Prep beat

The Ballard fastpitch softball team calls it the "second-base flex."

When a Beaver runner reaches second base, teammates in the dugout start hollering, "Second-base flex!"

The runner is obligated to look at the dugout and flex - perform a brief bodybuilding pose of her choosing.

Senior Jennifer Schmidt said the origin of the rite is unclear but that it has been part of the program in recent years.

"Some of our fans are even shouting, `Second-base flex' now," she said.

The Beavers are riding high after their 4-3 extra-inning victory over Holy Names in the Metro Leaguechampionship game Monday.

The team held a sleepover Tuesday night, made T-shirts that proclaimed "Metro Champs," wore crowns, then car-pooled to school with streamers on the cars.

Ballard begins Sea-King 3A District play tomorrow against Kennedy at the Fort Dent complex in Tukwila.

Yerabek out at EC

Despite back-to-back winning seasons, Eastside Catholic will not renew girls basketball coach Gene Yerabek's contract.

EC Athletic Director Mark Brandmire said it was a "gut feeling" that a change was needed.

"I respect very much what Gene has done for this program and the work to bring it to this point," Brandmire said. "This is more a desire to see a program that matches my philosophy a little bit more."

Brandmire indicated he was unsatisfied with the Crusaders' "style of play."

Brandmire, in his first year as athletic director at EC, coached basketball at Seattle Lutheran and Cascade Christian.

Yerabek, 62, said he took the decision "very personally" and added, "I don't want to end my career on a down note."

He called the decision "unfair" and indicated he may challenge it. The Crusaders were 12-8, 12-11 the past two seasons. Yerabek had coached EC for five seasons.

Yerabek bolstered his staff this year with Frank Michael, who had most recently been the head coach at 4A Eastlake.

Yerabek, who teaches math at Eastside Catholic, is one of the Eastside's most experienced multi-sport coaches.

He won three KingCo titles as Mercer Island football coach and a Western Conference title at Woodway. He also was head football coach at St. Martin's, Redmond, Interlake, Tolt and Cedarcrest. He was varsity girls basketball coach at Tolt for five years and also assisted at Woodinville. In basketball, he was head boys coach at Redmond for one season and assisted in boys programs at Mercer Island, Woodinville and Woodway.

Here and there

Franklin guard A.J. Brooks will play basketball next season for Seattle University. He won Franklin's defensive MVP award and "hands down" was the key contributor in the Quakers' sixth-place finish in the Class state tournament, according to Franklin Coach Jason Kerr.

-- Seattle Prep distance runner Benjamin Carter Gauen has accepted a track and cross-country scholarship to Santa Clara. Gauen and future college teammate Ricky Brackett of Bellevue High School are among the top runners in the Sea-King District meet today and Saturday at Lake Washington High School.

-- Tomorrow's 3A state quarterfinal showdown between Blanchet and Mount Vernon is a rematch. Mount Vernon beat the Braves early in the season but both teams were missing players. Kickoff is 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium and will be followed by the Lakeside-Highline game at 7 p.m.

-- Seattle Academy golfer Adam Schoenfeld shot nine-hole rounds of even-par 36 at Jefferson, 4-over 40 at Jefferson, and 2-over 36 at Wellington Hills last week.

Beaver weight room

The new weight room at Ballard High School will be dedicated today at 3:30 p.m. The Coach Henry A. Bendele weight room was made possible by a $50,000 donation by Ballard alumnus, Victor Salvino ('51), who lives in Dallas.

Bendele coached football at Ballard from 1938-1959. The Beavers won the city championship in 1940, 1947, 1951 and 1956 and were co-champs in 1941 and 1949.

Bendele is No. 2 on the all-time list of city public school coaches in terms of football wins (105-45-11). The late Tony Gasparovich, who coached at Ingraham from 1960-76, is No. 1 with a 109-37-3 mark.

Bendele coached basketball from 1938-58 and the Beavers were city champs in 1943 and 1950.

Salvino played basketball for Bendele. From 1938-1948, Bendele also served as head track coach.

Bendele died in 1962 of a brain tumor.

Coach taking baseball team to Cuba

Scott Knight, Stanwood High School baseball coach, plans to take another team of high-school players to Cuba this year.

Knight took a team to the island in late February and came back ebullient about the success of the cross-cultural trip and the skill level of Cuban players. Knight is organizing another team to take to Cuba in August.

Tryouts are set for 4 p.m. Sunday at Stanwood High School. Players 15-18 are invited to attend.

For more information, call Knight at (360) 387-1146 or (360) 629-1300, ext. 5034, during the day.

Notes

Kennewick High golfer Arnell Garza shot well enough to qualify for the 4A state tournament but was disqualified for failing to sign his scorecard at the Big Nine District tournament.

-- Ann Sullivan of Omak, who won the 100 (12.21), 200 (25.34), 100 hurdles (14.19) and 300 hurdles (43.80) at last year's 2A state track meet as a junior, has accepted a scholarship to Oregon. The hurdle marks were meet-record times.

-- Local winners of state academic championship awards: Baseball - 3A, Seattle Prep, 3.52 GPA; Boys soccer - 3A, Seattle Prep, 3.74; Girls tennis - 3A, Holy Names, 3.9.

-- For the 21st consecutive year, Lakeside Coach Sandy Schneider will conduct two one-week girls basketball day camps: Grades 4-8, July 31-Aug. 4, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $110; Grades 9-12, Aug. 7-10, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., $110. For information, call Schneider at 206-440-2827 or e-mail sandy.schneider@lakesideschool.com.