MIKE MAYNARD
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From Othello to Pocatello, McDonald finds her place with Bengals softball team
OTHELLO — Before Camryn McDonald became an everyday shortstop and leadoff hitter for Idaho State, she was an Othello kid playing in front of a crowd that had known her since childhood. Three seasons into her college softball career, McDonald said that support system still shapes how she views her success with the Bengals. "It has been nothing but awesome," McDonald said. "It's fun, I play with all my best friends, and it's just been a roller coaster of emotions. We have two championships now and a tournament win, it's been exciting."
Eastern Washington football to attend Big Sky Conference kickoff weekend
CHENEY — Eastern Washington football Head Coach Aaron Best, Isaiah Perez and Malik Dotson are slated to represent the Eagles at the Big Sky Conference Kickoff Weekend in Spokane, according to EWU Athletics.
Maverick's trainer shares tips for safe summer conditioning
MOSES LAKE — With August on the horizon, the return of local high school athletics is drawing closer by the day. Lily Rodriguez, who serves as the athletic trainer at Moses Lake High School, shared some tips for how athletes can prepare for outdoor sports amidst heat and fluctuating air quality. "They need to start slowly entering into the heat as well," Rodriguez said. "They need to be acclimated (to the heat). It takes about 10 to 14 days of slow and gradual increase in activity. The first thing that they got to start doing is physical conditioning."
Eastern Washington BMX tracks team up for Race for Life fundraiser
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake BMX will be participating in the Race for Life fundraiser the first weekend of August. A nationwide event, Eastern Washington BMX entities are adapting it into a four-track series across Walla Walla, Columbia Basin, Spokane and Moses Lake, President of Moses Lake BMX Jeff Niehenke said. "We try to see who can raise the most money amongst the tracks," Niehenke said. "We have a traveling trophy that goes along with that for bragging rights. Along with that, we also do a four-race series for the riders, and we have end-of-series awards for those who get the most points through those four races."
Mavericks wrestlers gain national experience in Fargo
MOSES LAKE — Eli Anderson and Conner Duvall from the Moses Lake Mavericks wrestling program recently returned from Fargo, North Dakota for the 2026 US Marine Corps Junior nationals. "I think I performed good," Anderson said. "But I don't think I performed my best; I could have done better in my last match to make it further."
Washington OG's win Northwest title, earns national tourney bid
MOSES LAKE — The Washington OG's adult softball team has brought home the 2026 Jim Sherman Memorial Northwest championship after a 6-1 run in Salem, Oregon. With the win, they will represent the Northwest in January when they travel to Florida for a national tournament. "It was the first time that we've done that and gone that far," Head Coach Rudy Perales said. "We've kind of been knocking the door because we went to Reno last year and we took second. So, to come back this year and actually win it was pretty exciting."
Washington wins Allstate Big Ten women's championship
SEATTLE — The University of Washington women's sports programs combined efforts have led to them being recognized as the inaugural Allstate Big Ten Women's Championship Series. This award measured conference finishes across all Big Ten women's sports for the 2025-26 academic year, according to UW Athletics. "Winning is in the DNA of Washington," said Director of Athletics Pat Chun in an interview with the Big Ten Network. "Having success across the board is something that's critically important to us."
Eagles ranked eighth in Big Sky 2026 preseason poll
CHENEY — The Eastern Washington Eagles football team was ranked eighth overall in the Big Sky Conference preseason coaches and media polls, according to a statement by the Big Sky. According to EWU Athletics, the Eagles garnered 70 points in the coaches' poll, seven behind Idaho for seventh and 22 ahead of Weber State in ninth. In the media poll, the Eagles earned 246 points, behind Southern Utah, which earned 273, and ahead of ninth-place Cal Poly with 168.
Ephrata duo selected to Tillage All-Star team
EPHRATA — Mitchell Johnson and Isaiah Davis from the Ephrata Tigers baseball club (16-9-1) have been selected to join the Tillage League All-Star 18U team. "I was excited to play on a team of people I didn't know," Johnson said. "I've never played for a team where I don't know anyone playing for it, so that was cool. Then I heard that one of my teammates was going to be on the team a little bit later as a late addition, so that was cool. I'm glad I got to do it with him too."
Two Eagles earn preseason recognition ahead of 2026 season
CHENEY — Jaylon Jenkins and Othello native Isaiah Perez have garnered preseason recognition by Stats Perform as part of their preseason All-American team ahead of the 2026 season for Eastern Washington football, according to a statement by EWU Athletics. While it's great to be recognized nationally, Perez is also drawing motivation from it. "It feels good to see that we are getting recognition for some of the work we're putting in," Perez said. "It's pretty exciting to see your name on one of those lists, but we know that we have a lot of work to do, and it's a preseason list, and we want to have our names on that list at the end of the season as well."
Mavericks volleyball camp aims to shape future generations of athletes
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Mavericks volleyball team hosted its camp for the little-Mavs and mini-Mavs. The three-day camp drew 120 athletes, Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. While 120 kids can be a lot to manage for anyone, Trammell has some help. "We utilize our high school athletes in the program," she said. "We divide up all the girls, different age levels, and each team has a team captain and a helper. So our players are the ones that are basically teaching and helping develop the next generation of volleyball players."
Knights’ Briana Cedillo joins the Lady Vikings
MOSES LAKE — Briana Cedillo from the Royal Knights girls basketball team has signed with Big Bend Community College and will join the Lady Vikings womens basketball program. “It's been a long time coming,” Cedillo said. “I was kind of late to the decision. I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep playing or not, but coach (Preston) Wilks and all the girls there were really great.”
Rage bats come alive in weekend tourney semifinal run
MOSES LAKE — The Washington Rage 16U (5-5-1) took a step forward over the weekend after making a run to the semifinals of their weekend tournament. “The improvement from last weekend to this past weekend was very noticeable,” Head Coach Bob Richardson said. “With their first tournament of the year, you got to figure out what you need to work on, and most of this team hadn't played together in a tournament yet. Our offense was phenomenal, with the exception of the semifinal game. The girls hit the ball really well, and (there were) contributions up and down the lineup.”
Highlights from summer 2026
MOSES LAKE — Local athletes have been keeping the summer exciting as they test their skills under the hot sun. Here are some highlights from June 2026.
Correia reflects on making All-State team
COULEE CITY — Multiple basin athletes qualified to play in the All-State Baseball Series from June 27-28 in Yakima, with Almira/Coulee-Hartline graduate, Caden Correia being one of them. Correia said he was initially selected for a feeder game ahead of his state qualification. “I was at practice one day, and my head coach (Hunter Lee) came up to me and he’s like, ‘Hey, you got selected for an All State feeder game,’” said Correia. “I actually got invited to two, the Central Washington one and the Spokane one.” Correia said he decided to go with the Spokane feeder game since it was taking place at Avista Stadium and he had a desire to compete at that venue. Once he played there, Correia was informed that he was also selected to play for Team Baker in the All State games, an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up.
Quincy standout ‘Duckie’ Workinger returns home to lead Vikings womens wrestling
MOSES LAKE — Shannon “Duckie” Workinger was named the new head coach of women’s wrestling at Big Bend Community College on June 18, bringing one of the Basin’s own back to help build the next generation of women’s wrestlers. “I'm super excited,” Workinger said. “I spent some time wrestling at different places, and it feels really good to be able to come back to the community that I was born in and really establish more connections here and build on the ones that I already have, and just help grow our Basin into a great wrestling (community), even better than it already is, because we have some good wrestlers that come from here.”
ACH wrestlers earn All-American honors at women’s national duals
COULEE CITY — Karis Butler and Kyanna Garza from Almira/Coulee-Hartline earned All-American status after a strong showing in the 2026 Women’s National Duals in Westfield, Indiana that ran from June 16-20. “It feels really good,” Karis said. “It was very surprising last year when I got on here, and then this year they were like, ‘You can go to whatever weight class you want,’ and it made me feel very recognized for the hard work I've put in.” Wrestlers competed in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman throughout the four-day tournament. Karis competed in both earning a 7-1 record in freestyle and 4-3 in Greco-Roman. Throughout her path in the tournament, she noted a lot of growth as a wrestler came out of it.
Moses Lake All-Stars 9U win weekend tourney
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake All-Stars 9U (6-4) earned champion status after going 4-0 in the Dune City Dust-Up over the weekend. Despite a shaky start in game one, the All-Stars grinded out four strong wins, Head Coach Isaac Jahns said. “I'd say we started out feeling like we were struggling a little bit on Saturday. Our pitching wasn't on, but the kids really grinded through it,” he said. “They managed to get the W's on Saturday, despite not being at their best, which showed a lot of determination, and I was really proud of that.”
Vikings volleyball camp draws athletes from across the region
MOSES LAKE — High school volleyball athletes from as near as the Basin to as far as Seattle and Idaho gathered at Big Bend Community College for a day camp with the Vikings program. “I'm super thrilled that we had this many girls come out,” Head Coach Lindsey Linthicum said. “It's fun to see, we have a girl that came from Seattle, we had a girl that came from Idaho, we've had some that have come a little bit farther, like Tri Cities and whatnot. That was a really fun turnout as well, just to see the expanse of how far people have come for this.”
GALLERY: Summer baseball highlights
MOSES LAKE — The Dune City Dust-Up took over Moses Lake over the weekend. The bullpen series event not only brought several local Basin teams to town, but teams from all over Eastern Washington competed, as well. See below some highlights from the weekend of competition. Full results of the tournament will be covered in a later edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.
Wildcats’ Asher Cai named Female Athlete of the Year
MOSES LAKE — After a strong senior season with the Wildcats women's basketball program, Asher Cai was named the GNAC Female Athlete of the Year, according to a statement by GNAC. The GNAC Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one male and one female deemed to have achieved the highest performance athletically. “To be recognized among so many talented student-athletes across our conference is truly amazing,” Cai said in the GNAC’s statement. “While this is an individual award, it’s a reflection of the people who’ve supported me throughout this journey. I am especially thankful for my teammates and the commitment they made this season was so special. Every practice, game and challenge we faced together helped shape me into the player I am today, and I share recognition with them in this.”
Sixers 11U continue strong season despite 1-2 weekend
MOSES LAKE — Despite a 1-2 weekend, the Central Washington Sixers 11U (17-10) are off to a strong start to their season, according to Head Coach Sonny Garza. “Season's going pretty good overall,” Garza said. “We won a tournament a few weeks back. We have a couple second places, and the last couple weekends we've been facing some pretty good all-star teams that have kind of been put together. It's good to start facing those types of teams again, and we're still seeing some of those same tough teams that we've played the last couple years, which is also really good.”
Othello All-Stars 10U punch their ticket to state tournament
OTHELLO — The Othello Little League All-Stars are the district 5 champions and have punched their ticket to the Washington State tournament. “It's a good group of kids,” Head Coach Rudy Ochoa II said. “It's a really fun group, they're hard working, they come with a lot of baseball experience, so it's been fun with my staff and with the kids.”
Basin athletes compete in Earl Barden Classic
YAKIMA — Local Basin athletes from Ephrata, Othello and Royal represented Eastern Washington in the Earl Barden Classic, an all-star high school football game hosted at East Valley High School bringing together top athletes from the 2A and 1A/B. The East earned a strong 36-6 win in Yakima. “I told the kids after the game, that was the highlight of my life,” EHS Head Coach Eric Berg said. “Just truly blessed to have been selected, and to be around such an amazing group of young men. I told them it's a testament to their character; it's a testament to their programs that they played for and their parents that raised them.”
U.S. advances to World Cup knockout round with 2-0 win over Australia
SEATTLE — Ahead of their matchup against Australia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questions swirled about how the United States would fare against the Socceroo's after it was announced star Christian Pulisic would not play due to a calf injury. Despite this, the United States overcame Australia 2-0 to advance to the knockout round of the World Cup.
Athletic Breakthrough gym helps local athletes train beyond the season
QUINCY — While local Basin student athletes may be out for the summer, their opportunities to remain in shape for their respective sports are not. Head Baseball Coach at Quincy High School and owner of Athletic Breakthrough Gym David Garza has made his business available to local Basin athletes to continue developing during the offseason. “You're starting to see the kids who are trying to be more dedicated to their sport,” Garza said. “One thing that contributes to a lot of that success is dedication in the offseason, their hard work in the weight room, the dedication that they're putting in, as well.”
Dallin Spencer takes over Vikings men’s hoops
MOSES LAKE — Dallin Spencer was named the new head coach of men’s basketball at Big Bend Community College, Vikings Athletics announced in a statement. For Spencer, this is an opportunity he’s been chasing for a while now, he said. “It feels a little surreal,” Spencer said. “I've been wanting to be a college head coach since I was probably about 15 or 16, old enough to kind of comprehend what having a lifelong job and career is, but I'm really excited to be a part of the Big Bend family.”
Sage-N-Sun hoops tourney brings out Ephrata community
EPHRATA — The 36th Sage-N-Sun festival drew a large turnout with several attractions like the fun run, a parade and a three-on-three basketball tournament. “I think it went really great,” Parks and Recreation Director Josh Johnson said. “We had a similar turnout to what we had last year. We ended up with 36 total teams, and we ran four total divisions. We kind of hoped that we could get a handful more divisions to run, but it's just a very busy weekend in our community that weekend, and so we made do with what we had, and I think we were able to put on a pretty good event.”
Sixers 16U-Lopez split four games at home tourney
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 16U-Lopez (6-7) went 2-2 in the High Desert Invitational held at Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex. “It was kind of disappointing not coming out with the championship, playing in our own backyard,” said Head Coach Rey Lopez. “But sometimes that happens. Pretty satisfied with 2-2 record, I think we could have pulled it off, but we fell a little short.” The Sixers started slow on Friday, falling to the Devo Lumberkings 16U 5-3. However, they rallied on Saturday with a 10-4 win over the New Level Diamond Jaxx and a 5-2 win over the Lumberkings on Sunday. Though their newfound momentum would not carry over into their final game against the Spokane Crew 16U, which they lost to 9-1.
Vikings volleyball hosting day camp for local athletes
MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings volleyball program is hosting a day camp on June 26 for local Basin high school athletes. Head Coach Lindsey Linthicum said this is a great opportunity for these athletes to get a feel for college volleyball. “I will do a questionnaire at the end of the camp that gives the girls an opportunity to say, ‘How do you run a camp or not camp? How do you run a program, what are my best options if I am looking into a college?’ and things like that,” she said. “If they have the idea of wanting to do something like that, it really helps them to get the gears going, so they can start doing their own research and figure out what works best for them.”
Mavericks’ Borchert to continue softball in college
MOSES LAKE — The Mavericks’ Amilia Borchert has committed to St. Cloud State University to join the Huskies softball program, she said. Though the Minnesota-based school is far from home, she has some connections there that will help her transition. “I’ve got a lot of family there,” Borchert said. “They also have the major I’m looking for; they have mass communications/sports broadcasting which is what I really want to do.” Her interest in this field began developing at a young age, she said.
From World Cup call-ups to NCAA breakthroughs, local colleges make news
MOSES LAKE — Even when the academic calendar reaches its end, college athletics continue their work into the summer. See below some of the latest headlines from local Washington colleges.
Maverick Ian Anderson commits to Vikings wrestling program
MOSES LAKE — After closing the chapter on his time as a Maverick, Ian Anderson is staying home after he announced his commitment to the Big Bend Community College Vikings men’s wrestling program. However, it was never clear throughout his time at Moses Lake High School if that’s what he wanted to do, he said. “The first three years, I wasn't really doing much at state because of my knees,” Anderson said. In back-to-back years, Anderson dealt with knee injuries that limited his time on the mat. By his junior year, he suffered a torn meniscus in both of his knees, ultimately requiring surgery. Despite the setbacks, he kept his focus on having a strong senior season.
Othello 2026 class celebrated at commencement
OTHELLO — Cirrostratus clouds painted the warm Friday evening sky as the class of 2026 walked the stage at the Othello High School graduation. Though a slight breeze added a slightly chilly element, students were all smiles as they packed the stands of the football stadium.
Mavs football begins season prep with QB competition in focus
MOSES LAKE — It’s only June, but the Mavericks football program is already working toward the 2026 season. “We have a lot of guys that are bought in,” Head Coach Kyler Haneberg said. “We're allowed 10 practices, and so with our quarterback competition right now, and all the other competitions, these 10 practices are crucial for our guys to separate themselves but included in those 10 practices is the last one, where it's a scrimmage at Royal (High School).”
GALLERY: Basin spring sports highlights
MOSES LAKE — With spring sports now behind us in the Basin, there’s no shortage of highlight moments executed by local high school athletes. See below some of the photos taken by the Columbia Basin Herald that did not make print until now.
Sixers 18U falls in Moses Lake showdown semifinals
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 18U (5-3) suffered a 9-6 loss to the Orting Baseball Club 18U in the semifinals of the Moses Lake Showdown on Sunday. This comes after a 3-0 start to the weekend tournament. The Sixers were competitive throughout the game, scoring four runs across the second and third innings. However, a three-run inning in the top of the fifth increased Orting's lead as they held off the Sixers for the win.
Mental reset helps Madigan reach golf breakthrough at 1B state championship
ODESSA — Eli Madigan, a junior at Wilson Creek and golfer for the Odessa Tigers, finished fifth in the 1B state golf championships. After falling just short of placing last year and a year of hard work, Madigan made a leap into the top five. “It was special,” Madigan said. “It was coaches last year coaching, so it was super awesome to be able to share a moment with Dillon (Jahns). He's helped me a lot with my swing and with just my even mindset for life. Just knowing that no matter what you do at the end of the day, it's just around a golf, so nobody's ever going to play perfect.”
Sixers 18U start tournament strong
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sixers 18U (5-2) are off to a three-win start in the Moses Lake showdown tournament. After earning a 8-3 win Friday over the Spokane Crew 16U, they strung together two more wins over the Orting Baseball Club 18U and RCA Green, which they finished in three innings. “You could ask for a little bit better of a start, a little bit more efficient first inning, just command in the zone, but it was good to see the approach stay with a lot of our guys and get the job done with the bats,” Head Coach Trey Evans said.
Huskie alum Maldonado returns as cross country head coach
OTHELLO — Othello School District announced June 1 that former Huskie’s athlete David Maldonado will be the new head coach of Huskies cross country. In the days since the announcement, Maldonado said he was overwhelmed by the support from the community. “It feels amazing, the amount of support that I didn't really expect from the community, and through social media,” Maldonado said. “I just was able to really admire all the connections and great relationships that I've maintained over the years, and I think a lot of it has to do with just time passing by, and everybody realizes, ‘Oh man, look at this guy, now he's the new head coach.”
Boyd brings passion, vision to Tigers volleyball
EPHRATA — The Ephrata School District announced Tuesday in a press release that McKaidan Boyd has been selected as the new head coach for the Ephrata High School volleyball program. After a few days to process the announcement, Boyd expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I'm so excited,” Boyd said. “I'm so thankful for the opportunity. I got the call on Friday, actually, and it was a pretty competitive interviewing process, and I'm just so thankful they resonated with me, and vice versa. I'm beyond excited and thankful for the opportunity.”
Five Mavericks commit to college programs
MOSES LAKE — Five Mavericks surrounded by friends, family and coaches made their college commitments official Tuesday. Noah Hernandez, Tyce Miller, Grady Walker, Liam O’Shea and Kenzie Holterhoff are heading to the next level for their respective sports.
For Moses Lake volleyballers, there’s no time off in summer
MOSES LAKE — With the academic year wrapping up, local high school sports are done for the summer as well. However, many programs like the Mavericks volleyball team gathered Monday for offseason workouts. “Today is our first summer workout with all the girls,” Head Coach Krystal Trammell said. “We bring in all the girls, returners, new, and get them into the system, and basically teach them the fundamentals, the skills, and work on the foundation.” While they can’t hold official practices, Trammell is allowed to host voluntary summer workouts which provide student athletes with an opportunity to work on their skills. According to her, about 75 players and counting have attended these workouts.
Five Jacks sign to play college sports
QUINCY — Students, family and coaches gathered at the Quincy High School commons Monday as five athletes signed their letter of intent to keep playing their sport at the college level. Pierce Bierlink, Ashton Barnes-Keller, Brayan Nunez, Edwin Hernandez and Dominik Plascencia put pen to paper.
Washington College athletes earn GNAC honors
MOSES LAKE — Several Washington college athletes received special awards from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Friday. According to a press release by the GNAC, eight awards were announced, with Maurice Woodring, Colton Magruder and Ben Stensland bringing home individual accolades.
Huskies Luis Farias signs to Columbia Basin College
OTHELLO — Luis Farias from the Othello Huskies boys’ soccer team signed his letter of intent Thursday to join the men's soccer program at Columbia Basin College. While he was excited to make it official, Farias also felt it went deeper than that. “I feel like a signing like this may give other kids hope to see and look up to me and be a role model in a way, instead of all the other bad things out in the world,” he said. “I just want them to think of me and see a role model, and someone they could follow, and something they could do too, and even achieve more beyond what I have achieved.”
Wahluke finishes fourth in state tournament
FEDERAL WAY — The Wahluke Warriors finished their season Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Cedar Park Christian, which means they finish fourth in the 1A/2B state tournament. This came after a deep tournament run to the semifinals where they suffered a 1-0 loss to Meridian Friday. “It's really simple, the winner is going to be the one that puts (the goals) in, and we didn’t, they had one good opportunity and they finished. We paid the consequences,” Head Coach Cele Lopez said.
Bayley named CWAC MVP as Ephrata, Othello land multiple selections
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Athletic Conference announced the boys and girls golf All-League teams Wednesday. On the girls’ side, the Ephrata Tigers and Othello Huskies were well represented.
Three Knights sign to play collegiate soccer
ROYAL CITY — Positive energy filled the Royal High School commons Wednesday as Cristian Nieto, Ernesto Deras and Anderson Brown signed their letters of intent to play soccer at the college level. For Head Coach Jens Jensen, it’s always great to see players excel and advance to the next level. “It's good for them. Obviously happy for them, that's what they want to do, and they have an opportunity to do that,” Jensen said.
CWAC announces All-League honors for golf
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Athletic Conference announced its boys and girls golf All-League teams Wednesday. See below which local Basin student athletes made the list. Full coverage of these honors will be in a future edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.