Kamiakin coaches earn state honors

Kamiakin cross country coaches Shaun Suss and Matt Rexus will be honored Friday at the annual Washington State Cross Country Coaches Association awards event in the Seattle area.

Suss will be honored as the 3A girls Coach of the Year, after his team finished second at the WIAA state cross country meet in Pasco in November.

It’s the second time Suss has been recognized by the WSCCCA. He also was named 3A girls Coach of the Year in 2013.

Rexus is being honored as the 3A boys Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, after his Kamiakin boys won the 3A boys team title in Pasco in November for a second straight year over Spokane’s North Central.

This is the third time Rexus has received the honor from his peers. He also won the award in 2011.

But Rexus is also receiving another award, this one from the cross country and track website, Milesplit.com.

The website chooses a boys and girls high school cross country coach of the year for every state, and Rexus is this year’s winner for Washington state boys.

We’ve just about reached the postseason for wrestling, which begins in earnest Feb. 1 at Hermiston with the MCC 3A district tourney.

Here’s what’s happened in recent tournaments around the Northwest:

• Pasco’s boys, who defeated Chiawana 37-24 last Friday in a Mid-Columbia Conference match to clinch the conference title, won the River City Duals title the weekend before that in Post Falls, Idaho.

• Sunnyside’s Isaiah Lopez was a standout at 192 pounds at the Ray Westberg Invitational in Ellensburg on Jan. 12. Lopez pinned all three of opponents en route to the title. Lopez wasn’t the only Sunnyside wrestler to win a title that day. Eli Barajas (106), Sam Guerrero (113), EJ Villanueva (120), Andrew Macias (132) and Jose Campos (138) also won titles for the Grizzlies. Southridge’s Mikael Failor also won his weight class division at 160 pounds, going 4-0.

• Chiawana’s Morgan McFee was the star at the Farm City Invitational on Jan. 12 in Hermiston. McFee had four pins en route to winning the 160-pound title. Other area wrestlers who won weight titles: Hermiston’s Zayne Helfer (106 pounds), Adrian Delgado (113) and Jonathan Lee (220); Chiawana’s Darion Johnson (126), Tyson Stover (182), Isaiah Anderson (195) and Colby Blasdel (285); and Irrigon’s Alex Miranda-Walls (170).

• At the Rumble in the Valley at Prosser on Jan. 19, Sunnyside’s Andrew Macias (120 pounds) and Othello’s Isaiah Perez (285) had perfect tournaments. They both pinned all three of their opponents and won their weight class titles. Other area champions at the tourney were Sunnyside’s Eli Barajas (106), Jose Campos (138) and Austin Villanueva (145); Prosser’s Reyden Huizar (113) and Logan Candanoza (170); and Othello’s Roberto Ramirez (126) and Elijah Roylance (220).

• Othello’s Emily Mendez (120) and Hanford’s Grace Nelson (190) were perfect in winning their weight titles at the Othello Lady Huskies Invite on Jan. 11-12. Both wrestlers each pinned their four opponents. Other champions included Hanford’s Taylor Wilson (100) and Taylor Robbins (110); and Sunnyside’s Lourdes Torres (155).

• One week later, at the Grandview Invite on Jan. 19, it was Pasco’s Sofia Correa (110) and Kiona-Benton’s Maloree Calzadillas (155) who were perfect. Correa pinned all three of her opponents, while Calzadillas pinned all four of hers. Other local champions included Warden’s Aaliyah Escamilla (100); Othello’s Emily Mendez (105) and Jacky Peguero (120); and Mabton’s Reyna Huecias (170).

• Hermiston senior Sydney Stefani, who batted .571 as the Bulldogs’ leadoff hitter last season, signed a letter of intent this week to play softball next year for Idaho State University. Stefani has played summer ball for the local Washington Angels for a number of years.
• Kamaile Moody (Southridge) has been named to the Frontier Conference’s Volleyball Academic All-Conference squad this week. Moody, a sophomore, plays for Montana Tech, and she majors in Applied Health and Safety Science. Members of the team need a 3.0 grade point average or better.
• The Seattle Times sports staff came out with its annual Chips List this week. It names the top 100 football senior recruits in the state of Washington. A Blue Chip would be a star at any Division I school; a Red Chip could be a starter at a major conference, like the Pac-12; and a White Chip could play college ball somewhere. Walla Walla OL Patrick Utschinski, who has signed with WSU, is our region’s only Red Chipper. But we have three White Chippers in Chiawana LB AJ Vongphachanh, Richland OL Aric Davison, and Pasco OL Davion Pruitt. Only Davison (Utah State) has committed to a school.
• Connell defensive end Tony Herrmann has made it official, committing to play football next year at Eastern Oregon.

Richland 13-1 MCC/15-2 overall

Chiawana 9-4/12-5

Hermiston 8-4/12-4

Kamiakin 7-5/10-6

Walla Walla 6-6/9-7

Kennewick 5-7/9-7

Hanford 5-8/7-10

Southridge 2-11/3-14

Pasco 1-11/1-15

Friday, Jan. 25

All games at 7:30 p.m.

Hanford at Hermiston

Kamiakin at Walla Walla

Richland at Kennewick

Southridge at Pasco

Saturday, Jan. 26

Chiawana at Walla Walla

Hermiston at Richland

Kennewick at Kamiakin

Pasco at Hanford

Friday, Jan. 25

All games 5:45 p.m.

Hanford at Hermiston

Kamiakin at Walla Walla

Richland at Kennewick

Southridge at Pasco

Saturday, Jan. 26

Chiawana at Walla Walla

Hermiston at Richland

Kennewick at Kamiakin

Pasco at Hanford