Phoenix athletes ink with Div. III schools

Feb. 23—Two Phoenix High senior athletes signed letters to compete at the NCAA Division III level during a ceremony Monday at the high school.

Basketball player Josie Bolstad committed to the Pacific University women's program in Forest Grove, and baseball player Monte Spence signed on with Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota.

Bolstad was a Skyline Conference first-team selection as a junior in 2019-20, averaging 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and shooting 51% from the field.

Bolstad scored a career-high 34 points and added 11 rebounds in a 60-48 state play-in game win over Molalla. The Pirates finished her junior season fourth in the Skyline and with a 12-12 overall record.

She carries a 4.0 grade-point average, had perfect attendance and earned the Stancliff Award as the school's top female athlete her junior year. She also plays volleyball, softball and is a cheerleader.

Spence batted .250 for the Pirates as a sophomore but had his junior season canceled by COVID-19.

He played for the HAC-MAN Baseball team, which is run by former major-leaguer Jeffrey Leonard, is based in Sacramento, California, and plays tournaments throughout the West.

With Phoenix's American Legion team, Spence batted higher than .500 and his on-base percentage eclipsed .700.

He'll play third base for the Pirates this spring.