Decatur High School graduate Ciaran O’Brien was back in town Tuesday night. O’Brien is in his second year with the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. The Rapids were in town to play Seattle Sounders FC in a qualifying game for the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. The Sounders won the game 1-0 over O’Brien and the Rapids.

During his rookie season with the Rapids last year, O’Brien, a midfielder, played mostly with the Colorado Reserve Team. He saw action in 10 matches and recorded one assist from the midfield. He also was loaned to the Seattle Sounders of the USL from July 28 to September 5.

O’Brien has yet to play in a regular season MLS match for the Rapids this season, but played nearly 70 minutes during Tuesday’s game against Seattle.

O’Brien had a solid opportunity to give Colorado a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute of the game Tuesday. The Rapids swung a crossing pass near the Seattle goal and O’Brien made an attempt at a diving header. But the shot of O’Brien’s head ended up wide of the goal. O’Brien was replaced in the 69th minute.

• Thomas Jefferson High School graduate Tony Barnette will be in Tacoma Tuesday through Friday with the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Aces will be playing the Tacoma Rainiers at Cheney Stadium. The two teams play at 7 p.m. all four nights.

Barnette is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Aces and was drafted by the Diamondbacks in 2006 out of Arizona State University in the 10th round.

Barnette is currently 3-4 on the season in 10 starts with a 6.12 earned-run average. He has struck out 34 in 50 innings.

Barnette was the Aces’ opening-day starter this season after a stellar 2008 season in the minor leagues. Barnette was 11-7 in 27 starts last season with the AA Mobile Bay Bears, racking up a 3.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 153 2/3 innings. He led the Southern League in strikeouts and was second in wins.

If Reno’s pitching rotation holds to form, Barnette should pitch against the Rainiers on Thursday night. In his last start on May 26 against Oklahoma City, Barnette picked up the win by allowing one earned run in five innings of work.

• Federal Way Track Club (FWTC) has begun its sign-up for the 2009 Summer Track and Field season. Events offered during the summer program include sprints, middle distance, distance, steeple chase, high jump, hurdles, long jump, shot put and discus.

The team will practice at Thomas Jefferson High School during its eight-week summer program for athletes between the ages of 8 and 18.

Athletes ages 8 to 12 practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through July 18. This age group participates in the Hershey Track series and the Park Olympics track series.

Athletes ages 13 to 18 practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. through July 19. This group participates in the Park Olympic track series and the USATF track series.

FWTC also offers a 10-week Fall Cross County program, which starts up in September for ages 14 and under and Nov. 9 for high school runners.

For more information, visit www.fwtrack.com or contact head coach

Darryl Genest at (253) 839-4964.

• In response to the recent economic downtown, the University of Washington Tyee Club announced a new program designed to provide assistance to long-time Husky football season ticket holders who are unable to maintain their accounts this season.

Initiated through a generous donation by Husky Fever, the “Dawgs Supporting Dawgs” program will provide two season football tickets to approximately 100 account-holders who were unable to renew due to financial reasons. The Tyee Club is accepting donations to expand the list of recipients through the end of the campaign, which is scheduled to conclude on July 24.

“These are such troublesome economic times and it has been really difficult to see our loyal supporters unable to maintain their season ticket accounts,” said Jo Anne Hume, executive director of Husky Fever. “Husky Fever has always been a major part of what makes Washington athletics so special and we believe this program helps us give back to those who have supported the Huskies over the years.”

UW football season ticket-holders who are selected as beneficiaries through the “Dawgs Supporting Dawgs” program will be provided two (2) season tickets for the upcoming 2009 season. The tickets will be located in general public ticket areas the account holders will be able to maintain their priority points for consecutive years of season ticket purchases.

For more information on the “Dawgs Supporting Dawgs” program, or to find out how to qualify for support, contact Ed Erickson in the UW’s Tyee Club office at (206) 543-0861 or visit www.thetyeeclub.com.

• The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is offering a special for little leaguers during the 2009 Class 3A and 4A State Baseball Championships at Seattle’s Safeco Field.

Each paying adult may bring up to five little leaguers (ages 12 and under) to the games for free. Each player must wear a piece of their team uniform (team shirt or hat), and must present a Little League Coupon at the Safeco ticket window. Coupons are available at wiaa.com. The offer is good for single-day tickets only. The state championships will be held May 29-30.

• The Sea-Tac Volkssports Club serves residents of Federal Way, Des Moines and the Kent-Auburn valley. The club was organized in 1982 by the Federal Way Noon Lions Club to provide non-competitive walking, biking and swimming events in the South King County area. The club will sponsor a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) walk beginning at 9 a.m. May 16 at the Jensen Gym at Fort Lewis. The club’s meets 7 to 8 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of the month at Diamond Jim’s Restaurant, 1616 S. 325th St., Federal Way. To learn more, call Fran Carson at (425) 774-0312 or Preston Johnson at (253) 839-1892.

• Several Federal Way school district baseball players will take part in the SPSL Senior All Star Feeder Games June 3 at Auburn Mountainview High School. The South Puget Sound League North Division will take on the SPSL South at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Auburn Mountainview. The games will be eight inning each and the cost is $3 at the gate. Rosters will be set following the season.

• The Thriftway Washington State Women’s Open will once again be played at the Twin Lakes Golf and Country Club in Federal Way. The tournament will take place June 1-3.

This is the ninth year for the Washington State Women’s Open. Along with the 36 hole professional tournament, the Kusak Cup, a Solheim Cup format featuring five United States professionals and five professionals of “the World” will again be played. This year, Metropolitan Markets will also be sponsoring a skins event.

This year’s purse will be a minimum of $20,000, with $4,000 going to the winner, as well as a Kusak Crystal trophy. Low amateur of the field will also receive a Kusak Crystal trophy and there will be a low senior of the field.($500).

Each year some of the best professional and amateur golfers from the Northwest, Canada, Australia, Thailand, England, South Africa and Japan compete in this tournament, as well as players from all over the United States. Last year, Nancy Harvey of Swift Current, Sask., captured the title. Harvey played on the LPGA tour from 1988 to 2008 and is well known locally for playing in the LPGA Safeco Classic. She will be returning this year to defend her title. She has been playing on the LPGA Legends Tour since retiring from the regular tour.

Big Break V Hawaii participant, Julie Wells of Oregon, will be returning this year as well as the current Big Break X participant Kim Kouwabunpat of Upland, Calif. Former LPGA touring pros Nancy Harvey, Jennifer Wyatt and Karen Davies will also be playing.

In the history of the tournament, more than $200,000 has been raised for local charities. This year, the Muscular Dystrophy Association will receive a charitable donation. For more information about the Thriftway Washington State Women’s Open, contact tournament director Erin Szekely at (425) 273-4948, or e-mail erin@golfingwitherin.com. You may register for the tournament on line at www.golfingwitherin.com, or at

www.progolfevents.com, or www.washingtonstatewomensopen.com.

• The Kiwanis Club of Greater Federal Way is sponsoring its annual golf tournament fundraiser, which will be held on July 10 at the Whispering Firs Golf Course on McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma.

The tournament will benefit several charities in the Federal Way area. The cost is $320 per foursome and includes green fees, carts, lunch and awards. For more information, contact Donavon Potter at (253) 946-1093.