State Preps Report

Talking Points
What's the buzz from the world of sports? Here are some items that will have people talking:

Congrats to Kevin Love, one of the top high school basketball recruits in the nation, for coming up with a decision.

Love, who has another year remaining at Lake Oswego High School in Oregon, has decided to attend UCLA. He made a verbal commitment Tuesday.

When Love informed UCLA coach Ben Howland of the decision, Love said the coach "almost started crying he was so happy."

Area coaches stunned by penalties against Chief Sealth High
Nancy Boone gasped when first told of the penalties enacted against Seattle's Chief Sealth High School on Tuesday. Four years of games - forfeited...

Reader comments on Chief Sealth report

10 Wildcats named to All-Academic team
ELLENSBURG - Ten track and field student-athletes from Central Washington University have been selected to the 2006 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II All-Academic Team, announced last week.

In addition, the Central Washington women's team was one of 49 women's squads selected for All-Academic Team honors at the Division II level.

Seven of the 10 individual recipients were women. Highland graduate Haley Amos, Rachel Bailey, West Valley graduate Chelsea Evans, Eisenhower graduate Katie Hummel, Terran Legard, Lindy Mullen and Marcie Mullen were the women's award winners.

Lynden gives pitcher hero's reception
SEATTLE - Dozens of Lynden residents made the 100-mile trip from Lynden to Safeco Field on Monday. They caravanned and carpooled, navigating traffic snarls on Interstate-5.

All to see a player whom they knew wouldn't play.

Toronto pitcher Ty Taubenheim may have spent the 7-5 loss to Seattle on the bench - he's on the disabled list - but to the folks who made the trek south, seeing one of their own in a Major League uniform made the trip worthwhile.

"It's exciting," said Cory White, who was Taubenheim's high school baseball coach. "I went to Denver to see his Major League debut, but seeing him here in Safeco Field against the Mariners, it's awesome."

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Kitsap's Minor Leaguers: SK Grad Vetters Signs With Dodgers
The exclusive club of minor leaguers from Kitsap County recently added a new member. South Kitsap product Travis Vetters signed a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who then assigned him to rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League.

Voelkel named Montesano baseball coach
MONTESANO - Mike Voelkel, who coached at Hoquiam and Aberdeen high schools and with the professional Grays Harbor Gulls during the 1990s, has been named the baseball coach at Montesano High School, athletic director Tim Trimble reported.

Bob Pocklington promoted to HHS softball coach
Bob Pocklington, an assistant coach on Hoquiam's state 2A championship softball team, has been promoted to the Grizzlies' head coach in that sport, athletic director Mark Maxfield reported.

Coach has criminal convictions in his past
A Black Hills Junior Football League coach charged with child rape has prior criminal convictions for possession of marijuana for sale and fourth-degree assault, court records show.

Ex-coach praises hardworking Hawks
Meneely explains his decision to leave River Ridge after one season
Brian Meneely quivered a bit as he gathered his River Ridge High School boys basketball team in the Hawks' gym.

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Southridge's Mattair will forego senior football season
Southridge senior Travis Mattair, expected to be one of the main players in the Suns' quest for back-to-back conference football championships, confirmed that he will not turn out for the team this fall to focus on his baseball career.

Kamiakin grad Genatone to coach at Western Washington
Kamiakin graduate Al Genatone was named academic coordinator and linebacker coach at Western Washington University. Genatone, 25, replaces Adam Mathieson, who resigned in May to become director of athletics at Meridian High School.

Odds and ends of summer
Let's call this blog entry a hodgepodge this week.
That's because my brain is still on vacation mode, even though I've been back in the office three days. Of course, after Saturday, I'll be gone for another week of R&R as I try to whittle down my backlog of vacation hours to make the people who track these things happy.

Former Bulldog living the pro life
Willey finds niche as an Aussie pro
When Tami Willey, then Tami Standish, graduated from the University of Portland in 2002, she was sure of one thing: she didn't want to have anything to do with basketball.

Coach pleads not guilty
Judge orders no contact with minors, including son
OLYMPIA - A Black Hills Junior Football League coach pleaded not guilty to third-degree child rape charges Wednesday in Thurston County Superior Court.

Sonics player hosting Capital High School camp 'shocked' by sale
When Nick Collison arrived at Capital High School this afternoon for the second day of his four-day camp, he had been informed of the news on the Sonics and Storm being sold to buyers in Oklahoma City nearly 30 minutes before. He wasn't informed by anyone from the Sonics. It was from, of all people, a parent at his morning basketball camp at Bonney Lake.

Swing doctor
Joe Thiel helps passionate golfers improve their game
With an early morning sun peeking over the western Pennsylvania hills, a 10-year-old boy quietly snuck out of bed, careful not to wake his brother and sister sharing the same room.

Foster High School basketball coach Barbee charged with theft
A former men's basketball coach at The Evergreen State College was charged with first-degree theft on Wednesday, more than a year after a fund-raising discrepancy was found in the school's travel budget.

Former Tides baseball standout has moved talents to courtroom
Almost 10 years removed from his high school baseball career, Gig Harbor High School alumnus Tim Friedman remembers it like it was yesterday.

Sequim youth takes shot at shot put
The thing about the shot put is repetition, she says. Over and over. Do it again. Again. Make sure that last throw was the same as the one before it.

heading into the 40th USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships, set for July 25-30.

A two-year veteran of the middle school's track team, LeBeaume boasts a personal-best shot put of 42-10, one of the country's best marks (heading into the 40th USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships, set for July 25-30).

Pasco's Merry signs to play baseball at Washington
Pasco High graduate Jordan Merry had a great freshman baseball season at Lower Columbia Community College.

Freedom Bowl Classic set to kick off Saturday