Locally: Eastern Washington assistant track coach Eric Allison set to retire
From staff reports
Eastern Washington track and field assistant coach Eric Allison will be retiring at the conclusion of this season, the school announced on April 17.
Allison is in his 23rd season at Eastern and has specialized in coaching pole vaulters.
“We hate to see ‘EA’ go, but time waits for no one. All good things do not have to end, as he built an amazing legacy of pole vaulters at EWU,” director of track and field Erin Tucker said. “He made Eastern a destination place for the vault and we hope to continue his legacy. We plan to announce his replacement in June.”
Eastern has qualified 28 athletes for the NCAA first round and three for the finals in pole vault during Allison’s coaching career.
Allison has coached two NCAA All-Americans, with Keisa Monterola earning indoor first-team All-American in 2012. Monterola is the program record holder in both indoor ( 14 feet, 3 inches) and outdoor vault (14-0). She still holds the conference overall and meet records .
Morgan Fossen earned outdoor second-team All-American in the 2021 with a vault of 13-8.
In the Big Sky, Allison has helped 21 athletes earn conference champions, along with 57 total all-conference performers.
College baseball
After winning two out of three against Portland last weekend, Gonzaga claimed a pair of Rawlings WCC Baseball Player of the Week awards, the school announced Monday.
Tommy Eisenstat won player of the week honors and teammate Payton Graham won pitcher of the week.
Eisenstat extended his hitting streak to 10 games on Sunday against Portland after going 3 for 5 with two RBIs and one run. In the Zags’ 2-1 win on Friday against Portland, Eisenstat went 2 for 4 while driving in one of GU’s two runs.
On Friday, Graham entered in a 1-1 tie with two outs in the top of the sixth inning and the go-ahead run on first base for Portland. He ended the threat with a strikeout before holding the Pilots scoreless over the final three innings.
College basketball
The Gonzaga women’s basketball team will travel to the Virgin Islands next season as the Bulldogs were one of eight teams selected to play in the 25th Paradise Jam tournament, organizers announced Tuesday.
The Zags will play Missouri State, Texas Tech and Florida State during the event, which will take place Nov. 28-30 in St. Thomas.
College tennis
Gonzaga women’s tennis earned its first conference weekly award this season as Bulldogs freshman duo of Emily Robertson and Ella Nielsen won CU1 WCC doubles team of the week, the conference announced Tuesday.
Robertson and Nielsen went 2-0 last week against San Francisco and Santa Clara. They swept the Broncos 6-0 and beat the Dons 6-1.
College volleyball
Gonzaga volleyball coach Katie Wilson announced the addition of Krista Kostoff on Monday.
Kostoff is a middle blocker out of Eastlake High School in Sammamish, Washington, and will arrive this fall.
The two-time captain helped lead the Wolves to a KingCo Conference Tournament championship and their first state appearance in five years with a 25-9 record.