Sports

WIAA moves cross country championships to the spring, makes fall “alternative season” for XC

July 29, 2020

(PRESS RELEASE/WIAA)

The Cross Country State Championships are being moved back to early spring. (File photo)

The WIAA Executive Board continued its planning for the 2020-21 school year at the July 28 meeting and took action on a number of items regarding the scheduling of sports and activities for the upcoming year.

After the announcement that the WIAA will sanction four seasons during the July 21 meeting, the Board continued to receive feedback from member schools as well as the planning committee assembled to provide guidance on the best path for returning to high school sports in Washington. In addition to a brief summary of each of the Board’s action items below, a detailed calendar for each sport is attached to this email. The intention of the document is to provide a planning resource for member schools and their administration, however, the dates provided are tentative given the ongoing developments of COVID-19.

CHEWELAH ATHLETICS: Kirry, Jeanneret win top athlete awards

July 20, 2020

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

Lilly Kirry won the Stephen Blake and Perry Akers award while Jake Jeanneret won the Dr. Merle Snyder Sportsmanship Award. (Brandon Hansen photo)

TOP ATHLETES: Record-setting athletes in 2020 senior class win well-deserved awards for Chewelah Cougars…

You’ve no doubt seen these two names before in the Chewelah Independent, but that’s part of the reason they earned their accolades.

Seniors Lily Kirry and Jake Jeanneret won the female and male athlete of the year awards from Jenkins/Junior Senior High School and both are worthy recipents, putting in some of the best careers ever for a Cougar athlete.

WIAA says Washington’s high school fall sports will be pushed back two weeks

July 8, 2020

(STAFF REPORTS)

While Major League Baseball and the NBA are slated to return to action this month, we’re going to have to wait a while for high school sports.

It was announced by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association that the start to fall sports practices would be delayed for two weeks than originally planned, citing the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus. Football practices are now planned on being allowed to begin on Sept. 5, while all other sports’ practices can begin on Sept. 7.

That doesn’t mean football will be played however. The WIAA has not released the guidelines on what reopening phase a county needs to be in to be allowed to play football. The common belief is football could be played in a phase 4 county. Phase 4 essentially has no restrictions to gathering types or sizes. No county is currently in Phase 4 and Washington Governor Jay Inslee has ordered a delay on allowing counties to apply for a different phase.

The WIAA has previously released “return-to-play guidance” last month. In coordination with the state’s department of health, sports considered low risk like cross country could return under phase three, while moderate risk sports like volleyball could be played in phase four.

SAILING TO SPOKANE: Fitzgerald to play for Whitworth

July 8, 2020

(BRANDON HANSEN/Chewelah Independent)

Alyssa Fitzgerald will be playing basketball at Whitworth University. (Courtesy photo)

After strong career for Cougars, Fitzgerald heading to Whitworth…

North Spokane isn’t far from Chewelah, but for Cougar standout Alyssa Fitzgerald, it will be a step up into a different level of competition. After excelling at the 2B level, she’ll be playing NCAA Division III basketball for the Whitworth Pirates – who have established an incredibly strong NCAA program on the West Coast.

While recruiting now begins in a player’s sophmore year, Fitzgerald only began contacting coaches last summer. Fitzgerald made 1st team all-league her junior and senior year for volleyball. She also made second team all-league for basketball her senior year.

“At first I looked into schools around Portland and got in touch with George Fox, Pacific University and Corban University,” Fitzgerald said. “But I didn’t feel as at home after visiting there.Then later this last winter, I got in contact with Whitworth’s coaches and really started getting serious about going there around March. We talked a lot in March and April, and then I committed the first week of May.” More

Kennedy Robison and Maddie Koler play at the next level after storied career for Chewelah Cougars

July 3, 2020

(GENO LUDWIG/Chewelah Independent)

Maddy Koler is playing for Yakima Valley Community College

Kennedy Robison (left) is now placing for the Community Colleges of Spokane. (File photos)

COLLEGE COUGS: Maddie Koler and Kennedy Robison continue to excel on the diamond…

Had the Northwest Athletic Conference softball season not been terminated before league play began, two former Chewelah Cougars would have played second base against each other. Kennedy Robison is the second baseman for the Spokane Falls Sasquatch, and Maddie Koler is the second sacker for the Yakima Valley College Yaks. Both young ladies came home when the door was slammed on their season and their schools closed because of the coronavirus.

The shortened season was probably hardest on the Spokane Falls Lady Sasquatch who got in only four games before the governor cancelled all college sports. For Kennedy, the sudden end of the season was a gloomy experience, because she was playing a new position on her team and was having success both in the field and at the plate. Over the winter, her coach had changed her position from first base to second base, and her hitting had undergone a complete makeover. More

Former Chewelah football coach Roy Albertson retires

June 12, 2020

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

Former Chewelah football coach Roy Albertson had planned on a few more years of coaching, but the COVID-19 pandemic is having the current Timberlake High School football coach in Spirit Lake, Idaho rethinking things. Albertson said with his age at 72 and pre-existing medical conditions that he is considered at high risk to become infected with the disease, so he made the decision to resign.

“I’m in the dangerous category. My family doesn’t want me to take a chance on getting this,” Albertson said Thursday afternoon to the Couer d’Alene Press. “Because when you’re in the school, you’re going to be around a lot of people, and they’re going to be around a lot of people. And I’ve been in the hospital enough times.”

Northwest League announces that 2020 season has been postponed

June 12, 2020

(PRESS RELEASE/Spokane Indians Baseball Club)

The Northwest League released the following statement today:

“Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, the start of the 2020 Northwest League season is being delayed indefinitely. The League and its clubs will continue to monitor the situation and work with our Major League Baseball affiliates, while following the recommendations of public health officials and adhering to local reopening guidelines. As always, the health and safety of the Northwest League fans, players and staff members is our top priority. Additionally, the Northwest League vs. Pioneer League All-Star Game has been canceled.”

WIAA Moves: seeding committees, tournament tinkering steps in the right direction

May 22, 2020

(AARON VANTUYL/Centralia Chronicle)

Inchelium celebrated its first 1B State Girls Basketball Championship this year at the Spokane Arena. (Brandon Hansen photo)

Here are the changes happening to the WIAA postseason…

There’s two big stories coming out of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) headquarters this spring. (Or summer. Seasons don’t really register in this Narnia-esque “School’s always out but it’s never summer” pandemic predicament.)

Will these moves drastically affect the way the game is played, independent of the changes likely coming post-COVID-19? No. Will they make a major difference in which teams win state championships in each team sports from here on out? Also no.

They will, however, change what playoff brackets look like and how we follow along with the leadup to, and the playing of, state tournaments for the foreseeable future: Everyone gets a seeding committee, and basketball gets a new format (again). The seeding committees are great, but a new basketball format is just rearranging the furniture when you can’t afford to move. More

PHOTO GALLERY: Selkirk falls to Riverside Christian

March 5, 2020

Here are some shots taken by Editor Brandon Hansen from Selkirk’s 69-67 loss to Riverside Christian in the State 1B Boys Basketball Tournament.

STATE 1B GIRLS REGIONALS: Deer Park girls bow out of postseason

March 2, 2020

(STAFF REPORTS/Chewelah Independent)

JUST SHORT: Lady Stags suffer one-point loss in first state appearance since 1980s…

Despite 17 points from Taylor Lyons, No. 13-seeded Deer Park fell to No. 12 seed Elma 39-38 in the regional round of the State 1A Girls Basketball Tournament at Tumwater High School.

Elma led 24-18 at halftime, but Deer Park pulled ahead 31-30 in the third quarter.

The Eagles came away with the victory in the fourth, and advanced to the State 1A Girls Basketball Tournament in Yakima.

Deer Park ended the season 18-7 overall, while Elma will face No. 4 seed and NEA League champ Freeman on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.

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