Union’s Alistair Docherty took a big step toward defending his Class 4A district golf championship with a first-round 71 Tuesday at Tri-Mountain Golf Course in Ridgefield.
Docherty leads Battle Ground’s Chad Hall by two strokes heading into Wednesday’s final round.
In the 3A district tournament — also at Tri-Mountain — Fort Vancouver’s Trent Standard and Mountain View’s Taylor Smith share the first-round lead at 75. Fort’s Boon Kusolsomboon trails one stroke behind.
Team titles for both events will be determined Wednesday.
Soccer commitments
• Skyview High School senior goalkeeper Keenan Townsend has verbally committed play men’s soccer for San Diego State University.
Townsend was second-team all-state among Class 4A boys soccer goalkeepers last spring.
He currently plays for the Seattle Sounders FC under-18 Academy team.
Last season, Townsend helped the Sounders FC U-16 squad to a fifth-pace finish at the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy national tournament.
San Diego State plays in the Pac-12 for men’s soccer, and is currently the highest ranked team in the conference.
• Madison McNamara of Vancouver has verbally committed to join the University of Washington women’s soccer team for the Fall of 2013.
McNamara has lived in Vancouver for the past 14 years and is currently a junior at Jesuit High School in Portland.
She has played in the Oregon Olympic Development Program for the last two years, and plays up for FC Portland on the U-18 team.
She has played goalkeeper at Jesuit for the past two seasons, helping the Crusaders win the Oregon state championship the past two seasons.
• Battle Ground senior Kaylee Cropper is expected to sign with Northwest Nazarene, an NCAA Division II squad in Nampa, Idaho, in February.
Cropper will join another Clark County standout. Juliane Steele of Hockinson is a sophomore for the Crusaders.
Spudders honored
Ridgefield volleyball player Shawntel Kalliainen was selected the WIAA/Seattle Times athlete of the week for Class 1A girls for the week of Oct. 2-8.
Kalliainen, a senior, had 37 digs, six aces and no service errors as the Spudders placed second at the R.A. Long Tournament.
Ridgefield football player Michael Knox earned the honor for 1A boys for the Week of Sept. 25-Oct. 1 after rushing 19 times for 136 yards and a touchdown, returning a punt for a touchdown and returning an interception for a touchdown in a 49-7 win over Stevenson.
BG schools welcome return of gymnastics
Battle Ground Public Schools approved a cooperative agreement to have high school gymnasts train with the Camas program, but represent Prairie or Battle Ground in competition.
Gymnastics has not been offered at Battle Ground or Prairie since the 2008-09 school year.
The school board also approved the continuation of a similar co-op agreement for girls and boys swimming.
