Notes | High-school pole vaulter dies in Walla Walla

WALLA WALLA — Ryan Moberg, an 18-year-old DeSales High School senior, died of brain trauma Wednesday after being injured Monday in a pole-vault accident.

Moberg, who qualified for the state meet in 2006, was practicing with the team in the school gym when he landed on his head and neck. He was taken to St. Mary Medical Center, where he died two days later, said nursing supervisor Char Brown.

Moberg was an honor student who planned to go to college.

"He's just a super kid," said Dr. David Schmitz, executive director of Walla Walla Catholic Schools. "This is the worst situation imaginable."

A coach was present at the practice, which had been scheduled during the school's spring break.

Girls series revived

Some of the top basketball players in Washington are expected to participate in the Baden High School Girls All-State Roundball Classic at Cleveland High School on April 26.

Jason Jones, Cleveland athletic director and a coach with Northwest Elite Basketball, helped revive the all-state series after reading that it was being discontinued due to a lack of financial support.

"When I heard it was canceled, I thought it was a travesty and that there is enough support for it in this region," Jones said. "The girls still need their day in the sun."

Helped by Baden and the Seattle Storm, Jones organized two games that will involve 40 girls invited from The Associated Press all-state teams. A 4 p.m. game will feature girls from Class 2B and 1B schools against a 2A/1A team. The 3A all-stars will play the 4A squad at 6 p.m.

Karen Blair, who recently stepped down after leading Ballard to the 4A state tournament, will coach one team. Sandy Schneider of Lakeside and Dave McEachern from Lakes of suburban Tacoma also have committed to coach. The fourth coach has yet to be named.

April 11 is the deadline for players to commit.

Evergreen coach chosen

David Lewis has been named football coach at Evergreen High School of White Center.

Lewis has been head coach at Hermiston, Ore., for five years, leading his teams to the state playoffs each of the past four seasons. He also has been head coach at Molalla, Ore., and McLane High in Fresno, Calif.

"He has lots of experience," Evergreen athletic director Daylene Boehm said. "We're real pleased to get him on board ... He has a lot of energy. He wants a challenge, and that's what he's going to get."

Evergreen loses 14 seniors from a team that won a share of the Seamount League championship and reached the Class 3A state playoffs, finishing 9-2.

Lewis succeeds Shaun Tarantola, who left after three seasons to become head coach at Juanita of Kirkland. Evergreen was 20-11 under his leadership, 17-4 the past two years.

Lewis, 43, said he was looking to relocate to a more metropolitan area after growing up in California.

"I'll be honest with you," he said, "I'm a city boy. And I enjoy diversity."

Note

• Dave Lutes, Kent School District athletic director, will receive the 2008 State Award of Merit by the Washington Secondary School Athletic Administrators Association next Tuesday in Spokane as part of the state AD conference.

Times staff reporter Sandy Ringer, The Associated Press and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin contributed to this report.