Zei replaces Bradshaw as WRHS cage coach
Native Texan Billy Zei, 29, has replaced Rick Bradshaw as the head boys' basketball coach at Hailey's Wood River High School, athletic director John Rade announced Friday.
Zei was the head freshman coach at Wood River last season. WRHS alumnus Bradshaw completed his first season as head Wolverine varsity coach last winter, but had to leave the position due to "an employment opportunity," Rade said.
Said Rade, "After only one year, Rick Bradshaw and his staff created excitement within the boys' basketball program that increased student participation rates while setting high expectations for players and coaches based on hard work and dedication to basketball."
The Wood River athletic department wanted to build upon the same foundation and maintain the "synergy of the current boys' basketball coaching staff," Rade said. So Zei was promoted to varsity coach.
Zei, from Dallas, educated at the University of Georgia and Dallas Baptist University, guided the Hailey ninth graders to an 8-10 record last winter in his first ever head coaching job. He will now become a varsity head coach for the first time—taking over a team that went 2-19 last year.
Said Zei, "Honesty, accountability, hard work and dedication are just a few of the personal traits Rick impressed upon Wood River in his time here and I plan to follow in those footsteps. I believe that with time, patience and hard work, we can have a winning program at Wood River."
Zei added, "To make the transition easier, we are lucky to have two key pieces of the coaching staff coming back from last year in Chris Koch and Andy Miles. Hopefully coach (Mike) Payne will be returning next season as the head JV coach as well."
Blaine County/Hershey track is Saturday in Carey
The culmination of the Blaine County Recreation District's three-week track and field program arrives Saturday, May 5 at 9 a.m. during the annual Hershey track and field meet for ages 8-14 at Derrick Parke Memorial Field, Carey.
Events include 25-meter, 50m, 100m, 200m and 400m dashes; 800m and 1600m distance runs; the 4x100m relay; standing long jump; and softball throw. Top finishers ages 9-and-over will advance to State Hershey competition in July.
110 golfers enjoy Camp Rainbow Gold tournament
Last Saturday 110 golfers gathered at Jerome's 93 Golf Ranch and raised $5,000 for Camp Rainbow Gold during the seventh annual Icebreaker golf tournament. The fundraising total included $500 from a generous anonymous donor.
Winning the four-person scramble were Matt Mahoney, Shawn Aicher, Carl Geissinger and Mike Neary at 10-under-par. A highlight during play was Kelly Ariel's long drive that outdistanced both men and women in the meet.
Tournament organizer Doug D'Andrea said the meet's seven-year fundraising total has surpassed $29,000.
Camp Rainbow Gold is an oncology camp creating empowering experiences for Idaho kids diagnosed with cancer, and for their families.
Ketchum Coed Softball meeting today
Ready to play coed softball on Wednesday evenings at Ketchum's Atkinson Park? The Ketchum Coed Softball League organizational meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Lefty's Bar & Grill, Ketchum. All teams and their representatives plus any new players should attend.
Sign up for Nelson Memorial golf
Sign-ups are being taken for the second annual James Nelson Memorial golf tournament fundraiser presented by the Wood River Baseball and Softball Association (WRBSA). The Nelson Memorial will begin Saturday, May 19 at 1 p.m. at The Valley Club. Check-in takes place at noon. Proceeds will benefit the WRBSA as well as the Zachary and Andrew Nelson College Fund.
Format is scramble, teams of four, with prizes for longest drive, closest to the pin and for the team with the best score. The tournament field is limited to 22 teams. Cost is $150 per golfer or $560 per team. To register call Buffy Brunker 720-1998, email HYPERLINK mailto:wrbsa2010@gmail.com wrbsa2010@gmail.com, or call Val Seamons at 721-7413.
Want to coach hockey?
Sun Valley Youth Hockey is in the process of selecting coaches for the 2012-13 season. If you're interested in being a head coach or an assistant, contact John Heinrich at 720-0838 or Sarah Benson at 720-3086.
Youth soccer in Boise
This past weekend, two Sawtooth United F.C. teams competed in the IYSA-sanctioned youth soccer Performance Cup tournament hosted by F.C. Nova in Boise. Results were:
( U-13 boys: Coached by Eric Anderson and Luis Monjaras went 1-3-0 starting with a 1-0 victory. Peter Wolter found the back of the net off of a beautiful ball played in by Clay Cutler. Both SUFC goalies, Michael Stellers and Nick Swift, played solid halves for the shutout win. SUFC then dropped 2-0, 2-0 and 3-0 games to F.C. Renegade, F.C. Boise and Idaho Rush. The coaches noticed an improvement in the team's defensive play against strong opponents.
( U-16 girls: Coached by Heather Jones, SUFC girls lost to Neto United Jose in their tourney debut, also 3-0 to Idaho Falls Fusion and 4-0 to F.C. Nova. Jones applauded the girls for battling through physical, mental, and emotional challenges they faced over two days and three games.
