CBC to host men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Mid-Columbia wrestlers top rankings

Columbia Basin College’s men’s and women’s basketball teams will host their CBC Invitational tournament this Friday and Saturday at Cheryl Holden Court at the new CBC Student Recreation Center.

Looks like there are five games set for Friday, with the Clark College women taking on Walla Walla Community College at 12 p.m.

At 2 p.m., the Clark College men will play Spokane; then the South Puget Sound CC women will visit CBC at 4 p.m., followed by Lane Community College’s men visiting CBC’s men at 6 p.m.

It all finishes up at 8 p.m., when Everett’s women play Spokane.

Four more games are set for Saturday: SPSCC women vs. WWCC, 10 a.m.; Lane men vs. Spokane, noon; Everett women at CBC, 4 p.m.; and Clark men at CBC, 6 p.m.

Besides getting a chance to see the Hawks men and women play, Clark women have Pasco grad Taija Mackey and River View grad Skyln Munson on their roster. Spokane’s women boasts Kennewick High grad Madeline Gebers.

Since the NWAC Championship tournaments for both men and women in March will be hosted by CBC, it gives many of these visiting teams a chance to play on the court they all hope to end up on at the end of the season.

College update

Eastern Washington University finished a disappointing 3-8 this season, but the Eagles ended the season on a winning note Nov. 19, beating Northern Colorado 45-21 in a home game.

In that contest, redshirt freshman running back Tuna Altahir (Kamiakin) scored two touchdowns, rushed 23 times for 153 yards (including a 51-yard TD scamper) and caught one pass for 7 yards and score.

Altahir ended up being Eastern’s top rusher, carrying the football 104 times for 420 yards, and a 4.0 yards per carry average. He also caught 13 passes for 51 yards.

▪ Chiawana grad JP Zamora announced on Twitter last month that he was entering the transfer portal. Zamora was a true freshman walk-on quarterback at Washington State University. He’ll have four years of eligibility left.

▪ Talia von Oelhoffen (Chiawana) is off to another great start for the Oregon State University’s women’s basketball team.

The sophomore guard has started all eight games for the 6-2 Beavers, averaging 30.1 minutes played over a 40-minute contest.

She is scoring 16.6 points a game to lead the team in scoring, and grabs 5.5 rebounds a game.

She also has 22 assists against 15 turnovers, and has grabbed 10 steals and blocked 6 shots.

OSU opens Pac-12 Conference play this Sunday at 4 p.m. at the University of Oregon (Pac-12 Network).

▪ Walla Walla Community College ended up having five players move on to four-year schools after last spring’s 8-34 season.

Right-handed pitcher Dalton Jones committed to Eastern Oregon, RHP Raidyn Steele is headed to Doane College, as is outfielder Nathan Tastad; LHP Hayden Thompson will play for Lewis-Clark State College; and RHP Evan Williams will pitch for Tabor College.

Prep wrestling

Led by Hanford High senior Jake Hubby, the Mid-Columbia region has five boys ranked among the top three in their respective weight classes in Washington Wrestling Report’s pre-season all-classifications rankings that came out last month.

Hubby, the defending 4A state champion last February, is ranked No. 1 at 138 pounds.

Sunnyside senior Alejandro Fernandez heads into the 132-pound season ranked No. 2, as does Hermiston senior Jaxon Gribskov at 182.

Chiawana senior Isaiah Medina also sits No. 2 at 113 pounds, while Southridge junior Jacob Chapa sits No. 3 at 113 pounds.

All five of the above wrestlers were state champions in their classifications last season.

Meanwhile, there are four area girls ranked among the best in the report’s pre-season girls all-classification rankings.

Leading the way is Chiawana senior Alanna Haney at 135 pounds, and Royal senior Alondra Morales at 140. Both wrestlers were state champions back in February.

Also ranked high is Royal junior Emma Villa at No. 2 at 155 pounds. She was second in state last season.

And Richland senior Erin Kremer is ranked No. 3 in the 190-pounds division.

Kremer placed fourth in her weight class last February.

Prep basketball

The Mid-Columbia Conference gets going with conference play this Friday in both boys and girls basketball.

Friday’s schedule is thus (with all girls varsity games starting at 5:45 p.m., with boys to follow at 7:30 p.m.): Hermiston at Kamiakin, Kennewick at Hanford, Southridge at Chiawana, and Walla Walla at Pasco.

In addition, there is an intriguing non-conference boys game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, pitting Yakima’s Davis High at Richland High.

Meanwhile, MCC play continues on Saturday (girls at 3:15 p.m., boys at 5 p.m.) with four doubleheaders: Chiawana at Kamiakin; Hanford at Walla Walla; Hermiston at Kennewick; and Richland at Pasco.

Golf

Southridge senior golfer Jillian Hui has signed a letter of intent to play for the Boise State University women’s golf team.

Hui, who finished second in the WIAA girls 3A state high school golf tournament in May, will report to Boise next fall.

BSU head coach Kailin Downs is ecstatic to have Hui play for her.

“Jillian has long-standing family ties to Boise State and the Treasure Valley, and it is fun to have her continue that,” said Downs in a press release. “Her passion for being a Bronco and her competitiveness on the course will be a great addition to our program.”

Prep football

Kennewick High senior defensive lineman Carlos Orozco is starting to see some offers come his way from smaller schools. Orozco, who has 50 tackles and 14 quarterback hurries for the state quarter finalists Lions, had visits at and/or gotten offers from Culver-Stockton College, McPherson College, Minot State, Ottawa University (Arizona), and University of Puget Sound.