Sports

Locally: Several athletes from Spokane's Dynamic Gymnastics Academy qualify for Western Nationals

From staff reports

Four local gymnasts from Dynamic Gymnastics Academy have qualified for this weekend's Western Nationals competition in Boise.

Ava Hamilton, Amara Paul, Kinleigh Cook and Ziomara Guidi will represent Dynamic at the event, which features gymnasts from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Hawaii. All four athletes are level 9 competitors.

Hamilton was second in the all-around competition at Regionals in the Senior 4 age group, finishing third in vault, bars and beam. Paul was the Regional vault champion and took second in floor, also in Senior 4. Cook was also a Regional vault champion and was fifth all-around in Senior 3, while Guidi - a senior at Shadle Park who will compete next year at Hamline University - was a Regional bars champion, while also taking second in all-around in Senior 8.

Level 6, 7 and 8 athletes also finished their seasons at the Regional competition, with a pair of Dynamic gymnasts winning all-around titles.

Cora Amistoso was the level 8 all-around champion, while also winning the vault and floor events. Amistoso was just a level 3 gymnast two years ago. In the level 7 event, Ameera Fletcher was not only the all-around champion, but also was the beam and floor champion and took second on vault and bars.

The following athletes also earned Regional medals: Level 8: Railey Amistoso (vault 8th, bars 7th, all-around 6th), Mariah Nelson (floor 3rd), Ella Vandergriend (beam 6th); Level 7: Kenzie Hixson-Jones (vault 7th, bars 6th, floor 2nd, all-around 7th), Bridgette Richardson (vault 7th, floor 2nd, all-around 9th), Olivia Olson (beam 3rd, floor 9th, all-around 8th); Level 6: Maisyn Coogler (bars 9th, beam 7th, floor 9th, all-around 7th), Elizabeth Foss (bars 7th, beam 6th, floor 9th, all-around 8th), Willow Warner (vault 6th, bars 6th, floor 7th), Beatrix Vogel (vault 6th, bars 5th), Hadley Miller (vault 7th, bars 6th).

Girls basketball

The Washington State Girls Basketball Coaches Association selected five new members to its Hall of Fame earlier this month.

The hall's seventh class, which includes Granger's Andy Affholter, Colfax's Corey Baerlocher, La Salle's Alyssa Goins, Zillah's Brandie Valadez and Colton's Clark Vining, will be honored during a banquet on May 9 at Gonzaga Prep.

Tickets to the event include a dinner and the induction ceremony and cost $60 at the door or $50 in advance by emailing Dan Taylor at knights.in.gods.armor@gmail.com. The banquet will begin at 6 p.m.

College football

Former Eastern Washington wide receiver Nolan Ulm was selected in the fourth round with the 30th overall pick by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2026 Canadian Football League draft on Tuesday night. The Argos used the first pick of the fourth round to take Ulm.

Ulm played six seasons for the Eagles, racking up 117 receptions for 1,330 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Kelowna, B.C., native posted his most productive season in 2023, when he caught 45 passes for 564 yards, scoring four touchdowns. Ulm was named to Phil Steele's All-Big Sky fourth team in '23.

Ulm played his final season for Eastern in 2025, appearing in all 12 games and catching 27 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 7:15 PM.

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