A trio of Snohomish County athletes made the cut last month at a prestigious soccer camp in Oregon.
Kaleb Kuehn of Marysville-Pilchuck High School, and Brandon Kelley and Matt Berry, both of Snohomish, were picked to compete for the Region IV Olympic Development Program (ODP) boys team for players born in 1989. They were among 36 players selected following a camp July 22-30 at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore.
About 225 players from 13 states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming) participated in the event. The top 36 competitors are eligible to play for the national ODP team and will be further evaluated in January 2007.
Kuehn, a goalkeeper, made the regional team for the second straight year. Last March he traveled to Germany with the Region IV squad. Despite his previous success, he worked hard to impress in McMinnville.
“You want to prove that you actually have something,” Kuehn said. “You’re kind of nervous throughout the whole week, but by the end you get a lot of confidence.”
Kuehn plays club ball for Snohomish United. Kelley and Berry, who helped Snohomish High School win the 2006 Class 4A state championship, are former Snohomish United members who switched to Emerald City FC of Seattle.
“We’re pretty good friends,” Kuehn said of his relationship with Kelley, a forward, and Berry, a defender. “It’s kind of nice having players on your (regional ODP) team that you know.”
Cascade hires wrestling, volleyball coaches: Todd Freeman has accepted the job as head wrestling coach at Cascade High School and Wendy Close has filled the school’s top volleyball coaching position, Cascade athletic director Doug Kloke said.
“(It’s) a fun thing. I’ve been there for quite a while,” said Close, who coached junior-varsity volleyball at Cascade the past 20 years. She also is the longtime eighth-grade volleyball coach at Eisenhower Middle School in Everett.
“I just decided this was (a good) opportunity to take – a good chance for me to move up. I know all the girls, so it will be fun,” said Close, who also coaches Cascade’s softball team.
Freeman is an Arlington graduate who previously worked as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater. “Todd’s a fantastic guy. He did a terrific job (at Arlington),” Arlington athletic director Allen Jefferson said.
“That’s Cascade’s gain,” Jefferson added. “Todd is great with kids. He’s a great motivator.”
Catching on: The Edmonds-Woodway football team has a stable of talented running backs, headed by powerful senior Josh Heard. But 6-foot-5 senior receiver Eric Greenwood and tight end Casey Hamlett should also give the Warriors a potent pass-catching duo. E-W coach John Gradwohl liked what he saw from his team over the summer and has high hopes for Greenwood. “I’m figuring out how to use him better,” Gradwohl said of Greenwood, an All-Wesco South first-team pick last season. “He should have a big impact. He’s a tall, fast, competitive athlete.” Gradwohl and other football coaches will learn a lot more about their squads starting Wednesday, when practice for the 2006 season opens.
Murphy seeks baseball coach: Applications will be accepted through Monday for the position of head baseball coach at Archbishop Murphy High School. The 2A Wildcats compete in the Cascade Conference. For an application or more information, call 425-385-3464.
Four officials to be inducted into hall of fame: Burt Backman of Tumwater (basketball), Linda Meredith of Woodinville (basketball), Jack Reynolds of Bellevue (wrestling and softball), and Jack Shagool of Spokane (football) will be inducted into the Washington Officials Association Hall of Fame Saturday at the Yakima Convention Center. The hall’s Class of 2006 was picked for its outstanding contributions to Washington youth through sports officiating.
In addition, Rich Senff will be honored as Snohomish County Wrestling (Arlington) official of the year and Ernie Ghezzi of Northwest Basketball (Oak Harbor) will receive the Thomas A. Cross Service Award.
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