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Wenatchee High School alumna Jade Fulbright was named an honorable mention All-American in the NAIA, the league announced Tuesday. Fulbright, who plays for Lewis-Clark State College, set the program’s all-time record for steals this season. Fulbright finished her career as a four-year starter for the Warriors. Lewis-Clark lost to top-ranked Union University 82-57 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA tournament on March 22.
Sean Timmerman, a multi-sport star at Tonasket High School, has committed to play football at Montana Tech University next fall. Timmerman will join Brewster’s Gabe Webster on the Orediggers’ 2008 roster.Tonasket coach Jay Hawkins said that Montana Tech does not yet have a specific position in mind for Timmerman, who played quarterback and defensive end for the Tigers. He was also the team’s punter.”They recruited him as an athlete,” Hawkins said. “I”m real excited for him. He really wanted to have a chance to play football at the collegiate level.”
In a bizarre Wenatchee High School alumni moment, Tom Ballinger (Class of 2005) and Ben Spaun (Class of ‘04) finished 1-2 at the 110-meter high hurdles at the Point Loma Invitational in San Diego. Ballinger runs for Carleton College of Minnesota and Spaun for Whitworth. Spaun won the hurdles in 14.92, just ahead of Ballinger (15.16), which was a personal best time.Ballinger won the 400-meter intermediate hurdles in 53.22, the fastest time in all of Division III this season. His performance qualified him for the national championships at Wisconsin-Oshkosh over Memorial Day weekend.Ballinger and Spaun both warmed up in Wenatchee track and field sweatshirts from 2004. They ran together in the 4×400 relay at the 2003 and 2004 state tournaments.
Some more thoughts on Wenatchee boys’ basketball coach Brett McGinnis. I found it pretty weird that athletic director B.J. Kuntz never returned my calls seeking comment on McGinnis’ tenure. That might imply that Kuntz was down on McGinnis, but I ran into Brett at the Wenatchee-Pasco softball game on Friday and he said he had just come from his annual review with Kuntz.”All smiley faces,” he said.I chatted with Gar Jeffers for nearly 45 minutes for that story, and man, that man can spin a yarn like nobody’s business. From his son Hunter’s humble beginning as a basketball player under McGinnis’ tutelage to taking the floor in the 1955 state tournament as a sixth man, I was riveted. I’d pay to hear Gar Jeffers read the phone book.
Eastmont, Wenatchee and Cashmere’s track teams just finished up competition at the Ray Cockrum Invitational on Saturday, which was great. But in the days leading up to the event, I couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Who is Ray Cockrum?’During lulls in the action at Wenatchee High School’s grand old track at the foot of Saddle Rock, I asked assistant track coach and resident Wenatchee High School athletics historian Don Whipple about Ray Cockrum. Whipp was stumped, which was a first. Normally, he’ll talk my ear off for 20 minutes before asking me what I wanted to ask him about. He directed me to meet official Dale Skalisky, who coached Wenatchee track for a quarter-century (1965-1990).It turns out that Ray Cockrum was a dedicated track parent whose daughter Coreen ran for the Panthers from 1982-1986. Coreen was also the 1986 Apple Blossom Queen.After Coreen graduated in 1986, the invitational heretofore known as the Wenatchee Invitational was renamed the Ray Cockrum Relays in celebration and appreciation of all the time Cockrum had put into the program as a fan and tournament official.Mystery solved.
Dillon Baird, a member of the 2007 Wenatchee AppleSox now playing college baseball at the University of Arizona, hit three home runs for the Wildcats in the first game of a doubleheader at Southern California on Friday afternoon. Baird, who had six runs batted in as U of A won 10-2, is now batting .391 with five homers and 20 RBI for the No. 2 ranked Wildcats. Baird hit a team-high three longballs for the Sox last year and won the WCCBL’s home run derby at the All-Star Game in Bellingham.
Check out this Seattle Times story by Craig “Sideline Smitty” Smith about how the Seattle Crossfire club soccer team forces its players to choose them over playing for their high school teams in the spring. Most of the guys didn’t think twice about leaving their high school teams behind in favor of the exposure and high-level competition that the Crossfire offers, but I admire Tyler Klein of Eastlake for spurning the club team to captain the Wolves. He’s still going to UW.We had a few situations around here recently that pitted club soccer vs. playing for the high school. Last year, Manson High School’s two best players left the team after the regular season to play club ball. After winning the league title, the Trojans promptly lost their first two playoff games.Three Wenatchee players and two Eastmont players each missed a game to play with the Wenatchee Fire indoor team at nationals in Washington.What do you think? Play with your buddies and school pride or with the club team that’ll get you to the next level?
Does anyone but me believe it’s a little fishy that all 10 Seattle Times boys basketball all-state picks were from 3A and 4A schools? Not one vote for Ephrata senior Daniel Simon or sophomore Patrick Simon? Really? They looked pretty good holding that state championship trophy and my colleagues on press row were pretty impressed with the brothers Simon. Not the right ones I guess.
Oregon State outfielder John Wallace and starting pitcher Jorge Reyes, a Warden native, were arrested early Thursday morning for allegedly firing guns at a neighboring off-campus house in an attempt to shoot beer cans off a fence. Reyes was the Most Outstanding Player in last year’s College World Series, which the Beavers won for the second straight year. Oregon State has struggled out of the gate in their attempt for a three-peat with a 7-6 record.Reyes has an ERA of 11.15 in four starts. Looks like he has better aim with a pea-shooter than he does with his fastball.
Former Wenatchee High School girls basketball player Jade Fulbright has been nominated for All-America honors this year at Lewis-Clark State. Fulbright helped lead the Warriors to a 27-4 record and a berth in the NAIA national tournament this week. A standout defender, Fulbright is one steal shy of the program’s all-time record.
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