Eastern Washington University has already proved its football program is on the right track, winning a Football Championship Subdivision national title in 2009.
Today the Eagles will officially grab three of the top impact football players out of the Columbia Basin Big Nine conference.
Miquiyah Zamora of Chiawana and Joe Hunt of Kamiakin will sign on the dotted line during today's National Signing Day. They'll join several other Mid-Columbia athletes who will continue their athletic career at the next level.
Zamora, a defensive back, and Jordan Downing, a linebacker who will be a preferred walk-on, committed to EWU last week. Hunt, who will play defensive end, considered all his options before making his decision.
"I narrowed it down to Western Oregon and a few schools in California. Eastern was one of the first schools to contact me. It helped to know they wanted me there and were taking a serious look at me," said Hunt, a second-team 3A All-State defensive lineman for the Braves. "I hope I can go up there and contribute to another national title."
Hunt will sign at 2:30 p.m. in the Kamiakin library. Zamora will sign at 7:40 a.m. at CHS.
At Connell, where the Eagles won their second 1A state title in four years, running back Matt Hadley (BYU) and two-way lineman Cole Vanderbilt (Central Washington) will each sign at 3 p.m. at Connell HS. Tyson Brook, the SCAC East defensive player of the year, is expected to walk on at BYU, according to Connell coach Wayne Riner.
CWU will also sign Josh Richards, an all-CBBN 3A receiver at Southridge. Richards will have some company at the Suns' ceremony. A pair of Southridge girls soccer players -- Heather Johnson (Gonzaga) and Katherine Tsoukalas (Spokane Falls Community College) -- will be there bright and early at 7:40 a.m. in the library.
"(Signing) puts everything in perspective," said Johnson, who committed to the Zags a year ago. "After that, you can start training and working toward being a college athlete."
Tri-Cities Prep senior Derek Zimmerman, an all-CBBN 3A boys soccer player at Pasco, will sign an NLI to play for Saint Mary's (California), which reached the NCAA Elite Eight last season. He'll sign at halftime of today's TC Prep basketball game at 7:30 p.m. in Pasco.
Dalton Morgan, an all-SCAC East running back and linebacker from Kiona-Benton, will sign with Eastern Oregon football, whose 8 victories in 2011 matched a school record.
At noon, Hanford senior Heather Baddley, an all-CBBN 3A midfielder, will sign with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs women's soccer team.
Kennewick's Megan McIntyre, a two-time all-CBBN 3A honoree, will sign to play volleyball at Blue Mountain Community College, the defending NWAACC champion.
Chiawana senior C.J. Edrington, an all-CBBN 4A defensive back, will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. He hasn't ruled out walking on to the football team over the summer.
"We have to be there July 2 for six weeks of military training. Once school starts, it gets nuts," Edrington said. "Everybody has to either take part in a club or intramurals if not intercollegiate sports. It would be really cool to play football and walk on."
