persons can also call Blau at the aforementioned numbers Tuesday to see if openings remain.

Nicholson will also be honored at a reception June 6 at Central Washington University-Des Moines, which is on the Highline Community College campus. The event is scheduled for 4-7 p.m. with a cost of $15 at the door. There will be refreshments and a no-host bar.

For more information call Ashley Crawford at (509) 963-2160 or at crawford@cwu.edu.

Local report — Nicholson reception June 5 at Highline CC

YAKIMA — Dean Nicholson, who will be inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame next month, will be present at a reception in his honor at nearby Highline Community College on June 5.

The event will be held in Building 2 at Central Washington University-Des Moines, which is on the Highline Campus. It is scheduled for 4-7 p.m., with a cost of $15 at the door. There will be refreshments and a no-host bar.

Nicholson’s induction into the state sports hall of fame will take place June 3.

For more information contact Ashley Crawford at (509) 963-2160 or at crawford@cwu.edu.

GOLF

Blossom opens Thursday

In a field crowded with former winners, Charisse Spada still manages to stand out.

Spada has become the dominant player in the Blossom Invitational in recent years.

The Portland golfer has won two of the past three titles and she’ll be seeking her fourth crown since 2004 when the field tees off Thursday in the 58th edition at the Yakima Country Club. In addition to winning it all, Spada also posted a runner-up finish in ’05 and was fourth in ’08.

Yet none of that past success guarantees Spada anything more than the favorite label in this year’s field, which includes four other past winners and last year’s runner-up in one of the premier women’s events in the Pacific Northwest.

Last spring, Spada claimed her third Blossom title by edging Pat Terry on the second playoff hole.

Terry returns, as does former champions Ann Swanson, Sue Ursino, Mimi Racicott and Jani Japar. Swanson has won 15 Blossoms, including the ’06 title, and Ursino claimed her sixth title in ’08.

Nancy Eglin, who has won the past three Women’s City Championships, is the top local contender, with eight-time City champ Pat Martin also in the field.

The 36-hole event concludes Friday.

Under the Radar — Bears and CWU notes

YAKIMA, Wash. — Bears manager Bob Didier checked in recently from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training facilities in Tucson, Ariz., and reported on the immediate destinations of several ex-Yakima players. First baseman Ryan Wheeler, the best player on last season’s Bears team and one of the best ever, will go to Visalia in the Class A California League. Starting pitcher Dan Taylor will go to South Bend of the Midwest League and third baseman Matt Davidson will apparently join Taylor.

“He’s improved over last year, when he was a little over his head,” Didier said of Davidson, who just turned 19. “He’s getting a little quicker, and he’s adjusting to the speed of the game.”

Colin Cowgill, who electrified the Northwest League with a home run barrage early in the 2008 season before being promoted, appears headed for Class AA Mobile. And Andrew Fie, a third baseman here in 2008 and part of 2009, could go to either South Bend or Visalia after an encouraging spring.

“They’ve moved him to the outfield,” Didier said. “He’s cut down on his strikeouts and had a three-hit game the other day.”

Gonzaga product Tyson Van Winkle, a catcher here last summer, is working through a pulled leg muscle and might stay in extended spring training, Didier said.

• At Eugene, folks are still buzzing about an April fool’s prank pulled by the Emeralds on the local media. On Thursday the Ems issued a news release saying that suspended University of Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli would pitch for them this summer.

KVAL TV smelled a rat and called the Emeralds on it, but they said, no, the story’s legit.

The story soon unraveled, however, and the ballclub finally came clean.

“It’s an April fool’s joke, so happy April first,” said Onalee Carson, the Ems’ director of media relations.

She added that minor league baseball teams have puled such pranks for years and that this one was all in fun — even though Masoli nor anyone else at Oregon was contacted beforehand.

• And in Ellensburg, Greg Sparling and his Central Wildcats are genuinely amped about adding former Eisenhower guard Drew Harris to a talent-laden team for next season.

Said Sparling, “Most point guards these days are combo guards who score first and pass second. Although Drew’s a true point guard, we’re going to ask him to score some to keep defenses honest.

“And from I remember when we recruited him in high school, he scored when he needed to, and he knew when he needed to.”

Sparling and former Davis standout Humberto Perez were quick to note that Jon Clift had done an exemplary job at the point for the last two years — and he had. Clift was tough, smart and was very steady.

But Harris’ arrival, as a senior on a senior-laden squad, could be likened to a writer’s description of a 1970s Portland Trail Blazers team that had Geoff Petrie and Sidney Wicks, then acquired a point guard named Lenny Wilkens: “It’s like putting a scope on a high-powered rifle.”

• Under the Radar bring you odds and ends from local college campuses, news from the Bears and baseball’s minor leagues, and periodic historical musings on sports in and around the Yakima Valley.

Now that it’s official, Sparling, Perez sing Harris’ praises

YAKIMA, Wash. — Now that it’s official, with Drew Harris having been accepted at Central Washington with hopes of being the Wildcats’ point guard next season, it is possible for his new coach and an old friend to weigh in on his impact.

“We have the right kind of guy driving the car at this point,” said Greg Sparling. “Drew is a true point guard, and you don’t see that a lot these days.”

Said Humberto Perez, “Watching him since he was young, I think Drew is totally unselfish and looks to find guys where they need the ball. He’ll fit in perfect.”

Harris, the former Eisenhower standout, announced his plans to leave Seattle University and play his final college season at Central last February. But while Harris could speak publicly about the move, NCAA regulations decreed that his new coach and teammates couldn’t.

Friday’s announcement by CWU that the 6-foot Harris will enroll at the university removed those restrictions.

“We recruited Drew out of high school,” Sparling said. “He decided to go to Seattle U, but we feel fortunate to have him for one year. Our roster is very senior-heavy, so it’s great to have a quality point guard with all the scoring we have coming back.”

Including Perez, one of four returning double-digit point producers from last season’s 16-11 team that reached the Division II playoffs.

A junior coming off a stress fracture to his right leg, the ex-Davis star averaged 10.5 points before missing the last five games with a broken right hand.

“I just got the cast off,” Perez said Friday, “and I’ll wear a soft cast for two more weeks. I should be a hundred percent in less than a month.”

Harris’ addition figures to fill the hole left by senior Jon Clift, who averaged 11.6 points while starting at the point. Small forward Riley Sivak (8.5) and backcourt reserve Noble’D Shelton (2.9) were the only other seniors.

So Perez, shooting guard J.C. Cook (14.5), 6-9 center Chris Sprinker (12.5) and backup guard Toussaint Tyler (11.6), among others, figure to flourish with Harris running the offense.

After leading Ike to a fourth-place finish in the 2007 Class 4A state tournament, Harris was signed by then-Seattle head coach Joe Callero, himself a former CWU point guard.

The Redhawks moved from Division II to Division I during Harris’ sophomore year which saw him play in all 28 games and average 2.5 assists — second on the team — over 20.3 minutes. Callero left for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo afterward and Harris’ start under new coach Cameron Dollar was slowed by a right Achilles’ injury.

After averaging only eight minutes per appearance in 13 games, Harris confirmed on Feb. 17 his intention to transfer to Central. It was there that his uncle, Joe Harris, set the school’s career assist record of 404 from 1986 to 1987.

“With scoring point guards,” Perez said, “guys on the wings just don’t move after awhile. Jon Clift was a really good point guard, but Drew will complement us all. And if everyone gets clicking like we were for awhile last year, we can make a good run at winning a national championship.”

CWU Rally Not Enough for Victory

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — After getting run over at the outset, Central Washington had one spectacular run in them in Friday’s NCAA Division II West Region game.

Too bad the Wildcats needed another one.

Erasing an early 20-point deficit against rival Western Washington on the Vikings’ home floor, the Wildcats clawed back to actually take the lead late in the second half.

But Western’s Morris Anderson halted that run with five straight points, sparking a 7-0 surge that put the top-seeded Vikings back in front to stay en route to an 84-70 victory in the quarterfinal game at Sam Carver Gymnasium.

“We battled back and I couldn’t be more happy for the guys,” Central coach Greg Sparling said. “But they (Western) found a gear. Morris Anderson did some great things down the stretch.”

Central, which finishes 16-11, used a 17-2 run over a 41/2-minute span in the second half to take a 59-57 lead with 7:48 remaining. Toussaint Tyler sparked the rally with seven of his 18 points, while Jon Clift added five of his 14, including two free throws that gave Central the brief lead.

Anderson, who led all scorers with 23 points, responded with a basket and a three-point play, and Dave Vanderjagt added two free throws for a 64-59 lead. Clift hit two free throws, getting the Wildcats back within three but that was as close as they’d get as Western scored the next four points and 12 of 14 to open a 74-63 advantage with 2:10 left.

Clift scored five points in a 7-2 surge to get Central within 76-70 with 1:26 left, but the Wildcats were forced to foul from there, and Western made 8 of its final 10 free throws to secure the victory.

Western charged out quickly, opening a 28-8 lead and held a 38-23 halftime lead. The Vikings shot 60 percent in the half, compared to Central’s 23 percent (8 of 35).

“We shot horribly,” said Sparling, adding that Central missed so many shots in the paint that “it was ridiculous. We missed a lot of open shots.”

JC Cook added 11 points and eight rebounds, and Riley Sivak 10 points for Central.

Derrick Webb scored 14 points, and Andrew Ready had 13 for the Vikings (26-5), who advances to tonight’s semifinal against Cal Poly Pomona, a 71-62 winner over Dixie State.

“It’s tough to play up here,” Sparling said. “The big thing is that when you do fall behind by 20 in this gym, teams roll over. We didn’t. We came back.

“We just didn’t have enough at the end.”

In Friday’s other games, Brigham Young-Hawaii upset Seattle Pacific 76-73, and Cal State San Bernardino beat Humboldt State 75-66.

CENTRAL WASHINGTON — Toussaint Tyler 7-17 2-6 18, Jon Clift 3-7 7-7 14, JC Cook 3-14 5-6 11, Riley Sivak 2-6 6-6 10, Sprinker 3-9 0-0 6, Shelton 1-3 2-2 5, Snowden 1-8 2-2 4, Clyde 1-5 0-2 2, Gibler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-70 24-31 70.

WESTERN WASHINGTON — Morris Anderson 7-13 7-9 23, Derrick Webb 4-10 5-7 14, Andrew Ready 2-5 8-8 13, Rory Blanche 4-4 2-4 10, Dave Vanderjagt 2-5 3-4 7, Zach Bruce 3-5 1-10 7, Severson 2-2 2-2 6, McAllister 1-2 2-4 4, Woodworth 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-46 30-48 84.

Halftime—WWU 38, CWU 23. 3-point goals—CWU 4-16 (Tyler 2-5, Clift 1-4, Shelton 1-2, Snowden 0-2, Cook 0-3), WWU 4-6 (Anderson 2-2, Ready 1-2, Webb 1-2). Fouled out—CWU-Sivak. WWU-None. Rebounds—CWU 39 (Cook,JC 8), WWU 42 (Webb,Derrick 13). Assists—CWU 6 (Clift,Jon 4), WWU 10 (Webb,Derrick 3, Vanderjagt,Dave 3). Total fouls—CWU 30, WWU 23. Technical fouls—CWU-None, WWU-Vanderjagt, McAllister. Att—2,312.

Wildcats Hope Third Time is Charm

YAKIMA, Wash. — Records, rankings and recent history notwithstanding, Greg Sparling likes Central Washington’s chances in tonight’s NCAA Division II West Region tournament against host Western Washington.

The Wildcats, 16-10 and the region’s No. 8 seed, will take on the top-seeded Vikings, 25-5, at 7:30 in Sam Carver Gym.

Almost two weeks ago when the teams met on the same court before Fox Sports Northwest cameras, Central fell behind by 14 second-half points before bowing 90-86. Western’s bench accounted for 47 points.

On Jan. 23 in Ellensburg, Central was manhandled 84-70 with WWU guard Andrew Ready erupting for 23 points.

“We can’t let their bench score like that on us,” Sparling said Wednesday night en route to Bellingham. “And I’ve looked at their last 10 box scores, and Ready has made about three 3-pointers over that whole period.”

He made four in five attempts in Nicholson Pavilion, but that wasn’t the primary source of Sparling’s ire. Western had been the aggressor, and the coach made clear to his players afterward that such an approach was not acceptable.

Since then CWU has improved its game, though some of the momentum was lost when Humberto Perez broke his hand on Feb. 20 in a home win over Northwest Nazarene.

But beating a team three straight times can be tough, and Sparling feels Central has that and other underdog-related factors in its corner.

“Our guys had the opportunity to play at Western on TV, and a lot of these guys hadn’t been in that environment before,” he said. “And Western has the monkey on their back of losing in the first round of the tournament at home last year.”

Still, Sparling said the Wildcats must be more discreet regarding shot selection, and will need to rebound better (they were beaten 44-31 on the glass in Bellingham), among other things, in order to win.

“I don’t think anybody’s giving us a chance,” he said, “and a win would be absolutely huge for the university and the program. Our guys are the most focused I’ve seen them right now, so we’re going to go over there, take a big swing at ‘em and see what we can do.”

CWU-WWU rivalry goes postseason

YAKIMA, Wash. — Central Washington and Western Washington have a long and storied men’s basketball rivalry, but Friday night, they’ll do something they’ve never done before.

Friday’s NCAA Division II West Region quarterfinal game will mark the first time these programs will face each other in a D-II postseason game.

The 7:30 p.m. contest at Sam Carver Gymnasium in Bellingham will mark the 241st meeting between the schools, but the last time they met in the postseason was 1998, when Central defeated the Vikings 88-84 to qualify for the NAIA National Tournament.

The next season, both teams made the jump to D-II.

Central (16-10) will also be trying to end Western’s recent run of dominance in the series. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 151-89, but they have lost nine of the past 12 meetings, and 10 of the past 11 games played in Bellingham.

That includes two losses to the Vikings (25-5) this season — 84-70 on Jan. 23 in Ellensburg, and 90-86 on Feb. 28 in Bellingham.

Friday’s winner will play the winner of the 5:30 p.m. quarterfinal featuring Cal Poly Pomona (22-6) and Dixie State (20-5) in one of Saturday’s semifinals. The region championship is at 7 p.m. Monday.

The other first-round pairings have GNAC champion Seattle Pacific (22-5) facing Pacific West Conference co-champion Brigham Young-Hawaii (20-5) at 12:30 p.m., and California Collegiate Athletic Association foes Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) and Humboldt State (22-7) meeting at 2:30 p.m.

NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGION

Friday’s games

Seattle Pacific (22-5) vs. Brigham Young-Hawaii (20-5), 12:30 p.m.

Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) vs. Humboldt State (22-7), 2:30 p.m.

Cal Poly Pomona (22-6) vs. Dixie State (20-5), 5:30 p.m.

Western Washington (25-5) vs. Central Washington (16-10), 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Seattle Pacific–BYU-Hawaii winner vs. Cal State San Bernardino-Humboldt State winner, 5 p.m.

Cal Poly Pomona-Dixie State winner vs. Western-Central winner, 7 p.m.

Monday’s game

Regional Championship, semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

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