AREA SPORTS BRIEFS: NW Cup downhill races return Sunday; PC hosting spring soccer tournament

NW Cup downhill bike races make return Sunday

PORT ANGELES — The Northwest Cup downhill bike races are returning to the Dry Hill track west of Port Angeles this weekend.

The races are the first of the season and part of an eight-round Northwest Series of National Pro GRT Gravity Tour races throughout the West. They attract hundreds of mountain bikers from all over the U.S. and Canada. A second race will be held in Port Angeles in May, then further races will be held at Stevens Pass; Mount Hood, Ore.; Kellogg, Idaho; McCall, Idaho; and Whitefish, Mont.

The Port Angeles site is unique because it’s the only one that doesn’t take place at a ski resort and the only one near a mid-sized city.

Practice runs will begin on Friday, with more practice runs and qualifying runs taking place on Saturday. Actual races will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

7 Cedars Casino will provide food for the event. One of the biggest changes to this year’s event is a shuttle will transport people from the Lower Elwha Food and Fuel at the corner of Dry Creek Road and U.S. Highway 101 to alleviate parking hassles at the site. The shuttle will take people up Walkabout Way to the race track.

The second Port Angeles series of races will be held May 3-5 at the same site. The series will then move on to Mount Hood.

For more information, visit www.nwcup.com.

Soccer exhibition at Peninsula College

PORT ANGELES – The Seattle Stars, Western Oregon University and The Evergreen State College will join the Peninsula Pirates for a full day of spring exhibition soccer at the annual Rumble in the Rainforest at Peninsula College on Saturday, April 28.

The Rumble will provide a good test for Peninsula’s returning freshmen, as well as all of the sophomores who will be playing at the next level in 2018-19.

The Seattle Stars Football Club is an adult amateur elite club based out of King County. Founded in 2011, the Stars play in the Evergreen Premier Soccer League.

Western Oregon, a Division II university in Monmouth, Ore., is bringing its women’s team to the Rumble this year.

The Evergreen State College men fill out the Rumble’s guest roster. The Geoducks, an NAIA program, went 7-5-5 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, completing their fourth straight season with a winning record.

The host Pirates men’s and women’s teams, meanwhile, are coming off another pair of outstanding showings in the Northwest Athletic Conference.

Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for seniors, veterans, alumni and youth 13-17; $2 for children 12- and under; and free to Port Angeles Youth Soccer Academy participants, as well as current Peninsula College students and employees.

The schedule is:

10:15 a.m.: Seattle Stars vs. Peninsula College (Women)

11:30 a.m.: Seattle Stars vs. Peninsula College (Men)

12:45 p.m.: Western Oregon vs. Seattle Stars (Women)

2:00 p.m.: The Evergreen State College vs. Seattle Stars (Men)

3:15 p.m.: Peninsula College vs. Western Oregon (Women)

4:30 p.m.: Peninsula College vs. Evergreen State College (Men)

The event is sponsored by High Energy Metals and Drake’s Ubake Pizza and Subs.

PAHS hoops benefit

PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles High School boys basketball program will host the Rumble on the Ridge men’s basketball tournament this weekend.

Games will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday (championship game set for a 3 p.m. Sunday tipoff).

Port Angeles boys basketball head coach Kasey Ulin said nine teams from around the state will participate.

All proceeds from the event go directly to the Roughriders boys basketball program and will help cover the team’s summer basketball expenses.

The event is sponsored by 7 Cedars Casino, Wilder Auto and Irwin Dental.

Peninsula Daily News

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