NW Briefs | Jeff Skiba sets Paralympic world mark

Northwest |

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Jeff Skiba of Sammamish, a below- the-knee amputee, set a new unofficial men's high jump world record and became the first amputee in history to clear the 7-foot mark at the 2008 Asuza Pacific Invitational in Los Angeles, Calif.

In his second attempt, the 23-year-old Skiba cleared 7 feet, ½ inch, beating his previous world record of 6-10 ¾.

"It has been my goal for the past few years to become the first amputee to clear the 7-foot mark," he said "It felt great to see years of hard work pay off."

The height is an unofficial world record because the Asuza Invitational was not an International Paralympic Committee sanctioned meet. Skiba will try repeating his feat at the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Trials, June 12-15 in Tempe, Ariz.

Skiba won the Class 3A state high-jump title (6-10) in 2001 with a prosthetic left leg. The 2002 Skyline graduate was born without a left fibula and had his lower left leg amputated below the knee before his first birthday.

Baseball

Washington's Jorden Merry improved to 7-0, holding USC to four hits over 7-2/3 innings as the Huskies beat the Trojans 5-4 in Los Angeles.

Kyle Conley was 4 for 4 with two doubles, a triple and two runs batted in for the Huskies. Merry gave up a solo homer in the second, then didn't allow another run until the eighth. He finished having walked four and struck out three.

Softball

Katie Burkhart had 12 strikeouts to lead second-ranked Arizona State to a 3-0 win over No. 23 Washington at Husky Softball Stadium.

Ashlyn Watson and Alicia Blake led the Huskies (26-19-1) offensively, both going 2 for 4. Aleah Macon (15-12) took the loss, allowed six hits, three earned runs and four walks in five innings.

• Seattle University (35-12) got home runs from Kaha Weir and Jane Purdy to take an early lead, and pitcher Erin Martin threw a two-hitter as the Redhawks defeated Western Oregon 4-0 in a nonconference game in Monmouth, Ore.

Other track and field

Western Washington's Sarah Porter bettered her own school record by nearly 15 seconds in winning the women's 10,000 meters in 36 minutes, 31.85 seconds, and Monika Gruszecki became the first Viking in school history to earn an automatic berth to nationals with a third-place finish in the javelin (146-2) on the first day of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference outdoor championships in Ellensburg.

In the team standings, Seattle Pacific (71 points) leads the women and host Central Washington (57) leads the men.

Rowing

Gonzaga's women swept all three races at the West Coast Conference championships in Sacramento, Calif., to capture their 11th title in 12 years. The Bulldogs won the varsity eight in 6 minutes, 44 seconds, finishing ahead of second-place San Diego by five seconds.

Notes

• Gonzaga freshman Cody Martin has been named to the watch list for the 2008 Roger Clemens Award, given annually to the top pitcher in college baseball.

• Libero Courtney Schneider and the national runner-up Western Washington volleyball team will make the ceremonial first pitch before the Mariners' baseball game Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field.

Compiled from sports-information reports and other sources.