Kamiakin jumper, Walla Walla sprinter are top MCC track and field athletes of the year

Kamiakin junior Aubrey Herrin was named Field Athlete of the Year, Walla Walla senior Ashlyn Nielsen is Track Athlete of the Year, and Kamiakin’s Cheryl Schauble was named MCC Coach of the Year in the Mid-Columbia Conference Girls Track and Field all-conference awards.

The team was voted on by MCC coaches and released in May.

Herrin earned first-team spots in both the high jump and triple jump, while Nielsen took spots in the 100 and 200 meters.

Both were also part of top relay teams.

Herrin, along with Braves teammates Louesa Gledhill, Emaunii Smith and Adelyn Mitchell, shared the 4x200 relay honors with Nielsen and Walla Walla.

Nielsen combined with Cami Martin, Jailyn Davenport and Addison Andrews in the 4x200.

Wa-Hi, led by Nielsen, also had the top 4x100 relay team that included Andrews, Davenport and Martin.

Richland had the top 4x400 relay team, consisting of Naly Khamlue-Pratt, Alyssa Marsh, Hailey Summers and Lydia Medina.

Hanford senior Mia Beightol was a double qualifier in the 800 and 1600 meters.

Nine athletes each were named first team in one event: Hanford junior Landry Allen (pole vault), Kamiakin junior Louesa Gledhill (300 hurdles), Walla Walla senior Whitney Griffith (discus), Kamiakin senior Camia Howard (shot put), Southridge senior Diana Kuwa (100 high hurdles), Richland senior Alyssa Marsh (400), Walla Walla senior Cami Martin (long jump), Kamiakin sophomore Elena Till (3200), and Richland senior Baylee Wroble (javelin).

Signings/offers

Malia Ruud has taken care of her college plans already.

Ruud, who will be a senior this fall at Chiawana High School, has verbally committed to play for the Washington State University women’s basketball team beginning in the 2025-26 season.

The 6-foot-2 forward is the first commit for the Cougars’ head coach Kamie Ethridge for that season.

In three seasons for the Riverhawks, Ruud has had 58 double-doubles in 74 games.

She averaged 20.9 points and 10.5 rebounds last season.

On June 16, Ruud and teammate Kaia Foster were both named to the all-tournament team at the prestigious Baden D1 Summer Jam all-tournament team.

Chiawana, as a squad, finished second in the tournament, losing to Sumner in the title game.

▪ Canaan Hays was part of Kennewick High’s 1-2 rushing punch last season, with Alex Roberts being the other.

In limited action, Hays rushed 76 times for 470 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns.

As a defensive back, Hays also contributed with two interceptions, including a pick-6.

Hays has already received offers from Carroll College and Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.

College baseball

Jake Schumacher and Landon Welter are both pitching this summer for the Nanaimo NightOwls of the West Coast League.

Both are Kamiakin grads. Both are left-handers. Schumacher is a pitcher on the St. Martin’s University team as a true freshman, and pitched in just one game.

Meanwhile, Welter was 2-2 with a save, a 3.59 ERA, and he had 38 strikeouts in 42.2 innings of work for Everett Community College.

▪ Columbia Basin College’s baseball team had two representatives on the Northwest Athletic Conference’s baseball team following the end of the championship tournament in late May.

Freshman Simon Lemke (Bend-Mountain View) was named the first-team reliever.

Richland High grad Joey Weissenfels, a sophomore at Spokane Community College, was named to the second team as an outfielder.

The NWAC also named a Gold Glove team, in which Weissenfels made that squad; as did freshman CBC shortstop Lance Anderson (Boise-Borah).

Earlier in the month, Weissenfels, Lemke and CBC freshman ace pitcher Jake Robinson (Boise-Borah) were all named to the East Region’s first team.

Prep football

New Richland High head football coach Josh Jelinek will have a deep receiver lineup this coming fall, with Mid-Columbia Conference first-teamers Brody Bocek and Colson Mackey returning for another season.

But the Bombers will also have Preston Bryant, the two-time all-MCC wideout who has been with Hanford the previous three seasons.

Bryant — at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds — transferred to Richland this past spring.

He’s already received an offer from Whitworth University.

Last season, Bryant — who also plays strong safety on defense — caught 35 passes for 614 yards for the Falcons. That’s an averaged of 17.5 yards per catch. He also had five receiving touchdowns.

▪ Anacortes quarterback passed for 181 yards to lead the West over the East 32-7 at the Earl Barden All-Star game in Moxee on June 22.

Case Christensen, a receiver for Royal, caught 6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown to earn the East Offensive MVP honors.

Softball

Richland had five players on the Mid-Columbia Conference’s first-team fastpitch softball team, as voted on by MCC coaches in May.

Leading the way Bombers junior utility player Sophia Sams, who was not only a first-teamer, but the conference’s Player of the Year.

The other major award winners are Hanford senior pitcher Carah Sweet, named the MCC Pitcher of the Year; and Chiawana’s Matt Hirai as MCC Coach of the Year.

Joining Sams on the first team from Richland are junior shortstop Brooklynn Boyce, junior outfielder Payton Chacon, freshman first baseman Adelyn Etzel, and junior catcher Haylee Spaeth.

Joining Sweet on the first team for Hanford is sophomore outfielder Sydney Hogan.

Five different schools each had one first-team player: Kennewick sophomore second baseman Mayce Davis, Walla Walla junior DH Anna Delarosa, Southridge junior outfielder Faith Hickman, Kamiakin sophomore pitcher Lizzie O’Leary, and Chiawana sophomore third baseman Amelia Smith.

Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.