by Allison Worrell
Outdoors editor

A $5 bill will buy “picturesque farmlands and majestic mountains” for participants in the 10th Annual Atwana River Run sponsored by the United Way. Competitors in the 10-kilometer run or three-mile walk can register up to the day of the race.
The event, which will start at 10 a.m. this Saturday at Irene Rhinehart Riverfront Park, begins on the Yakima River and winds through the Kittitas Valley, with extensive views of fields, farmhouses and Manastash Ridge.
“It is just a beautiful course,” Alan Walker, executive director of the United Way, said.
Also sponsored by the City of Ellensburg, fruitfromwashington.com, and Cascade Clear Spring Water, the entry fee for the race is $5. Any profits from the event will go towards the United Way. The entry cost has not changed since the race began ten years ago.
“If [college students] can come out and participate in a run for $5, that’s great,” Walker said. “We don’t try to make it a big fundraiser.”
The event is coordinated entirely by volunteers, from those promoting the race, to water station attendants, to traffic directors. Apples and water will be provided by fruitfromwashington.com and Cascade Clear.
About 40 entries have been received for the race so far. Walker expects 70 to 80 people to participate.
Most competitors are from the Yakima and Seattle areas. The event was also promoted on campus.
“Being my first 10K,” senior physical education major Nick Lombardo said, “I’m looking forward to taking my time and soaking in all the beautiful scenery.”

by Casey Steiner
Staff reporter

The sixth annual Cascade Cup served as the first ever game for both Central Washington University and WWU in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Recruiting and bragging rights were very much on the line. Unfortunately for the CWU faithful, the Wildcats ended up on the losing end of an crooked final score.
Goals set forth by head football coach John Zamberlin and his team took a colossal blow Saturday when the Wildcats lost 36-14 to the Western Washington University Vikings. WWU had a 22-7 lead by the end of the first half at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. The Vikings weren’t done yet, they outscored Central Washington University 14-7 in the second half leading to the lopsided final score.
Prior to the game Zamberlin spoke of his team’s goals.
“We want to win the conference, that’s number one, and then we’d like to be able to take this team and put ourselves into position to get into the playoffs,” Zamberlin said.
With a 2-4 overall record and a 0-1 record in conference, the Wildcats might be losing a grip on their right to play in the post-season. For the third straight year CWU lost its grip on the Cascade Cup trophy, which currently sits in WWU head coach Rob Smith’s office.
A combination of big plays by WWU quarterback Scott Mitchell and five CWU turnovers had a huge impact on the game.
Mitchell, a senior, completed 25 of 44 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Vikings to their fifth victory of the season. He also rushed the ball 13 times for 65 yards, giving him 378 yards of total offense for the day. Mitchell has now thrown for 1,729 yards and 16 touchdowns with only one interception this season.
The Wildcats saw Western run up a 22-point advantage in the first half before putting a touchdown on the board late in the second quarter. Facing fourth-and-22, punter Joe Smith executed a fake punt with perfection, gaining 29 yards on a scamper up the right sideline. CWU quarterback Dale Chase, starting for the oft-injured Zak Hill for the fourth time this season, then threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Derrick Williams.
CWU had its first taste of momentum going into intermission. The Vikings, however, quickly took back control of the game. The Wildcats fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half and WWU special teams player, Nate Glasgow, picked the ball up and ran 18 yards for the touchdown.
Down 29-7, the Wildcats would not give up. Zamberlin has made sure his players don’t know the meaning of the word “quit.”
“As a team we’re going to play hard, tough, physical football for 60 minutes,” Zamberlin said.
CWU drove 62 yards only minutes later and scored on a 31-yard pass from Chase to freshman Brian Potucek. Momentum swung in the direction of the Wildcats once again.
Later in the quarter Chase commanded a 68-yard drive that ended on the WWU 12 yard line. Junior Steve Hickey saw his 29-yard field goal attempt blocked by the Viking’s Erik Totten. The Wildcats would not threaten to score again in the game.
Senior running back Nat Conley ran for 109 yards on 14 carries giving him 1,532 yards in his CWU career. Conley now ranks eighth on the CWU all-time rushing list.
Potucek led all receivers with eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown. The 165 yards ranks 16th best by a receiver in school history.
Sophomore Jake Roberts finished the game with four catches for 63 yards.
Chase completed only 16 of 52 passes for 281 yards. His three interceptions plagued the Wildcats throughout the game.
Senior cornerback Jason Patterson intercepted his fifth pass of the season, giving him 16 in his career. Patterson needs just three more interceptions to tie the school record of 19 set by Pat Maki.
Zamberlin hopes his players have learned from the past two losses.
“I think football teaches a lot of great things about teamwork, persistence and perseverance. The players have to learn to deal with good times as well as dealing with adversity,” Zamberlin said. “We want to be a disciplined team that represents the university well on and off the field.”
Representation is very important to the Wildcat head coach.
“You have to know who you represent. You represent this football team, this program, and you represent this university,” Zamberlin said, speaking of his players.
Central will next play Western Oregon at 1 p.m. Oct. 20 in Monmouth, Oregon at MacArthur Field.

Joe Whiteside/Observer

Senior defensive lineman Lance Gibson moves in for the sack on Western quarterback Scott Mitchell during one of the few moments Mitchell felt pressure.