Northwest Notes April 22, 2011
Arop to transfer from
Zags' hoops program
SPOKANE - Gonzaga sophomore Mangisto Arop has been granted his release to pursue his collegiate basketball career elsewhere, Bulldog coach Mark Few confirmed Thursday.
"Manny is an awesome individual, a great teammate, a great guy who just wants the opportunity to go play more somewhere else," Few said. "He's been great around our team, our staff and even my kids, but he thinks there might be opportunities to play more at another place. He's going to explore those opportunities. We wish him the best."
Arop, a native of Sudan whose family moved to Canada when he was 9, appeared in 28 games this past season with eight starts, averaging 15.8 minutes, 4.6 points and 2.9 rebounds. As a freshman he appeared in 31 games off the bench, averaging 11.9 minutes, 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. He suffered a broken foot in the semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament as a freshman, sidelining him for the remainder of postseason play.
NIC softball team hits road
to complete SWAC play
With the snow still flying in North Idaho in late April, it's a good thing the North Idaho College softball team is on the road for its final two weekends of Scenic West Athletic Conference play.
The third-place Cardinals (28-21, 21-17) play doubleheaders today and Saturday at second-place Southern Idaho (34-14, 28-7), then play four games in Rangely, Colo., next weekend vs. last-place Colorado Northwestern (2-39, 2-33).
CSI took all four from NIC in early March in Moses Lake.
The Region 18 tournament is scheduled for May 12-14 at the site of the SWAC champion. Salt Lake (42-6, 34-2), ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA, is close to clinching the right to host. CSI is ranked 14th. NIC was among others receiving votes.
Southern Nevada (25-25, 18-18) is fourth in the SWAC, followed by Snow (15-19, 15-19), Western Nevada (6-28, 6-28) and Colorado Northwestern.
Ex-NIC baseball player
to speak to NIC boosters
COEUR d'ALENE - Former North Idaho College baseball standout Keith Osso, now a sports reporter at KXLY, will speak at the NIC Booster Club Luncheon on Tuesday at noon at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Shore Lounge.
Osso was an all-state football and baseball player at Spokane's East Valley High before graduating in 1995. He played baseball for North Idaho College in 1999 and 2000, earning first team All-Scenic West Athletic Conference honors.
He went on to play baseball at Mesa State College in 2001 and 2002 where he was named to the all-conference and all-academic teams. He began working at KXLY as a sports reporter eight years ago and currently works on the Patchin, Osso and the Wingman show on ESPN 700-AM.
The public is welcome to attend the meeting. The cost of lunch is not covered.
Information: NIC athletics office at 769-3348
LCSC-CDA plans fundraising
golf tourney at Prairie Falls
POST FALLS - The Lewis-Clark State College - CDA Business Division's Business Student Organization is sponsoring a golf scramble April 30 at Prairie Falls Golf Club.
The event provides scholarships for local LCSC students, community recognition for sponsors, and networking opportunities for Coeur d'Alene business owners, alumni, and friends of LCSC.
The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
Golfers can register individually or in groups of up to four players. The $75 admission price includes 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, lunch sponsored by Texas Roadhouse, admission to the awards ceremony, as well as two dozen giveaways and raffle prizes valued at $3,200.
Information: www.lcsc.edu/cda, or Eric Pemberton, LCSC Business Program Advisor, at 666-6707
Vandersloot to throw out
first pitch at M's game
SEATTLE - Gonzaga women's basketball senior Courtney Vandersloot will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Sunday's Seattle Mariners game against the Oakland Athletics at Safeco Field.
The game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
WHL returns to Victoria
for 2011-12 season
VICTORIA, British Columbia - It's been almost 20 years, but the wait is over for hockey fans on Vancouver Island. The WHL will return to Victoria next season, the Western Hockey League and RG Properties Ltd. announced.
The WHL Board of Governors has approved the sale of the WHL franchise in Chilliwack and its relocation to Victoria effective starting with the 2011-12 season. Graham Lee, whose company RG Properties developed, built and operates the 7,000-seat Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, has purchased the franchise and will move the WHL franchise to the B.C. capital for the start of next season.
The B.C. capital was home to a WHL franchise for 23 seasons from 1971-94. During that period, Victoria's WHL teams produced over 50 NHL players including Geoff and Russ Courtnall, Grant Fuhr, Mel Bridgeman and Greg Adams. The WHL Victoria Cougars franchise was relocated to Prince George in 1994.
Varelia, Western Washington
win GNAC tourney at Resort
COEUR d'ALENE - Nick Varelia won medalist honors by seven shots and Western Washington won the team title by 20 strokes at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's golf championships earlier this week at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course.
The Vikings, who have won all four conference titles, shot a final-round 291 for a 54-hole total of 884. They entered the last 18 holes leading by just five strokes.
Saint Martin's placed second at 904, followed by Northwest Nazarene at 942, Simon Fraser at 953 and Montana State-Billings at 964.
Varelia finished with a 2-over par total of 215. Zach Dietz of Saint Marin's finished second with a 222 and Western's Xavier Dailly, the defending GNAC medalist, finished third at 224.
Also at The Resort, Sophie Elstrott took medalist honors in leading Western Washington to a 28-stroke victory at the inaugural GNAC women's tourney.
Western finished with a 36-hole total of 620. Saint Martin's was second at 648, including a 324 on Tuesday, followed by Montana State Billings at 666 and Simon Fraser at 763.
Elstrott shot a two-day total of 150. That was four shots better than Karly Olsen from Saint Martin's and Western's Kara Zitzman, who tied for second at 154.
Ehlo part of Hayford's
coaching staff at EWU
CHENEY - New Eastern Washington men's basketball coach Jim Hayford announced that Craig Fortier, Craig Ehlo and Shantay Legans have been hired as his assistant coaches.
Fortier spent the past four seasons as Hayford's lead assistant at Whitworth University in Spokane.
Ehlo, an analyist for Gonzaga and other college basketball telecasts in recent years, starred at Washington State, and played 14 years in the NBA. He also coached at Rogers High in Spokane for three seasons.
Legans, who enters his third season at EWU, is the lone holdover from Eastern's previous coaching staff. He played at California and Fresno State.
Chiefs' Johnson a finalist
for WHL Player of the Year
Spokane Chiefs forward Tyler Johnson, a former Coeur d'Alene Laker, has been named Western Hockey League Western Conference Player of the Year.
Johnson, a 20-year-old from Spokane, scored 53 goals and 62 assists for 115 points in 71 regular season games to lead the Chiefs to a 48-18-4-2 record for 102 points and a second-place finish in the U.S. Division.
He is a finalist for WHL Player of the Year, as is the Eastern Conference Player of the Year, former Chief goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Johnson is also a finalist for the Most Sportsmanlike Player Award. Chiefs teammate James Reid is a finalist for Goaltender of the Year, and Spokane coach Don Nachbaur is a finalist for Coach of the Year.
Former Spokane Chiefs star Michael Grabner, now with the New York Islanders, is a finalist for the 2011 Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL's top rookie.
Grabner, 23, led all NHL rookies with 34 goals and also had 18 assists for 52 points in 76 games during the regular season.