Central gets No. 1 tag from SI

There are large expectations for football at Central Washington University this fall. The Wildcats are rated No. 1 in the NCAA Division II preseason rankings this week by Sports Illustrated.

Sports Illustrated picked Valdosta State of Georgia second behind Central, with defending national champion Grand Valley State of Michigan third.

Central, 11-1 last season, is the overwhelming favorite to repeat as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion in a preseason poll of GNAC coaches. Western Washington was picked to finish second and Western Oregon was third.

The Wildcats return a total of 16 starters, including eight on offense and six on defense from a team that lost to UC-Davis in the first round of last year's playoffs.

Central opens its season on Aug. 29, hosting defending NAIA national champion Carroll College of Helena, Mont.

Tracksters bring home firsts

Nicole Cochran won two events in the girls 13-14 age group and Kamorean Hayes finished first and second to lead Washington athletes last week at the U.S. Junior Olympic track and field championships in Miami. Cochran, competing for the South Hill Striders of Tacoma, won the girls 3,000 meters in 10 minutes, 25.70 seconds and the 1,500 in 4:43.52. She also was seventh in the 800. Hayes, competing unattached, won the girls discus in 125 feet and was second in the girls shot put in 47 feet, 9 inches.

Norris Frederick of Seatown Express in Seattle high-jumped 6-8-3/4 to finish second in the boys 17-18 high jump. Jake Hanson, competing unattached, was second in the boys 15-16 400 hurdles in 54.44. Melissa Canfield of the Flying AJ's in Federal Way was second in the girls 11-12 javelin in 107-1.

World Series in Kirkland

Ten teams from five countries, including host Kirkland National, will will gather in Kirkland this weekend for the start of the Girls Junior Softball World Series. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for noon tomorrow, with games at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The tournament, which concludes with the championship game at 3 p.m. on Aug. 16, will be played at Everest Park, 500 8th St. S.

There are four games tomorrow, two starting at 2 p.m. and two more at 5 p.m. Kirkland National plays Waco Midway of Waco, Texas, at 5 p.m.

Pallansch picks OSU

Center Claire Pallansch, who will be a senior at Redmond High School, has committed to play basketball at Oregon State. She chose OSU over Idaho and Cal-Irvine.

As a junior last season, she was a major contributor to the Mustangs' 25-game winning streak and the team's eventual sixth-place finish at the state tournament. She collected 35 points and 37 rebounds at the state tournament.

Notes

• Renee Skidmore of Everett Golf and Country Club beat Jessica Black of Awbrey Glen Golf Club 2 and 1 in the championship match of the 48th Pacific Northwest Junior Girls Amateur tournament at Wing Point Golf and Country Club on Bainbridge Island.

Skidmore, who will be a senior at Cascade High School, won the 2002 Class 4A state title and was state runner-up in 2003.

• The Sammamish Rowing Association in Redmond is sending three rowers to compete in the U.S. Rowing Masters National Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif., on Aug. 21-24. They are Dan Voicu, 41; Sandra McGinnis, 32; and Cristian Petculescu, 31.

• Senior guard Blake Stepp and senior forward Cory Violette of Gonzaga are among the preseason top 50 players named as candidates for the 2003-04 John R. Wooden Award. The Wooden Award goes to college basketball's top player.