Tri-Cities racing team down to 1 boat in Columbia Cup. WA Hall of Fame inducts locals

The damage to the U-9 Lynx Healthcare unlimited hydroplane a few Sundays ago is bad enough that Tri-Cities-based Strong Racing has announced the boat is done for the rest of the season.

The team will rebuild the hull. And the team will renumber its other boat, the U-8 Miss Tri-Cities, as the U-9 Lynx Healthcare presents Miss Tri-Cities.

It’s doing that because the U-9 is battling for the national high points championship.

J. Michael Kelly will be the team’s driver. Kelly has been in the the U-8 cockpit the last two seasons.

Unfortunately, it means Corey Peabody doesn’t have a ride right now.

Peabody lost control of the U-9 in Madison, Ind., in the final heat of the Madison Regatta, flipping it and landing upside down. Peabody, who drove the U-9 to the HAPO Columbia Cup title in 2021, was not injured in the accident.

As of this week, the Columbia Cup lineup features just six unlimited hydroplanes.

But there are two other boats/teams out there that still may compete in the Columbia Cup on July 29-31: the U-12 Graham Trucking, and the U-21 Go Fast, Turn Left team.

U-12 owner Rob Graham has not notified the Water Follies officially of whether his team is coming.

U-21 team owner Greg O’Farrell and his son Brian brought their boat to the Tri-Cities for the annual Spring Training event in early June. But they have yet to officially commit to the Columbia Cup.

Greg O’Farrell said at Spring Training he was still recovering from a kidney transplant, which caused him to be on dialysis for a year.

“I had open heart surgery too,” he said. “I told the other teams I’d be back as soon as I felt better. Right now, it’s just good to be out and see all of my friends.”

If he did come back, he said the team had plans on racing this season in the Tri-Cities and Seattle.

And if the boat — which has only ever raced twice — did well in those two races, then maybe he’d take it down to San Diego to end the season.

Brian Perkins was driving the U-21 in June. But O’Farrell’s grandson, Gunnar, also got into the cockpit and actually is now qualified to drive the boat.

State Hall of Fame

The State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame announced its next induction class last week, and it includes a few people with Mid-Columbia connections.

Former Pasco High star Bruce Kison — who passed away in 2018 — will be honored. Kison pitched in 15 seasons in the major leagues, with the Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels, and the Boston Red Sox.

Kison had a career won-loss record of 115-88, and his earned run average was 3.66.

Boxer Pete Rademacher, who died in 2020, was an Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medalist in 1956. He was from the Yakima Valley area.

Dick Cartmell, a Richland High grad, will also be honored. Cartmell was one of the top NCAA men’s basketball officials for over 35 years, and worked five Final Fours. He was also honored with the Naismith Men’s College Official of the Year award.

Cartmell was supposed to be inducted in the Class of 2020, but Covid canceled the inductions.

Others to be honored: late University of Washington rower Ted Garhart; high school football coach Steve Gervais; National Soccer Hall of Fame member Shannon (Higgins) Cirovski; former Seattle Sounders coach Alan Hinton; former MLB outfielder Bill North; and former University of Washington volleyball star Courtney Thompson.

The Hall of Fame Class will be honored in a brief ceremony before the Mariners-Texas Rangers game on July 25.

Little League

Greater Richland Little League won the District 12 all-star tournament title for 12-year-olds recently.

Greater Richland defeated Selah 6-3 in the title game earlier this month, and that earned the Tri-City team a berth in the 13-team Washington State Little League tournament.

That tourney begins Saturday, July 16, in Lynwood and Everett.

GRLL opens state tournament play at 4:30 p.m., Sunday, July 17, against the winner of Saturday’s game between the champions from District 2 and District 7.

Greater Richland is manager by Nat Roe, and his assistant coaches are Dan Sullivan, Billy Young and Andrew Esparza.

Team members are Kruise Esparza, Liam Gutierrez, Tyler Hanson, Colton Hardgrove, Kaleo Luke, Jackson Mackley, Brier Nelson, Tyson Richardson, Dylan Roe, Tanner Sullivan, Justin Volmer, Derek Wilson, and Ethan Young.

Signings

Last month, Chiawana had a signing celebration for all of its athletes who are moving on beyond the high school level.

Pretty impressive list of 25 athletes (in alphabetical order): Isaiah Anderson, Oregon State wrestling; Abigail Beaton, North Idaho College volleyball; Kylie Buttars, Dixie State dance; Cash Callaway, Benedictine University of Mesa men’s basketball; Camryn Cartwright, University of Providence (Montana) women’s basketball.

Jaclynn Castellanos, Warner Pacific women’s soccer; Ellie Cortes-Muniz, Columbia Basin College women’s soccer; Andrew Charron, Spokane Falls Community College baseball; Easton Espinosa, Walla Walla Community College baseball; Bryson Garza, Yakima Valley Community College baseball.

Jonah Gonzalez, YVCC baseball; Sierra Gonzales, Eastern Oregon women’s wrestling; Isaac Hoag, Everett Community College baseball; Darion Johnson, Western Wyoming Community College men’s wrestling; Michael Kot, Northwest University men’s soccer.

Connor Mendez, St. Martins University baseball; McKenna Nyby, CBC women’s golf; Makenzie Richard, Bellevue College softball; Sawyer Stenson, Lower Columbia Community College softball; Lance Stover, Corban University men’s wrestling.

Savannah Taylor, Western Oregon University women’s soccer; Maliyah Twitty, LCCC softball; Alissa Valdovinos, WWCC women’s soccer; Royce Vandine, LCCC baseball; JP Zamora, Washington State University football.