Organizers of the fifth annual U.S. Women’s Triathlon are expecting over 1,000 athletes to pack Steel Lake Park next month. The Federal Way event, scheduled for Sept. 7, is the second of the four-race U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series, which also includes stops in Illinois, Texas, and San Diego.

Last year, the Federal Way triathlon drew close to 1,000 participants for the race, which offers athletes a choice of two different distances — a Sprint competition (.75-kilometer swim, 19.5K bike, and 6.5K run, completed as an individual or relay team), and the SuperSprint competition (.375K swim, 13K bike, and 3.4K run).

Festivities in Federal Way kick off on Sept. 6 at 10 a.m. with the Multisport Experience at Steel Lake Park, where competitors have the chance to register for the race, enter sweepstakes and find deals on athletic clothing, equipment and apparel. Beginning athletes will appreciate the clinics and talks that are designed to help better understand triathlon basics and discuss course details.

Race day commences at 7 a.m. on Sept. 7 with waves of athletes starting the swim three to five minutes apart from one another. The bike course then takes competitors through the rolling hills surrounding the park, Military Road and the Weyerhaeuser Corporate Campus before heading back to Steel Lake.

A portion of the proceeds from the U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series will benefit The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, Inc. (OCRF), which is devoted to the formulation of early diagnostic treatment programs and research toward the ultimate conquest of ovarian cancer. Last year’s Federal Way race raised $32,000 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

For more information on the U.S. Women’s Triathlon Series, including how and where to register or to volunteer at the event, visit www.uswts.com. Participants can run as individuals or in relay fashion. Entry fees range from $70 to $130.

• The Federal Way United Storm ‘97 Silver boys soccer team beat the Westsound FC ‘97 White team in the championship game of the boys under-11 Bracket G competition at the annual Federal Way BlastOff Tournament recently.

The Storm beat Westsound FC in the title game by a score of 3-2. The two teams faced off the day before in the round robin portion of the tournament, with Westsound winning the game 4-1.

The boys on the team are Lukas Gregg, Brawn Guevara, Nick Nilsen, Evan Brewer, Jacob Allen, Ibrahim Yusuf, Zakery Gregg, Marcus Martin, Austin Stafford, Aaron Wade, and guest players Carson Dent, Kobe Okenzie and Lincoln Marino. The team is coached by John Yorke and Glenn Walrond.

The FWU Storm 97 Platinum team also made it to the championship game of the boys under-11 Bracket F competition, but were defeated by the CFSC Red Strikers. The boys on the team are Garrett Morris, Sean Walrond, Joshua Tucker, Grant Hall, Riley Arnold, Ryan Yorke, Tyler Fox, Colby Carnell, Michael Dilworth, Michael Walrond, and Michael Winne. The team is coached by John Yorke and Glenn Walrond.

• Federal Way High School graduate David Jurca, 23, finished sixth at the fourth round of the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup at Lime Rock Park Raceway in Lakeville, Conn. last weekend.

Starting in the eighth position, Jurca stayed out of trouble and gained a few spots to finish sixth in the 30-minute race. With previous finishes of first, third, and fourth, Jurca continued his consistent finishing record and now holds the championship lead by seven points.

The next race in the series will take place on Sept. 20 at Iowa Speedway. The Jetta TDI Cup series, the first all clean-diesel race series.

The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series is an innovative approach to motorsports — 30 factory-prepared and managed 2009 Jetta TDI clean-diesels will be piloted by talented, up-and-coming drivers, ages 16 to 26. The Jetta TDI is lightly modified from spec, featuring race-ready suspension and brakes, and a six-speed double-clutch DSG transmission.

In the end, the winner of the race series will be awarded $100,000 from Volkswagen to aid them in their next steps as a professional racer.

• The King County Aquatic Center is hosting a water safety instructor course that runs from Sept. 6-27. The classes run Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. On Saturdays, the classes are from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. on Monday and Wednesdays.

Students must be 16 years of age by Sept. 27, pass a pre-course skills test and possess either a FIT certification or an American Red Cross Instructor Authorization. For more details, call (206) 296-4444 or (253) 927-5173.

• It’s that time of year when celebrities converge on Cheney Stadium, all in the name of raising funds for a great cause.

On Sept. 21, Tacoma Rainiers co-Owner, Nick Lachey, will once again headline the Multicare Celebrity Softball Game presented by Windermere Professional Partners, which will help raise money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Tacoma General Hospital. Last year, a weekend of events helped raise more than $750,000 for the NICU and MultiCare Health Foundation.

“I’m excited to get back up to Cheney Stadium and once again, take part in the Celebrity Softball Game,” said Lachey. “This is always a great event and besides having loads of fun, we’re hoping to raise a lot of money for a great cause.”

Fans will have a chance to catch Lachey, fellow celebrities, and local media representatives that Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. when the softball game kicks-off. Among the celebrities currently signed up for the game are Vanessa Minnillo, Cris Judd, Jeff Nelson, and Aimee Wright.

Tickets to the softball game are already available online (TacomaRainiers.com and TacomaCelebrityWeekend.org) as well as at the Cheney Stadium Box Office until Sept. 1.

Box Seats (which include a barbeque, parking, special gift and designated seat in field/row box) are available for $40. General admission tickets can be purchased for $15.

• The Federal Way School District sign program is entering its second year. Advertising banners may be placed at Federal Way Memorial Field or in secondary schools. Each banner costs $500. For more information, contact Greg Flynn at gflynn@fwps or call (253) 945-5575.

• The Federal Way under-11 Storm program is in need of a few boys soccer players. The Storm is currently seeking players to fill out rosters on the following teams: Storm 97 White, Storm 97 Black, Storm 98 Platinum, and Storm 98 Silver. If your son is interested in playing in the 97 program, he must not be older than 11 years of age. For further information, contact Eric Poorvielt at (206) 353-3517. If your son is 10 years old and interested in playing at a competitive level of soccer, contact John Yorke at jyorke3@aol.com.

• The Western Washington Football Officials Association is looking for candidates to begin officiating in the 2008 season. No experience is necessary and officials are paid. Training meetings will begin on July 29. For more information, call Jan Wolcott at (253) 826-2460 or e-mail jswol@comcast.net.

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