April Banner

Issue: # 035   April 1, 2010
IN THIS ISSUE
Tour de Vine - Scratched
Triple Crown Tourney Ready
WSU vs Seattle U in Wenatchee
Western Spring Ski Series
April Means Fishing
Wild to Face Kenai River
WVSO Kicks Off Season
April 17th is CROWDED
Women Needed for Softball
Trips & Trails Reprint
Sports Calendar
Visitors Guides Available
QUICK LINKS
Join Our Mailing List
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council News
 
Eric at USA Hockey Greetings!
 
    In this issue, we bid adieu to winter and embrace spring and an entirely crazy April schedule ahead!  Count 'em...161 events on the calendar for April in the Wenatchee Valley!
 
    So, will there or won't there be a Tour de Vine this fall?  Read below and find out!  The Triple Crown season opener in the Wenatchee Valley has blown up...72 teams and counting!  The Wenatchee Wild start playoff hockey while the Rams and Venom settle into a skimpy April schedule.  Mission Ridge celebrates a big event.  The Super Oval revs up for another season and fishing season on the lakes opens the last Saturday in the month.
 
    So enjoy spring break while you have it, because it's pedal to the metal for the rest of the month, baby!  If there's anything I missed in this newsletter or on the calendar, let me know...I'm only a staff on 1.  :)
 
    Enjoy the newsletter, send it to a friend, and have a great April!
 
Happy Trails
Eric Granstrom - Wenatchee Valley Sports Council
Tour de Vine CancelledSorry, No Tour de Vine This Year
      Arlberg Sports is the sponsor and organizer of the ride, which featured a tour along back roads, through orchards of wineries from Peshastin to Wenatchee and East Wenatchee.  Arlberg Manager Scott Paton says he really wanted to do the ride, but too many conflicts came up in the traditional September time frame that they'd held the ride to do it this year.
Huge Numbers Ready for Wenatchee Season Opener
 
    When Triple Crown Sports looked at the Wenatchee Valley as a possible host site for a new tournament in the Northwest, they had hoped location and weather would be a draw for teams. 
Triple Crown Sports
    Following the selection of the Wenatchee Valley as a site for an April tournament in 2010, Northwest-Southwest Baseball Director for Triple Crown Drew Reiners said, "I'd be happy with 25 teams in our first year out."  To date, 72-teams have paid to play.  The tournament will be utilizing every diamond in Wenatchee and East Wenatchee and traveling teams will fill every hotel in the Valley. 
    Eric Granstrom, Director of Marketing for the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council, is very pleased.  "61 of the 72 teams are traveling in for this tournament.  Conservatively, that's an economic impact of well over $300,000 from this tournament first time out!"  For more on the tournament and its attendees, go to www.triplecrownsports.com.
WSU LogoCougars & Redhawks to play in Wenatchee 
    The baseball-themed kickoff in the Wenatchee Valley continues into the week following Triple Crown's tournament April 10th and 11th with the WSU Cougars taking on Seattle University.     
    Prior to Tuesday's game, WSU Head Coach Donnie Marbut and his coaching staff will present a special FREE clinic for local baseball coaches at the Wenatchee Valley College Gym.  The clinic starts at 6pm. 
Seattle U Logo    Then on Tuesday, April 13th, gates at Paul Thomas, Sr. Field will open at 5pm for a pre-game barbecue dinner for fans and alumni.  Choose from BBQ pull park or beef brisket sandwich with coleslaw and potato chips for $8.  Then at 6 o'clock, the Cougars will take on the Redhawks on the field, marking the first time that Division 1 baseball has come to Wenatchee!  For tickets and information on the coaches clinic, go to www.applesox.com. 
Skiers Flock to Mission Ridge for Western Series
Mission Ridge Ski Team    

     Mission Ridge Ski Team is hosting the Western Region Spring Series at Mission Ridge this month.  According to Team coach Ryan Shorter, 240 skiers will descend on the Wenatchee Valley April 7th through the 13th to do battle at Mission Ridge. 

     In addition, Shorter says 2010 US Olympians Sarah Schleper, Hailey Duke as well as several other US Ski Team and World Cup athletes will be on hand.  Red Lion is the official host hotel for the race.  For more, go to
www.mrst.us/MRST/home.html
 
April Means Spring Fishing at It's Best
    The last Saturday in April marks the traditional opener for lowland lake fishing in Washington State.  Its estimated that 300,000 anglers ply the waters in our state on opening weekend alone.     
Rubis Rock Island Fish    The only local lakes that have been planted so far include Burke and Quincy in Grant County.  A total of 11,027 rainbows were planted in Burke Lake in February.  Quincy Lake got 9,014, also in February. 
    Typically, Fish & Wildlife has to wait until roads improve and launch sites are free of snow before catchable trout can be planted in Lakes in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan Counties.  Roses Lake, near Chelan, received 24,500 catchable size rainbows last November, so the carry-over fishing should be pretty good. 
    Beehive Reservoir and Lily Lake will have to wait until the roads are better and Wapato should be getting over 1,000 triploids prior to the opener.  Jameson is also scheduled to get a good shot of catchable and triploid before the opener as well.  Some things to mark on the calendar besides the April 24th opener include a free fishing seminar at Town Ford on Wednesday, April 7th at 6pm and Kids Fishing Day at Rock Island Pond April 17th from 9am-Noon.
Wild Take on Kenai River in Playoff's First Round
Wenatchee Wild Logo     No matter what happens, the Wenatchee Wild will have a place at the table come the NAHL's Robertson Cup in May.  That's because, as the host team for the tournament, Wenatchee receives an automatic spot in the event. 
    But ask the Wild team and coaches about the playoffs that begin Friday, and they'll tell you they'd much prefer earning a spot to the Robertson Cup than having one handed to them.  The Wild begin a best-of-five playoff series with the Kenai River Brown Bears Friday at Town Toyota Center. 
    The two teams played 12 times this season, with Wenatchee winning all but one.  Game times for Friday at Saturday at 7:05pm and Sunday's game starts at 5:05pm.  If necessary, games four and five would be next Tuesday and Wednesday, also at Town Toyota Center.  Wenatchee finished the regular season with a 45-10-3 record and 93-points, tied with Topeka atop all of the North American Hockey League.
WVSO Ready to Roar Into 2010
 
WVSO Logo    No, the rumbling you'll hear April 14th won't be your stomach over cramming to get your taxes in by the next day.  It will be the rumble of engines practicing for another season of racing at Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval. 
    Crews will have a chance to practice on that Wednesday and again Friday, April 23rd in preparation for the season-opener Saturday, April 25th. 
    That night will feature Big 5 Super Late Models, Dick's Heating & Air Conditioning Thunder Cars, Jerry's Auto Supply Pure Stocks and Bump 2 Pass Cars.  WVSO will feature 21 race dates between April and September.  For more, go to www.wvso.com.
Calendar Note:  April 17th is CROWDED!
    The Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail is a busy place already on a spring day in the Wenatchee Valley.  But on April 17th, it will be EXTREMELY busy! 
    The Wenatchee Marathon and MS Walk take place on the same day and time and on the Loop Trail this year.  The MS Walk features 2 or 5-mile options and starts from Wenatchee Confluence State Park. 
    The Marathon features four events, including a marathon, half-marathon, relay marathon and 10k and will start and finish on Wenatchee Avenue in front of the Performing Arts Center.  To register, go to www.wenatcheemarathon.com.  For the MS Walk, go to www.nationalmssociety.org.
Women Needed for Softball
 
    We got a call from Barb Andre about women's softball and said we'd put the word out...they need players!  Practice is already under way for some teams, but you still have plenty of time to sign up.  Cost is $30 per player for the season, which begins with the AVWSL Kickoff Tournament April 17th and 18th.
    To contact Barb, email her at n2meic@aol.com.  The season runs from April through the first week of July and league play is only on weeknights, never on weekends.  The only time your team would play a weekend is if they enter a tournament.  The website for the Apple Valley Women's Slowpitch League is www.avwsl.com.
Would You Like to Be a Part of Trips & Trails? 
 
Trips & Trails Cover    The very popular Trips & Trails guide is scheduled to go to reprint this spring.  The Wenatchee Valley Sports Council and Visitors Bureau are once again working with Andy Dappen on freshening some of the language and maps as well as adding some new trips. 
    Currently, fundraising efforts are under way to help come up with the estimated $8,000 needed for the reprint.  So far, the Wenatchee Racquet and Athletic Club, Mission Ridge and Chelan County PUD have contributed to the Sports Council's primer of $2,300. 
    If you'd like to donate, contact Eric Granstrom at the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council at 509-663-3723 or via email at eric@wenatcheevalley.org.  Developers hope to have copies available by the first of June.
April 2 - Vashon at Cashmere Baseball, 4pm
April 2 - Spokane Falls at Wenatchee Valley College Softball (DH), 2pm
April 2 - Wenatchee Wild in First Round of NAHL Playoffs - Town Toyota Center, 7pm
April 2-4 - Washington High School Equestrian Teams - District Meet at Appleatcheew
April 3-4 - Century 21 Spring Break Blast Baseball Tournament at Hydro & Tedford Parks
April 3 - Omak at Cashmere Softball (DH), 11am
                        Vashon at Chelan Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Kennewick at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 1pm
April 3 - Big Bend at Wenatchee Valley College Softball (DH), 12pm
April 3 - Blue Mountain at Wenatchee Valley College Baseball (DH), 1pm
April 3rd - Spokane Wolfpack at Wenatchee Valley Rams, Wildcat Field, 1pm.  www.wvrams.com  
April 3 - Wenatchee Wild in First Round of NAHL Playoffs - Town Toyota Center, 7pm
April 5 - Ephrata at Cashmere Tennis, 4pm
                        Waterville, Thorpe and Manson Golf at Desert Canyon, 2pm
April 6 - Chelan at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Cascade at Cashmere Softball, 5pm
                        Moses Lake at Eastmont Baseball, 4pm
                        Southridge at Eastmont Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Moses Lake at Eastmont Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Lakeside at Chelan Baseball (DH), 4pm
                        Cascade at Chelan Golf, 2:30pm
                        Ephrata at Chelan Softball, 4pm
                        Omak at Chelan Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Manson at Entiat Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Ephrata at Quincy Boys Soccer, 6pm
                        Grandview at Quincy Softball (DH), 3:30pm
                        Tonasket at Cascade Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Eisenhower at Wenatchee Baseball (DH), 4pm
April 6 - Wenatchee Wild in NAHL Playoffs (if necessary), 6:30pm
April 7 - Seattle Prep at Cashmere Baseball, 4pm
April 7 - Yakima Valley at Wenatchee Valley Baseball (DH), 1pm
April 7 - Wenatchee Wild in NAHL Playoffs (if necessary), 6:30pm
April 8 - Brewster at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Omak at Cashmere Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Wenatchee at Chelan Golf, 2:30pm
                        Chelan at Cascade Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Pateros at Entiat Tennis, 4pm
                        Wapato at Quincy Boys Soccer, 5pm
                        Grandview at Quincy Tennis, 4pm
                        Kamiakin at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 7pm
                        Richland at Wenatchee Tennis, 4pm
April 8-13 - Western Region Spring Series Ski Race at Mission Ridge Resort (age 15-25)
April 9 - Walla Walla at Eastmont Baseball (DH), 2pm
                        Southridge at Wenatchee Baseball (DH), 4pm
April 10 - Chelan at Cashmere Baseball (DH), 4pm
                        Brewster, Cascade, Chelan, Cle Elum, Omak, Lake Roosevelt, Tonasket,
                            Kiona-Benton at Cashmere Track, 12pm
                        West Valley at Eastmont Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Lake Roosevelt at Chelan Tennis, 11am
                        Brewster at Manson Boys Soccer, 1pm
                        Grandview at Quincy Baseball (DH), 11am
                        East Valley, Yakima at Quincy Tennis, 11am
                        Okanogan at Cascade Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Lake Roosevelt at Cascade Softball (DH), 11am
                        Liberty Bell at Waterville Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Liberty Bell at Waterville Softball (DH), 11am
April 10-11 - Wenatchee Valley Season Opener Baseball Tournament hosted by Triple                  Crown Sports.  Go to www.triplecrownsports.com or call 970-672-0546
April 13th - Seattle University vs. Washington State University Baseball at Wenatchee
                        Valley College's Paul Thomas, Sr. Field, TBA.  www.applesox.com  
April 13 - Okanogan at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 4:30pm
                        Lake Roosevelt at Cashmere Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Chelan at Cascade Boys Soccer, 4:30pm
                        Cascade at Chelan Softball (DH), 3:30pm
                        Brewster at Chelan Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Entiat at Manson Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Oroville at Manson Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Cashmere at Cascade Baseball, 4pm
April 14 - Highland at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 6pm
                        Wenatchee at Eastmont Softball, 5pm
April 14 - Big Bend at Wenatchee Valley College Baseball (DH), 1pm
April 15 - Chelan at Cashmere Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Quincy at Chelan Baseball, 1pm
                        Quincy at Chelan Golf, 2:30pm
                        Pateros at Entiat Tennis, 4pm
                        CWAC Track Meet at Quincy, 3:30pm
April 16 - Rieke Invite Track Meet at Cascade High School
                        Chiawana at Eastmont Baseball (DH), 2pm
                        Davis at Wenatchee Softball (DH), 4pm
April 16 - Walla Walla University at Wenatchee Valley Softball (DH), 1:30pm
April 16 - Wenatchee Wild in Second Round of NAHL Playoffs (if they win earlier)
                        Town Toyota Center, 7pm
April 16-18 - Lady Cat Invite girl's fast-pitch softball tournament at Sterling Complex
April 17 - Cascade at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Okanogan at Cashmere Softball (DH), 11am
                        Tonasket at Cashmere Tennis, 11am
                        Chiawana at Eastmont Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Omak at Chelan Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Omak at Chelan Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Oroville at Entiat Tennis, 11am
                        Ephrata at Quincy Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Toppenish at Quincy Boys Soccer, 1pm
                        Brewster at Cascade Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Kittitas at Waterville Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Kittitas at Waterville Softball (DH), 11am
                        West Valley, Yakima at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 1pm
                        Moses Lake and Walla Walla at Wenatchee Tennis, 10am
April 17 - Steve Burchett Ski and Golf at Mission Ridge and Highlander Golf Club
                        For more information, go to www.missionridge.com
April 17 - Kids Fishing Day at Rock Island Pond - Contact the City of Rock Island at
                        509-884-1261 for information
April 17 - Wenatchee Marathon - full/half/10k/2k for kids/relay - Performing Arts Center                          www.wenatcheemarathon.com or call (509) 662-2066
April 17 - MS Walk - 2-miles & 5-miles - Confluence State Park - 10am (reg. 9am)                         1-800-344-4867 or on-line at www.nationalmssociety.org  
April 17 - Wenatchee Wild in Second Round of NAHL Playoffs (if they win earlier)
                        Town Toyota Center, 7pm
April 20 - Cascade at Cashmere Baseball, 4pm
                        Cashmere at Cascade Softball, 4pm
                        Cascade at Cashmere Tennis, 4pm
                        Eastmont at Wenatchee Baseball, 6:30pm
                        Thorp/Easton at Manson Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Tonasket at Manson Baseball (DH), 3pm
                        Ellensburg at Quincy Baseball, 4pm
                        Grandview at Quincy Boys Soccer, 6pm
                        Selah at Quincy Tennis, 4pm
                        Cashmere, Okanogan, Brewster & Chelan at Cascade Track, 4pm
                        Wapato at Wenatchee Girls Golf at Three Lakes, 1pm
                        Pasco at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 7pm
                        Kennewick at Wenatchee Tennis, 4pm
April 22 - Omak at Cashmere Boys Soccer, 7pm
                        Okanogan at Cashmere Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Chelan at Eastmont Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Wenatchee, Sunnyside & Moses Lake at Eastmont Track, 4pm
                        Cascade at Manson Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Selah at Quincy Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Tonasket at Cascade Tennis, 4:30pm
April 22-26 - Northwest Crank
                        Five days, a different ride each day beginning and ending in East                                       Wenatchee (50 to 125 miles).  www.northwestcrank.com
April 23 - Eisenhower at Eastmont Softball (DH), 4pm
                        Quincy vs. Nooksack Valley at Walla Walla Point Park, 3pm
                        Chelan vs. Nooksack Valley at Walla Walla Point Park, 5pm
                        Sunnyside at Wenatchee Baseball (DH), 4pm
April 23-25 - Wully Bully AAU Baseball Tournament at Hydro Park in East Wenatchee.
April 24-25 - Golden Ag Softball Kickoff Tournament at Walla Walla Point Park
April 24 - General Trout Season Opener in Washington State - 509-662-0452
April 24 - Nooksack Valley at Cashmere Softball (DH), 12pm
                        Brewster at Chelan Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Eastmont at Chelan Tennis, 11am
                        Quincy LeMaster/Daniels Invite Track Meet, 10am
                        Okanogan at Cascade Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Omak at Cascade Tennis, 11am
                        Entiat at Waterville Softball (DH), 11am
April 24 - Wenatchee Valley Trail Run Series - Saddle Rock Scramble 3K & 6K
            Contact Jason Jablonski - 509-679-6793 or jablonskijason@hotmail.com
April 24th - Opening Night at Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval, featuring Big 5 Late
                        Models, Dick's Heating & Air Conditioning Thunder Cars, Jerry's Auto
                        Supply Pure Stocks and Bump 2 Pass.  Gates open at 5, time trials at 6,
                        racing at 8.  www.wvso.com  
April 24 - Wyoming Calvary at Wenatchee Valley Venom, AIFA Football at Town
                        Toyota Center, 7:05pm.  www.wenatcheevenom.com  
April 27 - Brewster at Cashmere Tennis, 4:30pm
                        West Valley at Eastmont Baseball (DH), 2pm
                        Big Nine Boys Golf at Three Lakes, 1pm
                        Richland at Eastmont Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Tonasket at Chelan Baseball (DH), 4pm
                        Manson at Chelan Boys Soccer, 4pm
                        Tonasket at Chelan Tennis, 4:30pm
                        Pateros at Manson Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Toppenish at Quincy Baseball, 4pm
                        Selah at Quincy Boys Soccer, 6pm
                        Toppenish at Quincy Tennis, 4pm
                        Omak at Cascade Boys Soccer, 5pm
                        Cashmere at Wenatchee Baseball, 6:30pm
                        Eisenhower at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 7pm
                        Kamiakin at Wenatchee Tennis, 4pm
April 28 - CC of Spokane at Wenatchee Valley College Baseball (DH), 1pm
April 29 - Chelan at Cascade Golf, 2:30pm
                        Tonasket at Chelan Boys Soccer, 4:30pm
                        CWAC League Track Meet at Quincy, 3:30pm
                        Lake Roosevelt at Cascade Tennis, 4:30pm
April 30 - Lake Roosevelt at Cashmere Baseball (DH), 3pm
                        Hanford at Eastmont Baseball (DH), 2pm
                        Okanogan at Chelan Softball (DH), 4pm
                        Toppenish at Quincy Softball (DH), 3pm
                        Omak at Cascade Softball (DH), 3:30pm
                        Pasco at Wenatchee Softball (DH), 4pm
April 30-May 2 - Washington High School Equestrian Teams - District Meet at Appleatchee
May 1st - Apple Blossom Fun Run featuring 10k, 5K & 1-mile run, 5k walk, 9:45am
                        Register at www.appleblossom.org/Festival-Events/Apple-Blossom-Run
May 1 - Cascade at Chelan Boys Soccer, 11am
                        Selah at Quincy Baseball (DH), 11am
                        Ellensburg at Quincy Boys Soccer, 1pm
                        Bridgeport at Waterville Softball (DH), 11am
                        Sunnyside at Wenatchee Boys Soccer, 6pm
May 1 - Columbia Basin at Wenatchee Valley College Baseball (DH), 1pm
May 1 - Wenatchee Wild in Second Round of NAHL Playoffs (if necessary)
                        Town Toyota Center, 7pm
May 1st - Okanogan County Commandos at Wenatchee Valley Rams, WFL Football at
                        Wildcat Field in East Wenatchee, 1pm.  www.wvrams.com  
May 1st - Race Night at Wenatchee Valley's Super Oval featuring NW Pro 4 Alliance,
                        B-Modifieds, Pepsi Cola Mini Super Stocks & Youth Hornets.  Gates
                        open at 5, time trials at 6 and racing at 7pm.  www.wvso.com  
May 1-2 - Apple Blossom Slugfest Men's Softball Tournament at Walla Walla Pt. Park
2010 Visitors Guides Now Available 
 
    Come by the Visitors Center on Wenatchee Avenue or at the Apple Commission for your FREE copy of the 2010 Wenatchee Valley Visitors Guide.  2010 Visitors Guide
    You can also request a copy to be mailed to you at info@wenatcheevalley.org.  70,000 copies of the Visitors Guide were published this year, making it the largest in-house publication by the Wenatchee Valley Visitors Bureau.
    The cover photo is of Ohme Gardens and the inside includes tons of wonderful photos from professional and amateur photographers from throughout North Central Washington.
    If you're planning a visit to the Wenatchee Valley, or you have friends or relatives coming for a stay, this is definitely the guide for you!
    Also included is a fold-out, centerfold map of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee to help you find your way.
    Coming soon, the Wenatchee Valley Summer Guide.  For more about events and activities in the Wenatchee Valley, go on-line to www.wenatcheevalley.org.
    For more information about the 2010 Visitors Guide, you can also call toll free at 1-800-572-7753.
Thank you for being part of the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council on-line community.  If you'd like more information about the Sports Council, go to our website!
 
Sincerely,
 

Eric Granstrom
Wenatchee Valley Sports Council