WENATCHEE - Brewster’s David Pendergraft parlayed a great senior year on Gonzaga University’s men’s basketball team into his third straight north central Washington sports award.
     Awards were handed out June 24 at the 38th Wenatchee Valley Medical Center NCW Sports Awards banquet in Wenatchee.
     For “Pendo,” an all-West Coast Conference basketball player for the Zags, it was his third consecutive sports award for male college player of the year and fourth overall, according to Wenatchee North Rotary.
     He earned one as top high school male athlete.
     Pendergraft started 32 out of 32 games this season, averaging each game 8.8 points and 4.4 rebounds.
     Cassie Merkley, formerly of Okanogan and now Leavenworth, a contender in the heptathlon at the NCAA-I track championships and Big Sky Conference champion, received her third sports award.
     She took first in the indoor Big Sky championships with 3,892 points that included 8.59 in the 60-meter hurdles and 5-8 in the high jump.
     In the outdoor season, she was named field athlete of the meet in the Big Sky championships after setting a school record to win the heptathlon with 5,563 points.
     In all, 82 high school and college athletes, coaches and teams were honored as finalists in eight categories, reported Jeff Mertes of Wenatchee North Rotary.
     College male athlete of the year - David Pendergraft, Brewster, Gonzaga basketball.
     College female athlete of the year - (tie) Cassie Merkley, Cascade, Idaho State track, and Amanda Miller, Eastmont, Washington track.
     High school male athlete of the year - Nick Gale, Eastmont.
     High school female athlete of the year - Morgan Clem, Eastmont.
     Male team coach of the year - Brandon Evenson, Ephrata basketball.
     Female team coach of the year - Gary Millard, Eastmont track.
     Male team of the year - Ephrata basketball.
     Female team of the year - Eastmont track.
     Two scholar-athlete $1,000 college scholarships were awarded to Briana Moser, Ephrata, and Cameron Reister, Chelan.
     Sports awards outlying grants went to Okanogan Youth Football for $1,000 and Cashmere’s soccer field lighting project for $500.
     The annual president’s award for longtime contributions to athletics in north central Washington was awarded to Wenatchee World photographer Don Seabrook.
     Featured speaker for the event was Bill Krueger, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and now a Fox Sports Net baseball commentator.
     Master of ceremonies Jim Haglund presented him with a special “Better Batter than Ichiro” bobblehead award in recognition of the little-known fact that Krueger had a career .400 average as a hitter.
     Krueger was primarily an American League pitcher while compiling a 68-66 record. He came to bat just 15 times in 13 seasons.
     Proceeds from the sports awards banquet fund youth sports, scholarship and charitable activities supported by Wenatchee North Rotary.