Nemra gets Olympic approval
Recent M-P grad Haley Nemra has recently recieved the OK from the NCAA to compete in the 2008 Olympics this summer in Beijing.
Nemra, who is an American and Marshall Islands dual citizen, will compete in the 800-meter run for the Marshall Islands. This fall, Nemra begins classes at the University of San Francisco, where she’ll compete on the cross country and track teams. She plans to study business and sports management.
Busy summer for Arlington football
Arlington football is gearing up for fall.
Weightlifting is already underway but activities begin in earnest with the Arlington youth football camp, for kids ages 7 to 14, beginning July 21. A week-long football camp for high school players runs the week after at the high school campus with a midweek scrimmage scheduled. Practice is scheduled to begin Aug. 20, with the first day of freshman practice scheduled for Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. Freshmen should go to the school web site at www.asd.wednet.edu to make sure they have all their paperwork, according to coach Greg Dailer.
The Arlington Gridiron Club is also hosting a fundraising golf tournament at Gleneagle Golf Course, scheduled for July 27. For more information, visit the web site at www.leaguelineup.com/ahsgridironclub.
Allen to vie in fastpitch nationals
Arlington senior-to-be Kristen Allen’s select team Washington Lady Hawks has qualified for the ASA 18U Gold Nationals in Oklahoma City.
Allen’s team earned an invite to the prestigious softball tournament with their performance at a sector qualifier in Stockton, Calif. June 28-29. The Lady Hawks are currently the only team from the Washington, Oregon or Idaho eligible to attend.
Allen, who plays shortstop for Arlington during the spring fastpitch season, is one of just two athletes representing Snohomish County on the elite team.
Allen is currently raising money for her trip to Oklahoma City. The tournament runs Aug. 3-10.
Express U12 takes second at state
The Snohomish County Express U12 team placed second at the NSA Washington State Girls Fastpitch Championships, held the last weekend in June in the Tri-Cities.
En route to the championship game, the Express got a monkey off their back, defeating local rival Edmonds Starz in the consolation bracket.
The Express got their first loss at the hands of the Washington Hustle, the bracket’s eventual champion. Both teams were undefeated entering the game but the Express lost 3-2 after giving up three errors. The loss put Express against the Starz for a rematch versus the Hustle.
Express took a 7-1 lead early on but the Starz battled back to tie the game up and force extra innings. With the eighth inning, the international tiebreaker rule kicked in and each team started at bat with a runner on second base.
In the top of the ninth, the Starz sacrified their runner to third base, setting up what seemed like an inevitable run. Instead, shortstop Kayla Wright fielded the ball, passing to catcher Lynsey Amundson to stop the runner at home.
“It was amazing, and then and there you knew we were going to score and win the game,” said coach Bill Basher.
The girls won 13-12 to face the Hustle, where they fell 5-2 for second place.
Arlington produces Hoopfest champs
At least two Arlington area teams won their bracket when they traveled to Hoopfest in Spokane, June 28-29.
Four girls from the Arlington basketball program formed the team Gack Attack, taking the long route to glory. The team of Alisha Murrin, Ginny Wilson, Kandace Evans and Carlee Duncan lost their first game but won the next six for a second chance PTBC Luna Pila. The girls won, handing Luna Pila their first loss and requiring a second championship game. Gack Attack won again, to be named bracket champs.
“It was over 100 degrees and so the asphalt was very hot,” Murrin said. “It was kind of miserable, but fun.”
It took the fifth-grade team Hoopstarz half as many games. The girls went undefeated to win their bracket handily, outscoring their opponents a combined 66-22, according to team dad Rob Balderas. The team was made up of his daughter Serafina, Cierra Jo McKeown, Olivia Larson and Sydney Taggart.
