Chiawana grad Yates, Orlando Pride to play in NWSL championship game on Saturday
The National Women’s Soccer League championship is set for 5 p.m., Saturday, between the Orlando Pride and the Washington (D.C.) Spirit.
Chiawana High School graduate Summer Yates has been part of this Orlando team for two seasons now, and the 24-year-old has been an integral part of the Pride lineup.
She has started more times than she has come in off the bench, but either way Saturday, it’s a good bet Yates will see action.
Orlando has the best record in the MWSL with an 18-2-6 record; while Washington has the second best mark at 18-6-2.
Saturday’s championship will be televised on CBS.
Prep football
Here is reminder of this weekend’s state high school football quarterfinal games involving teams from the Mid-Columbia:
Friday, Nov. 22
Class 1B — DeSales (10-1) vs. Liberty Christian (10-0), Fran Rish Stadium, Richland, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23
Class 4A — Lake Stevens (8-3) at Chiawana (10-1), Edgar Brown Stadium, Pasco, 1 p.m.
Class 3A — Kennewick (9-2) at Bellevue (10-0), 3 p.m.
Class 1A — Lynden Christian (7-4) at Royal (10-0), 2 p.m.
Class 2B — Tri-Cities Prep (9-2) at Okanogan (11-0), Apple Bowl, Wenatchee, 4 p.m.
NWAC cross country
Hanford High School graduate Mia Beightol has been running well all fall for the Clark College women’s cross country team.
And Beightol finished strong too, placing first in the Northwest Athletic Conference cross country championships on Nov. 9 at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place.
Beightol, a freshman at the Vancouver, Wash., school, pulled away from the leaders on the final 2K loop to cross the finish line first in a time of 18 minutes and 18.4 seconds.
But Beightol wasn’t the only Mid-Columbian runner who did well.
Mary Nakamura, a sophomore from Spokane Community College and a Chiawana grad, finished third in 18:40.8.
Nakamura’s teammate, sophomore Emmalyne Jimenez (DeSales), placed fourth with a time of 19:13.5.
Beightol’s teammate, freshman Kennedy Taylor (Hanford), finished 20th in 21:01.2.
Nakamura and Jimenez helped the Sasquatch take the team title.
Beightol, Nakamura and Jimenez all earned All-America status.
College football
Central Washington University opens the NCAA Division 2 playoffs at Western Colorado in Gunnison, Colo., at 12 p.m. Pacific on Saturday, Nov. 23.
The Wildcats played Western Colorado last year in the playoffs on the road, winning.
Central has an 8-3 record, while Western Colorado has a 10-1 record.
There are five local athletes on the Central roster this season, led by redshirt junior Jalen Webber from Chiawana.
A defensive back, Webber is an honorable mention selection in the Lone Star Conference.
He had 23 tackles this season and 6 pass breakups.
Other area athletes on the CWU roster are redshirt sophomore quarterback Caleb Christensen from Royal; freshman offensive lineman Gavin McCallum from Kamiakin; and junior offensive lineman Jaxin McCallum from Kamiakin.
Also on the roster but not playing due to suffering injuries in spring practice is defensive lineman Bridger Feldmann from Chiawana.
▪ Whitworth’s football team dropped its first game of the season last weekend, losing to visiting Linfield 34-7.
That gave Linfield the Northwest Conference championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA Division 3 football playoffs.
But the Pirates’ body of work this season was so impressive that the playoff committee not only gave Whitworth a spot in the tournament, but the Pirates (9-1) get to host a first-round game on Saturday against Pomona-Pitzer (8-2).
Kickoff in the Pine Bowl is at 12 p.m.
Among those leading the way for the Pirates this season are running back Luis Salgado (Kamiakin) and J.T. Munoz (Chiawana).
Salgado, a junior, leads the team in rushing with 1,198 yards. He also has caught 27 passes for 156 yards and has scored 9 touchdowns this season.
Last month, in a 39-32 shootout win over Pacific, Salgado rushed 25 times for 365 yards and three touchdowns. He was named NWC offensive player of the week for his efforts.
Meanwhile, Munoz is a senior defensive tackle. He has 36 tackles this season with 6.5 sacks.
Other Mid- Columbia athletes on the Whitworth roster are DB Joe Baffney, sophomore, DeSales; DB Seamus Doohan, junior, DeSales; DT Lane Hedrick, freshman, Chiawana; RB Cam Schmidt, freshman, Kamiakin; DT Alex Smith, senior, College Place; and DB Maddox Suitonu, freshman, Kennewick.
College soccer
Eastern Washington University’s women’s soccer team finished the season with a 9-5-5 record and a spot in the Big Sky Conference tournament.
Freshman forward Bella Bunnage (Richland) scored 2 goals this season for the Eagles.
Senior midfielder Elisabeth Cole, who went to school at Columbia-Burbank, had 2 assists this season for EWU.
Prep academics
Susan Leavens’ Chiawana team was named the state academic champion for 4A girls swimming.
The eight Riverhawks on the team had a combined 3.913 grade point average.
Grandview’s slowpitch softball team won the Class 2A academic state championship for its sport. The Greyhounds had 15 athletes on the team, and had a combined 3.487 GPA.