PREP NOTEBOOK: Glacier Peak’s Neale beats out Oregon champ to win BorderClash
Published 10:36 pm Tuesday, November 23, 2010
After winning a Class 3A state cross country title earlier this month, Amy-Eloise Neale went a step further: The Glacier Peak High School freshman won a prestigious all-star race that featured the top runners from Washington and Oregon.
Neale won the 2009 BorderClash event on Sunday on the Nike World Campus in Beaverton, Ore. She completed the 4,400-meter course in 16 minutes, 37.1 seconds, holding off Oregon’s Annamarie Maag (16:38.23) in a sprint finish. Maag is an Oregon state champion.
BorderClash features the top 40 boys and top 40 girls from each state. Neale is the first freshman to ever win the girls race, according to Glacier Peak assistant cross country coach Frank Dauncey.
Neale helped the Washington girls earn a decisive team victory (19-44) over Oregon. Stanwood’s Minna Fields placed seventh in 17:04.6.
The Washington boys earned a sweep over Oregon (15-50) in their race. Individual winner Shane Moskowitz of Central Kitsap finished in 14:06.29. The top local boy was Jackson’s Sean Roe (29th).
Snohomish’s Riechel signs with Stanford
Star swimmer Garren Riechel, a senior at Snohomish High, signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent last week to compete for the Stanford University men’s swimming team. Riechel signed on Nov. 17. It was “a real honor to be accepted in that school and sign with them. I’m pretty proud,” said Riechel, who is interested in studying medicine or law.
In addition to taking an official recruiting visit to Stanford, Riechel also visited the University of Michigan and Ohio State University.
At the 2009 state championships, Riechel won the 50-yard freestyle and the 100 breaststroke, setting a meet record (54.49 seconds) in the breaststroke. Coming off of elbow surgery this past summer, Riechel said he is healthy and wants to break the national high school record in the 100 breaststroke. The record is 53.66, set by Seattle Prep’s Patrick Fowler in 1998, according to SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.
Shorecrest hires football coach
Shorecrest hired Brandon Christensen as its head football coach. Christensen replaces Mike Wollan, who resigned this month after nine seasons. Wollan’s teams went 40-52, including 3-7 (1-3 Wesco 3A) in 2009.
Christensen, a first-time head football coach, has been Shorecrest’s defensive coordinator since 2000. He played football at Central Washington University. He teaches physical education and health at Shorecrest and has been the Scots’ head track and field coach for five years.
“We are excited to have someone with Brandon’s credentials and coaching experience. He is a man of character and is well-respected in the Shoreline and (Washington) football community,” Shoreline School District athletic director Don Dalziel said in a prepared statement.
Mowbray signs with So. Oregon
Nicole Mowbray, a 5-foot-10 senior forward from Oak Harbor High, signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent with the Southern Oregon University women’s basketball team. Mowbray averaged 10 points and seven rebounds last season for Oak Harbor. She was an All-Wesco North honorable mention.
Jackson’s Todd organizes tourney
Ryan Todd, an all-league first team guard on the Jackson High boys basketball team, organized a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for his senior project. The tourney, which features a middle school division and a high school student/teacher division, starts at 6 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Jackson High. The cost is $10 per team. All proceeds will be donated to a scholarship fund in memory of Chase Bircher, a friend of Todd’s who drowned in 2003. For more information contact Todd at 425-248-8384 or rtodd13@msn.com.
Hoops season is here
We will publish our 2009-2010 boys and girls basketball preview on Thursday. It will include in-depth stories, player profiles and coaches’ predictions.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
