NORTHWEST NOTES May 7, 2011

Swimmers Hamm, Hair,

Clutter place in top 10

MESA, Ariz. - Three swimmers from Lake City Masters attended the recent U.S. Masters Spring National Championships. With more than 1,800 participants ranging in age from 18 to 96, record-setting performances by the local swimmers include:

Mike Hamm - 50 breast 4th, 100 breast 4th, 200 back 9th, 100 back 11th

Margaret Hair - 200 breast 3rd, 200 butterfly 4th, 400 individual medley 5th, 1000 free 5th, 100 individual medley 7th, 100 butterfly 7th

Cindy Clutter - 1650 free 9th, 500 free 20th, 50 breast 24th, 100 breast 29th

Twenty-four swimmers from the Inland Northwest scored 268 points to rank the regional team 10th in the national competition.

Shock add NFL-vet Gessner;

Tennell placed on IR

SPOKANE - The Spokane Shock added wide receiver Chas Gessner has been added to the 2011 roster. In another roster move, wide receiver Adron Tennell was placed on the Injured Reserve List.

Gessner (6-5, 215 pounds) is a veteran of the NFL, NFL Europe, the UFL, and the AFL.

Prior to his professional career, Gessner was a teammate of Shock QB Kyle Rowley at Brown University. As a junior, Gessner recorded 12 touchdowns and 83 receptions from Rowley. A Walter Payton finalist, Gessner finished his career at Brown with 292 receptions for 3,408 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Gessner made his professional debut when he signed as an undrafted free-agent with the New England Patriots in 2003 where he earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the practice squad. In 2004, Gessner joined the NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder where he captured a World Bowl title and was named to the All-NFL Europe team. Gessner also gained NFL experience on the practice squads of the New York Jets (2004) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006-2007).

Spokane plays at Pittsburgh tonight (5 p.m., KSKN).