Zags are coming to town

Idol Sports & Entertainment announced that additional tickets for the 10th annual State Farm® Battle in Seattle, the nation’s premier neutral site men’s college basketball game, will be released to the public on Tuesday for this year’s game between the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Dec. 15, at KeyArena.
The recently released tickets, which became available after Gonzaga and Kansas State released their sponsor allotment, begin at just $16 and are still available for purchase at the KeyArenabox office, Ticketmaster.com, and all Ticketmaster outlets.
The game will be just the third meeting all-time between Gonzaga and K-State, with the Wildcats winning the previous two contests. The teams’ first meeting came on March 22, 1994 in the second round of the Postseason NIT – a 66-64 K-State victory – and most recently on Nov. 22, 2010 in the semifinal of the CBE Classic, which K-State won, 81-64.
Since its inception in 2003, the State Farm® Battle in Seattle has been one of the most highly-attended college basketball games in the state of Washington. The 2008 game between Gonzaga University and the University of Connecticut set the state’s attendance record for a regular season college basketball game with (16,763). Gonzaga is 5-4 all-time in the State Farm® Battle in Seattle.
For more information about the State Farm® Battle in Seattle go to BattleInSeattle.com.

WSGA announces sites

The Washington State Golf Association has announced the slate of sites for the fifth season of the popular WSGA Winter Series, brought to you by Puetz Golf Superstores. The Winter Series consists of four tournaments, one per month from January to April, and each played in a different format.
The series will kick off with a tournament at The Home Course in DuPont, Wash. on Jan. 25, which will be played in the Stableford format. During the 2012 championship season, The Home Course hosted several WSGA Championships and USGA Qualifiers, including the Washington State Senior and Super Senior Men’s Championship in September. It will also be the proud host of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship.
The second leg in the series will be a two-person Scramble held at the RMG Club at Oakbrook in Lakewood, Wash. on Feb. 22. Oakbrook, one of three courses owned by Ryan Moore Golf, was the site of the 2012 U.S. Amateur Qualifier in August.
The Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash. will host an individual stroke play tournament on March 15. Consistently rated among the top public courses in the state of Washington, Gold Mountain holds an impressive list of awards, including being named one of the “Top 100 Courses You Can Play” by Golf Magazine in 1998 and 2006.
Rounding out the 2013 Winter Series will be a two-person four-ball (best-ball) tournament at Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent, Wash. on April 4. Much of Meridian Valley’s fame is tied to the LPGA and the Safeco Classic, which was staged there from 1982 until 1999. The country club has welcomed several golf legends in its rich history, including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Annika Sorenstam.
Online entries are now available at www.thewsga.org. The tournament series is open to men and women amateurs who are in good standing of a WSGA member club and have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women. Formats include Stableford, Two-Person Scramble, Individual Stroke Play, and a Two-Person Four-Ball (Best-Ball). The four events will take place once a month from January through April.
The entry fee for each tournament will cover green fees, range balls, championship prizes, and a merchandise payout. The field will be broken into flights based on gender and handicap index, with gross and net prizes. An additional merchandise payout to Puetz Golf Superstores will be awarded to top finishers on the series-long points list.
Created in 2009, the WSGA Winter Series offers yet another membership benefit, providing WSGA members of all playing abilities with the opportunity to compete in the winter months, prior to the commencement of the WSGA championship season.
Since 1922, the WSGA has been conducting the state’s amateur golf championships. Today, it is one of the largest amateur golf associations in the United States. Serving over 80,000 members, 600 member golf clubs and 270 golf courses throughout the state of Washington and Northern Idaho, the WSGA works to continually expand the game of golf to people of all backgrounds.
The WSGA is a 501c4 non-profit, amateur golf association governed by men and women volunteers. The 25-person WSGA Board of Directors employs a full-time staff of 14 individuals. WSGA members pay an annual membership fee, through their golf club, to belong to the Association. The WSGA also serves as a statewide representative of the United States Golf Association (USGA) and works closely with a number of allied associations within the golf industry for the betterment of the game.

Stealth tickets go on sale
EVERETT – Just in time for the holidays, single-game tickets for the Washington Stealth National Lacrosse League season went on sale Monday, Dec. 3.
With individual ticket prices starting as low as $7 per game, Stealth tickets make a holiday stocking stuffer or gift for a family member, friend or co-worker.
“We can’t wait for fans to be a part of NLL lacrosse excitement this season at Comcast Arena,” said David Takata, president of the Washington Stealth. “Stealth lacrosse is one of the best weekend sports values in our community.“
Stealth fans can also buy ticket packages for all eight home games (six Saturday evening and two Sunday afternoon) of the 2013 NLL season. Eight-game packages that include two playoff rounds start as low as $99.99.
Fans can purchase single-game tickets or eight-game packages at www.StealthLAX.com, by visiting the Comcast Arena box office in Everett or by calling 877-MY-75-TIX.
The Stealth begin their fourth season of play in Washington state with its 2013 home-opener against the defending NLL champion Rochester Knighthawks, Saturday, Jan. 5 at Everett’s Comcast Arena. Ticket packages for all eight Stealth home games start at just $99 and are on sale now. To learn more call 877-MY-75-TIX or visit www.StealthLAX.com.
Sports star nominees announced

The Seattle Sports Commission (SSC) today announces the nominees for the 78th Annual MTR Western Sports Star of the Year, the Northwest’s premier celebration of Washington sports. Every January, this event honors the athletes, coaches, media figures, sports executives, and stories in or from Washington state for their achievements during the previous year.
Since its creation in 1936, there have been nearly 100 Sports Stars honored at this event. Once an individual has been named a Sports Star, they become part of an elite ensemble, grouped with some of the most notable sports icons in our region’s history.
Nominees are selected by the Sports Star Committee, which is compiled of local sports historians, media and others active in the sports industry. Fans can vote for their favorite nominee in the Professional, Male, Female and Sports Story of the Year categories online at www.sportsstaroftheyear.org. The public is encouraged to vote beginning Monday, December 3, 2012 at 2pm PST through Friday, January 18, 2013 at 5pm PST. Winners will be announced during the event on Friday, January 25, 2013 at Benaroya Hall.

Nominees for Professional Sports Star of the Year:
Alex Morgan (Sounders Women FC)
Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)
Eddie Johnson (Seattle Sounders FC)
Kasey Kahne (NASCAR)
Ryan Villopoto (Supercross)

Nominees for the Male Sports Star of the Year:
Nathan Adrian (USA Swimming)
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (University of Washington Football)
Chris Williams (University of Washington Golf)
Drew Snider (University of Maryland Lacrosse)
David DeCastro (Stanford University Football)

Nominees for the Female Sports Star of the Year:
Mary Whipple (USA Rowing)
Ariana Kukors (USA Swimming)
Katie Flood (University of Washington Cross Country and Track)
Marti Malloy (USA Judo)
Jennie Reed (USA Cycling)

Nominees for the Sports Story of the Year:
The Mariners’ Felix Hernandez throws perfect game.
The University of Washington Men’s Rowing completes unbeaten season and sweeps the IRA Championships.
Montesano High football goes from fire to state title.
Bellevue High Football wins 10th State Championship.
The Western Washington University Basketball team wins the Division II national championship.

Tickets to the show can be purchased at the Benaroya Hall Box Office, at www.benaroyahall.org, or by calling 206-215-4747. Premium tickets are $100, reserved are $80 and include access to the show and the VIP reception. Show-only tickets can be purchased for $35.
To learn more about the MTR Western Sports Star of the Year, visit www.sportsstaroftheyear.org.