Local hydro owner notches first Unlimited win
Published 9:00 pm Monday, September 11, 2006
SILVERDALE – After five years of trying, hydro owner Tom Eckenberg of Everett nearly didn’t get his first victory on the Unlimited Light Hydroplane Racing Association (ULHRA) circuit.
While the rest of the field took to the waters of Dyes Inlet for the Unlimited Lights final at the BoatTrader.com Quicksilver Regatta on Aug. 20, Eckenberg’s boat, the UL-19 Mz Zip Fizz Healthy Energy Drink, and rookie driver Ryan Mallow were stuck dockside with vapor locked fuel lines.
Eckenberg’s Five Star Racing Team resolved the fuel line problem and Mallow got off to a quick start on the 5-mile course, moving into second place in the six-boat field after the first half-lap. Mallow’s average speed of 94.762 mph and a broken propeller blade on the lead boat, the UL-1 Mike’s Hard Lemonade-Happy Go Lucky – driven by defending champion Greg Hopp of Snohomish – put Mallow and the Mz Zip Fizz in victory lane.
The 25-year-old Mallow of Tacoma, who qualified as a driver just before the Quicksilver regatta, earned a spot in the final by winning the B Main heat earlier that day.
Eckenberg began fielding boats on the ULHRA circuit in 2001. His previous best finish was at the 2005 Quicksilver Regatta, when the UL-19 won the B Main heat but finished last in the final.
Rock climbing
Byington finishes in top 10 at World Championship: Bekah Byington of Stanwood finished seventh in the Female Youth A Speed climbing category on Aug. 27 at the Youth World Championship in Imst, Austria.
The 17-year-old Byington, who climbs locally with Everett’s Cascade Crags club, finished with 43 points in her category and was the third American in the top 10 after Alex Johnson (third) of Hudson, Wis., and Jayme Hatch (fourth) of Londonberry, N.H.
The five-day World Youth Championship was sponsored by the International Council for Competition Climbing (UIAA) and featured more than 400 athletes from around the world.
Byington earned a spot on the U.S. team by finishing in the top four at the Youth Sport Climbing and Speed National Championships held July 7-9 in Tigard, Ore.
Volleyball
Roma named GNAC player of the week: Western Washington University middle blocker Tiana Roma has been named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending Sept. 10 after helping the Vikings defeat Western Oregon and Northwest Nazarene.
Roma, a sophomore and Edmonds-Woodway High School graduate, had 21 kills and a .375 attack percentage in the two league contests.
The Vikings, who have won their last four matches, are 6-4 overall and 2-0 in GNAC action.
Through 10 matches, Roma ranks second on the team with 98 kills and third in blocks with 19. She was the GNAC Freshman of the Year and a second-team all-star in 2005.
