Sekulic secures Northwest Open title by 4 shots
Aug. 19—AREA ROUNDUP
WALLA WALLA — Washington State men's golfer Max Sekulic shot a bogey-free, 10-under-par 62 and earned a four-shot victory Wednesday the PGA Pacific Northwest Section's Northwest Open Invitational at Wine Valley Golf Club.
Sekulic, who missed the cut at last week's U.S. Men's Amateur in Verona, Pa., finished at 23-under 193 overall and beat PGA professional Derek Berg, who finished at 19-under 197 after a final-round 6-under 66.
Sekulic, who won the Canadian Men's Amateur title Aug. 5 at Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and finished second at the Rosauers Open Invitational on July 18, had six birdies and eagles at Nos. 3 and 7 for his score.
Former University of Idaho golfer Colt Sherrell, playing out of Meridan Valley Country Club, tied for 22nd place at 3-under 213. Moscow resident Loren Jeglum, competing out of Palouse Ridge Golf Club, tied for 31st at 2-under 214. UI junior golfer Joel Veenstra tied for 42nd at 1-under 215 overall. Lewiston Golf and Country Club pro Christopher Lien and UI coach David Nuhn are tied for 62nd at 4-over 220. UI's Tommy McKenzie tied for 76th at 6-over 222. Assistant golf pro at the UI Golf Course, Michael Wagner, finished tied for 128th at 17-oveer 233.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
No area team ranked higher than second in media poll
Only two area teams cracked the top five, and none higher than No. 2, as the preseason Idaho high school football medial poll was released.
Prairie, a state semifinalist in 2020, is No. 2 in the first Class 1A Division I poll. The Pirates, who finished 7-1 a year ago, earned three first-place votes and finished with 38 points. Oakley, the defending state champion in the classificiation, is No. 1, garnering five first-place votes and 44 points.
Kendrick, who also advanced to the state semifinal round in Class 1A Division II, starts the season ranked No. 3. The Tigers, who finished 6-2 in 2020, earned 24 points to place behind No. 1 Carey and No. 2 Dietrich, the reigning state champ.
Others who received votes include Moscow in Class 4A, Grangeville in Class 2A and Lapwai, Clearwater Valley and Kamiah in Class 1A DI.
Area teams start their season Aug. 27.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
WSU picked fifth in conference
SAN FRANCISCO — The Washington State volleyball team was picked in the Pac-12 Conference preseason coaches' poll, it was announced.
Defending champion Washington was selected to win the conference, garnering 11 first-place votes with 121 points. The Huskies were followed by UCLA, Oregon, Stanford, then the Cougars.
WSU went 11-5 overall and 11-4 in conference play during the pandemic-delayed season which took place in the winter. The Cougars made it to the NCAA tournament, but were ousted in five games in the first round against 18th-ranked Western Kentucky.
WSU's ranking of No. 18 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. It is the highest ranking to start a season for the program.
Also, three players from the Cougars earned all-conference preseason accolades. Juniors Hannah Pukis, Pia Timmer and Magda Jehlarova earned the honors. Pukis was an AVCA All-American, and Timmer and Jehlarova were AVCA Pacific North All-Region picks last season
The Cougars begin the season Aug. 27 against South Carolina in the Carolina Classic in Columbia, S.C.
PRESEASON POLL
1. Washington (11) 121; 2. UCLA 101; 3. Oregon 100; 4. Stanford (1) 95; 5. Washington State 77; 6. USC 74; 7. Utah 66; 8. Arizona 44; 9. Colorado 39; 10. California 33; 11. Arizona State 30; 12. Oregon State 12.
ALL-PAC-12 PRESEASON TEAM
Magda Jehlarova, Washington State; Hannah Pukis, Washington State; Pia Timmer, Washington State; Brooke Botkin, USC; Samantha Drechsel, Washington; Dani Drews, Utah; Zoe Fleck, UCLA; Claire Hoffman, Washington; Kendall Kipp, Stanford; Mac May, UCLA; Elan McCall, UCLA; Mima Mirkovic, California; Brooke Nuneviller, Oregon; Ella May Powell, Washington.
Idaho picked seventh in Big Sky
FARMINGTON, Utah — The Idaho volleyball team was tied for seventh in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches' poll, it was announced.
The Vandals, who finished last year's pandemic-delayed season 6-11 overall and 5-9 in the conference, earned 38 points overall to finish in a tie with Southern Utah. Weber State earned 10 of 11 first-place votes to finish on top with 100 points.
Idaho will return senior middle blocker Nikki Ball, who was a second-team All-Big Sky selection in the spring, and the Vandals also will have three local players on the team this year — sophomore setter Peyten Ely of Lewiston, sophomore middle blocker Bea Whitling from Logos, and freshman Peyton Claus of Moscow.
UI begins the season hosting the Idaho Volleyball Classic from Aug. 27-28 at Memorial Gym. The Vandals will take on Portland at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 27.
PRESEASON POLL
1. Weber State (10) 100; 2. Northern Arizona (1) 86; 3. Northern Colorado 83; 4. Montana State 73; 5. Sacramento State 67; 6. Portland State 50; T7. Southern Utah 38; T7. Idaho 38; 9. Eastern Washington 36; 10. Idaho State 18; 11. Montana 16.
