Vikings sign NWAACC standout Anye Turner
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Anye Turner, who earned all-region honors at South Puget Sound Community College, has signed a national letter of intent to play men’s basketball at Western Washington University beginning this fall. Making that announcement was Viking head coach Brad Jackson.
A 6-foot-7 forward, Turner was a first-team Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Western Region all-star as well as the region’s Defensive Player of the Year and Co-Freshman of the Year.
Turner averaged 11.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots, both NWAACC-leading figures, as well as 15.3 points in leading the Clippers to the first round of the NWAACC Tournament. He ranked second in the region in offensive rebounds with 111.
Turner had season highs of 26 points and 20 rebounds in a 73-72 win over Pierce CC. He was named SPSCC captain, MVP and Chairman of the Boards.
As a senior at Black Hills High School, Turner led the Wolves to the Class 2A state tournament, the first appearance in school history. He scored 30 points in a district semifinal 70-63 win over Tumwater.
WWU graduated three seniors, two of them starters, from a team that won the NCAA Division II championship, the first national title in the 110-year history of the program, and finished with a 31-5 record, the win total being a school record.
(www.wwuvikings.com)
Indians rally past Mariners in extras
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Carlos Santana singled home the winning run
in bottom of the 11th inning, and the Cleveland Indians rallied past the
Seattle Mariners, 6-5, in the finale of a two-game set at Progressive Field.
The Mariners had broken a 4-4 tie in the top of the 11th against Joe Smith
(4-1) when Michael Saunders doubled home Dustin Ackley.
But Brandon League's (0-3) poor control sparked a another comeback for the
Indians, who had erased a 4-1 deficit on Jose Lopez's two-out, three-run homer
in the eighth.
League walked two of the first three batters he faced, and an Asdrubal Cabrera
single plated Lopez with the tying run. After League walked pinch-hitter Aaron
Cunningham to load the bases, Santana won the game with a base hit to center
field.
05/17 16:36:15 ET
~AAN~
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Metro Networks Inc.
Bells Hire a New Assistant Coach
The Bellingham Bells have recently hired Damon Lessler to be their newest assistant coach for the 2012 season. Currently Lessler is an assistant coach for the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies and will report to Bellingham at the conclusion of Oakland’s season.
Bells general manager Nick Caples is excited about the hire, saying, "We could not be more excited to have Coach Lessler join our staff. As a highly sought after up and coming coach, Damon had plenty of offers in front of him for this summer, so we are humbled that he chose to join us in Bellingham.”
Lessler played college baseball at Mississippi Valley State University where he graduated with valedictorian honors. He then went on to play professional baseball with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association of Professional Baseball and the Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League. He has also played overseas in Germany, Sweden and Australia. Lessler is now the assistant coach for Oakland University where he will work mainly with catchers and assist with hitting and base running.
Lessler said he is excited about, "The opportunity to be involved first hand with an organization with such class and integrity. You can tell right away when you deal with the front office and the coaching staff that you’re working with people of high character. These are things I value.
(www.bellinghambells.com)
Slam hosts Edmonton on Friday in battle of top teams
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Slam look to continue their hot start to the 2012 International Basketball League season as they open a three-game homestand with a rare visit from the Edmonton Energy on Friday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion.
The Bellingham and Edmonton franchises both joined the International Basketball League in 2008, and the two teams have faced each other a total of 12 times, with the Slam holding a 8-4 series lead. But just one of those games has taken place in Bellingham, a 121-115 win back on June 28, 2009.
Friday’s match-up will feature the top two teams in the IBL this season thus far. The Slam come into the game in the league’s top spot with a 7-1 record, while the Energy find themselves in second place with a 3-1 mark. Edmonton will have their work cut out for them this weekend as Friday’s game kicks off a three-games-in-three-nights road trip that will also take them to Salem and Portland.
The Slam is being led by veteran guard Paul Hafford, who is averaging 21.6 points per game on the strength of 41 percent shooting from three-point range. He also currently ranks second on the team in rebounding with 5.9 boards per game. Center Blake Poole is the Slam’s leading rebounder and second leading scorer but will be looking to come back from a couple difficult outings last weekend in which he was limited by injury and foul trouble. Guard Jacob Stevenson, the Slam’s all-time leading scorer but currently only averaging 13.6 points per game, looks to have shaken loose from his slow start after scoring a combined 40 points in two wins last weekend.
Edmonton is off to a good start after finishing the 2011 season as runner-up to the IBL Champion Vancouver Volcanoes. With much of their veteran roster intact, they are being led by guards Curtis Nash and Steve Sir, who are averaging 18 and 17.5 points per game, respectively. Forward Troy Gottselig has been the team’s most productive forward, with averages of 15 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest.
Friday’s game will be followed by two more home contests to end the month. The Slam will welcome the Olympia Reign to town on May 25 at 7pm before hosting the Japan Tornadoes in their annual Memorial Day game on May 28 at 5pm. All three games will be broadcast live on KBAI 930 AM and www.930KBAI.com.
(www.bellinghamslam.com)
Memo: Construction On Arena Can Begin When NBA Team Secured
(Seattle, WA) -- Officials announce a memorandum of understanding relative to the construction of a new sports arena in Seattle's Sodo neighborhood. The agreement, unveiled yesterday by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen, states that construction on the venue can start after an NBA franchise is secured for Seattle. With only an NBA team, the city and county would cover 125-million dollars of the 490-million-dollar cost of the project, but that amount would rise to 200-million once an NHL franchise is also secured. The memorandum of understanding now goes to the city and county councils for approval.
Prep playoff results from Wednesday
The Bellingham and Squalicum boys soccer teams both moved on in
the state playoffs with wins Wednesday night. Bellingham beat White
River 1-0 on penalty kicks and Squalicum beat Interlake 3-2.
Bellingham moves on to play Archbishop Murphy in Everett Saturday
night. Squalicum will take on Fife in the quarterfinals with the time and
place to be announced.
The Mount Baker girls softball team won two games at the district
softball tournament. The Mounties clinch a state tournament berth
and play Granite Falls for the district championship Friday.
Lynden and Sehome each had a win and a loss to live on in the
consolation bracket with games Friday.
(KPUG Newsroom)
Pete Carroll On Highest Paid Coaches List
(Undated) -- NFL head coaches are dominating a Forbes.com poll of the highest-paid coaches in professional sports. Eight of the top-ten coaches are from the NFL, with the other two from the NBA. The New England Patriots' Bill Belichick tops the list at 7.5-million-dollars per year. The Washington Redskins' Mike Shanahan, St. Louis Rams' Jeff Fisher and Seattle Seahawks' Pete Carroll are right behind at seven-million each.
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Bryan Gibberman/Mike Miller/Rick Maklebust/mm SPT)
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U.S Open Cup Begins On May 29th For Sounders
(Seattle, WA) -- Sounders FC will begin their quest for a fourth-straight U.S. Open Cup title on May 29th. They begin play in the third round and will take on the winner of the Georgia Revolution against the Atlanta Silverbacks. Starfire Stadium in Tukwila will be the site of the game.
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Bryan Gibberman/Mike Miller/Rick Maklebust/mm SPT)
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WWU seventh heading into final day of stroke play at NCAA II Nationals
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky --- Western Washington University fell four spots to seventh, but the Vikings are in solid position heading into the final day of stroke play Thursday at the NCAA II National Men’s Golf Championship being held at The Cardinal Club.
The Vikings shot 3-over par 291 Wednesday for a 36-hole total of 578. They were led by Dylan Goodwin and Nick Varelia, who each shot 1-under par 71.
The top eight teams after 54 holes advance to match-medal play Friday with quarterfinals and semifinals followed by the final round for the national title Saturday.
Chico State shot 11-under 277, the best round of the tournament, to take over the lead at 10-under 566. Two Vikings, Craig Crawford, who shot a 76, and Varelia, are tied for 41st at 147.
WWU’s Jake Webb, who shot a 77, is tied for 63rd at 150.
Central Oklahoma’s Josh Creel continues as the medalist leader at 9-under 135 (70). He is one stroke ahead of Chico State’s Eric Fazzetta, who carded a tourney-best 9-under 63 Wednesday.
WWU, which is making its first national appearance since 2008, advanced to nationals by placing fourth at the Central/West Regional.
(www.wwuvikings.com)
Gutierrez Won't Return Till At Least Mid-June
(Boston, MA) -- Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez isn't expected to return to Seattle's line-up until at least mid-June. A heel injury has delayed his comeback as he has had trouble running. Gutierrez is expected to play in a minor league game in the next two weeks.
Seahawks Sign Four Players
(Renton, WA) -- The Seattle Seahawks added four players to their roster after last week's rookie minicamp. Rookie defensive back Donny Lisowski, offensive tackle Alex Barron, tight end Cooper Helfet and tackle Andrew Mitchell are now apart of the 90-man roster. Four players were released, linebacker Adrian Moten was the only one played for the Hawks last season.
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Bryan Gibberman/as SPT)
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WWU b-ball team adds Cougar football player
The national champion Western Washington University men's
basketball team has added transfer Aaron Dunn. Dunn had been
playing tight end for the Washington State football team.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pound power forward averaged 17 points and 9
rebounds a game as a senior at Mead High School in Spokane.
He enters Western with three years of basketball eligibility.
Five WWU athletes going to NCAA II Championships
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Five Western Washington University track and field athletes have been selected to compete in the 2012 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 24-26 in Pueblo, Colo., at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl.
The Viking quintet includes Karis Anderson in the women’s pole, Alex Harrison in the decathlon and men’s javelin, Michael Hoffman in the men’s hammer, Katie Reichert in the women’s javelin and Emily Warman in the women’s triple jump.
Anderson is tied for seventh nationally in the pole vault at 12-7 1/2, and Reichert ranks seventh in the javelin (148-4). Harrison is eighth in the javelin (214-7) as is Hoffman in the hammer (205-1). Harrison is 10th in the decathlon (6772) and Warman is 13th in the triple jump (40-5).
(www.wwuvikings.com)
QB Wilson turns heads at Hawks rookie camp
(Renton, WA) -- Russell Wilson will be in the mix for the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback job. After the team's three-day rookie minicamp, head coach Pete Carroll said the Wisconsin Badgers product will be given the chance to compete for the job. Wilson was the Seahawks' third-round pick in last month's draft. He'll battle free-agent signee Matt Flynn and 2011 starting QB Tarvaris Jackson.
RSL tops Seattle to extend lead in the West
Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Real Salt Lake cemented its place atop the
Western Conference for another week as its 1-0 defeat of Seattle Sounders FC
at CenturyLink Field on Saturday saw the club improve to an MLS-best 26 points
on the season.
The Claret and Cobalt entered the weekend in the top spot, a position that
they will retain after Fabian Espindola's 51st-minute strike extended their
unbeaten run to five games.
Real Salt Lake (8-3-2) goes four points ahead of the second-place San Jose
Earthquakes - the 'Quakes have three games in hand, one of which will be
played Sunday against Chivas USA. Seattle (7-2-1) suffers just its second lost
of the season, a defeat that snaps its five-game winning streak and six-game
unbeaten run.
The Sounders had the better running of the opening period on Saturday, but it
was all for naught as they failed to stick one past Nick Rimando.
Their inefficiency in front of goal came back to haunt them as Real Salt Lake
grabbed the lead early in the second half. Luis Gil chipped a through ball
over the Seattle defense and Espindola powered a sneaky effort off the bounce
and into the back of the net, catching Sounders goalkeeper Bryan Meredith off
guard.
Salt Lake never looked back as a stout defensive performance in a tough road
environment guided the club to all three points.
Seattle heads into an important Cascadia Cup match at Vancouver Whitecaps FC
next Saturday, while Real Salt Lake will enjoy a week off before returning to
action against FC Dallas at Rio Tinto Stadium on May 26.
~AHN~
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Metro Networks Inc.
Green leads Slam to victory over Olympia
OLYMPIA- Rookie forward Jeremy Green had a great effort as the
Bellingham Slam defeated Olympia Reign 130-101 in International
Basketball League play on Saturday.
Green finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Paul Hafford
finished with 25 points on seven 3-pointers, while forward Zach Henifin
and guard Morris Anderson each had 19 points. It was the team's second
victory in as many nights after Friday's 127-120 home win over Vancouver.
The Slam return to Bellingham on Friday for a match up with Edmonton
Energy at 7 p.m..
Hear the game live on (AM930) KBAI and on-line www.930kbai.com
WWU women sign new recruit
The Western Washington University women's basketball team has
added a new player. Kiana Gandy is a 5-10 forward out of Mount Rainier
High School. She averaged 14 points and 5 1/2 rebounds per game as a
prep senior, leading the Rams to 3rd place at the Class 4A state
tournament.
Leaf Pleads Guilty To Burglary, Drug Possession
(Great Falls, MT) -- Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf is pleading guilty to charges of burglary and drug possession. A ninth-month stint in an inpatient drug treatment program has been recommended as part of a plea agreement, which includes a five-year suspended sentence. Leaf was arrested twice just days apart this spring for entering homes without permission and stealing prescription pain medication. The former Washington State star was the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft by San Diego but never lived up to expectations. He last played in the NFL with Dallas in 2001.
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Rick Maklebust/jql
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