April 25, 2007

TACOMA, Wash. - by Wendy Carpenter The News Tribune

The Western Washington golf team can credit two Tacoma players for both its current success and a bright future.

Senior Katie Bender and freshman Breanna Carmichael are cousins who both attended Bellarmine Prep.

They are also the second- and third-best golfers, respectively, for the Vikings, who learned Monday they will make their fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II West Regional, to be held Monday thru Wednesday at The Golf Club at Circle C in Austin, Texas.

"It seems like every college player changes their senior year - there's a huge jump in maturity," Western women's coach Bo Stephan said Tuesday. "And Katie has made that jump. She has really become a great leader."

Bender, who tied for 11th at the regional tournament last season, is the only senior on the team, and has the second-best average, 80.5. Right behind her is Carmichael, averaging 80.6.

"(Carmichael's) first round in our first outing, before she had even started classes, she was our low finisher," Stephan said. "She's giving everyone optimism for the future of the program. She's got a calm confidence about her."

The Vikings will need it this weekend. They are the No. 5 seed and one of six teams - including top-seeded St. Edwards (Texas), No. 2 Tarleton State (Texas), No. 3 Northeastern State (Okla.), No. 4 Western New Mexico, and No. 6 Central Oklahoma - competing in the West Regional, a 54-hole event. The top two teams in each of the four regionals - and the top two individuals from teams other than the top two - earn berths to the national tournament, May 9-12, in Pensacola, Fla.

Western was the top seed last season when it finished second, and made it to nationals, where the Vikings placed fifth out of eight teams.

But the impressive finish provided little comfort for Stephan this season.

"We were out playing (a round of golf) when I got the call from our athletic director, letting us know we had made regionals," Stephan said. "(The team) was acting like they were confident that we would go, but I felt a little more nervous."

Now that Western has made it this far, Stephan is optimistic.

"This last week of practice we're playing some of our best golf all year," Stephan said. "At the risk of putting my foot in my mouth, I think we have a good chance to do well."

Around the region

University of Puget Sound: Senior Brian Kramer met the NCAA Division III provisional qualifying mark in the men's triple jump at the Northwest Conference track and field meet last weekend in Tacoma with his winning mark of 46 feet, 9 inches. ... Women's rowing coach Sarah Canfield has been named the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference co-coach of the year.

Pacific Lutheran University: The baseball team is ranked No. 14 in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association/Collegiate Baseball NCAA Division III poll, released last week.

Western Washington: The softball team was ranked No. 8 in last week's NCAA Division II West Region ratings. The top eight teams in the final rankings, unless the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and California Collegiate Athletic Association champions are not among them, qualify for the Division II West Regional on May 10-13. ... Women's rowing coach John Fuchs has been named the Northwest Collegiate Rowing Conference co-coach of the year, the third time he has received the honor. The Vikings are ranked No. 1 in Division II.

Central Washington: The softball team was ranked No. 9 in last week's NCAA Division II West Region ratings.

Seattle University: The softball team was ranked No. 6 in last week's NCAA Division II West Region ratings. ... Freshman Daniel Sullivan, out of Foster High School, was named the GNAC co-male track athlete of the week after helping the 4x400-meter relay team set a school record with a time of 3:19.41 at the Oregon Invitational last weekend.

University of Washington: The men's and women's golf teams are competing in the Pacific-10 Conference Championships, which conclude today in Eugene, Ore., for the men and at the Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle for the women. ... The men's and women's tennis teams will compete in the conference championships from Thursday through Sunday in Ojai, Calif.

Washington State: For the first time since the conference went to a full round-robin format at the start of the 1999 baseball season, two Cougars swept the weekly Pac-10 awards. Sophomore left-hander Ross Humes, from Decatur High, was named the pitcher of the week after going 1-0 with two saves. Sophomore infielder Travis Coulter was the conference player of the week after tying a school record with three doubles in the Cougars' 5-3 win over No. 12 Arizona last weekend.

The Evergreen State College: Carlos Singer, who attends Grays Harbor Community College, will join the basketball team next season.

Northwest focus

Player of the week: Pacific Lutheran University senior right-handed pitcher Kael Fisher was named the Northwest Conference pitcher of the week after tossing a complete game, four-hit shutout at Whitworth last weekend. He struck out 12 with two walks as the Lutes won two of three games.

Event of the week: PLU (29-7 overall, 18-3 NWC), needing one win to clinch a share of its first conference title of any kind in baseball since 1954, concludes its regular conference season this weekend, playing host to the University of Puget Sound (16-18-1, 13-8) in a doubleheader Saturday and a final game Sunday, both starting at noon. If PLU wins two games, it will earn the title outright. The Lutes are 11/2 games ahead of second-place George Fox. The Lutes hold the tiebreaker over the Bruins, so unless PLU loses all three games it will earn the NWC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III regional tournament. George Fox has concluded its conference season.

Wendy Carpenter: 253-597-8680

wendy.carpenter@thenewstribune.com