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By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

By the students, for the students of Central Washington University

The Observer

All content by Austin Bennett
Season recap: Three highs, lows from men's basketball

Season recap: Three highs, lows from men’s basketball

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
March 10, 2016

Central’s men’s basketball team essentially road a seesaw all season with the way things turned out at the GNAC tournament. The Wildcats suffered an agonizing defeat to Seattle Pacific University...

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Men’s GNAC tournament preview

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
March 3, 2016

Central’s men’s basketball team will get its own dose of March Madness starting today as they take on the defending conference champions, Seattle Pacific (SPU), in the first round of the GNAC tournament. The...

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Stroud wins Defensive Player of the Year

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
March 3, 2016

Senior forward Joseph Stroud swatted his way to GNAC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-GNAC selection on Tuesday. Stroud had a total of 67 blocked shots this year and is two blocks...

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Fighting for position

Fighting for position

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
February 25, 2016

Central’s men’s basketball team is ready to snatch the second-place spot in the GNAC with two games remaining in its 2015-16 season.   The Wildcats will have to win against both Alaska schools...

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Pair of Wildcats earn academic honors

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
February 23, 2016

Senior guards Terry Dawn and Joey Roppo have been name to the GNAC All-Academic Team for the second time in as many years. Every player that has been selected for the honor is required to maintain a...

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Friends live out hoop dreams

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
February 18, 2016

They both share the same middle name, they both attended the same middle school. They’ve had every class together for the four years they’ve been in college, and they’re both sociology majors. Senior...

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Current freshmen will lead UW future

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
February 18, 2016

I was once criticized for wearing a Washington Husky sweatshirt by, who I assumed, were locals in downtown Ellensburg. I exchanged a few choice words with them and really emphasized the fact that I...

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Home stretch

Home stretch

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sport Editor
February 11, 2016

Central’s men’s basketball team begins their final six-game stretch of the regular season with its first two games at home against Saint Martin’s University (SMU) and Seattle Pacific University (SPU). The...

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Women's rugby rise

Women’s rugby rise

Zac Hereth and Austin Bennett
February 9, 2016

Part two of our two week series chronicling the rise of Central's rugby program. Part one can be read here. When women’s rugby became a varsity sport, its success may have been an afterthought...

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Wildcats welcome 27 new faces to football program

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
February 5, 2016

National Signing Day has ended and Central’s football program adds another 27 student-athletes. Each player Central signed is from Washington. This year, Central signed ten players that were on the...

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OPINION: Seahawks last game a microcosm of season's shortcomings

OPINION: Seahawks last game a microcosm of season’s shortcomings

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
January 28, 2016

The Seattle Seahawks found themselves in a 14-0 hole early in the first quarter against the North Carolina Panthers in what would be their final game of the 2015-16 season. Sound familiar? Looking...

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Wildcat comeback falls just short in thriller against rival Vikings

Wildcat comeback falls just short in thriller against rival Vikings

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
January 23, 2016

Central suffered a devastating loss to rival Western Washington University (WWU) tonight. WWU had a 21-point lead in the second half then Central went on a 24-5 run to bring them within four points late...

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Root Sports back at Central

Root Sports back at Central

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
January 21, 2016

Dom Williams’ last second jumper to seal the victory for the Wildcats in their annual cross state rivalry game against Western Washington University (WWU) this past year was the exclamation mark ROOT...

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Teamwork keys win streak

Teamwork keys win streak

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
January 14, 2016

Central’s men’s basketball team has been rolling early in the season, winning five games in a row lead by an offense that is averaging 81.2 points per game. The Wildcats are 4-2 in the GNAC and...

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Head coach Sparling undergoes ankle surgery

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
January 8, 2016

According to Central’s assistant coach Drew Harris, men’s basketball’s head coach Greg Sparling suffered a severe ankle injury outside his home this past Saturday Jan. 2. Harris and the team did...

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Teamwork assists Central’s best start since 2010

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
December 6, 2015

The Wildcats tipped off this basketball season winning their first four games, their best start since the 2010-11 season. Saturday, Central nabbed their fourth victory at home against Walla Walla University...

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Senior guard Joey Roppo secures the ball as he is swarmed by defenders.

Senior ropes in GNAC aspirations

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
November 21, 2015

Wildcat senior guard Joey Roppo believes Central’s basketball team could bring home a GNAC championship this season. In fact, that’s what brought Roppo to Central in the first place. In 2011, Central...

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EHS continues CWAC dominance

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
November 16, 2015

The Ellensburg High School football team has won their third straight Central Washington Athletic Conference championship (CWAC). The Bulldogs have gone 30-0 in league play the past three years. The...

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Men’s basketball motivated

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
November 5, 2015

Central’s men’s basketball team tips off their 2015 season with four returning starters and 15 upper classmen. Head coach Greg Sparling feels good about the team’s experienced returning players. “I...

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Central sports update

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
November 5, 2015

Volleyball No. 25 Central extended their winning streak to six games after defeating Concordia University (CU) and Western Oregon University (WOU) Halloween weekend. The Wildcats held onto their...

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Flying the Yak

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 29, 2015

The Yakima River provides fly anglers with a great deal of fish to be caught; ranging from spring-run Chinook salmon to smallmouth bass. However, the fish of choice in this big western river is the...

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Women’s rugby coasts out east

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 22, 2015

Central’s women’s rugby team finished up a successful weekend on the east coast. Saturday morning, the Wildcats blasted Norwich University (NU), 66-17. Followed by a 33-17 victory over Quinnipiac...

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Wallen (left) and Berens (right) suit up to call an S2 match at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, WA.

Finding the right ‘Sound’

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 14, 2015

Central sophomores Drew Wallen and Payton Berens recently finished up their trial games to become the next voices of the Seattle Sounders’ S2 club. Wallen and Berens were one of the three pairs selected...

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Wildcats, Burns torch Cougars

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 8, 2015

Central’s football team won, 24-21, in a thriller against defending conference champions Azusa Pacific this past Saturday. The Wildcats had huge games coming from their defense and running game. This...

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Golf Club has rough weekend

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 8, 2015

Chance Davis, golf club team member and officer, took his team to its first regional golf tournament of the fall quarter. The team traveled to Sunnyside, Wash. to compete against University of Oregon and...

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Senior Kaitlin Quirk gets ready to bring the heat with a spike against Simon Fraser Sept. 26.

Wildcats roar to quick start

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 7, 2015

Central’s volleyball team lost their first three games of the season during the Concordia University volleyball tournament, but since then, have reeled off six straight wins. The Wildcats entered...

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Hawks find comfort in home nest

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 7, 2015

After eight long months, the Seahawks finally got a win. It looks like the Seahawks are getting back into their groove. The defense dominated, special teams were flawless and the offense took care of...

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Tim Stanfill dives into the tri zone undefended.

Tim Stanfill pays to play

Austin Bennett, Assistant Sports Editor
October 7, 2015

Tim Stanfill, rugby standout and 2012 graduate of Central, has continued his athletic career with the Seattle Saracens and on the 50-man roster for the United States national rugby team. Before attending...

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