Northwest Notes: Jan. 18, 2014

Water polo clinic

set today at Kroc

COEUR d'ALENE - Several area water polo coaches are teaming to put on a North Idaho Water Polo Clinic today at the Kroc Center for those ages 13 and up.

There are two sessions - the first in the morning for beginners (less than 1 year of water polo experience) from 8 a.m. to noon, and an advanced session in the afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m.

Clinicians include Mark Collingham and Peter Neirinckx of the Coeur d'Alene High water polo club, Brady Hooper from Lakeland High and Garrett Hall, water polo coach for the University of Idaho.

The clinic will include video of Olympic water polo games, discussion of skills and tactics, in-water practice of various skills and short scrimmages. Participants must be able to swim 200 yards continuously and tread water.

Cost per session is $20 for Kroc members and $25 for non-members.

Interested athletes should call the Kroc Center to sign up or for more information

EWU to renew football rivalry

with Northern Iowa in 2015 and '16

Matching two of the top teams historically in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Eastern Washington University will renew its football rivalry with Northern Iowa from the Missouri Valley Conference when the two teams square off in 2015 and 2016.

The first meeting will occur Sept. 12, 2015, in the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. The second matchup will be Sept. 17, 2016, at Roos Field in Cheney.

UNI has appeared in the FCS playoffs on 16 occasions and tallied 19 wins, while EWU has made 10 appearances with 13 wins and a national title in 2010. The Panthers rank fifth in FCS history in appearances and seventh in wins, while EWU is right behind in 13th and 10th, respectively.

Northern Iowa and Eastern Washington have met on five previous occasions - all in Cedar Falls - with the Panthers winning all five matchups. Three of those contests occurred in the FCS playoffs (1985, 1992, 2005).

Oregon (Sept. 5) and Montana State (Sept. 19) are the other two non-conference games currently on EWU's 2015 schedule, and EWU is scheduled to play Washington State the following season (Sept. 3, 2016). Chaves said he is still in need of one game for the 2016 season, and is hoping to schedule a home-and-home series with another FCS foe for that season and a return game in 2017. The finalized 2014 schedule has yet to be announced.

Deadline Wednesday for

Fit for Bloomsday signup

SPOKANE - Elementary schools from Eastern Washington and North Idaho have just a few more days to sign up for the Fit for Bloomsday ... Fit for Life youth fitness program.

After the entry deadline, over 60 schools are expected to have signed up, with nearly 6,000 kids participating in the 10-week running and walking program.

"We've already heard from more than 30 schools in the region," said Bloomsday Race Director Don Kardong, "and nearly 3,000 kids are expected to participate at those schools. That's a great start to this year's program."

Fit For Bloomsday ... Fit For Life - dubbed Fit For Bloomsday for short - was developed by Bloomsday volunteers in cooperation with PE instructors, coaches and parents in the Spokane area. The Lilac Bloomsday Association provides information, materials, structure and incentives for the 8-10 week program, which is administered by school personnel and volunteers at participating schools. Now in its 28th year, the program prepares kids to run or walk Bloomsday while teaching them the importance of fitness, nutrition and safety.

Schools can sign up for Fit for Bloomsday by downloading an application form from Bloomsday's web site (www.bloomsdayrun.org) and returning it to the Bloomsday office by Jan. 22. Kids and adults who want to sign up for the 38th annual Lilac Bloomsday Run can register online now at www.bloomsdayrun.org.

Training camp dates set

for Spokane Shock

SPOKANE - Training camp dates for the Spokane Shock's upcoming season have been set, with camp running from Feb. 20 to March 8 at the Shock Practice Facility in Spokane Valley.

Camp opens on Feb. 20 with entry physicals and begins the following day with two acclimation practices before padded practices on Feb. 23.

Included during training camp, but not yet scheduled, will be a number of open practices as well as a media day. Further information will be announced later.

Training camp concludes on March 8, when the AFL regular season begins. Spokane kicks off its 2014 schedule by hosting Iowa on March 15 at 7 p.m.

Single game ticket sales open the first week of February.

Information: (509) 242-7462