College Update: Brooks-Johnson Wins Twice at UCLA

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There’s plenty of local athletes competing in sports at four-year colleges. Here’s a quick look at how a few of them are faring this spring.

Editor’s note: Know a local athlete standing out at a four-year school? Email us (chroniclesports360@gmail.com) and let us know.

Track

Alissa Brooks-Johnson, a senior from Pe Ell, had a solid Saturday in Los Angeles at the UCLA Jim Bush Legends track meet. The Washington State University heptathlete won the 400-meter hurdles with a personal-record time of 57.86 seconds (good for fourth all-time in the WSU record books) and finished third in the 100 hurdles in 13.73 seconds, also a personal record. Brooks-Johnson also anchored the Cougars’ 4x100 relay team, with Jordyn Tucker, Tierney Silliman and Regyn Gaffney, a junior from Adna. Gaffney also won the 100 meters in a season-best 11.75 seconds, and took fourth in the 200 (24.69).

Josh Schulz, a junior from Pe Ell, was fourth in the 100 meters on Saturday at the JD Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma. Schulz, running for St. Martin’s University, finished in 11.28 seconds, and took second in the long jump at 6.72 meters. Teammate Yeshi Vaughan, a sophomore from Rochester, finished seventh in the women’s 5000-meters in 19:27.19.

Forrest Wallace finished in top six in two events on Saturday for Eastern Washington University at the Al Manuel track meet in Missoula, Montana. Wallace, a junior from Toledo, finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:03.22, and took sixth in the high jump at 5 feet, 10 inches.

Softball

Jessica McKay hit a two-run double for Boise State University on Tuesday to help the Broncos to a 6-3 win over Idaho State in the first game of a doubleheader in Pocatello. McKay went 2 for 4 in Game 1, then went 1 for 2 in the nightcap. The sophomore infielder from W.F. West is hitting .373 with seven homers and 28 RBIs in 36 games for the 25-11 Broncos.

Roni Braun, a sophomore out of W.F. West, went 1 for 3 with an RBI for George Fox on Saturday in a 9-0 win over Puget Sound University. The outfielder is hitting .374 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs for the 27-5 Bruins.

Ali Graham, a junior out of W.F. West, went 5 for 5 with two RBIs for Oregon Tech in a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Christian University on Saturday in Klamath Falls, Ore. Graham is hitting a team-high .451 with a team-high 27 RBIs and two homers for the 24-7 Hustlin’ Owls, with a 2.52 ERA in 8 ⅓ innings as a pitcher.



Morgan Masters, a sophomore from Tenino, worked two innings for Pacific University on Saturday in a 5-0 loss to Lewis & Clark College. Masters has a 1-0 record for the 17-11 Boxers, with six strikeouts in 13 ⅓ innings with a 1-0 record.

Lexie Strasser pitched two perfect innings for Central Washington to be the winning pitcher of record in a 2-1 win over Concordia to cap a doubleheader sweep for the Wildcats on Saturday in Ellensburg. Strasser, a freshman from W.F. West High School, pitched four shutout innings in Game 1 to get another win, improving her season record to 11-5 with 48 strikeouts and a 2.26 ERA over 99 ⅓ innings.

Baseball

Mack Gaul, a senior out of Toledo, took the loss for Central Washington University on Saturday in an 18-1 defeat at the hand of Montana State-Billings, allowing 10 hits but striking out four. Gaul has a 2-3 record this season, with 25 strikeouts in 36 ⅔ innings for the 17-12 Wildcats.

Ty Housden, a senior from Centralia, went 1 for 3 with an RBI on Tuesday for Campbellsville University in a 7-1 win over Bryan College in Campbellsville, Kentucky. Housden, who played at Tacoma Community College for two seasons after high school, is hitting .365 with 13 RBIs in 29 games for the 21-9 Tigers.

Dustin Wilson, a senior pitcher out of Rochester, has a 1-2 record this season for Eastern Illinois University. Wilson, who played two seasons at Tacoma Community College, has pitched 15 ⅔ innings for the 9-17 Panthers.

Toby Johnson, a senior out of W.F. West High School, is hitting .267 for the Arkansas State University. Johnson, an infielder who previously played at Lower Columbia, leads the Red Wolves with 20 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with three home runs.

NWAC Notables

SOFTBALL: Sharon Hazen, a sophomore from Morton-White Pass, is hitting .583 for Pierce College this season — currently second in the Northwest Athletic Conference. The shortstop has five home runs and hit a double, with an RBI, on Tuesday in a 10-6 win over Shoreline. … Adna products Cheyenne Gilbertson and Shanay Dotson are hitting .360 and .355, respectively, for Lower Columbia, while Morton-White Pass’ Christine Robbins has a 1-0 record with a 4.50 ERA for the Red Devils, along with a .333 batting average. … Pe Ell-Willapa Valley product Dakota Brooks, a freshman at Centralia College, is hitting team-high .536 with 11 RBIs, and has posted a 4-3 pitching record with 20 strikeouts and a 4.38 ERA.

BASEBALL: Elijah Johnson, a sophomore infielder for Tacoma Community College, is hitting .328 with 17 RBIs — second on the team — through 19 games this season. … Sam Fagerness, a freshman from Napavine, is hitting .347 with 15 RBIs in 16 games for Big Bend Community College. … Wyatt Stanley, a freshman from Napavine, is leading the NWACs with a 0.36 ERA. The Edmonds College right-hander has worked 25 innings with a 3-0 record and 23 strikeouts, and has allowed one run in five appearances. … Kaleb Strawn, a sophomore from Tenino, has a 4-1 record for Columbia Basin College this season, with 20 strikeouts in 19 ⅔ innings and a 4.11 ERA.