State Colleges Report | Giske still gives to SPU crew

Something about Meg Giske doesn't add up.

She stayed an extra year at Seattle Pacific and yet graduates at age 20.

Giske passed up a law-school scholarship in favor of another season as coxswain of a largely walk-on crew.

And while she occupies the stern of the Falcons' varsity eight, Giske takes a back seat to no one as not only a servant but as a leader.

Her coach, Keith Jefferson , admits he was surprised when she re-enlisted as jockey of his top women's boats.

"Meg's gifted, incredibly bright, and has got such a big heart," said Jefferson. "She can't imagine not serving, and at such a young age, too. Whatever she does, she looks for ways to help."

Giske will be in the driver's seat May 11 in Rancho Cordova, Calif., when the Falcons women's varsity eight goes after an at-large berth in the NCAA Division II Championships. Essentially, that's why she came back — to help give her crew a chance.

"Meg just wanted to contribute," Jefferson said. "She's had a profound impact on our young [six novices] rowers' development, and she gives them confidence."

A year after failing to make the grand final of the Western Intercollegiate championships (WIRA), SPU improved and took third last month.

Last summer, Giske joined about 20 students serving 130 mentally and physically disabled orphans in Ukraine. This summer, she and a friend will teach at another Ukrainian orphanage, and Giske is taking Russian language lessons.

"I'd always thought of working with the homeless in the United States, but this has broadened my horizons to think about helping through international law," she said. "I want to serve society's disadvantaged."

Said Jefferson, "She's humble but feisty, and the toughest thing in a 5-foot-2 package you'll find."

Also at Seattle Pacific

Track and field: Freshman Jessica Pixler (Eastlake of Sammamish), a three-time GNAC champion in cross country and indoors, is the top seed in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 meters for the GNAC Championships, which begin Friday in Bellingham.

Seattle U.

Track and field: Freshman Dan Sullivan (Foster of Tukwila) is No. 2 entering the men's 400 hurdles at the GNAC Championships, and freshman Lindsay Currier (Beaverton, Ore.) is No. 2 in the women's discus.

Softball: Friday will be Senior Day when Seattle University hosts Western Oregon. It will be the final regular-season game for infielders Katie Ledbetter (Kamiakin of Kennewick) and Kelli Marek (Liberty of Issaquah) and catcher Amanda Nilles (North Central of Spokane).

Washington

Men's tennis: Freshman Derek Drabble (Johannesburg) and junior Andy Kuharszky (Budapest) won the Pac-10 Invitational doubles Sunday to run their win streak to eight.

Baseball: Junior infielder/outfielder Matt Hague (Kentwood of Covington) has a 13-game hitting streak, longest of the season by a Husky. During the streak, he is batting .455, with eight homers and 19 RBI.

Softball: Sophomore right-hander Danielle Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), who earned her third Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week award, struck out 39 to move into second on the UW season strikeout list with 335, behind only her freshman total of 387.

Swimming: First-year coach Whitney Hite signed five more — Ben Aaberg (Tucson, Ariz.), Evan Bernier (Inglemoor of Kenmore), Andre Blythe (Denver, Colo.), Samantha Dole (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Ally Rich (Hillsboro, Ore.).

Women's soccer: The Huskies will face several alums who are with the Seattle Crossfire Sounders. The exhibition is 7 p.m. at Husky Soccer Field. Proceeds from the $4 admission benefit the UW program.

Washington St.

Baseball: In the Cougars' last two road series at Arizona State and USC, senior second baseman Jeff Miller (Newport of Bellevue) hit .478 with three doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and seven runs.

Track and field: Junior McKenzie Burgess Garberg (Kiona-Benton) is Pac-10 Women's Field Athlete of the Week after winning all three throws at the WSU-UW dual.

Western Washington

Softball: Western (29-19, 11-5) has won seven straight and 16 of its last 20. During that stretch, senior shortstop Nicole Walker (Juanita of Kirkland) has hit a team-leading .382.

Track and field: Freshman Michael Dean (Stadium of Tacoma) is No. 1 in the men's 100, 200 and 400 entering the GNAC Championships.

Rowing: Western's varsity eight shell, ranked No. 1 in NCAA II, competes in the Cascade Cup at the Opening Day Regatta on Saturday.

Men's golf: Fifth-seeded WWU makes its ninth straight appearance at the NCAA II West Regional, May 7-9 in Lakewood, Colo.

Other colleges

Central Washington: Senior Michael Ingman (Capital of Olympia) added 14 inches to his GNAC season-best and provisional national qualifying javelin mark with a throw of 203-7.

Eastern Washington: The men's tennis team advanced to the Big Sky Conference championship before falling to regular-season champion Sacramento State, 4-0. The women fell in the quarterfinals, 4-3.

Evergreen State: Sophomore Emily Uhlig (Liberty of Issaquah) broke her 3,000 steeplechase record (12:13.3), and freshman Brian Rakestraw (Woodinville) bettered the 5,000 mark (15:36.36) Friday at the WWU Twilight Meet in Bellingham.

Gonzaga: The women's rowing program swept all three races by an average of 17 seconds to win its 10th West Coast Conference Championship in 11 years. Senior Nicole Aadland-Lewis (Inglemoor of Kenmore) was one of three Bulldogs who made All-WCC, and Glenn Putyrae was Coach of the Year for the fourth time.

Northwest: Senior Beth Knudtson (Issaquah) won the women's 5,000 in 18:29.45, 16 seconds ahead of the runner-up, and senior Brett Pflugrath (Ritzville) won the men's javelin with a throw of 149-2 at the WWU Twilight track meet.

Pacific Lutheran: PLU will honor its 2006-07 athletes at the 37th Annual All-Sports Dessert at 6 p.m. Sunday at Olson Auditorium.

Puget Sound: The men's varsity four finished first in the grand final of the WIRA Championship on Sunday on Lake Natoma, Calif.

Saint Martin's: Junior Babe Prante (Black Hills of Olympia) is the first Saint to qualify for the NCAA II West Regional golf tournament. It takes place this week in Austin, Texas.

Whitman: The No. 12 men's tennis team (23-7) is the No. 2 seed at the NCAA III regional that starts Friday in Greencastle, Ind. Freshman Dan Wilson (Issaquah) is on the eight-man Whitman travel roster.

Whitworth: Freshman Emmanuel Bofa (Emerald Ridge of Puyallup) won the 800 in a PR of 1:52.23, a provisional NCAA III qualifying time.

Elsewhere: Harvard freshman right-hander Ian Bolliger (Lakeside of Seattle) picked up a win in his first college decision Sunday, throwing three innings of relief in a 7-6 baseball victory over Dartmouth. ... Senior golfer Katie Street (Decatur of Federal Way) was named a Top 10 Scholar by the Boise State Alumni Association.

Sports information directors

contributed to this notebook.