Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Sports at a Glance

All stories by Jean Schurman

Sports Talk - A little recognition, please Rocky Mountain Gymnasts finish strong at State Dragon Brigade competes in Bozeman Cold doesn’t stop the Blue Devils

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By the time you read this, March Madness will have passed with only four teams each remaining for both the men and women NCAA basketball teams. Now, I don’t normally comment on the national sports scene because, quite frankly, I have enough to cover right here in the Bitterroot.

But something has been on my mind. This ‘thing’ happens at all levels of play, whether a PAC 10 team or a Big Sky team. It happens in high school, too, but at least there I can do something about it through my reporting. There really is no name for it or at least one that I want to give this phenomenon. But this ‘something’ has been very obvious during the basketball tournaments on TV.

I’m sure many of you watched the Lady Griz on television in the opening round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. After all, they are ‘Montana’s team’ more than any other team in the state. With a – to quote the political pundits – ‘super majority’ of players from Montana, this state relates to this team.

Well, I don’t know about you but I got mighty tired of listening to the television announcers treating the Lady Griz as if they really didn’t deserve to be there. Granted, Vandy was a very good team and rightly deserved to win. The Lady Griz didn’t play their best but they came in with a very impressive record and as the champions of the Big Sky Conference. I’m sure they brought it up once or twice, but coach Robin Selvig is one of the winningest coaches in the nation with a record of 697-199 and a winning percentage of .779 which ranks him in the top 10 of Division I coaches. That fact alone deserves respect.

The UM team also has five or six Native American players on their roster. Not many other colleges and universities, aside from tribal colleges, can boast that fact and it was another fact that wasn’t mentioned. The reservations that these young women come from are every bit as economically challenged and unsafe as some of the inner cities that other players come from but not one word was mentioned.

After watching that game, I started paying more attention to how the games were being announced and I feel that, across the board, the lower seeded teams are not shown the same respect as the higher seeds. Now I know the larger schools do attract the better players and they are very good players. But, the smaller schools or the Cinderella schools have also earned their way to ‘the Big Dance’. Often times these smaller schools develop a chemistry that can, if given the chance, overcome the more talented teams and many of their players are very talented also.

We all root for the underdog. I think it’s human nature. And I know the powerhouse basketball schools will probably win the championships. However, I also think credit should be given to these smaller schools such as Davidson or U of M for what they have accomplished. It wouldn’t take much for these announcers to make sure every team is treated with the same respect. In this day and age, with all the information in the world available at the stroke of a key, there should be enough positive information to go around for everyone – not just the Big East, SEC and Big 10. Unbiased announcing is really just a small thing but it certainly would make my March Madness a lot nicer.

I’m not advocating that announcers ‘take it easy’ on the smaller schools. I’m just asking them to do the same legwork on the smaller schools as they do for the big basketball schools. (And to be just a bit snide – I’m sure there are reams of information on Duke University that no one ever got to hear, thanks to their first round exit from the NCAA tournament.)

When the last ball is bounced this season, these players will still be students and they will still be someone’s son or daughter. By changing just a few words or doing just a bit more legwork to find out about a team, it will make March Madness even more enjoyable.

(submitted by Rick Haacke)

The state gymnastics championships were held in Kalispell, March 29-30. All of the Rocky Mountain gymnasts qualified for state. Level 4 Kendal Gordon was the best level 4 gymnast of the meet, taking first on vault and first all-around. Nicole Turner was the best competitor on bars, winning with a 9.6. Miranda Herbert beat out all the competition, placing first on beam. Danika Whaley dominated the floor, placing first with a 9.5. Each one of the Rocky Mountain level 4 competitors placed first on an event, squeezing out all the competition. The level 4s beat out the other teams, taking 1st as a team.

At level 5, Caitlin Dillon swept most events, taking first on vault, bars, beam and all-around. Hayley Hudgins was level 5 floor state champion. Whitley Schlapman was state champion on beam. The level 5 team competed very well, taking 2nd as a team.

Megan Nelson held strong all year, placing well at state for level 6. Level 7 Aspen Evans, one of Rocky Mountain’s veteran gymnasts, showed great presentation throughout the competition. Chivahna Keating shoved out all the competition, placing very well. Chivahna was state champion on beam, floor and all-around. Chivahna was undefeated at every competition on the floor apparatus.

Rocky Mountain Gymnastics had 12 girls competing in gymnastics this year. Most of the girls practice 3-4 hours a night 3-4 days a week. They keep this schedule all year long. The girls are very dedicated to the sport. Every one of the girls did exceptionally well this year.

Results from the State Meet are in the order of vault, bars, beam, floor and all-around. The individual’s score is followed by their placing in parenthesis in each of the events.

Level 4: Kendal Gordon - 9.5 (1), 9.5 (2), 9.0 (2), 9.35 (7), 37.350 (1); Nicole Turner - 9.175 (6), 9.6 (1), 8.85 (6), 9.3 (9), 36.925 (2); Miranda Herbert - 9.35 (3), 9.35 (3), 9.175 (1), 8.975 (15), 36.85 (3); Danika Whaley - 9.425 (2), 8.9 (11), 8.85 (6), 9.5 (1), 36.675 (4).

Level 5: Caitlin Dillon - 9.075(1), 9.15(1), 8.5(1), 8.4 (3), 35.125 (1); Hayley Hudgins - 8.375(3), 8.675 (2), 8.325(2), 8.6(1), 33.975(2); Sierra Keating - 9.05(3), 8.6(12), 8.65(12), 8.35(21), 34.65 (10); Genesis Keith - 8.275(33), 8.3(17), 8.95(5), 8.75(12), 34.275(13); Whitley Schlapman - 8.25(15), 8.45(8), 9.0(1), 8.45(4), 34.150(3).

Level 6: Megan Nelson - 9.2(4), 9.025(2), 7.45(11), 8.85(4), 34.525(4).

Level 7: Aspen Evans - 9.0(4), 8.55(7), 8.75(8), 9.1(5), 35.4(5); Chivahna Keating - 9.225 (2), 9.05 (5), 9.25 (1), 9.4(1), 36.925(1).

The Dragon Brigade attended the 4th annual Bozeman Karate Open on Saturday, March 29. The tournament is held in Bozeman at the Montana State University campus. Teams from Frenchtown, Missoula, Helena, Kalispell, and the Bitterroot attended. This was the first tournament of the season for the Dragon Brigade, whose team members range in age from 5 to 15. Later in the season they will travel to Frenchtown , Missoula, Spokane, WA, and the Western Wyoming Karate Championship held in Green River WY. That tournament will be the Excel Karate League National Final as well as the qualifier for the World Martial Arts Symposium held in Disney World in October.

The team did well in Bozeman with individual results as follows: Kayla Fields - 2nd in forms and 2nd in sparring; Tyson Bain - 2nd in forms, 3rd in sparring; Bryson Bain - 3rd in sparring; Emma Decker - 1st in forms; Roman Martushev, 3rd in forms and 2nd in sparring; Hailey Ussery - 2nd in forms; Colleen McGibben, 3rd in sparring; Katie Exner - 3rd in forms and 1st in sparring; Michael Whipple - 1st in forms and 3rd in sparring; Rachel Wissenbach - 2nd in forms; Will Wissenbach - 2nd in forms; Caleb Hill - 1st in sparring; Maggie Reynolds - 2nd in sparring; Carson Bain - 1st in forms; Alisha Bennett - 1st in forms and 2nd in sparring; Trevor Richie - 3rd in forms and 2nd in sparring; Joel Haas - 3rd in sparring; Jessie Vogel - 1st in forms and 3rd in sparring; Colter Hartless - 3rd in forms; Taylor Bess - 2nd in sparring; Grant Bess - 1st in forms; Tuff Price - 1st in forms and 3rd in sparring; Becca Lyons - 1st in sparring; Doug Wissenbach - 1st in sparring.

The first game of the season and, as it turned out, the only game of the weekend, was between Corvallis and Stevensville on the cold, cold field at Corvallis. With the wind howling, it didn’t take Corvallis long to take command of the game. With Kasie Conder pitching to her younger sister, Korie, the duo with the help of the rest of the Blue Devils defeated Stevensville, 9-0. Kasie Conder allowed only one hit, early in the first inning in the shutout. Stevensville’s Izzy Miller had the lone hit for the Yellowjackets but Kasie Conder didn’t allow another run.

Corvallis had five runs in the first inning and kept the pressure on Miller and company for the entire game. A couple of defensive stops by Stevensville kept the difference under the 10-run rule and allowed a complete game to be played. The Yellowjackets finished the game with only one error.

Corvallis’ Markie Gurley hit a long ball over center for the only home run of the game. Gurley also had a triple. Megan Auch was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI as well.

Both teams were scheduled to play in the Hamilton Invitational on Saturday but the weekend’s snowfall cancelled those games. Corvallis will play Frenchtown on Saturday

Stevensville 000 000 0 - 0 1 1

Corvallis 512 100 x - 9 12 2

Izzy Miller and Maddie Jones. Kasie Conder and Korie Conder. W – Conder (1-0). L – Miller (0-1).

Stevensville – Sam lanoue 0-2, Brianna Beller 0-3, Izzy Miller 1-3, Maddie Jones 0-3, Lindsey McGee 0-3, Cassie Hecht 0-3, Sara Ajuria 0-2, Kelsy Pepprock 0-2, Kerry Roebke 0-1, Morgan Park 0-1.

Corvallis – Kylnn Pelkey 1-4, BriAnna Anderson 1-3, Markie Gurley 2-3, Kasie Conder 1-3, Megan Auch 3-4, Angie Henderson 1-4, Sydney Ewing 1-1, Danielle Murray 2-2, Danielle Patton 0-3, Amber Bradshaw 0-1.

2B – Pelkey. 3B – Gurley, Auch. HR – Gurley. RBIs – Pelkey, Gurley, Kasie Conder 2, Auch, Henderson, Murray.

Hamilton boys tennis team topped by Loyola

The Loyola Rams defeated Hamilton, 4-3, on the tennis court on Friday night. The non conference match was only between the boys’ teams. Loyola’s top two doubles teams took the wins which gave them the match.

Loyola 4, Hamilton 3

Singles – Evan Hanson, H, def. Michael Breza, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3; Erich Dieziger, L, def. Alex Ridgeway, 6-2, 6-3; Tyler Beightel, H, def. Dillon Linhard, 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4; Paul Hefferman, L, def. Justin Wallace, 6-1, 6-0.

Doubles – Kyle Doyle/Jonathan Finch, L, def. Bobby Huppert/Cody Lewis, 6-1, 6-4; Cade Cross/Dylan McDowell, L, def. Neil Sauer/Adam Wilmarth, 6-3, 6-4; Trevor Robinson/DJ Foss, H, won by forfeit.