Washington looks to keep Northwest Shootout run going

This week's happenings from the Washington prep sports scene:

1. Can Washington keep roll going?: The Oregon boys lead the series at the Northwest Shootout — the annual all-star game pitting the best seniors from Washington and Oregon — but Washington has dominated lately. Washington has won four straight; Oregon has won 10 of the 18 meetings. The Washington girls have also won four straight and 10 of the 17 meetings. The latest installment of the rivalry is Saturday at Portland's Chiles Center.

2. Top tight end gets early start at UW: Gig Harbor's All-American tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins graduated early so he could enroll at Washington and kickstart his college football career. He was cleared by the NCAA last week and he'll be one of three players — along with Juanita's Jarett Finau and King's Thomas Vincent — to compete in spring practices as members of the Class of 2011.

3. Wroten excelling at new sport: Garfield star Tony Wroten Jr. had a rough time the last time he ventured off the basketball court. In his junior year, he injured a knee playing football and it cost him his hoops season. Now the Washington signee is trying track and he caused a stir when it was reported that in his first meet he ran a 10.78 seconds in the 100-meter dash, a mark that is tops in the state. Turns out that was a hand-held time, which converts to 11.24, which is 12th in the state. Wroten also leaned that he was named to the Parade All-American second team this week.

4. 4A runs away with all-state girls game: Washington signee Talia Walton of Federal Way had 17 points and eight rebounds as the Class 4A team pounded the 3A team 102-75 in the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Association Senior Girls All-State game. Moses Lake's Jordan Loera, who will play at Oregon State, was named the MVP with 14 points and five assists. Prosser's Tayshia Hunt earned MVP honors with 12 points and six assists as she led the 2A/1A state team past the 2A/1A city team 78-65.

5. The Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association will meet with the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association on Tuesday — the second time the organizations have met this month — to discuss the state basketball tournament's format. WIBCA president Nalin Sood told the Tacoma News Tribune that if he had his way, the format would revert to the 16-team, double-elimination format used in recent years rather than the format used this year that had opening rounds at regional sites. The WIAA executive board will meet make a decision on state hoops during its meeting April 17-18.

TOP FIVE PERFORMERS
* Tanner Martin, Hanford (Richland) boys golf: The sophomore fired a 2-under 63 at Tri-City Country Club to win the 22-team Kennewick Invite.

* Emily Tisdale, Woodland softball: Tisdale's RBI double in the seventh inning lifted Woodland past Kelso 3-2 in a matchup of teams that won state titles last year. Woodland is the defending Class 2A state champs, and Kelso, now a 3A team, won the 4A title.

* Zoe Moller, Sehome (Bellingham) track and field: The two-time defending state long jump champ broke her meet record by nearly a foot in winning the event at the Dick Bedlington Twilight Invitational in Lynden. Moller's leap of 18 feet, 6 inches is her best by three inches and the best mark in the state.

* Anthony Perez, Grandview baseball: Perez hit a two-run triple to cap a five-run ninth inning that lifted Grandview past Wapato 11-9.

* Patrick Middleton, Olympic baseball: The senior's walk-off, solo home run was the only run in a 1-0 win over Port Angeles.

NATE'S NOTES
Springs sports can be a different beast. After two weeks of preseason practice and a few weeks of games, spring break hits. And as that week-long break hits, I often hear from coaches frustrated after losing games because some of their best players leave for vacation.

I'm all for family time, but should families really be scheduling vacations during a sports season? Athletes make commitments to teammates and coaches and that commitment can't be met at Disneyland.

Wait a few months. Take that trip in June. Be there for your teammates in April.

Nathan Joyce has covered high school sports in Washington for 13 years. He works at the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton.