Area shooters to compete in world championships

Sometimes second-best provides the rarely beneficial advantage of being first alternate.

This past week at the National Guard Bureau Precision and Sporter Air Rifle Championships in Little Rock, Ark., the Spokane team finished second behind a team from Palmyra, Penn. Because of eligibility circumstances the winning team was unable to accept the bid to the World Championships in Bisley, England.

The Spokane team, which won the state championship earlier this month, accepted the bid as the USA National Team at the World Junior Precision Air Rifle Championships.

Team members include Eric McNett, Elisha Lafond, Lauren Furrer, Jettie Runkel and alternates Amanda Furrer and Keith McBeth.

At the National Championship, McNett scored 384 and 859 overall to finish second among individuals. Lafond posted a 383, Furrer a 373 and Runkel a 365. As a team they scored 1,505 points.

The team, including alternates, will travel to England on an all- expenses-paid trip to represent the U.S. at the world meet Aug. 10- 13.

SWIMMING

Gonzaga Prep graduate CJ Nuess will represent the Spokane Area Swimming team at the U.S. Olympic trials in Long Beach, Calif., July 7-14.

Nuess, who is currently ranked 26 of all qualifiers, will compete on July 7 in the 400-meter individual medley and on July 11 in the 200-meter individual medley.

The top 16 swimmers move on to the semifinals where eight move on to compete for a spot on the Olympic team. The top two USA swimmers earn a spot on the team in each event.

The majority of men who qualify are in college or post-collegiate swimmers. Nuess, a 2004 graduate who is one of the few at his age to qualify, says his goal is to make the semifinals (top 16).

Nuess is just completing his triple practice sessions this week and will start tapering for the meet before leaving July 4.

VOLLEYBALL

The U-18 Spokane Splash/Adidas Volleyball Club earned the Evergreen Regional bid for Nationals to be held later this month in Houston.

Team members are Amber Biddle (Coeur d'Alene graduate), Corina Beyer (Timberlake), Amy Lawson (Lake City), Jessica Nyrop (Lake City graduate), Lauren Stern (Lake City), Kayla Mainer (West Valley graduate), Ivy Bush (Lewis and Clark), Kerri Beck (Gonzaga Prep) and Sheridan Brett (Ferris).

Nyrop will be playing for the University of San Diego in the fall while teammate Biddle will be playing for the University of California in San Jose.

LEGION BASEBALL

In a doubleheader between the Patriots and the Bandits, the teams split victories. The Bandits defeated the Patriots 8-5 then lost the second game 6-5.

In game two, Patriots Jameson Maj and Rick Templeton each homered in the sixth, with Maj's shot clearing the 375 fence at Bailey Field in Pullman. -- At the Kallispell Tournament in Montana, the Cannons took second place, losing 14-13 in a 10-inning Championship game.

The Cannons beat Kallispell 11-2 and Libby 3-0 in the semifinal game.

Mike Marlow and Tyler Hauschild hit two home runs each. Marlow posted seven RBIs while Hauschild and Andrew Czapla each drove in two.

-- In the Lethbridge International American Legion Tournament, the Blue Devils went 5-0 in the five-team tournament, capturing the championship game 3-2 over Lethbridge.

In the fifth inning, Aaron Rockey doubled to right-center to score Darin Holcomb. Chris Kern doubled to drive in Rockey for the winning run.

Luke Kitzan threw a complete game, allowing five hits and striking out five.

In the Blue Devils' 8-4 semifinal win over Butte, Dawson Weilep allowed one earned run and struck out 12.

Rockey drove in the tying run in both the semifinal and championship game. Both RBIs came with two outs.

-- This week in Junior Legion baseball: Lewis and Clark's Shane Hughes went five innings for a no-hitter and struck out five in a 10- 0 win over West Valley.

In Medical Lake's 3-1 win over Pullman, Cody Wagner pitched a complete game, striking out nine.

TRACK AND FIELD

North Central's Mike Uhlenkott placed eighth, jumping 14 feet 11 inches, in the pole vault at the Adidas Outdoor Championships in Raleigh, N.C.

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