Prep Sports Blog

Preseason football poll details

Adam McFadden — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:50:42 +0000

The Reporter Newspapers preseason football poll came out today and you can see the picks here.
Below are my personal picks. Take these with a grain of salt as I’ve only seen four teams at practice (Renton, Hazen, Lindbergh and Liberty) and no games have been played yet. I’m sure things will change dramatically once the games get underway.
FYI, I’ll be covering Liberty vs. Skyline Friday night and Bellevue vs. Union Saturday night.

4A
1. Skyline
2. Auburn
3. Bothell
4. Union
5. Gonzaga Prep
6. Curtis
7. Skyview
8. Issaquah
9. Rogers
10. Ferris

3A
1. Bellevue
2. Liberty
3. Camas
4. Capital
5. Lakes
6. Juanita
7. Meadowdale
8. Mount Spokane
9. O’Dea
10. Timberline

2A
1. Archbishop Murphy
2. Lynden
3. Prosser
4. Lindbergh
5. Clarkston
6. Burlington-Edison
7. Spokane West Valley
8. Tumwater
9. Mark Morris
10. Ellensburg

Opening football weekend schedule

Adam McFadden — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:46:19 +0000

Liberty vs. Skyline
Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Lindbergh vs. Rainier Beach
Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Renton at Cedarcrest
Friday at 7:00 p.m.

Hazen at Evergreen
Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Lindbergh teams land familiar spot, but in new poll

Adam McFadden — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:33:39 +0000

After both the Lindbergh boys and girls team placed sixth at the 3A state meet last season, the Eagles moved down to the 2A this year. And they’re getting the same respect.
The Lindbergh boys showed up third in the 2A preseason coaches poll, behind Sehome and Mark Morris.
The girls are also third, behind just Sehome and Kingston.
No other local teams showed up on the 3A or 2A polls.

Lindbergh gets new volleyball coach

Adam McFadden — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:28:26 +0000

Tom Muckerheide is the new volleyball coach at Lindbergh.
Muckerheide moves to Lindbergh after 25 years at Kennedy Catholic. He led the Lancers to the state tournament 16 times and earned 12 trophies (taking second four times). Kennedy won 19 Seamount titles, including the past eight.
Muckerheide replaces Bob Stewart, who had been at Lindbergh since 2002.

A Liberty opponent bulks up

Adam McFadden — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:14:26 +0000

Juanita, who finished 7-3 last season and lost to Liberty 28-21, is getting a boost from five transfers from Marysville-Pilchuck this season.
Mike Cane of the Everett Herald does a great job breaking down who the players are and what the moves mean for both teams.
This makes things just a little tougher for Liberty in the KingCo. Juanita and Bellevue, along with the Patriots, are expected to challenge for the league’s top spot this season.

Ron Siegel’s preseason all-state senior team

Adam McFadden — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:49:28 +0000

2010 PRE-SEASON SENIOR ALL-STATE TEAM

Offense

QB TREY WHEELER ISSAQUAH LIBERTY 6-2 200
RB BISHOP SANKEY SPOKANE GONZAGA PREP 5-11 190
RB ALPHONSE WADE AUBURN 5-11 185
WR KASEN WILLIAMS SAMMAMISH SKYLINE 6-3 195
WR TIM WHITE KENNEWICK KAMIAKIN 6-0 190
TE AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS GIG HARBOR 6-7 250
OL MARCUS HENRY BELLEVUE 6-4 260
OL DEXTER CHARLES STANWOOD 6-5 275
OL ODIN COE CAMAS 6-3 260
OL DILLON BESCHEL SPOKANE FERRIS 6-4 240
OL CORNELIUS EDISON UNIVERSITY PLACE CURTIS 6-3 265
PK DANIEL SULLIVAN MILL CREEK JACKSON 5-10 175
MP TANA PRITCHARD LAKEWOOD CLOVER PARK 6-4 205
MP AUSTIN EMBODY AUBURN 6-0 195
MP ELLIS HENDERSON VANCOUVER SKYVIEW 6-0 180

Defense

DL TANIELA TUPOU EVERETT A. BISHOP MURPHY 6-2 270
DL CHARLIE HOPKINS SPOKANE GONZAGA PREP 6-6 240
DL DANNY SHELTON AUBURN 6-3 285
DL CONNER CREE SAMMAMISH SKYLINE 6-5 230
LB JAKE BAINTON ISSAQUAH LIBERTY 6-3 215
LB DEVANTE CURRY SEATTLE O’DEA 6-2 220
LB NICK HOLT, JR SEATTLE PREP 6-1 215
DB KENDRICK VAN ACKEREN BELLEVUE 6-0 190
DB RAHMEL DOCKERY UNIVERSITY PLACE CURTIS 5-10 170
DB DIONDRE TOMS RENTON LINDBERGH 6-1 175
DB MICHAEL FORD SAMMAMISH SKYLINE 5-10 180
P NICK PHILLIPS VANCOUVER SKYLINE 5-11 190
MP DALTON BLACKMORE COVINGTON KENTWOOD 6-3 230
MP BRETT McDONALD SILVERDALE C. KITSAP 6-0 190
MP CHANDLER JENKINS ISSAQUAH LIBERTY 5-10 185

Team totals:

Skyline: 3
Liberty: 3
Auburn: 3
Gonzaga Prep: 2
Bellevue: 2
Lindbergh: 1
Kamiakin: 1
Gig Harbor: 1
Skyline (Vancouver): 1
Stanwood: 1
Camas: 1
Ferris: 1
Curtis: 2
Jackson: 1
Clover Park: 1
Skyview: 1
Bishop Murphy: 1
O’Dea: 1
Seattle Prep: 1
Kentwood: 1
Central Kitsap: 1

Liberty’s Bainton and Lindbergh’s Toms make Washington All-American list

Adam McFadden — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:41:11 +0000

Liberty’s Jake Bainton (athlete) and Lindbergh’s Diondre Toms (defensive back) each made SuperPrep’s preseason Washington All-American list.
The rest of the team:
Kasen Williams (WR, Skyline)
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (TE, Gig Harbor)
Charlie Hopkins (DE/TE, Gonzaga Prep)
Danny Shelton (DL, Auburn)
Bishop Sankey (RB, Gonzaga Prep)
Taniela Tupou (DL, Archbishop Murphy)
Rahmel Dockery (WR/DB, Curtis)
Conner Cree (DL, Skyline)
Max Hersey (TE, Curtis)
Jamaal Jones (WR, Graham-Kapowsin)
Ellis Henderson (DB/WR, Skyview)
Jarett Finau (DL, Juanita)
Dexter Charles (OL, Stanwood)
Kendrick Van Ackeren (DB, Bellevue)
Justin Lane (QB, Lakewood)
Tana Pritchard (ATH, Clover Park)
Cameron McKernan (RB/WR, Kentridge)
Julius Tevaga (DL, Archbishop Murphy)
Cory Ladd (OL, Gig Harbor)
Nik Landdeck (LB, Issaquah)

Lindbergh’s Diondre Toms ranked as top DB prospect in Washington

Adam McFadden — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:35:33 +0000

Lindbergh senior Diondre Toms was recently ranked as the top defensive back in Washington on ESPN’s college football recruiting website.
Here are the scouting comments on the 6-foot, 165-pound cornerback:
“Toms is an athletic, rangy defensive back prospect. Best college position may be free safety down the line. Has good height and body length. Is very lean and needs to fill out, but his long arms and stride allow him to cover a lot of ground. Better in coverage at the next level.”

Hazen’s Britney Boler receives award

Adam McFadden — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:31:51 +0000

Hazen graduate Britney Boler, who is now playing soccer at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, received a $5,000 scholarship from Washington Youth Soccer.
Washington Youth Soccer annually selects one boy and one girl from each of its seven districts to a receive a $1,000 scholarship. After the winners are picked, an overall winner is selected to get the $5,000 scholarship.

Returning state swimmers

Adam McFadden — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:31:08 +0000

Liberty
Nicole Lecoq (senior): 200 medley relay, 200 free (5th), 100 back (5th), 400 free relay
Elise Tinseth (junior): 200 medley relay, 200 IM (9th), 100 back (6th), 400 free relay

Hazen
Lauren Kaufman (senior): 100 free (state champion), 50 free (2nd), 400 free relay
Kaela Nurmi (senior): 100 free, 100 back, 400 free relay
Amy LeBar (sophomore): 400 free relay

Lindbergh
Savannah Lemke (senior): 200 IM, 100 fly

Renton
Tala Hild (sophomore): 100 fly
Eloisa Bautista (sophomore): 100 breast

Returning state/district XC athletes

Adam McFadden — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:18:18 +0000

Renton

Boys
Saugat Chhetri (senior) 81st at state
Aslan DaVault (junior) 63rd at districts
Adriel Paine (junior) 77th

Girls
Amy Tat (senior), 76th at districts
Tricia Bui (senior), 90th
Dalena Pham (senior), 97th
Cynthia Fang (sophomore), 115th
Mariam Kalokoh (senior), 116th

Lindbergh

Boys -6th at state
Luke Garcia (junior), 43rd at state
Mark Garcia (junior), 64th
Nathan Haley (junior), 87th
Nate Tandecki (senior), 101st

Girls -6th at state
Sarah Reiter (junior), 14th at state
Jasmine Fallgreen (junior), 37th
Anna Patti (junior), 39th
Ariel Hodges (sophomore), 95th
Elizabeth Hansen (sophomore), 121st
Brenna Fisher (junior), 133rd

Hazen

Boys -12th at state
Daniel Karpman (sophomore), 44th at state
Conner Hall (junior), 62nd

Girls
Michelle Wnek (senior), 50th at districts
Lindsey Strandberg (senior), 54th
Emily Haver (sophomore), 98th
Keturah Slaugh (junior), 108th
Jackie Manson (junior), 110th

Liberty

Boys
Tyler Westenbroek (junior), 76th at state
Alex Velasquez (senior), 35th at districts
Scott Turner (senior), 36th
Jared Bales (sophomore), 43rd

Girls
Megan Chucka (sophomore), 68th at state
Kaily Davies (junior), 32nd at districts
Allie Wood (sophomore), 34th
Michaela Chucka (sophomore), 36th
Rachel Shaw (sophomore), 45th
Aimee Christensen (junior), 69th
Melissa Blue (sophomore), 74th

Hazen hires new swim and volleyball coaches

Adam McFadden — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:56:55 +0000

Hazen has hired new swimming and volleyball coaches.
The Highlanders’ new swim coach is Ken Alfonso and the new volleyball coach is Cari O’loughlin-Britt.
Alfonso swam at Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, Calif. He previous coached girls water polo and swim at Lincoln High School in Stockton, Calif.
O’loughlin-Britt coached volleyball for 13 years at Kennedy Catholic High School. She also coached at Arlington High School.
In May, the Renton School District decided to combine the Renton and Lindbergh programs into a cooperative swim program. After that, the District ended the swim coaching positions at Renton, Lindbergh and Hazen.
In June, the District reconsidered the cooperative swim program and decided to scrap all of the changes.

Tim Lincecum makes the N.L. All-Star team for third straight year

Adam McFadden — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:18:30 +0000

Liberty High graduate and San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum made his third straight All-Star team earlier this week.
Lincecum, who has won the past two N.L. Cy Young awards, currently sports a 3.28 Earned Run Average (ERA). That’s the highest he’s had since his rookie year in 2007, when he posted a 4.00 mark.

SD Dirk
Lincecum’s 9.93 Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (K/9) and 3.78 Walks Per Nine Innings (BB/9) rates also represent the worst since 2007.
The decrease in K/9 is likely a fluke as Lincecum’s Contact% (percentage of time batters make contact) is lower than last year. In fact, the 73.2 percent rate is the best he’s ever had.
Lincecum’s SwStr% (swinging strike percentage) is 11.7, up from his 11.1 career rate – another good sign the strikeouts could be on the way back up.
The fact that 2010 has been disappointing shows just how lofty Lincecum has set the standards with early in his career.

Five local prospects make WashingtonPreps.com list

Adam McFadden — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:43:20 +0000

WashingtonPreps.com recently listed many of Washington’s top football prospects in the Class of 2011.
Lindbergh’s Diondre Toms led the way coming in at No. 21.
After Toms, it’s Liberty quartet of Chandler Jenkins (22), Jake Bainton (23), Trey Wheeler (28) and Drez Henfield (47).

Hazen beats Tahoma, on to playoffs in Auburn League

Adam McFadden — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:33:27 +0000

The Hazen boys basketball team beat Tahoma 68-41 Thursday. The Highlanders will play Todd Beamer in the first round of the playoffs July 5 at 5:30 at Auburn.

If the team wins they play the winner of Sumner vs. Kentlake July 7 at 3:30.

Renton’s Justin Bennett makes all-tournament team

Adam McFadden — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 20:31:25 +0000

Renton’s Justin Bennett made the all-tournament team at the Garfield Bulldog Bash last weekend. The Indians placed seventh overall as a team.

Recent football signings

Adam McFadden — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:47:05 +0000

Hazen’s James Holland will attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. I haven’t confirmed with James yet, but he will likely be competing in both football and track and field.

Holland made the first team all-Seamount offensive team. He placed third at the 3A state meet in the 110-meter hurdles.

Liberty’s Marcell Bell and Nolan Leifer will play football at the University of Montana Western.

Bell made the all-league second defensive team last fall. Leifer earned a KingCo 3A/2A honorable mention.

Who’s still in it? Postseason info for remaining Renton athletes

Adam McFadden — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:54:18 +0000

Remaining postseason information:

Liberty tennis players Thomas Lowes and Amber Eastham play in the SeaKing District 2 tournament starting Tuesday. Lowes and Eastham are the first two Patriot tennis players to every qualify for districts.
The Liberty softball team takes on Bishop Blanchet Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lower Woodlands Park in Seattle. In the first round of the SeaKing District 2 tournament.
A number of Liberty track and field athletes will be competing at the SeaKing District 2 meet May 19 and 21 at Southwest Athletic Complex in Seattle.
Meanwhile the Renton, Hazen and Lindbergh track and field athletes will compete in the West Central District III meet May 21-22 at Mount Tahoma Stadium.

Note:I still haven’t found the Seamount League tennis results yet, so I’m not sure who is moving on to districts. The tournament is May 18, 20 and 23 at Spriker Recreation Center in Tacoma.

Lindbergh’s Tommy Kawamura verbals to Wilamette

Adam McFadden — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:12:57 +0000

Lindbergh shortstop Tommy Kawamura has verbally committed to play baseball at Wilamette University this season.
Kawamura was the second team all-league shortstop for the Seamount this year. He batted .529 and scored 19 runs. He knocked in 18 RBI’s and stole 12 bases.

Softball playoffs

Adam McFadden — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:04:13 +0000

Hazen, Lindbergh and Liberty have made the playoffs. Hazen and Lindbergh will play in the Seamount/SPSL 3A sub-district tournament, while Liberty will compete in the KingCo 3A tournament.

Hazen and Lindbergh are tied with Highline for third in the Seamount (tiebreaker should be resolved Wednesday night). The sub-district tournament is Friday and Saturday at Boise Creek Athletic Complex in Enumclaw.

Hazen plays Enumclaw and Lindbergh plays Lakes, both games at 3 p.m. The tournament is double elimination.

Liberty plays Mount Si Thursday at 4:30 at Mount Si High School. The Patriots went 1-1 against Mount Si this season. Liberty has to win one of its first two games to lock up a trip to districts.

Baseball playoffs

Adam McFadden — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:55:03 +0000

Liberty and Hazen are still playing in their respective playoffs. Hazen is in the West Central District III tournament, while Liberty is in the KingCo 3A tournament.

Liberty plays Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Sammamish at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. The Patriots went 3-0 against Sammamish this season, winning by a combined score of 19-1.

The loser is out, while the winner will play Mercer Island Thursday at 4 p.m., also at Bannerwood. Liberty went 1-2 against the Islanders this year. Mercer Island beat Liberty 7-6 May 6 and 10-1 May 7 in the final two games of the regular season.

Hazen plays Timberline Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Yelm High School. The game is loser-out. The winner plays Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Heritage Field. The Highlanders will have to win at least four games to earn a state berth out of the district tournament.

John Houston likely not returning to Renton School District

Adam McFadden — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:52:07 +0000

John Houston, a prevention interventional specialist, at Renton, Lindbergh and Black River, will likely not return next year because of budget cuts.
Houston works with Puget Sound Educational Service District. He attended Hazen and played for the Highlanders’ state runner-up team in 1972. He struggled with addiction for much of his life before recovering and returning to Renton to give back.
“I know for a fact that I have made a difference in some young lives,” Houston said in an e-mail. “In this one year I have never felt so at home.”
The Renton Reporter profiled him earlier this year.
“I hope that I can find work where I won’t have to leave Renton,” he said. “I still believe there is work to be done and our kids deserve a chance. Many of these kids were born with two strikes against them.”

Big changes in line for Renton’s swim teams

Adam McFadden — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:41:28 +0000

I’m still working on this story, but here are some details on changes to the Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton teams:

Head coaches and dive coaches for all three high schools will not have their contracts renewed (coaching contracts are year-to-year).
The Renton and Lindbergh teams will be “consolidated.”
Renton and Lindbergh will both practice at the Lindbergh pool next year (unless the pool is closed by then).
The teams will practice at different times and compete in meets as different teams, but they will both be coached by the same head coach and dive coach – meaning at least one pair of the current swim/dive coaches will not be rehired.

There are obviously still a ton of moving parts to this story – especially if the Lindbergh pool isn’t saved.
One of the first questions that popped into my head is why the Hazen coaches weren’t renewed if the consolidation is just for Renton and Lindbergh.
Renton School District spokesman Randy Matheson’s response: “It’s more fair to just have all the coaches for both swim and dive apply for these two positions. That gives the best applicant a chance to come back in and get a program fresh.”
I haven’t talked to Diane Pavelin (Renton) or Diane Dobson (Hazen) by phone yet, but Roger Miron (Lindbergh) said he wasn’t sure about whether he’s reapply or not, since there are so many things up in the air.
The coaches found out about this news on Saturday via letter from the district.
I’ll keep updating the blog as the story progresses.

Seamount/SPSL 3A sub-district tournament schedule (baseball)

Adam McFadden — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:15:20 +0000

Friday, May 7

Games at Russell Road Park in Kent
Game 1: Sumner vs. Kennedy Catholic 4:00 p.m.
Winner to West Central District tournament as Seamount/SPSL No. 7
Loser to WCD as S/S 8

Game 2: Auburn Mountainview vs. Hazen 7:00 p.m.
Winner to WCD as S/S 5
Loser to WCD as S/S 6

Saturday, May 8

Games at Auburn Mountainview High School
Game 3: Lindbergh vs. Franklin Pierce 1:00 p.m.
Winner to WCD S/S 9
Loser out

Game 4: Highline vs. White River 4:00 p.m.
Winner to WCD as S/S 3
Loser to WCD as S/S 4

Game 5: Mount Rainier vs. Enumclaw 7:00 p.m.
Winner to WCD as S/S 1
Loser to WCD as S/S 2

Hazen is guaranteed a trip to districts, while Lindbergh must win a game to make the tournament.

Renton hires Donald Ponds as football coach

Adam McFadden — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:35:27 +0000

Renton High School hired Donald Ponds as the head football coach for the school.

Ponds is currently the head track and field coach at Hazen, he was also formerly an assistant with the Hazen football team. He played football for Northeastern Oklahoma State.

Ponds replaces Terry Metcalf who resigned after the 2009 season.

Catching up with Patrick Claussen and Ryan Peterson at WSU

Adam McFadden — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:03:16 +0000

Liberty comes in at No. 9 in Washington Baseball poll

Adam McFadden — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 18:49:16 +0000

The first Washington Baseball Poll of the season is available.
Liberty (7-3) is the only local team to make the Top 10, and the Patriots come in at No. 9.
Mount Rainier (8-1) sits atop the 3A rankings. The Rams beat Hazen 9-7, Lindbergh 8-3 and Renton 15-1 earlier this season.

Lindbergh’s Trevor Thompson signs on with Washington State University

Adam McFadden — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:35:36 +0000

Lindbergh distance runner Trevor Thompson has signed with the Washington State Cougars track and field team.
Thompson has been a standout at Lindbergh in cross country and track since his freshman year.
He has competed in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at the 3A state track and field meet each of the past two years. Thompson has finished 13th or better in every state event.
He has been to the 3A state cross-country meet four times. He finished 23rd as a freshman, 9th as a sophomore, 14th as a junior and 12th as a senior. He won the Seamount League meet last fall by nearly a minute.

Local club baseball tryouts

Adam McFadden — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 18:59:32 +0000

Brewers 18U Baseball Tryouts – Sun April 11^th, 1PM, RIPS facility (12825 Des Moines Memorial Drive S., Burien, WA). Looking for 3 to 4 players to complete 2010 roster. RSVP with Coach Sugarbaker 253-906-3728 or jasugars7@yahoo.com

Tim Lincecum wins Opening Day start

Adam McFadden — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:34:18 +0000

Liberty graduate Tim Lincecum won his Opening Day start for the San Francisco Giants against the Houston Astros Monday.
Lincecum threw 98 pitches (66 for strikes) through seven innings. He allowed four hits, no walks and struck out seven.
The Giants scored three runs in the top of the second inning to take the lead and Lincecum’s pitching was more than enough to hold Houston.

Full results for Kaufman and Sholdra

Adam McFadden — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:02:37 +0000

Here are full results for Hazen’s Lauren Kaufman and Renton’s Steve Sholdra at the Senior Sectionals March 10-14.
Here are Sholdra’s results from Junior Nationals.

Kaufman won a 3A state title in the 100 free last fall and finished second in the 50 free. Sholdra finished second in the 500 free at state this spring.

Arnie Young Invitational coming up

Adam McFadden — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:44:40 +0000

The 14th annual Arnie Young Invitational is April 3 at Renton Memorial Stadium.
Lindbergh, Hazen and Renton jointly host the track and field event, which has 18 teams from 2A, 3A and 4A competing.
Field events start at 10:30 a.m. and running events start at 12 p.m. Proceeds from the meet support the Renton School District track programs.
Arnie Young was a coach in the district from 1958 to 2002. He was inducted into the Washington State Track Coaches Hall of Fame two years ago.

Hazen soccer pride goes international

Adam McFadden — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:59:10 +0000

That’s Hazen freshman soccer player Lauren Goss standing in front of the Olympic rings in Vancouver, spreading Hazen pride internationally.
According to Hazen girls soccer coach Ken Matthews, the team ordered 200 of the scarves in November and only 16 are left for sale.

Contact Matthews at highlandersoccer@comcast.net for more information.

Returning state track competitors

Adam McFadden — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:39:02 +0000

Returning state competitors -

Renton:
Robert Reeves III (4X100)
Marcus Clinton (4X100)
P.J. Benedictus (4X400, long jump)
Taylor Williams (4X200)
Aleigha Vasser (4X200)
Kristin Haag (long jump)

Lindbergh:
Adam Freed (100)
Trevor Thompson (1600, 3200)

Hazen:
Duncan Mackay (100, 200)
James Holland (110 hurdles)
Starr Williams (100, 200, 4X100)
Erin Anderson (4X100)
Madison Dinger (4X100)

Liberty:
Eric Bice (1600, 4X400)
Devin Bennett (4X400)
Troy Solly (4X400)
Peter Stacy (discus, javelin)
Joshua Gordon (high jump)
Chandler Jenkins (high jump, long jump, triple jump)
Madison Birdsall (400, 4X200, 4X400)
Haile Erickson (4X200, 4X400)

Indians face Rams for third time tonight in bi-districts

Adam McFadden — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:21:32 +0000

The Renton boys basketball team plays Mount Rainier at 8 p.m. tonight at Auburn High School.
Both teams are already in the state tournament, the game is for seeding.
The Rams won both of the regular season contests between the two. On Dec. 18, 54-48 and on Jan. 29 it was 63-51.

Seamount shows strength in bi-districts

Adam McFadden — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:02:51 +0000

It may have been easy to look at the top of the Seamount boys basketball standings this season and say the league was down considering how even the records were.
But in bi-districts, the league is showing it was simply balanced and strong.
Renton, Mount Rainier and Foster have sewn up three of the state tourney’s 16 spots.
Evergreen and Kennedy Catholic also came close, falling in winner-to-state, loser-out games.
The Indians, Rams and Bulldogs may not end up dominating the tournament, but no one can say the league is weak.

Tim Lincecum pitches in Cactus opener

Adam McFadden — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:53:56 +0000

Tim Lincecum, a Liberty High graduate, started for the San Francisco Giants against the Seattle Mariners in the first Cactus League game for both teams Wednesday.
It wasn’t a good start on the field (don’t worry, Cactus League starts aren’t an indicator of the regular season), but he did have some excitement after when Ken Griffey Jr. introduced himself.

Here are some details from Geoff Baker about the Griffey/Lincecum meeting.
Meanwhile, here is more about the game itself from Bruce Jenkins.
Finally, the box score. Lincecum pitched one inning, allowed two hits and two walks on the way to three runs (two earned). He struck out one.

-UCinternational

Benedictus impresses at UW meet

Adam McFadden — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:35:00 +0000

The high school track season hasn’t quite started, but that isn’t stopping exceptional local athletes from making great gains.
Renton High’s PJ Benedictus jumped a distance of 47 feet, 3.5 inches at the UW Open Meet Feb. 14 at Dempsey Indoor in Seattle.
Not only did Benedictus top college athletes from Western Washington, Central Washington, Seattle University (among others), the distance he leapt would have won the 3A state meet by over a foot last season.
Benedictus is a junior who competed at state last season in the long jump and 4X400 relay.
Benedictus is one to keep an eye on this spring.

Update on Popich and the Lindbergh wrestling situation

Adam McFadden — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:49:36 +0000

We are still waiting to hear what action the Renton School District took against Joe Popich after an investigation found he gave vitamin supplements to wrestlers during the 2008-2009 season.
I’ve been trying to get a hold of Popich and I received an e-mail from Patrick B. Reddy, his attorney, Feb. 23 saying Popich will release a statement within two weeks.
Reddy also stated that “he (Popich) does not have any additional comments, other than that he denies the District’s allegations in their entirety, and that he never gave pills, medication or vitamins to any children.”
On the district’s end, the Reporter submitted a public records request to the school district asking to see the letter the district sent to Popich outlining his punishment.
Randy Matheson, district spokesman, estimated a response to the request by Feb. 25.

Bi-district basketball schedule

Adam McFadden — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:42:49 +0000

The Renton boys take on Clover Park Friday night at 6 p.m. at Auburn High School.

The Renton girls take on Yelm Friday at 8 p.m. at Hudson’s Bay High School.

All-Seamount basketball teams announced

Adam McFadden — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:39:14 +0000

BOYS

Player of year — Mitch Penner, Kennedy Catholic
Coach of year — Donn Hoffman, Kennedy Catholic

FIRST TEAM
F Mitch Penner, So., Kennedy Catholic
F Bryce McPhee, Sr., Mount Rainier
F Cameron Faison, Sr., Foster
F Darius Page, Sr., Foster
G Deshea Bell, Jr., Kennedy Catholic
G/F Eric Turner, Sr., Highline.

SECOND TEAM
G Achoki Moikobu, Sr., Renton
G Cameron Harris, Jr., Mount Rainier
F Kari Wells, Sr., Evergreen
G R.J. Magar, Jr., Hazen
F Mohammad Sambou, Sr., Evergreen.

HONORABLE MENTION
Evergreen — Jebri Mohammad, Issac Buelna. Foster — Trevante Williams, Ali Cortez. Hazen — Dawit Kasa, Decorius Sampson. Highline — Jaquae Ingram, Donald Cassel. Kennedy Catholic — Kevin Taylor-Williams, Vince McCluskey. Lindbergh — Derek Roseboro, David Bowman, Dewayne Brown. Mount Rainier — Delvonte Alifua. Renton — Joseph Powell, Laudon Thomas. Tyee — Nick Hawthorne, Nate Hawthorne, Denzel Taylor.

GIRLS

Player of year — Airashay Rogers, Hazen
Coach of year — Wayne Severson, Tyee

FIRST TEAM
G Airashay Rogers, So., Hazen
F Aminah Williams, Jr., Kenney Catholic
G Arineshia Smith, So., Tyee
F Addyson Stowers, Sr., Renton
G Marisa Blaire, Sr., Mount Rainier
G Yazmin Fuller, Sr., Kennedy Catholic.

SECOND TEAM
G Jasmine Lemon, Jr., Kennedy Catholic
G Kelsey Sparks, Sr., Renton
P Sahara Hill, So., Foster
G Sofia Locklear, Sr., Highline
G Taylor Williams, Sr., Renton

HONORABLE MENTION
Evergreen — Brianna Fiso. Foster — Bianca Benavides, Neta Tapaleava. Hazen — Michelle Wnek. Highline — Alana Lopez, Samantha Erben, Lynette Owusu. Kennedy Catholic — Ali Madison. Lindbergh — Emily Graver. Mount Rainier — Syndy Codd, Caroline Codd, Kiana Gandy, Maylynn Mitchell. Renton — Jessica Isabell, Amanda Rogers. Tyee — Taylor McMillion, Tatiana Tautau, Taylor Marlow, Melissa Fuavai.

All-KingCo 3A/2A basketball teams announced

Adam McFadden — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 23:37:35 +0000

BOYS

Player of year — Aaron Bright, Bellevue
Coach of year — Wes Newton, Sammamish
Sportsmanship — Juanita

FIRST TEAM
G Aaron Bright, Bellevue, Sr.
G Tanner Riley, Mount Si, Sr.
F Nate Sikma, Bellevue, Jr.
G Quinn Sterling, Mercer Island, Jr.
G Ryon Cunnigan, Juanita, Sr.
C Kaj Sherman, Mercer Island, Sr.

SECOND TEAM
G Chandler Jenkins, Liberty, Jr.
G Zander Nelson, Mount Si, Sr.
G Daniel Wruble, Sammamish, Sr.
F John Steinberg, Sammamish, So.
F Dallas Smith, Mount Si, Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION
Bellevue — Will Locke. Interlake — Ricky Aaron, Jeffrey Kimmel. Mercer Island — Brian Miller. Mount Si — Justin Downer, Lucas Zupan. Sammamish — Anthony Do, George Valle.

GIRLS

Player of year — Hailey Gullstad, Mercer Island
Coach of year — Jamie Prescott, Mercer Island
Sportsmanship — Juanita

FIRST TEAM
G Hailey Gullstad, Mercer Island, Jr.
G Kimberly Baba, Juanita, Sr.
F Danni Sjolander, Liberty, Jr.
F Sarah Anderegg, Interlake, Sr.
G Hannah Lilly, Mercer Island, Sr.
F Catelyn Webber, Bellevue, Sr.

SECOND TEAM
G Kelly Meggs, Bellevue, Sr.
P Kate Cryderman, Juanita, So.
G Hailey Eddings, Mount Si, Jr.
F Kate DaPron, Mercer Island, Sr.
G Jae Shin, Mercer Island, Jr.

HONORABLE MENTION
Bellevue — Alyssa Gilbert. Interlake — Litia Ngauamo. Juanita — Molly Grager. Liberty — Aspen Winegar, Breanne Faehnrich. Mount Si — Stevie Riley, Traci Nelson, Karly Thompson.

Liberty and Skyline showdown Sept. 3

Adam McFadden — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:18:24 +0000

The Liberty football team will start the 2010 season with a bang, playing district rival Skyline Sept. 3.
The game will be played at Liberty at 7 p.m.
The Spartans have won three straight state titles (3A in 2007, 4A in 2008 and 2009) and play in the KingCo 4A.
The Patriots are fresh off of a second place finish at the 3A state tournament.

Liberty improves to fifth seed for KingCo tourney after Juanita forfeit

Adam McFadden — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:19:14 +0000

Liberty got an unexpected bump in seeding after Juanita was forced to forfeit a Feb. 4 game against the Patriots.
Juanita senior Robby Ryan, who entered the game late when the Rebels beat Liberty 68-50, was not medically cleared to play.
The win moves Liberty up to 3-8 in KingCo play and makes the Patriots the fifth seed in the KingCo tournament instead of the sixth seed.

Latest college news on local athletes

Adam McFadden — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:03:27 +0000

Liberty lineman Coleton Langdon signed a Letter of Intent to play football for Portland State University.

Hazen running back/hurdler James Holland is still deciding. He’s been accepted to West Point, but he’s keeping his options open to pursue track at the collegiate level.

Liberty pitcher John McLeod will play baseball at Wake Forest University next year.

Hazen’s Britney Boler signed a Letter of Intent to play soccer at the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.

Reporter Newspapers Week 9 basketball polls

Adam McFadden — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 18:46:20 +0000

Class 4A boys
1. Federal Way (16-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (16-1)
3. Curtis (17-1)
4. Jackson (15-1)
5. Walla Walla (15-2)
6. Kamiakin (12-3)
7. Richland (14-3)
8. Skyline (13-3)
9. Lake Stevens (13-4)
10. Garfield (12-4)
Others receiving votes: Beamer (13-5), Decatur (13-6)

Class 4A girls
1. Auburn Riverside (18-0)
2. Newport (15-1)
3. Woodinville (15-1)
4. Issaquah (13-3)
5. Federal Way (15-4)
6. Edmonds-Woodway (15-1)
7. Chiawana (16-1)
8. Jackson (13-3)
9. Kentwood (14-4)
10. Wenatchee (11-4)
Others receiving votes: South Kitsap (13-5), Richland (13-4), Mount Tahoma (16-3), Marysville-Pilchuck (13-4), Bethel (14-4)

Class 3A boys
1. Enumclaw (16-0)
2. Bellevue (16-1)
3. Rainier Beach (13-3)
4. Seattle Prep (14-3)
5. Lakes (14-2)
6. Mount Si (12-4)
7. Capital (14-1)
8. Shadle Park (12-4)
9. Meadowdale (13-3)
10. O’Dea (12-5)
Others receiving votes: Bremerton (10-4), Mount Rainier (11-5), Franklin Pierce (10-5)

Class 3A girls
1. Holy Names (15-2)
2. Kennedy Catholic (14-3)
3. White River (15-2)
4. Mercer Island (13-3)
5. Bonney Lake (13-4)
6. Port Angeles (13-2)
7. Mount Rainier (14-2)
8. Yelm (12-4)
9. Sumner (11-5)
10. Lakeside (11-6)
Others receiving votes: Central Valley (12-4), Shorecrest (11-5), Prarie (13-3), West Valley (11-4)

Liberty coaching changes

Adam McFadden — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:06:59 +0000

Two coaching changes to mention at Liberty High:

Liberty boys basketball coach Jevon Green has been fired midway through his first year at the position. According to Liberty athletic director Stark Porter, Eric Larsen is the interim head coach. Porter was unable to comment on why Green was let go. The Patriots are currently 5-12.
I haven’t been able to speak with Green yet, so I won’t speculate on the motives behind the move.
Liberty is also looking for a new girls soccer coach, meaning Darren Tremblay will no longer be the coach after seven seasons. Tremblay led the Patriots to an overall record of 4-9-4 last season. Liberty went 4-4-4 in KingCo play and finished fourth in the league.

Renton Grad Calcote seeing red at EWU

Adam McFadden — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:51:55 +0000

Former Renton High and current Eastern Washington football player Dante Calcote will be seeing red next season, a lot of it.
Thanks to a $500,000 gift from Tennessee Titans offensive lineman Michael Roos (an EWU graduate), Eastern will be able to move ahead with plans to install the country’s first red synthetic field surface.
The NCAA has no rules regarding the color of playing surfaces. Boise State is the most famous example of a non-green surface. The Broncos have a bright blue surface.
Calcote is a junior defensive back. He was Eastern’s Co-Most improved defense play last season.

Seven make Baseball Northwest watch lists

Adam McFadden — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:35:15 +0000

These lists are formed by the Baseball Northwest staff with some input from coaches and scouts. They rank based on long term potential, not necessarily high school success.

2010 –
37. John McCleod (Lib) – LHP

Watch list

Tommy Kawamura (Lind) – Inf
Anthony Pina (Haz) – OF
Troy Colyer (Lib) – Inf
Nick Hart (Lib) – Inf

2011 –

Watch list

Jeff Beckman (Haz) – C/RHP

2013 –

Watch list

Donavan Saario (Ren) – OF/LHP

Reporter Newspapers Week 8 basketball polls

Adam McFadden — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:52:45 +0000

Class 4A boys

1. Federal Way (13-1)
2. Gonzaga Prep (13-1)
3. Curtis (15-1)
4. Jackson (13-1)
5. Walla Walla (13-2)
6. Richland (13-2)
7. Skyline (12-2)
8. Kamiakin (12-3)
9. Lake Stevens (11-4)
10. Decatur (11-5)
Others receiving votes: Kentridge (11-5), Garfield (10-4), Foss (11-4), Lake Washington (11-3)

Class 4A girls

1. Auburn Riverside (16-0)
2. Issaquah (13-1)
3. Newport (13-1)
4. Woodinville (13-1)
5. Edmonds-Woodway (13-1)
6. Federal Way (12-3)
7. Chiawana (12-1)
8. Jackson (12-2)
9. Marysville-Pilchuck (12-3)
10. Kentwood (11-4)
Others receiving votes: Bellarmine Prep (11-5), Mount Tahoma (13-3), Lewis and Clark (9-5)

Class 3A boys

1. Enumclaw (14-0)
2. Bellevue (14-1)
3. Rainier Beach (12-3)
4. Seattle Prep (12-3)
5. Lakes (10-4)
6. O’Dea (11-4)
7. Mount Si (11-4)
8. Shadle Park (10-3)
9. Capital (12-1)
10. Foster (11-3)
Others receiving votes: Sammamish (11-4), Meadowdale (11-3), Franklin (7-7), Kennedy Catholic (10-5)

Class 3A girls

1. Holy Names (13-2)
2. Kennedy Catholic (12-3)
3. White River (12-2)
4. Mercer Island (11-3)
5. Lakes (10-4)
6. Mount Rainier (12-2)
7. Bonney Lake (11-4)
8. Yelm (11-4)
9. Port Angeles (12-2)
10. Sumner (10-4)
Others receiving votes: Shorecrest (9-4), Seattle Prep (10-4), Juanita (10-5), Shadle Park (8-5), Lakeside (9-6)