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Northwest Notes July 21, 2021

| July 21, 2021 1:00 AM

Matchups set for state

Little League playoffs

EAGLE — Coeur d'Alene's 11U and 10U all-stars, coming off District 1 championships last weekend in Coeur d'Alene, will both play teams from District 2's West Valley Little League in the state best-of-3 championship series this weekend.

Lewiston, which won the 12U (Majors) District 1 title, will also face a team from West Valley for the state title.

All three series are scheduled for Duck Alley Fields in Eagle, with Game 1 Friday at 6 p.m., Game 2 on Saturday at 10 a.m. and Game 3, if necessary, on Sunday at 10 a.m.

The West Valley Little League includes players from Eagle, Star and Middleton.

State is the end of the road for the 11U and 10U teams.

The 12U winner between Lewiston and West Valley advances to the Northwest Regional in San Bernardino, Calif. There, the top two teams at regionals advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.

Normally, only the regional champ advances to the LLWS, but this year, with no international teams attending due to COVID-19, all 16 teams will be from the U.S. — instead of the usual eight.

Pickleball clinics

resume this week

COEUR d'ALENE — Summer pickleball coaching sessions are scheduled to begin this week at the Cherry Hill Park courts.

Players must register through the Coeur d'Alene Parks and Recreation Department.

Cost for four two-hour sessions is $10.

The sessions are as follows:

Beginners — Thursdays 9 to 11 a.m.

Level 2.0-2.5 — Tuesdays 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Level 2.5-3.0 — Mondays 9 to 11 a.m.

Level 3.0-3.5 — Fridays 9 to 11 a.m.

Spokane Sports creates three collegiate indoor track and field meets for The Podium, brings on Lanker

SPOKANE — When The Podium opens this fall, it will boast one of the only 200-meter hydraulic banked indoor tracks in the United States, and the only one of its kind in the Northwest. Spokane Sports has created three of its own indoor track and field meets for the inaugural season — partnering with Washington State on two of those indoor meets.

Meets include the Spokane Invitational on Dec. 11, the Cougar Classic on Jan. 14-15 and the WSU Open & Invite on Feb. 4-5.

Spokane Sports also announced that Linda Lanker, former Coeur d'Alene High head track and field coach, will join the meet administration team.

For more than four decades Lanker has coached on the high school, collegiate, national and world stage. Her accomplishments include coaching elite USA Track and Field athletes, being named USATF President’s Award winner, a member of USATF Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee, and serving as USATF INW Association Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee Chair. Lanker will focus on official’s recruitment, training, and coordination for The Podium. Lanker lives in Coeur d’Alene.

Big Sky announces 20-game conference schedule in men's and women's basketball

The 2021-22 Big Sky men's and women's basketball conference schedules have been released for the inaugural season of ICCU Arena as the home of the Idaho Vandals.

The Vandal men will begin the conference slate of games by hosting Southern Utah on Dec. 4.

Following the holiday break, Idaho will hit the road, playing at Northern Arizona (Dec. 30) and Portland State (Jan. 1).

The team will come home to host Montana State on Jan. 6 before hitting the road for a three-game road trip, traveling to Eastern Washington (Jan. 8), Weber State (Jan. 13) and Idaho State (Jan. 15).

The Vandals will return to ICCU Arena to host Northern Colorado and Sacramento State on Jan. 20 and 22, respectively.

A game at Montana on Jan. 27 will wrap up the first half of the Big Sky slate of games, and the Vandals will begin the second time through the conference at Montana State on Jan. 29. They will wrap up another three-game road trip by meeting Southern Utah in Cedar City on Feb. 3.

A four-game home stand begins Feb. 10, when Idaho State makes the trip to Moscow, before the Vandals host Weber State (Feb. 12), Montana (Feb. 17) and Eastern Washington (Feb. 19).

Following a trip to Sacramento State (Feb. 24) and Northern Colorado (Feb. 26), Idaho will wrap up the regular season at home against Portland State (March 3) and Northern Arizona (March 5).

All regular season home games, as well as all Big Sky games, will be streamed live on ESPN+.

• The Vandals' women's conference schedule will begin on Saturday, Dec. 4 on the road against Southern Utah. All of Idaho's Big Sky games will take place on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Vandals will play each Big Sky opponent once at home in ICCU Arena and once on the road, returning to the double round-robin format.

"I am excited the Big Sky has gone back to the double round robin format," Idaho coach Jon Newlee said in a news release. "It balances things up with the road trips and restores the competitive balance to the league as good as is possible for now."

After opening the conference season in Cedar City, the Vandals will wait until Dec. 30 before facing off against their second conference opponent. Idaho will host Northern Arizona on Thursday at ICCU Arena to kick off the first full weekend of games, before hosting Portland State on New Year's Day.

Idaho's regular season will conclude on the road at Portland State (Mar. 3) and at Northern Arizona (Mar. 5) before heading to the conference tournament March 7-11 at Idaho Central Arena in Boise.

Last season the Vandals finished second in the Big Sky and advanced to the conference championship game for the third time in four seasons.

Albertsons Stadium to sell alcohol for Boise State home football games

BOISE — Boise State will begin selling alcohol at home football games in Albertsons Stadium with the 2021 season, athletic director Jeramiah Dickey announced.

“Our goal is to provide an elite fan experience on game day,” Dickey said. “Bronco Nation directly impacts our student-athletes, and ultimately, the outcome of games. My hope is that today's announcement continues to generate excitement and helps us fill the stadium.”

Additional announcements related to game days are planned in the coming weeks, BSU said.

Suite and loge seating options sold out this past week but single-game tickets went on sale to the general public Monday morning. Season tickets, mini plans and the Blue Collar Pass also are currently on sale. More than 80 percent of available Blue Collar Passes already have been sold.

Alcohol will be available at kiosks throughout the stadium, and in the Fan Zone, located in the northeast corner of the stadium. Additionally, a portion of the Ford Tailgate Zone on DeChevrieux Field will be reserved for pregame alcohol sales as part of the Broncos’ Gameday Fan Fest.

In conjunction with the sale of alcohol, Boise State also will launch a Drink Responsibly campaign in and around the stadium on game day. Additionally, a clear bag policy will be implemented at Albertsons Stadium, and, as is the case at other venues throughout the country, re-entry will no longer be permitted.

Boise State's home football schedule for 2021: Friday, Sept. 10 vs. UTEP; Saturday, Sept. 18 vs. Oklahoma State; Saturday, Oct. 2 vs. Nevada; Saturday, Oct. 16 vs. Air Force; Friday, Nov. 12 vs. Wyoming; and Saturday, Nov. 20 vs. New Mexico.