K.T. Martinez has Big Green on the rise
Dartmouth College sophomore Kaitana Martinez started at point guard once again for the Big Green women’s basketball team Monday afternoon in a non-league game against DePaul Univ. in Chicago, Ill.
She made her presence known again with season-best totals (8 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds) helping Dartmouth shoot a season-best 57% from the field in a 90-76 loss. It was the seventh straight setback for Dartmouth (1-8), but the 76 points were a season high.
Martinez (3 turnovers), battled inside aiding the Big Green on the boards with her five rebounds as the visitors outmuscled the Blue Demons 36-35 on the glass. She played 31 of the 40 minutes.
“Kaitana handled the pressure well. We asked her to keep the ball in the middle because of the defensive traps by DePaul,” said Dartmouth head coach Belle Koclanes.
It was the third straight game Martinez assumed a bigger role in the offense—averaging 30 minutes—after the Wood River High School All-State player managed only 7 to 10 minutes of time in Dartmouth’s first six games.
In a 79-69 home loss to Bryant College Dec. 10, the Big Green shot 50% with Martinez (6 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds in 28 minutes) playing a big role. She started her recent run with 32 minutes of action in a 54-37 home loss to New Hampshire Dec. 7 with 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Langely receives Level Field grant
Ketchum resident and world-class ski cross racer Langely McNeal, 29, was recently awarded a grant by the Level Field Fund. It is a grant-giving program that provides funding to athletes whose opportunities would be limited by their financial situations.
The grant was a part of Level Field Fund’slatest round of athlete funding to help support athletes in need of financial assistance.
McNeal grew up as an alpine racer in the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation program and competed in alpine racing at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.
The Wood River Valley native is ranked as the No. 1 female ski cross racer in the U.S. She hopes to join the first female Olympic Ski Cross team in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. McNeal has been a member of the U.S. World Cup National team since 2007.
Founded by Olympic gold medalist Ross Powers in 2001 and supported by founding sponsor OrthoLite, the Ross Powers Foundation and Level Field Fund have helped alleviate increasing costs for athletes as they progress towards the elite levels of training and competing.
Since 2001, the foundation has awarded 226 grants totaling over $435,000 to 129 athletes in 15 different sports.
Grant recipients in skiing and snowboarding have included Nick Baumgartner, Noah Hoffmamn, Andy Newell, Liz Stephen and two-time Olympic snowboardcross competitor Graham Watanabe, a 2000 Wood River High grad.
Wood River’s Thayer named to All-Idaho second team
Wood River High School 5-10, 185-pound junior Hayden Thayer was selected as 4A All-Idaho second team defensive back in the Idaho Statesman’s list of the Gem State’s top prep football players announced in its Sunday, Dec. 15 edition. Thayer also made the Great Basin Conference All-League first team as a defensive back for a second straight year.
Give the gift of a Presidents’ Day youth baseball clinic
Looking for that perfect stocking stuffer for a young baseball player? Purchase a gift certificate for the Wood River Presidents’ Day youth baseball clinic set for Monday, Feb. 17, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. indoors at Wood River High School in Hailey.
Former and current Wood River coaches and players will conduct the clinic for kids in elementary and middle school. Cost is $20 including lunch and shirt. Proceeds go to the Wood River baseball program.
If you sign up before Christmas, you’ll be sent a stocking stuffer gift certificate. For more information and online registration, visit wrbsazone.com or sawtoothbaseball.com.
Ski Club Baldy Cup racing kicks off Thursday
The Sun Valley Ski Club’s 2013-14 Baldy Cup series of recreational ski racing begins with a club slalom Thursday, Dec. 19 at 1:30 p.m. on the Warm Springs side of Baldy. Register from 12 noon to 1 p.m. at Warm Springs Lodge. Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation executive director Rob Clayton has invited ski club members and their guests to tour the remodeled SVSEF Greyhawk facility after Thursday’s racing. The tour is from 3-4 p.m. followed by a party at Apple’s Bar & Grill.
Free Nordic waxing clinic in Hailey is Sunday
Cross-country skiers are invited to a free and informative hands-on TOKO waxing clinic Sunday, Dec. 22 from 3-5:30 p.m. in the Art Room of the Community Campus in Hailey. Bring your own skis and learn how to glide-wax your skis from EJ Harpham and Muffy Ritz. All materials will be provided. For details contact Harpham 578-2169.
Knight scores as U.S. women trim Canada 5-1
Five players scored goals and 10 different U.S. skaters had at least one point to help the U.S. Women's National Team defeat Canada 5-1 in a women’s ice hockey game Thursday, Dec. 12 at Calgary, Alberta.
One of the goal scorers was Sun Valley’s Hilary Knight, 24, the 5-11 forward from the University of Wisconsin and Boston Blades. After Canada pulled within two goals at 3-1 in the third period, Knight answered back 40 seconds later stretching the lead to 4-1.
It was the first U.S. women’s hockey win over Canada in four games during this fall’s “Bring on the World Tour” run-up to the 2014 Winter Olympic Games at Sochi, Russia. Previously, Canada had beaten the U.S. 3-2, 6-3 and 4-2.
The victory came just hours after Canada’s coach Dan Church resigned for “personal reasons,” saying he felt others lacked confidence in his coaching, according to a pre-Olympic news report on nbcsports.com
The U.S. Women's National Team returns to action Friday, Dec. 20 when it plays Canada again in Grand Forks, N.D.
Peewees off to solid start
It’s been a promising start to the tournament season for the Sun Valley Youth Hockey Peewees (ages 11-12).
They placed fifth with two victories in a Jackson Hole (Wyo.) tournament Dec. 14-15, one week after winning twice and placing second at Salmon.
Suns goalie Andrew Nelson has been steady, making 115 saves over the eight games.
At Jackson Hole, the Peewees won 5-2 over Idaho Falls and 4-1 over Jackson Moose Black. They lost 5-3 to Missoula and 2-0 to Salt Lake Lightning. Coach Doug Yeates said, “We played our best games of the season at Jackson.”
Salmon highlights were 7-6 and 8-0 wins over Boise Hawks and Salmon, and a 3-2 overtime loss to Boise in the finals.
Leading the Peewees with seven goals each were Fletcher Stumph, Luke Jannotta and Seamus O’Connell.
Other goal scorers have been Evi Johnson (2), Crow Macdonald (2), Owen Miller (2), Alex Daves, Teagan McAvoy and D.J. Gralenski, with other assists to Daisy Buxton and Caelin Bradshaw.
