Northwest Notes, Aug. 20, 2014
Bomar just misses qualifying for Boeing Classic
COVINGTON, Wash. - Billy Bomar, majority owner at Prairie Falls Golf Club in Post Falls, shot a 4-over-par 76 and tied for 11th in a qualifier for the Champions Tour Boeing Classic on Tuesday at Druids Glen Golf Club.
The top five players - two shot 73, and three shot 73 - qualified for the tourney, which runs Friday through Sunday at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge.
CSI third, Salt Lake eighth in preseason NJCAA volleyball poll
The College of Southern Idaho is ranked third and Salt Lake Community College is ranked eighth in the NJCAA Division I preseason volleyball poll.
North Idaho College, which finished sixth at nationals last year, did not crack the top 20.
Blinn (Texas) is ranked No. 1, followed by Iowa Western.
NIC begins its season Friday and Saturday at the Community Colleges of Spokane tournament at the HUB Sports Center in Liberty Lake.
Chiefs fall camp begins Thursday
SPOKANE - The Spokane Chiefs annual fall camp begins Thursday, as more than 60 prospects and returning players will take the ice at Spokane Arena.
Ice sessions will run throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the annual Red/White Game slated for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
Camp is the first opportunity to recent WHL Bantam Draft selections to match up with WHL veterans. The impact and growth made by these young players is a focus for Chiefs' director of player personnel Chris Moulton.
"It's always good to see the returning players, but I'm most excited to see the young guys attending their first camp," Moulton said. "It's a little overwhelming for them at times but it's nice to see them grow throughout the camp process."
While the recently drafted players attempt to make an impression, returning Chiefs players look to showcase growth made during the off-season. Nineteen players return from last season's playoff roster, including a group of young defenseman looking to step up into a new role.
"I'm looking forward to watching our defense," Moulton continued. "We have a great group of young defensemen looking to earn a roster spot."
The Chiefs will look to replace their top three scorers from a season ago, including forwards Mitch Holmberg (62 goals, 56 assists) and Mike Aviani (38 goals, 43 assists) as well as defenseman and team captain Reid Gow (6 goals, 55 assists). Among returning players, defenseman Jason Fram (6 goals, 51 assists) and forward Adam Helewka (23 goals, 27 assists) are the top scorers from a year ago. The team will also look to replace starting goaltender Eric Williams, who appeared in 58 games during the 2013-14 campaign.
"It's a year of transition. We will have new players accepting new leadership roles and taking larger overall roles within our team," Moulton said.
More than anything else, Chiefs talent evaluators are looking for players willing to work and compete for their spot.
"Work ethic and competition are points of emphasis for us during camp," Moulton noted. "Camp will be competitive this year with lots of good battles. We want players to show their skill and show that they want to be a Chief."
All camp ice sessions, including the Red/White Game, are free and open to the public.
McIntosh opts not to return to Chiefs
SPOKANE - Jeremy McIntosh, a 19-year-old defenseman, will not return for the 2014-15 season, the Spokane Chiefs announced. McIntosh cited personal reasons for his decision.
"Jeremy contacted me Sunday evening to inform me of his decision to move on," Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said. "He said he has lost his passion for the game and is not as committed as he feels is necessary to play in the WHL.
"I am hoping he reconsiders his position and as an organization we will be as patient as possible should he have a change of heart. I know and agree with Jeremy that our players need to be committed and passionate to be successful at this level," Speltz added. "We expected Jeremy to be a big part of our defensive core this season and his decision is a total surprise."
QB Hilinski inks financial aid agreement with WSU
PULLMAN - Incoming freshman quarterback Tyler Hilinksi has signed a financial aid agreement to join the Washington State football program in January 2015, Cougars head coach Mike Leach announced Tuesday.
Hilinski will graduate from Upland High School in Upland, Calif. this winter, enroll at Washington State in January 2015 and be able to participate in spring drills with the Cougars.
As a junior last fall, Hilinski earned Inland Valley Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 3,053 yards, 34 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He completed 177 of 260 (.680) pass attempts and also rushed for 334 yards and four touchdowns. Against perennial power Corona Centennial High, Hilinski threw for 442 yards and seven touchdowns and later helped UHS post a 9-4 mark and claim a share of the Baseline League title.
Hilinksi, 6-4, 190, is rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com and three stars by ESPN.com and Scout.com. He is ranked the No. 106 prospect in the Western 150 and the No. 41 quarterback prospect in the country by Scout.com.
His brother, Kelly, is a quarterback at Columbia University.