Selah earns district fastpitch title

SELAH, Wash. — After a league season when Selah’s fastpitch team was never pushed to the brink, the Vikings got a good, hard look at it Saturday afternoon.

Down six runs with six outs left in a CWAC district semifinal against Othello, the unbeaten league champions had plenty of work to do to avoid a loser-out game. And they had to do it without senior leader Mary Michael Graf, who was out with a broken hand.

But the Vikings never wavered from their strength. As long as they have at-bats they could score and often in bunches.

Rallying with a six-run sixth inning and then beating Othello 11-10 in the seventh, Selah went on to defeat Ellensburg 12-2 in five innings to repeat as district champions at Carlon Park.

“We kept our heads together, stayed calm and didn’t give up,” said senior shortstop Bailey Turner. “We had to really work hard for that (semifinal) win and after that we were more relaxed and confident. We were able to let our game show.”

Turner and Ashley Wilkey were both 3 for 3 with two runs and three RBI against Ellensburg, which advanced to the final with a 7-1 semifinal victory over Prosser.

Othello, which led Selah 10-4 heading to the bottom of the sixth, regrouped and defeated Prosser 8-4 in a winner-to-regional, loser-out game.

Selah, Ellensburg and Othello all advance to the CWAC-GNL regional tournament in Spokane on Saturday. The top four qualify for state.

After an 18-0 run through league play, Selah didn’t expect such a semifinal battle but it certainly responded to it. After the six-run uprising in the sixth tied the game at 10-10, Sarah Bersing doubled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and scored on Cheyenne Fletcher’s single to right.

Fletcher, Bersing and Laura Steiner were a combined 10 for 15 in the game.

“We were six outs away from a loser-out game, but we have a lot of confidence in our ability to hit the ball,” said Selah coach Bill Harris. “Our hitting coach Ben Graf does a great job with the approach our girls take — make good swings and get the bat on the ball. Down six runs, our girls needed that confidence and it paid off.”

With 23 runs on 28 hits in two games, the Vikings (21-1) can obviously swing the bat. But they also got a stellar pitching effort from freshman Payton Gibbs.

Taking over for ace McKenzie Zerr, who had an off day against the Othello batters, Gibbs blanked the Huskies in the seventh inning and then carried that momentum into the title game. She worked four shutout innings and yielded only two hits.

“It’s like we told McKenzie, ‘Look, it was just one of those days and Othello is a good team,’” Harris noted. “But our kids pick each other up. Payton did a real nice job finishing that Othello game and then was outstanding against Ellensburg.”

Harris admired how his team “could hit 1 through 9 in the lineup” and that was certainly true in district final.

Wilkey, batting leadoff, pulled a two-run triple down the right-field line in the third inning, and Cheyenne Merritt, batting in the No. 9 spot, was 2 for 2 with a leadoff home run in the fifth.

“Coming back on Othello was a huge win for us,” the coach said. “It was tough but I love the way the kids responded.”

Saturday’s scores

Game 1: Prosser 12, Grandview 3, loser out. Game 2: Othello 4, East Valley 2, loser out. Game 3: Ellensburg 7, Prosser 1, semifinal. Game 4: Selah 11, Othello 10, semifinal. Game 5: Othello 8, Prosser 4, winner to regional, loser out. Game 6: Selah 12, Ellensburg 2, championship, both to regional.

Championship

Selah 12, Ellensburg 2

Ellensburg 000 02 — 2 4 3
Selah 124 32 — 12 12 0

Burgess, Gibson (3), Malcolm (4) and Swanson; Gibbs, Minnick (5) and Bersing.

Highlights: Bailey Turner (S) 3-3, 2b, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Ashley Wilkey (S) 3-3, 3b, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Cheyenne Merritt (S) 2-2, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Payton Gibbs (S) 4 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits; Cassie Sharon (E) 2-3, 2b, HR, 2 RBI; Ally Burgess (E) 1-2, 2b, run.

Semifinal

Selah 11, Othello 10

Othello 005 203 0 — 10 9 2
Selah 300 016 1 — 11 16 3

Logan, Bullis (6) and Rodriguez; Zerr, Gibbs (6) and Bersing.

Highlights: Laura Steiner (S) 3-5, 3 runs, HR, 3 RBI; Sarah Bersing (S) 3-5, 3 runs, 2b, RBI; Cheyenne Fletcher (S) 4-5, run, 2 RBI.

Valley sends 10 to state in baseball, soccer

Ten local teams are competing in state competition this week. Here’s the lineup:

STATE BASEBALL
May 19 regionals

Class 2A
At Davis HS
Selah (19-5) vs. East Valley-Yakima (18-6), 10 a.m.
Ellensburg (21-1) vs. Cheney (16-8), 1 p.m.
Class 1A
At Moses Lake
Naches Valley (19-2) vs. Orting, 10 a.m.
La Salle (16-8) vs. Colville, 1 p.m.
Class 2B
At Shadle Park HS, Spokane
Riverside Christian (16-5) vs. District 7 No. 3 (TBD May 15), 10 a.m.

STATE SOCCER

Class 4A
Tuesday: Eisenhower (11-5-2) at Davis (12-4-1), 5 p.m.
Class 2A
Wednesday: Pullman (12-5) at Toppenish (17-1), 5 p.m.
Class 1A
Tuesday: Okanogan (12-7) at Highland (17-0), 4 p.m.

Prep report: Brothers in arms lead RC to state

YAKIMA, Wash. — Having played the last six games of the league season against two teams they outscored 82-7, Riverside Christian baseball coach Mark Grange was understandably edgy about how sharp his Crusaders would be at district.

But it helps to have a trio of brothers around who can pitch.

Jacob, Sterling and John Haas put together 14 stellar innings Tuesday at Eastmont, beating Lake Roosevelt 1-0 and Liberty Bell 6-1 to reach today’s North Central 2B district title game and clinch a state berth.

“Those kids threw strikes, didn’t give free passes and, with our defense behind them, they did a great job during a long day,” Grange said. “It’s just like the old saying — pitching and defense.”

Grange and his assistants did what they could to keep the intensity up during a two-week schedule that included six games against Soap Lake and Bridgeport, two programs struggling with numbers.

“You want to sit some guys in games like that, but you also want to build some momentum for the postseason,” he said. “Facing the velocity of pitching you’ll see at district was the biggest thing. I was even out there at practice doing the best I could.”

Grange had no qualms about giving the youngest Haas, freshman Jacob, the start in the district opener. He threw six innings against Lake Roosevelt with nine strikeouts and one walk and Sterling, a senior, closed out the final frame.

“Jacob has been our most consistent with throwing strikes,” the coach said. “He isn’t shaken by much and he gets in a nice rhythm.”

John Haas, a junior, threw a complete game against Liberty Bell in the semifinals with six strikeouts. That effort extended a run of 39 innings during which RC pitchers have given up just two runs.

The Crusaders (16-4) face formidable Warden (18-1) today. The Cougars, last year’s state runner-up, swept the league series with RC last month by scores of 10-2, 10-8 and 10-5.

Freshman boost for ’Cats

Like Grange, Toppenish boys soccer coach Uriel Gonzalez has a talented band of brothers that includes a standout freshman.

Senior Victor Lopez and his freshman brother Jonathan lead the CWAC district champs with 12 goals apiece. Senior Eric Lopez chipped in three of his 11 goals in two district matches and he has a twin brother, Edgar, on the team.

“Jonathan kind of came out of nowhere,” Gonzalez said. “His speed took people by surprise but his maturity level has made the real difference. Having his brother out there helps, too.”

The Wildcats, at 17-1 with a 16-game win streak, get a bye through regionals along with GNL champ Cheney. Toppenish will host a first-round state match on Wednesday against the winner of Saturday’s Grandview-Pullman regional contest.

Ike, Davis aiming for state

They shared the league title, battled for the district championship and now they’re aiming to reach the state tournament on their home fields at the same time on Saturday.

In simultaneous winner-to-state, loser-out regional games, CBBN 4A district champ Davis will host Mead while Eisenhower takes on Lewis & Clark at Marquette Stadium.

Mead won the GSL regular-season title by two games but got upset by Lewis & Clark in the first round of district. The Panthers earned the final regional berth by outlasting Ferris 1-0 in overtime on Tuesday while Central Valley blanked Lewis & Clark 3-0 in the title game.

Saturday’s two games in Yakima are linked in the state bracket so if Davis and Eisenhower both win the Pirates would host Ike on Wednesday in a first-round clash.

On to state, again

With its 3-0 run through the CWAC district tournament, Selah’s baseball team outperformed its No. 4 seed and earned a trip Saturday to Cheney, which did the same thing in the GNL district.

The Blackhawks (16-7) had the No. 5 district seed but went 3-0 and got a no-hitter from Jeremy Alderman in a 1-0 win over East Valley in the title game.

Win or lose, Selah and Cheney have already locked up state berths and will play in the Davis regional on May 19. Ellensburg and East Valley need to win their CWAC-GNL regional games on Saturday to join Selah.

Selah extended its streak of state appearances to seven years and 16 of the last 17 seasons.

From the note file

With Richland and Hanford hosting regional games Saturday, the SCAC district baseball tournament has moved three of its four games (10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m.) to Columbia Basin College in Pasco. The 7 p.m. title game will still be played at Richland.

• Kamiakin has hired Casey Gant to replace Don Schumacher as its athletic director. Gant has been the AD at Prosser for the last 11 years.

• Toppenish has hired Angie Garcia as its new volleyball coach. Garcia was previously the program’s JV coach.

• La Salle athletic director Jack McMillan said the school may add boys soccer next year. The school is gauging student interest and if the numbers reach 18 or so it would field a team in 2013.

• Team scores were tweaked a bit at last Friday’s Naches-Riverside Invitational and Riverside Christian’s girls edged La Salle 64-63 for the title.

• Scott Spruill’s prep blog is at sportsyakima.com He can be reached at 577-7686 or [email protected]

CBBN, CWAC, SCAC West all-league baseball

CBBN 4A
Player of the year: C.J. Gettman, sr., Wenatchee.
Pitcher of the year: Dustin Driver, jr., Wenatchee.
Coaching staff of the year: Jeff Zehnder, Wenatchee.
FIRST TEAM
First base: LeVonte Allen, sr., Davis. Second base: Josh Eggers, sr., Walla Walla. Third base: Jens Jensen, sr., Davis. Shortstop: Bryton Redal, sr., Moses Lake. Catcher: Elliott Sage, jr., Moses Lake; Taylor Lemke, sr., Walla Walla. Outfield: Moe Handcox, sr., Walla Walla; C.J. Edrington, sr., Chiawana; Connor Moore, sr., Richland. Utility: Corey Morris, sr., Richland. DH: Gibson McGeorge, so., Richland. Pitcher: Mason Hilty, jr., Richland; Levi Broeske, jr., Richland; Jens Jensen, sr., Davis; C.J. Gettman, sr., Wenatchee. Relief pitcher: Elias Moctezuma, fr., Davis.
SECOND TEAM
First base: Chris Gill, sr., Chiawana. Second base: Nate Ruane, jr., Richland. Third base: Hunter Chambers, so., Richland. Shortstop: Mason Hilty, jr., Richland. Catcher: Zach Alexander, sr., Davis. Outfield: Elijah Gardaya, sr., Richland; Brian Orendor, sr., Wenatchee; Chris Woodard, sr., Wenatchee. Utility: Cody Furstenberg, sr., Walla Walla. DH: Kyle Blankenship, jr., Wenatchee. Pitcher: Trenton Dupre, jr., Davis; Luke Reardon, jr., Walla Walla. Relief pitcher: Kyle Blankenship, jr., Wenatchee.
HONORABLE MENTION
Local only
First base: Angel Valencia, jr., Eisenhower. Outfield: Michael Sawyer, sr., Eisenhower.

CBBN 3A
Player of the year: Trek Stemp, sr., Kennewick.
Pitcher of the year: Colin Serkowski, sr., Hanford.
Coaching staff of the year: Tom DeWitz, Hanford.
FIRST TEAM
First base: Colin Serkowski, sr., Hanford. Second base: Ryan Neal, sr., Hanford. Third base: Drew Oord, sr., Kamiakin. Shortstop: Jesse Houser, sr., Kamiakin; A.J. Hoskins, sr., Hanford. Catcher: Dylan Maurer, sr., Southridge. Outfield: Taylor Sanderson, sr., Southridge; Trevor Jones, sr., Hanford; Troy Fulton, sr., Kennewick; Andrew Castillo, sr., Kamiakin. Utility: Cole Henderson, jr., Southridge. DH: Justin Hancock, so., Kennewick. Pitcher: Conner O’Neil, jr., Southridge; Stetson Plew, sr., Kennewick; David Marshall, so., Kamiakin; Jesse Houser, sr., Kamiakin. Relief pitcher: Bear Braich, sr., Hanford.
SECOND TEAM
First base: Jarod Gonzales, sr., Kennewick. Second base: Logan Jackson, jr., Kamiakin. Third base: Derek Thomason, sr., West Valley; Matt Mendenhall, sr., Southridge. Shortstop: Ethan Cantu, sr., Pasco; Chase Lewallen, jr., Eastmont. Catcher: Ty Earley, jr., Kamiakin; Garrett Wilz, sr., Kennewick. Outfield: Mikey Bonnett, sr., West Valley; Finn McMichael, sr., Hanford; Steven Sordahl, so., Kennewick. DH: Conner O’Neil, jr., Southridge. Pitcher: Clayten Ayres, jr., Kennewick; Jarrod Molnaa, jr., Kennewick; Carter Haehl, so., Eastmont; Chase Lewallen, jr., Eastmont. Relief pitcher: Justin Kreutz, jr., Southridge.
HONORABLE MENTION
Local only
First base: Alhanon Miller, sr., West Valley. Catcher: Cody LaRiviere, sr., West Valley.

CWAC
MVP: Josh Snider, sr., Ephrata.
Coach of the year: Todd Gibson, Ellensburg.
Sportsmanship: Toppenish.
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Kody Graham, sr., Ellensburg; Jake Monson, sr., Selah. Catcher: Cameron Campbell, so., Ellensburg. First base: Andrew Gonzalez, sr., Selah. Infield: David Garza, jr., Othello; Michael Wyatt, sr., Ellensburg; Hunter Hanson, jr., East Valley; Kyle Kilian, jr., Prosser. Outfield: Kurt Lindemann, sr., Selah; Caleb Garza, sr., Othello; Tyler Clark, jr., Ephrata; Colby White, so., Prosser. Utility: Bryce Beavers, sr., Ephrata; Ryker Ford, jr., East Valley.
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Jake Tolcacher, jr., Prosser; Carson Petrea, jr., Selah. Catcher: Chandler Gribble, so., Ephrata. First base: Corbin Richardson, jr., Ellensburg. Infield: Hugo Lemus, sr., East Valley; Jake Munguia, sr., Ellensburg; Kris Janis, sr., East Valley; Fabian Gutierrez, so., Selah. Outfield: Mason Hall, jr., Selah; Justin Juarez, jr., East Valley; Grant Kallstrom, sr., Ephrata; Junior Ledgard, so., Ellensburg. Utility: Kevin Duncan, sr., Ellensburg.
HONORABLE MENTION
Local only
Pitcher: Mitchell Wagner, jr., Grandview; Mathew Hauck, so., East Valley. Infield: John Piper, sr., Toppenish. Outfield: Chet Bardwell, jr., Grandview. Utility: Dain Schademan, jr., Ellensburg; Zack Janis, so., East Valley.

SCAC West
MVP: Cole Gilman, sr., Naches Valley.
Coach of the year: Bill Walker, Naches Valley.
FIRST TEAM
Cole Gilman, sr., Naches Valley; Noel Gonzalez, sr., Naches Valley; Lucas Denney, jr., Goldendale; Ethan Enstad, sr., Goldendale; Nolin Bare, sr., Goldendale; Gavin Rodriguez, jr., La Salle; Tanner Christenson, sr., Highland; Taylor Logan, so., Highland; Landon Messmore, sr., Zillah; Andre Braxton, sr., Cle Elum.
SECOND TEAM
Ben Wells, jr., Naches Valley; Nathan Giles, sr., Naches Valley; Cam Walker, so., Naches Valley; Michael Trunkey, sr., Goldendale; Aaron Stewart, sr., La Salle; Kevin Smith, sr., La Salle; Josiah Mitchum, sr., Highland; Parker Stohr, so., Highland; Cooper Filleau, sr., Cle Elum; Trevor Fink, sr., Zillah.
HONORABLE MENTION
Austin Molner, sr., Naches Valley; Corey Hill, so., Naches Valley; Koleman Johns, jr., Naches Valley; Ben Cochrane, so., Goldendale; Tim Bartkowski, jr., Goldendale; Trey Trepanier, jr., Highland; Kanay Sonderstrum, so., Highland; R.J. Adams, jr., Cle Elum; Kahleb Wersland, jr., Cle Elum; Gustavo Mendoza, sr., Granger.

Valley track leaders, this week’s meets

THIS WEEK’S MEETS

Friday
CBBN 4A District at Pasco, 4 p.m.
CBBN 3A District at Eastmont, 4 p.m.
CWAC District at Prosser
SCAC West Sub-District at Naches Valley, 3:30 p.m.
Greater Columbia 1B District at Glenwood, 3 p.m.
Saturday
North Central 2B South Sub-District at Kittitas, 11 a.m.

VALLEY LEADERS

Rankings reflect the top eight per event through May 8. Sprint events (100, 200, 300 meters) are all based on automatic timing with notable hand times appended. c-denotes time converted from yards. If anything looks amiss, contact me at [email protected]

BOYS

100: Sterling Clark (Prosser) 11.25, Nate Van Tuinen (Riverside Christian) 11.35, Isaac Anderson (Prosser) 11.45, Herman Herrera (Grandview) 11.49, Josh Quicksall (Cle Elum) 11.51, Lannon Parrish (Ellensburg) 11.53, Sergio Reyna (East Valley) 11.57, Colton Berleson (Prosser) 11.57. Hand timed: Van Tuinen 11.0, Quicksall 11.2, Briley Cameron (Goldendale) 11.3, Jacob Oswalt (Granger) 11.4, Ty Poole (Kittitas) 11.4.
200: Ignacio Ibarra (Wapato) 22.93, Isaac Anderson (Prosser) 23.00, James Wildman (Prosser) 23.19, Nate Van Tuinen (Riverside Christian) 23.21, Sergio Reyna (East Valley) 23.42, Austin Wagner (Davis) 23.49, Luis Leon (West Valley) 23.61, Reyes Cuevas (Sunnyside) 23.67. Hand timed: Van Tuinen 22.8, Jacob Oswalt (Granger) 23.1, Briley Cameron (Goldendale) 23.3, Oliver Ames (Zillah) 23.3.
400: Nate Van Tuinen (Riverside Christian) 50.31, Ignacio Ibarra (Wapato) 50.58, Drew Schreiber (Eisenhower) 50.87, Julian Avalos (Kittitas) 51.30, Sterling Clark (Prosser) 52.22, Sergio Reyna (East Valley) 52.40, Reyes Cuevas (Sunnyside) 52.46, Angel Rodriguez (Zillah) 52.4h.
800: Drew Schreiber (Eisenhower) 1:57.39, Joseph Knox (Davis) 1:57.73, Chase Mears (West Valley) 1:58.45, Jaziel Rodriguez (Eisenhower) 1:58.68, Santos Vargas (Eisenhower) 1:58.70, Rogelio Bahena (Davis) 2:00.19, Jan Eymer (Davis) 2:01.63, Julian Avalos (Kittitas) 2:01.78.
1,600: Santos Vargas (Eisenhower) 4:15.12, Jaziel Rodriguez (Eisenhower) 4:19.42, Joseph Knox (Davis) 4:24.92, Chase Mears (West Valley) 4:29.67, Jesus Medina (Eisenhower) 4:31.01, Jeffrey Ott (Ellensburg) 4:33.59, Gage Benner (Eisenhower) 4:34.27, Justin Irvine (West Valley) 4:34.56.
3,200: Santos Vargas (Eisenhower) 9:11.66, Jaziel Rodriguez (Eisenhower) 9:40.71, Jeffrey Ott (Ellensburg) 9:45.00, Tyler York (Eisenhower) 9:48.53, Kyle Chapman (Eisenhower) 10:06.99, Alex Palacios (Davis) 10:07.17, Brian Islas (Davis) 10:07.89, Ben Mahony (Eisenhower) 10:09.91.
110 hurdles: Jaime De La Torre (Wapato) 15.75, Brady Conway (Goldendale) 16.00, Eric Amaro (Sunnyside) 16.12, Elijah Pena (Sunnyside) 16.14, Jordan DeSanto (Riverside Christian) 16.20, Kyler Roberts (Davis) 16.26, Omar Manzo (Toppenish) 16.38, Jack Picatti (La Salle) 16.46. Hand timed: Conway 15.6, DeSanto 15.7, Manzo 15.8.
300 hurdles: Austin Lynn (Davis) 40.82, Jaime De La Torre (Wapato) 41.05, Brady Conway (Goldendale) 41.92, Elijah Pena (Sunnyside) 42.18, Jordan DeSanto (Riverside Christian) 42.31, Omar Manzo (Toppenish) 42.43, Ignacio Ibarra (Wapato) 42.60, Riley Haringa (Prosser) 43.12. Hand timed: Conway 41.3.
4×100: Davis (Wagner, Carter, Kupp, Lynn) 44.42, West Valley 44.58, Zillah 44.7h, Prosser 44.85, Sunnyside 45.33, Grandview 45.44, East Valley 45.47, Cle Elum 45.5h.
4×400: Prosser (Clark, Hibbs, Hurtado, Wildman) 3:30.38, Davis 3:32.05, Eisenhower 3:32.24, Riverside Christian 3:35.47, Zillah 3:35.6h, West Valley 3:35.99, Wapato 3:36.09, Kittitas 3:36.68.
Shot: Jake Callaghan (Naches Valley) 55-11, Austin Gagnon (Zillah) 47-6, Oliver Devlin (West Valley) 46-0, Chris Maybee (Selah) 44-10 1/4, Braydon Ross (Goldendale) 44-10 1/4, Mikal Livingston (Eisenhower) 44-10, Daniel Villanueva (Davis) 43-10.
Discus: Oliver Devlin (West Valley) 153-9, Braydon Ross (Goldendale) 149-8, Chris Maybee (Selah) 141-5, Adrian Villasenor (Toppenish) 140-1, Mikal Livingston (Eisenhower) 138-11, Adrian Gutierrez (Mabton) 129-2, Cole Walters (Klickitat) 127-11, Ezequiel Viramontes (East Valley) 126-8.
Javelin: Fernando Valencia (Riverside Christian) 186-1, Eric Amaro (Sunnyside) 177-0, Jason Easter (Eisenhower) 167-8, Miguel Guzman (Sunnyside) 165-10, Cole Walters (Klickitat) 164-10, Rodolfo Cruz (Prosser) 163-7, Austin Lynn (Davis) 162-4, James Swanson (West Valley) 160-7.
High jump: Thane Pierson (Naches Valley) 6-6, Wade French (Prosser) 6-4, Cameron Rath (Selah) 6-0, Ethan Hibbs (Prosser) 5-10, Austin Lynn (Davis) 5-10, Scott Frank (Zillah) 5-10, Tim Lambert (Klickitat) 5-10, Jesse McDaniel (Kittitas) 5-10.
Long jump: Nate Van Tuinen (Riverside Christian) 21-0 3/4, Eduardo Salmeron (Sunnyside) 21-0, Thane Pierson (Naches Valley) 20-10 3/4, Matt Bennett (Ellensburg) 20-9, Isaac Messenger (Goldendale) 20-8 1/2, Jacob Oswalt (Granger) 20-3 1/4, Sylas Cater (Davis) 20-2, Scott Frank (Zillah) 20-1.
Triple jump: Nate Van Tuinen (Riverside Christian) 43-6, Eduardo Salmeron (Sunnyside) 43-2, Riley Haringa (Prosser) 42-5 1/2, Brady Conway (Goldendale) 41-3, Sergio Lugo (Sunnyside) 40-10, Joey Hurtado (Prosser) 40-9, Sylas Carter (Davis) 40-4 3/4, Thane Pierson (Naches Valley) 40-2 1/4.
Pole vault: Zane Irvine (West Valley) 14-1, Ignacio Ibarra (Wapato) 14-0, Jacob Hino (Eisenhower) 13-6, Isaac Anderson (Prosser) 13-6, Colton Peyser (Selah) 12-9, Nic Venema (Bickleton) 12-6, Peter Clinton (Bickleton) 12-3, Jaime De La Torre (Wapato) 12-0.

GIRLS

100: Marlee Rees (Prosser) 12.55, Tierney Silliman (West Valley) 12.66, Angie Zuniga (Toppenish) 12.73, Carlee Creager (Cle Elum) 13.07, Becca Niemeyer (Prosser) 13.14, Tracey Bautista (Davis) 13.21, Taylor Wicht (Selah) 13.25, Katelyn Pendley (Thorp) 13.39, Alexia Rodriguez (Ellensburg) 13.39. Hand timed: Pendley 12.8, Creager 12.8.
200: Angie Zuniga (Toppenish) 26.18, Tierney Silliman (West Valley) 26.31, Kelcie Russell (Ellensburg) 26.59, Marisa Broersma (Sunnyside) 26.75, Katelyn Pendley (Thorp) 26.84, Rachel Massey (Eisenhower) 27.00, Kailee Wood (Selah) 27.08, Samantha Herzog (East Valley) 27.10.
400: Amber Reiber (Selah) 59.81, Keana Fine (Eisenhower) 1:00.40, Rachel Massey (Eisenhower) 1:01.07, Kolby Childers (Prosser) 1:01.0h, Marisa Broersma (Sunnyside) 1:01.58, Kennedy Mattern (Toppenish) 1:02.19, Sheila Silvas (Davis) 1:02.46, Lindsay Clerf (Kittitas) 1:02.50.
800: Jaden Gjestrum (West Valley) 2:21.15, Sydney Allen (Davis) 2:22.44, Mayra Chavez (Eisenhower) 2:24.69, Valerie Vogt (Trout Lake-Glenwood) 2:26.42, Edith Zaragoza (Eisenhower) 2:27.95, Kolby Childers (Prosser) 2:28.68, Alyssa Pena (Eisenhower) 2:29.45, Sheila Silvas (Davis) 2:29.96.
1,600: Mayra Chavez (Eisenhower) 5:17.22c, Valerie Vogt (Trout Lake-Glenwood) 5:24.46, Samantha Gil (Eisenhower) 5:29.44, Elise Tello (Eisenhower) 5:30.85, Sammi Jo Blodgett (Wapato) 5:32.49, Yasi Mohsenian (East Valley) 5:35.61, Amber Nickerson (Ellensburg) 5:36.52, Edith Zaragoza (Eisenhower) 5:39.45.
3,200: Mayra Chavez (Eisenhower) 11:11.20, Elise Tello (Eisenhower) 11:52.75, Rachel Farris (Ellensburg) 12:09.49, Margret Parobek (West Valley) 12:18.77, Rachel Farris (Ellensburg) 12:26.07, Grace Whitmer (Davis) 12:26.69, Samantha Gil (Eisenhower) 12:26.86, Yasi Mohsenian (East Valley) 12:26.89.
100 hurdles: Akaisha Charlton (Ellensburg) 16.63, Jazmin Guerrero (Prosser) 17.03, Lexi Carpenter (Riverside Christian) 17.43, Devin Simpson (Eisenhower) 17.60, April Soelberg (Riverside Christian) 17.83, Cassie Riel (La Salle) 17.85, Lindsay Brown (Bickleton) 17.88, Brittany Broersma (Sunnyside) 18.01. Hand timed: Bethany Imperial (Riverside Christian) 17.3, Beth Wise (Zillah) 17.3.
300 hurdles: Madison Moore (Prosser) 48.11, Madison Moffat (Ellensburg) 48.59, Brittany Broersma (Sunnyside) 49.12, Lexi Carpenter (Riverside Christian) 49.80, Regine Standley (La Salle) 50.08, Akaisha Charlton (Ellensburg) 50.65, Mackenzie Davis (Prosser) 50.78, Sammi Jo Blodgett (Wapato) 50.88. Hand timed: Bethany Imperial (Riverside Christian) 49.1, Standley 49.4, April Soelberg (Riverside Christian) 50.3.
4×100: Prosser (Moore, Childers, Niemeyer, Rees) 50.70, Selah 50.77, Sunnyside 51.60, Ellensburg 51.89, Toppenish 51.92, Davis 51.95, Eisenhower 52.23, Cle Elum 53.1h.
4×200: Prosser (Moore, Childers, Niemeyer, Rees) 1:45.88, Sunnyside 1:49.53, Selah 1:50.15, Davis 1:50.23, Ellensburg 1:51.58, Cle Elum 1:52.3h, Toppenish 1:52.76, West Valley 1:53.10.
4×400: Eisenhower (Massey, Gil, Chavez, Fine) 4:07.12, Ellensburg 4:11.31, Prosser 4:17.18, Riverside Christian 4:22.72, Zillah 4:29.3h, Trout Lake-Glenwood 4:29.51, Kittitas 4:33.07, Grandview 4:34.71.
Shot: Ewieona Williams (Eisenhower) 37-2 1/2, Kelsie Taylor (Naches Valley) 37-0, Mikaela Zimmer (East Valley) 36-0 3/4, Hunter Roberts (Riverside Christian) 33-6 1/4, Rachel Bush (Eisenhower) 33-0 1/2, Kylie Montgomery (Goldendale) 32-9, Anna White (Prosser) 32-3, Ashley Sabin (Kittitas) 32-3.
Discus: Claire Goins (Eisenhower) 118-1, Ewieona Williams (Eisenhower) 117-0, Samantha Fate (Wapato) 113-4, Kelsie Taylor (Naches Valley) 108-2, Brooke Brown (Eisenhower) 108-1, Anna White (Prosser) 105-11, Janell Dufault (La Salle) 104-5, Sarah Roberts (Riverside Christian) 101-1.
Javelin: Kelsie Taylor (Naches Valley) 132-8, Brooke Brown (Eisenhower) 128-9, Brittany Adkison (Selah) 119-0, KC Andrus (Cle Elum) 114-3, Nicole Nobbs (Riverside Christian) 112-0, Lara Parsons (Klickitat) 111-11, Erika Wilson (Selah) 109-11, Emily Murphy (West Valley) 109-9.
High jump: Kelcie Russell (Ellensburg) 5-2, Ava Tolcacher (Prosser) 5-0, Ryane Holmes (Davis) 5-0, Emily Seaman (Zillah) 5-0, Kendall Platsman (Sunnyside) 4-10, Rachel Massey (Eisenhower) 4-10, Katelyn Pendley (Thorp) 4-10, Lindsay Clerf (Kittitas) 4-10, Lindsay Brown (Bickleton) 4-10, Aryssa Brantner (West Valley) 4-10.
Long jump: Marlee Rees (Prosser) 16-9 1/2, Regine Standley (La Salle) 16-5 1/4, Karla Martinez (Davis) 16-3, Kailee Wood (Selah) 16-2 1/2, Samantha Herzog (East Valley) 16-2, Bethany Imperial (Riverside Christian) 16-0 1/2, Nicole Schultz (West Valley) 15-7 3/4, Ashleigh Fraser (Cle Elum) 15-7.
Triple jump: Karla Martinez (Davis) 34-9 3/4, Regine Standley (La Salle) 33-10, Bethany Imperial (Riverside Christian) 33-6 1/2, Erica Clerf (Kittitas) 32-3 1/4, Jamie Venema (Bickleton) 32-1 1/2, Deanna Avalos (La Salle) 31-11, Emily Seaman (Zillah) 31-10 1/4, Sydney Mercer (Prosser) 31-9 1/2.
Pole vault: Taylor Wicht (Selah) 9-6, Madison Moore (Prosser) 9-6, Linnea Phillips (West Valley) 9-0, Serena Streich (West Valley) 9-0, Jamie Venema (Bickleton) 8-8, Alexys Braley (Wapato) 8-6 1/2, Mackenzie Davis (Prosser) 8-6, Geordan Skyles (Sunnyside) 8-6.

Postseason soccer this week, updated 5/12

CBBN 4A District
May 5
Game 1: Davis 1, Eisenhower 0 (2OT), championship, both to regional.
Game 2: Richland 4, Moses Lake 1, loser out.
Game 3: Chiawana 1, Walla Walla 0, loser out.
May 8
Game 4: Chiawana 2, Richland 1, loser out, winner No. 3 to regional.

CBBN-GSL 4A Regional
May 12
Game 1: Central Valley 2, Chiawana 1, winner to state, loser out.
Game 2: Davis 2, Mead 0, winner to state, loser out.
Game 3: Eisenhower 2, Lewis & Clark 0, winner to state, loser out.

CBBN-GSL 3A Regional
May 3 play-ins
Sunnyside 6, West Valley 1, loser out.
Kamiakin 2, Pasco 1 (2OT), loser out.
May 5
Game 1: Sunnyside 1, University 0 (SO), loser out.
Game 2: Kennewick 5, Kamiakin 1, loser out
May 9
Game 3: Eastmont 2, Sunnyside 1, semifinal.
Game 4: Kennewick 4, Mt. Spokane 1, semifinal.
May 12
Game 5: Eastmont 2, Kennewick 0, championship, both to state.
Game 6: Mt. Spokane 1, Sunnyside 0, winner to state, loser out.

CWAC District
May 3
Game 1: Grandview 1, Selah 0 (SO), loser out.
Game 2: Ellensburg 3, Quincy 2 (SO), loser out.
May 5
Game 3: Othello 3, Grandview 0, semifinal.
Game 4: Toppenish 5, Ellensburg 1, semifinal.
May 8
Game 5: Grandview 4, Ellensburg 3, winner to regional, loser out.
Game 6: Toppenish 3, Othello 0, championship, winner to state, loser to regional.

CWAC-GNL Regional
May 12
Game 1: Pullman 2, Grandview 1 (SO), winner to state, loser out.
Game 2: Othello 4, West Valley-Spokane 1, winner to state, loser out.

SCAC District
May 5
Game 1: Mabton 2, Granger 1 (SO), loser out
Game 2: Wahluke 3, Connell 0, loser out
May 8
Game 3: Highland 3, Mabton 0, semifinal, loser out.
Game 4: Royal 1, Wahluke 0, semifinal, loser out.
May 10 at Wahluke
Game 5: Highland 5, Royal 1, championship, both to state.

Postseason baseball this week, updated 5/12

CWAC District
May 2
Game 1: East Valley 7, Othello 1, loser out.
Game 2: Selah 3, Prosser 0, loser out.
May 5
At Selah
Game 3: East Valley 6, Ephrata 5, semifinal.
Game 4: Selah 7, Ellensburg 5, semifinal.
Game 5: Ellensburg 14, Ephrata 9, winner No. 3 to regional, loser out.
Game 6: Selah 13, East Valley 10, championship, winner No. 1, loser No. 2 to regional.

CWAC-GNL Regional
May 12
Game 1: Ellensburg 8, at East Valley-Spokane 2, winner to state, loser out.
Game 2: East Valley-Yakima 3, Clarkston 2, winner to state, loser out.
Game 3: Selah 5, Cheney 1, both to state.

SCAC District
May 8
Game 1: La Salle 8, Royal 7.
Game 2: Naches Valley 13, Connell 3.
Game 3: Goldendale 17, Burbank 9.
Game 4: Kiona-Benton 5, Highland 3.
May 11
Game 5: Royal d. Connell, loser out.
Game 6: Burbank 9, Highland 6, loser out.
Game 7: Naches Valley 5, La Salle 0, semifinal.
Game 8: Kiona-Benton 10, Goldendale 0, semifinal.
May 12
At Columbia Basin CC
Game 9: Royal 3, Goldendale 2, loser out.
Game 10: La Salle 6, Burbank 3, loser out.
Game 11: La Salle 7, Royal 1, both to state.
At Richland HS
Game 12: Naches Valley 5, Kiona-Benton 2, championship, both to state.

North Central 2B District
At Eastmont HS and JH
May 8
Game 1: Kittitas 5, Brewster 2.
Game 2: Riverside Christian 1, Lake Roosevelt 0.
Game 3: Warden 9, Kittitas 4, semifinal.
Game 4: Riverside Christian 6, Liberty Bell 1, semifinal.
May 11
Game 5: Brewster d. Liberty Bell, loser out.
Game 6: Lake Roosevelt 12, Kittitas 2, loser out.
Game 7: Warden 2, Riverside Christian 1, championship, both to state.
Game 8: Brewster d. Lake Roosevelt, both to state.

Postseason fastpitch this week, updated 5/12

CBBN 3A District
May 10
Game 1: West Valley 11, Pasco 8, loser out.
Game 2: Hanford 8, Eastmont 4, loser out.
May 12
At Pasco-TRAC
Game 3: Southridge 8, West Valley 3, semifinal.
Game 4: Kamiakin 7, Hanford 0, semifinal.
Game 5: Kamiakin 8, Southridge 0, championship, both to regional.
Game 6: Hanford 12, West Valley 1, both to regional.

CWAC District
May 12
At Selah
Game 1: Prosser 12, Grandview 3, loser out.
Game 2: Othello 4, East Valley 2, loser out.
Game 3: Ellensburg 7, Prosser 1, semifinal.
Game 4: Selah 11, Othello 10, semifinal.
Game 5: Othello 8, Prosser 4, winner to regional, loser out.
Game 6: Selah 12, Ellensburg 2, championship, both to regional.

CWAC-GNL Regional
May 19
At Merkel Complex, Spokane
Game 1: Othello vs. GNL No. 2, loser out, noon.
Game 2: GNL No. 3 vs. Ellensburg, loser out, noon.
Game 3: Winner 1 vs. Selah, semifinal, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Winner 2 vs. GNL No. 1, semifinal, 2 p.m.
Game 5: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, third-fourth, both to state, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, championship, both to state, 4 p.m.

SCAC District
May 17
Game 1: Burbank at Cle Elum, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Naches Valley at Connell, 4 p.m.
Game 3: Goldendale at River View, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Royal at Zillah, 4 p.m.
May 19
At West Valley
Game 5: Loser 1 vs. Loser 2, loser out, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Loser 3 vs. Loser 4, loser out, 10 a.m.
Game 7: Winner 1 vs. Winner 2, semifinal
Game 8: Winner 3 vs. Winner 4, semifinal
Game 9: Winner 5 vs. Loser 8, loser out
Game 10: Winner 6 vs. Loser 7, loser out
Game 11: Winner 9 vs. Winner 10, winner to state, loser out
Game 12: Winner 7 vs. Winner 8, championship, both to state

North Central 2B District
May 17
At Eastmont
Game 1: North No. 4 vs. South No. 3, loser out, 3 p.m.
Game 2: South No. 4 vs. North No. 3, loser out, 3 p.m.
Game 3: Winner 1 vs. North No. 2, loser out
Game 4: Winner 2 vs. Kittitas, loser out
May 19
At Eastmont
Game 5: Winner 3 vs. Warden, semifinal, 1 p.m.
Game 6: Winner 4 vs. North No. 1, semifinal, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner 5 vs. Winner 6, championship, both to state
Game 8: Loser 5 vs. Loser 6, third-fourth, both to state

Soccer: Twin powers lift Highland

Junior forwards have scored 45 goals for unbeaten Highland ||

YAKIMA, Wash. — Jesus Gutierrez and Luis Nogales aren’t making a race out of it. They are both closers in a much broader effort and neither is keen on taking too much credit for it.

But as closers go, these two Highland juniors are inseparable in their ability to put the Scotties’ boys soccer team on the board. Gutierrez has a Valley-leading 25 goals and Nogales has hit the net 20 times.

That twin striking ability has helped push a young Highland team into May without a loss. After completing a 15-0 regular season earlier this week, the Scotties have a week to prepare for a SCAC district semifinal on Tuesday.

Surprising, given the team’s youth and 11-9 season a year ago?

“To tell you the truth, yes, it is a little surprising,” said Gutierrez, a wiry-fast 6-foot forward. “I thought we’d probably work through some losses, but I also knew we looked pretty good at the start of the season. You could see we’d have a strong team.”

“I knew it would be better for us this year but I didn’t expect it to be this good,” Nogales offered. “We started off good and our confidence and intensity just took off from there.”

Coach Greg Wagner knew he had a proven scorer in Gutierrez, who chipped in 11 goals as a sophomore. But the versatile Nogales created a dilemma, being equally skilled at both ends of the field.

“Last year I was a forward and sweeper, half and half depending on how the game went,” Nogales said. “But this year me and Jesus just get along so well. And our defense has been strong. I like being a stopper and I still give them advise on little things, but being out front has been fun, too.”

Senior goalkeeper Antonio Gonzalez and his defense posted seven shutouts in Highland’s first eight matches as the early wins came relatively easy for the Scotties. But the team learned to buckle down when things got tight in recent weeks, beating the SCAC’s other top teams by a goal — Mabton 2-1, Wahluke 2-1 and Royal 3-2 in a shootout.

“When we play well we’re a very tough team to beat,” Wagner said. “But when things slip a little, it’s different. Against Royal, we played the first half like an extremely good team capable of going a long ways. In the second half, though, we looked beatable. The kids see that and know it’s all about being focused as a team.”

Helping with that focus — and indeed contributing greatly to the 15-0 record — has been the memory of Alex Verduzco, who would have been a senior leader on the defense had it not been for a car accident that took his life just before the 2011 season.

“He was like my best friend — we lived close together and I was at his house all the time. He was a great defender and this would’ve been his defense right here,” Nogales said while the team ran through a light practice. “He’s always with us. Everything is for Alex.”

“It’s like we have that 12th player out there,” Gutierrez added. “We know he’s looking in on us.”

“Alex is still on our roster and is very much a part of this team,” Wagner noted. “For the kids, his memory gives them a purpose that goes beyond just winning. They’ve been great about honoring him.”

It’s in that spirit that Gutierrez and Nogales have rung up 45 goals and shared the achievement every step of the way, both with each other and the team.

“We’re all one,” Gutierrez said. “Everybody has their job and without them we wouldn’t score any goals. That’s our mentality.”

Added Nogales, “Everybody does their part and ours is to open things up and score goals. I don’t mind giving him the ball and he doesn’t mind giving me the ball. That’s what makes us so good up top.”

Prep report: Freshman gives Davis a big boost

YAKIMA, Wash. — Pete Orgill doesn’t pay much attention when some people think he’s lost his marbles. When a Hall of Fame prep baseball coach goes with his instincts over standard thinking, go with the coach.

So it was on Tuesday when Davis faced Moses Lake in a loser-out game to open the postseason and Orgill handed the ball to a freshman.

Did you get the loser-out part of that scenario? And this with two aces at hand — Trenton Dupre and Jens Jensen.

“It’s not the typical thing to do, and some people thought I was nuts,” Orgill said. “But this kid is for real.”

Orgill’s ninth-grader is Elias Moctezuma, a 6-foot-1 right-hander who instilled more than enough confidence in his coach to make the risky move. And all he did was pitch six shutout innings, strike out 10 and carry the Pirates to a 4-2 victory.

“He’s one of my top three pitchers and, freshman or not, I had all the confidence in him,” the coach said. “We brought him in twice against Walla Walla last week and he shut them down. To show that kind of control and composure for a freshman is remarkable. The kid has no fear.”

Moctezuma’s effectiveness allowed the Pirates to rest Dupre for the district finals Saturday. The Pirates (15-7) face Walla Walla (14-8) in a loser-out game at Eastmont at 1 p.m. and Dupre combined with Moctezuma to beat the Blue Devils 6-3 on April 24.

“What Elias did for us was huge,” Orgill said.

If Davis beats Walla Walla, it would play again at 4 p.m. and, regardless of the outcome, qualify for the CBBN-GSL regionals next week.

Ike-Davis Round 3

One week after facing off at Marquette Stadium, Eisenhower and Davis will clash on the soccer field again on Saturday — this time at Davis with the CBBN 4A district title on the line.

Both teams finished league play tied for first at 8-4 and each defended its home turf, Davis winning the first meeting 3-1 and Ike prevailing last week 2-0. Both will be recognized as co-league champs before Saturday’s 1 p.m. match.

The Pirates earned the home field based on the league’s points system, 47-45 over Ike.

There’s a huge reward for reaching the district title match — both teams advance to host CBBN-GSL regional matches on May 12. The CBBN’s third regional qualifier will have to win back-to-back loser-out matches on Saturday and Tuesday.

EV’s Cullen earns state honor

The athletic director gig is a relentless one with as many headaches as rewards, so it’s nice to see some statewide recognition for one of our own.

East Valley’s Dave Cullen was honored as the state co-athletic director of the year for the 2011-12 school year in Spokane last week. Cullen and Ken Lindgren of Oakesdale shared the award from the Washington Secondary Schools Athletic Administrators Association.

Cullen, the athletic director at East Valley since 2001, received the WSSAAA’s state award of merit three years ago.

CWAC baseball at Carlon

The CWAC district baseball tournament has boiled down to four teams — the same top four during the regular season — and they will vie for three CWAC-GNL regional berths Saturday at Selah’s Carlon Park.

The first semifinal at 10 a.m. pairs East Valley (16-5) and No. 2 seed Ephrata (15-5). Their conference doubleheader was way back on March 17 and it was a split.

At 12:30 p.m., Selah (16-5) will take on top-ranked and unbeaten Ellensburg (19-0). The Bulldogs swept that twin bill, also back in March, 6-5 and 5-3.

The losers play at 3 p.m. in a loser-out game followed by the district final at 6.

In the CWAC-GNL regional round on May 12, the district champions will play at the GNL site with both advancing to state while the No. 2s and 3s play for the other two berths.

Keeping track

• West Valley freshman Tierney Silliman is the state leader in the 100 among ninth-graders with a best of 12.66. She ranks third in the 200 at 26.31.

• I whiffed last week on 2003 while compiling a list of the Valley’s all-time best performances in the boys 3,200. That’s the year Brian Ehlis broke West Valley’s school record with a run of 9:10.49, which ranks fourth.

• Ellensburg’s Jeffrey Ott (4:33.59, 9:45.00) continues to make a nice comeback from a foot injury that kept him out of the first three weeks of the season.

• Prosser’s versatile Madison Moore owns or has a part of four Valley-leading performances — the 300 hurdles, 4×100, 4×200 and pole vault. She runs leadoff on the relays.

• Two big 800s turned in last Saturday: White River’s Marcus Dickson clocked 1:49.45, missing the state record by .04, and Camas freshman Alexa Efraimson ran 2:08.92. Dickson, who ranks second in the nation in the 800, ran the 1,600 in 4:05.83 two days earlier.

• Next week’s first step of the postseason will see Friday district meets at Pasco (4A), Eastmont (3A), Prosser (2A), Naches Valley (1A) and Glenwood (1B). Kittitas will host a 2B meet on Saturday, May 12.

• Scott Spruill’s prep blog is at sportsyakima.com He can be reached at 577-7686 or [email protected].

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