Former Tri-Cities star sets World University Games record; ex-WSU coach recovering from crash
Richland swimmer Lisa Bratton won the women’s 200-meter backstroke final on Friday at the World University Games in Naples, Italy.
Bratton, who recently graduated from Texas A&M, finished the final in 2 minutes, 7.91 seconds.
That set a World University Games record in the event.
It also was Bratton’s fastest time in the event, eclipsing her 2:08.20 she had while finishing third in the event at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Bratton, who was elected one of four U.S. team captains for the WUGs by her teammates, finished ahead of runner-up (and U.S. teammate) Asia Seidt, who finished in 2:08.56.
Bratton surged over the final 50 meters to pull away and set the record.
Great Britain’s Chloe Golding was third at 2:09.57.
Bratton’s next competition will be in October, when she competes for the D.C. Trident in the new International Swimming League.
Farrington update
Steve Farrington, the former Tri-City resident and longtime baseball coach, is slowly improving from a high-speed auto accident that occurred May 6 near Las Vegas.
Farrington was once the head coach for Lower Columbia Community College in Longview, was the head baseball coach at Washington State University, and the head coach at Columbia Basin College.
In the GoFundMe page that his sons, Brady and Tyler, started, Farrington improved enough to be moved to the Phoenix area, where his sons both live.
He’s frustrated, said Brady, that he can’t make his body do what it used to.
But Farrington was also deeply touched from all of the messages and encouragement people have sent him these past two months.
In addition, the original funding goal was $10,000. But people have contributed a total of $40,630 to help with expenses.
The latest update on him was two weeks ago: “Over the past 11 days, Steve has made progress and is improving every day little by little. He has been going through physical therapy and has been standing up with assistance. Still a long road ahead of him, but for him to be able to even get up with help is a very good sign. We have been working out his brain as much as we can and are able to have full in-depth conversations, when he is awake. Yesterday he passed his swallow test and now he is able to eat real food. That definitely made him happy!”
But the sons also caution that there is a long way to go before Steve is healthy and back to where everyone wants him to be.
If anyone is a fighter, though, it’s Steve Farrington.
Baseball in the Midwest
Three baseball players from the Mid-Columbia are spending their summers in the Midwest with college summer teams.
The league is called the Expedition League, and it has 10 teams from Wyoming to Canada.
The league was founded in 2017 and had its first season of games in 2018.
Kamiakin grad Payton Flynn, who attends Washington State University, is spending his summer with the Casper Horseheads (great name!) in Wyoming. The team through games of July 4 is 18-19.
Flynn is playing second base for the Horseheads and is batting .303, with a home run and 13 RBIs.
Another Kamiakin grad, Chase Grillo, just finished his first season with Spokane Community College.
Grillo is pitching for the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs out of North Dakota.
As a reliever for the 23-14 Sabre Dogs, Grillo has appeared in seven games, thrown 12.1 innings, struck out 16 batters, and has an earned run average of 2.18.
Finally, former Southridge High pitcher Bradley Morgan completed his first season at Salt Lake Community College, where he was 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 28 innings for 36-13 SLCC.
Morgan has been pitching this summer for the 26-8 Western Nebraska Pioneers in the EL. He is 3-0 in four starts for the Pioneers, and has a 2.66 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 23.2 innings of work.
All-EWAC baseball
Still trying to get all-conference teams for spring sports out there.
Here is the 2B EWAC baseball team, led by Tri-Cities Prep’s Jason Jarrett as coach of the year, and Liberty Christian earning the sportsmanship award.
Prep dominated the first team with five players: seniors Max Nelson and Cole Hiett; juniors Logan Mercado and Bryce Bean; and sophomore David Grewe.
Columbia-Burbank had three players on the first team: seniors Ethan Rogers and Hayden McEachen and junior Dalton Percifield.
DeSales freshman Ryan Chase was also first-team.
Among those on the second team are Matt McClure, senior, Liberty Christian; Davian Iniguez, junior, Tri-Cities Prep; Logan Jones, junior, DeSales; Isaac Hoey, junior, Liberty Christian; Scott Jacobs, senior, Tri-Cities Prep; Caden McCaw, senior, DeSales; Johnny Wyatt, junior, Dayton-Waitsburg; and Bobby Holtzinger, junior, DeSales.
Track
Here is the first-team All-SCAC East track teams.
Boys are Connell senior Salvador Araiza (400), Wahluke senior Tony Avalos (high jump), Connell senior Cole Brandner (javelin), Wahluke junior Tanu Buck (800), Connell senior Nolan Chase (3200), Royal senior Angel Farias (100, 200 meters), Connell freshman Jacob Freeman (pole vault), Royal junior Michael Perez-Villalobos (shot put, discus), Connell sophomore Dallin Price (1600), College Place senior Braeden Schwarz (long jump and triple jump), and Kiona-Benton sophomore Billy Simpkin (both hurdles).
The girls first-teamers are Connell sophomore Emma Andrewjeski (shot put, discus), Royal junior Lindsey Carrasco (pole vault), River View sophomore Jennifer Gonzalez (100 hurdles), Royal junior Gina Grant (high jump), Connell freshman Kianna Holst (800), College Place senior Melia Loe (1600, 3200), Connell senior Alma Manzo (100, 200, 400 and long jump), River View freshman Skyln Munson (300 hurdles, javelin), and College Place senior Madeline Weaver (triple jump).
Notes
• Southridge grad Jake Harvey completed his freshman baseball season at Oregon State University (36-20-1) starting 26 times at second base. Harvey hit .255, had a home run and eight RBIs.
• Gabby Beckstrom (Spanish Fork, Utah) was the offensive leader this spring for Walla Walla Community College’s softball team (31-16). She led the team with a .457 batting average, 12 home runs and 61 RBIs. Caitlin Crist (Twin Falls, Idaho) led the Warriors with 60 runs scored and 31 stolen bases. Abby Giles (Tremonton, Utah) was the pitching leader in three categories: 16 wins, 132 strikeouts, and a 3.81 ERA.
NWAC signings
A number of Mid-Columbia athletes have been signing on the dotted line this past month to Northwest community colleges. Here’s the latest batch of signees:
Bellevue men’s soccer: Fernando Garcia, Wahluke; Isaac Ponce, Pasco.
Blue Mountain baseball: Emilio Davila, Pasco.
Blue Mountain men’s soccer: Esgar Avila, Hermiston; Jesus Mendez, Hermiston.
Columbia Basin baseball: Jonathan Garza, Othello.
Columbia Basin women’s basketball: Sami Sanders, Southridge.
Columbia Basin men’s soccer: Ahmed Colakovic, Southridge; Pablo Gil, Connell; Jose Gonzalez, Prescott; Isaac Gutierrez, Touchet; Basil Martin, Southridge; Adrian Mendiola, Connell; Jose Moreno, Pasco; Sebastian Ramos, Richland.
Columbia Basin women’s soccer: Viridiana Mendoza, Umatilla.
Columbia Basin softball: Jessica Taber, Hanford.
Shoreline men’s soccer: Brandon Stapleton, College Place.
Shoreline women’s soccer: Analiese Meza, College Place.
Skagit Valley men’s soccer: Antonio Frausto, Sunnyside; Mario Negrete, Sunnyside; Enrique Palma Reyes, Sunnyside.
Spokane women’s track and field: Hannah Gilmore, Walla Walla; Alma Manzo, Connell.
Treasure Valley men’s cross country/track: Nico Romero, College Place.
Walla Walla CC baseball: Jacob Anderson, Kennewick.
Walla Walla CC men’s soccer: Augustine Arceo, Walla Walla; Abraham Diaz-Garcia, Walla Walla; Jorge Garcia, College Place.
Walla Walla CC women’s soccer: Sarah Valencia Santos, Grandview.
Wenatchee Valley men’s soccer: Daniel Bonilla, Royal; Alonso Hernandez, Royal; Alejandro Rivera, Wahluke; Louis Rodriguez, Royal; Alex Valdez, Wahluke.
Yakima Valley women’s basketball: Karina Fajardo, Grandview; Michelle Ruiz, Grandview.
Jeff Morrow is the former sports editor of the Herald.
This story was originally published July 5, 2019 at 1:12 PM.