BILL POEHLER
Statesman Journal

March 4, 2008

Sprague High School's racquetball team is savoring its second national overall championship, which the Olympians won in the USAR national championships held Wednesday through Sunday.

The Olympians' girls team won the national championship and the boys placed third at the tournament, which was held mostly at Portland's Multnomah Athletic Club.

That added up to the team's second overall national championship, 100 points better than La Salle.

"That's the first time. I've been at this 13 years, that's the first time we've had the girls win the national title," Sprague coach Bill Edmiston said.

"We had the top boys that year and it was a lot smaller. In 1998, there might have been a couple hundred kids playing, that was in Oregon alone. The kids are a lot more skilled now than they ever have been."

Sprague's boys team won in 1998 and that propelled the Olympians to the national championship overall in that year as well.

Earlier this month, Sprague won its third state championship.

Sprague had four national champions on its team this season.

The doubles team of Kara Donnithorne and Staci Wood won the national championship in the No. 1 doubles bracket.

Wood also won an individual national championship in the No. 3 girls singles.

Also winning a national championship was Melissa Hale in No. 6 singles.

Sprague had five seniors on the girls team this season: Donnithorne, Wood, Hale, Ralene Cabrerra and Mirada Yasen.

Edmiston said that of the 38 players on Sprague's team, 35 competed in the national tournament.

"That the amazing thing about Sprague's racquetball program," Edmiston said. "The Portland schools, they go to professional coaches and professional camps.

"This year we had 22 players who never picked up a racquet before the season started. We only have the five senior girls this year. We have on our team five junior boys, the rest are all sophomores and freshmen."