It might be on a smaller stage than March Madness, but a coach and two players with Clark County ties are getting ready for postseason college basketball.
Portland Bible College is among 10 teams in the National Christian College Athletic Association Division II National Championship. The No. 5 seed, PBC opens play Thursday in Circleville, Ohio, against Dallas Christian.
The college has allowed Mike Arnold to rekindle his coaching career.
Arnold led Clark College to a 25-4 record in 2012 and earned conference coach of the year honors. Yet he was fired for reasons that were never explained by Clark’s then athletic director Charles Guthrie. The firing was roundly criticized by Clark players, alumni and supporters.
Arnold spent the following year coaching his eighth-grade daughter’s team and reassessing his future in coaching.
“I needed some time,” Arnold said. “I told my wife, ‘I’ve got to step away for a bit.’ “
Arnold agreed to join Portland Bible College in 2013. The Wildcats went 5-25 that season.
But this season saw Portland Bible College win conference and regional titles. The school with an enrollment of 415 played a schedule packed with larger schools, including NCAA Division II Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks. The Wildcats scored four wins against NCAA Division III schools and finished 15-15.
Two players with local ties have played roles in that success. Freshman Tyler Hoffman, a Skyview grad, saw his role increase as the season progressed.
“Tyler has improved most in his defensive ability and intensity,” Arnold said. “He now wants to guard the other team’s best player.”
Ethan Oomittuk initially went to Oregon State to play baseball. But after that didn’t pan out, the Kalama High grad found himself at Clark College, where Arnold continues to teach health and physical education. Now Oomittuk is the first man off the bench for Portland Bible College.
For Arnold and his players, a smaller school just happens to be the best fit.
“How many small schools can you go to where you can play against NCAA Division-II opponents and travel to Alaska, Montana and California?” Arnold said.
Women’s basketball
EWU’s Williams honored
Eastern Washington senior center Melissa Williams was named Second Team All-Big Sky Conference. The Camas High School graduate led the conference with an average of 9.6 rebounds a game, along with 10.7 points a game while notching 12 double-doubles.
“Melissa is the perfect example of what you hope any player’s senior year looks like,” coach Wendy Schuller told the school website goeags.com. “I’m so glad for her that she put in the work and set herself up for a tremendous season.
“She’s been a monster on the boards all year and has shown the ability to score both inside and out, creating a difficult matchup for opposing teams. We’ve asked her to guard a number of talented post players, and I really enjoy watching her defensively because she does her work early and gets in great position.”
Nordic skiing
Coval 38th at nationals
Colorado Mesa University freshman Carter Coval placed 38th in the individual combined standings at the U.S. Collegiate Skiing and Snowboarding national championships last week at Mount Bachelor in Oregon.
The King’s Way Christian School graduate placed 31st in the 7.5-kilometer Classic, 39th in the sprint and 41st in the 15-km freestyle.
The Mavericks placed fourth in the men’s overall team standings.
Indoor track and field
Kelley places twice at Mountain West meet
Boise State University senior Megan Kelley placed third in the 400 meters and fifth in the 200 meters at the Mountain West championships held Feb. 27-28 in Albuquerque, N.M.
The Camas High School graduate ran a personal best time of 55.06 seconds in the 400.
Suggestions for College Notebook? Contact Kurt Zimmer at kurt.zimmer@columbian.com or 360-735-4563
