West Seattle, Washington
22 Sunday
Just out of the WSB inbox, from Cindy McComish:
West Seattle YMCA’s Dolphin Swim Team Wins BIG!
34 swimmers, ages 7-18, representing the West Seattle YMCA won the First Place trophy for mid-sized YMCAs in the Northwest Division Swim Championship last weekend, Friday March 7th through Sunday, March 9th. The West Seattle Dolphins traveled by chartered bus to compete in Gresham Oregon at the Mt. Hood Community College Aquatic Center. The swimmers are coached by Rod Rombauer, Jen Parker, and Sarah Heerhartz. This meet against swimmers from Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state precedes the National Meet being held in Ft. Lauderdale in April. The West Seattle YMCA Dolphins will be sending 5 qualified swimmers with high hopes for fast strong races.
Cheered on by families and friends, a partial list of our swimmers’ medal counts (those achieving first, second, and third place times) include: 6 by Amanda Thach, 5 by Melissa Oishi, 5 by Tommy Thach, 4 by Sarah Ameny, 4 by Maddy Morgan, 3 by Gabby Hanna, 2 by the relay team of Amanda Thach, Melissa Oishi, Maddy Morgan and Mariah Crocket, 1 by Jordy Hanna, 1 by Karen Woodworth, 1 by Lindsey Hage, 1 by Sean Tento, 1 by TJ McComish, and 1 by the relay team of Lindsey Hage, Karen Woodworth, Angela Gagliarda, and Elsa Luthi.
As an integral part of the aquatic programs at West Seattle YMCA our team sponsors for this year are Zatz Bagels, Charlestown Street Café, Renaissance Desserts, Morgan Street Builders, Millennium Kids Creative Center, Merrill Gardens of West Seattle, and Staithe Marine Services.
The West Seattle YMCA Dolphins Swim Team seeks to provide a quality competitive swimming experience to the youth of the Seattle area and is USS sanctioned. We serve over 80 youth swimmers from 17 schools. We value swimmers of all skill levels and abilities and work toward developing each swimmer’s potential. While many of our advanced swimmers compete at regional and national events, the majority of our swimmers are at the intermediate and beginning levels. For more information on our programs please contact coachrod@swyswimteam.com.
Our standard disclosure: the West Seattle Family YMCA is a WSB sponsor. By the way, you can find out more about the Dolphins at their website here.
Over the past few months, we’ve brought you advance notice of registration season for several West Seattle-based youth-sports groups, and now it’s time for one more: The Southwest Athletic Club (SWAC) will host early-registration sessions at Westwood Village for football and cheering this Saturday and three other Saturdays this month and next. Here’s what they want you to know:
Registration will be held on four Saturdays (March 8th and 15th, and April 5th and 12th) from 11 am to 1 pm at Big 5 Sporting Goods in Westwood Village.
The Southwest Athletic Club (SWAC) is a West Seattle-based nonprofit organization with the purpose of teaching youth teamwork, discipline and self-esteem through participation in youth football and cheer activities. They serve youth between the ages of 7 and 14, providing a safe structured and positive environment that stresses dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship, which teaches as much about life as it does football and cheer. Practices start on August 1st with weekly games starting the third weekend of August. Practices and home games are held at the Southwest Athletic Complex at 2600 SW Thistle.
Lee Newgent, the SWAC Board President, is proud of last season and looks forward to next season: “We congratulate last year’s participants on a very successful year, and we look forward to seeing them next fall.†Regarding new players, he added: “We also look forward to seeing any young people and their families who are considering participation in football and cheer at Big 5. Coaches will be on hand to meet the children and answer any questions parents may have.â€
The registration fee for cheer is $100 and football is $200. Early registrants will receive a SWAC water bottle.
More information about SWAC can be found at www.swaccougars.org
AdamOnAlki reported it in the comments late last night:
74-43 in favor of Squalicum. Great season, boys. You surprised and impressed us all!
And as David went on to add, the West Seattle High School boys’ first trip to the state basketball tournament in more than 30 years isn’t quite over yet:
(Today) they play Auburn (22-3) … They have the potential to finish in 5th place, if they can win 3 straight games. It’ll be tough but it’s not over.
Today’s WSHS-Auburn game is at 2 pm at KeyArena.
The state boys’ basketball tournament starts tonight, and West Seattle plays Squalicum (from Bellingham) at KeyArena at 9 pm. (Here are the brackets.) If you can’t go to the game but you want to follow closely online, it appears that’s possible through this site ($10 for tournament-long access).
Per the Times, the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team fell short in their game against Seattle Prep this afternoon. And the Seattle Lutheran High School boys and girls didn’t make it to the final rounds of the tournament in Spokane. Nonetheless, we want to send out a hearty “congratulations” for the kids, their families, coaches, and supporters; good job! SUNDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Here are the brackets for the tournament WSHS is in; thanks to David for pointing us to that site where the Wildcats can be tracked through the next rounds. They play Squalicum at 9 pm Wednesday, KeyArena.
Thanks to Paul Cozens for the latest update:
In a hard-fought battle which went down to the last second, the West Seattle boys beat Cleveland 56 – 53 Thursday night at Bellevue Community College (BCC.)
West Seattle now plays Seattle Prep for third place in the Sea-King District. The game is at 3:00 PM on March 1 at BCC. Win or lose, the Wildcats are going to the state tournament!
Let’s see how many fans we can pack in the BCC gymnasium Saturday.
Go West Side!
The West Seattle High boys lost yesterday’s basketball game to Rainier Beach, 68-45, according to a brief mention in this Times roundup, which notes they play Cleveland next in this double-elimination round, 6:30 pm Thursday, also at Bellevue Community College.
First – just got word that West Seattle Little League is planning a “late registration” event tonight at West Seattle High School, 7-9 pm, room 212. Full details plus forms, at the WSLL website. Also, West Seattle Pee Wee baseball has a few spots left (find out more on their website). And a photo followup to last night’s post about big games this week for WSHS and Seattle Lutheran basketball teams — this morning, Walking on Logs (along the westbound Fauntleroy path off The Bridge) is decked out in honor of SLHS with a banner congratulating the “Sea Lu girls” (sorry we only had the cameraphone in tow so no zoom):

Some big games ahead this week for three of West Seattle’s high-school basketball teams — first, thanks to the proud Seattle Lutheran High School families who e-mailed WSB to say the boys and girls teams are both en route to the tournament in Spokane – here are comprehensive details from Mike and Stephanie Jensen:
On Saturday, both the boys and girls basketball teams from Seattle Lutheran High School qualified for the State 2B Basketball Tournament. This is the first time since 1987 that both boys and girls have qualified for the State Tournament in the same year. The boys team is coached by alum Jack Menashe while the girls are coached by longtime coach Bruce Carlson. The entire SLHS community (faculty, staff, students, parents and alum) are excited to have our teams headed back to the tournament representing the school and our West Seattle community.
The tournament starts this Wednesday in Spokane, and concludes on Saturday. It is a double elimination tournament. Here are links to the boys and girls brackets.
We also wanted to mention again that the West Seattle High School boys play Rainier Beach at Bellevue Community College tomorrow, 3 pm, after their big defeat of Bellevue last Thursday. (And if we’re missing any other WS schools in big tournament/playoff action right now, our apologies; please let us know and we’ll add to our coverage!)

That picture just in from Paul Cozens (thank you!), with this news:
The West Seattle Wildcats defeated the Bellevue High Wolverines in boys’ basketball today 82-76, in overtime. West Seattle will play for the District Championship next Tuesday at Bellevue CC, opponent to be determined.
2:15 AM UPDATE: Here’s what the Times wrote about the win; the Wildcats’ next opponent is now set – Rainier Beach.
When we stopped by West Seattle Bowl a month ago to ask about a reader-e-mailed rumor that it might close, not only did co-owner Andrew Carl say it wasn’t true, he implored us to write about it — which we usually don’t do when rumors don’t pan out (here’s what we ended up writing). At the time, we also told him we’d love to talk with him more about his business sometime, with high-profile closures elsewhere in the city leaving WS Bowl as one of the last pins standing. Last week – as Carl also got a spotlight in the latest Seattle Weekly – he finally had time for that chat:Read More
We told you a few weeks back about registration season for several local youth sports leagues, including West Seattle Girls’ Softball. We just heard back from Steve Peer, league president, who wanted to share the video you see above — featuring the Filmateria Studios Clickin’ Cleats, the team he coaches, a 10-and-under team photographed last year, which was their third year together. Steve says, “During the registration process, I’ve heard from lots of parents either new to West Seattle or with daughters who are 7 to 8 years old who are interested in the league. Most want to know more than the league philosophy, schedules, and fees. When it boils down to it, most of the parents want to know if it’s fun for the girls!” Steve says the video answers that last question pretty well. WSGS registration is open till next Friday (2/15); you can sign up, and/or get info, at the WSGS site, and Steve notes that financial assistance is available for those who might not be able to play otherwise — contact him directly (click here for e-mail address).
If you’re watching the Super Bowl this afternoon/evening, we would wager you already know where you will be.
(West Seattle has two official “sports bars” – Redline and Rocksport – and of course, many other establishments with TVs, including WSB sponsor Garlic Jim’s with tableside TVs, plus some organized Super Bowl parties such as the one the West Seattle Eagles are having.) But if you’re looking for something else to do (or if the game and the commercials get so boring you just have to move on) — our West Seattle Weekend Lineup holds a few options: A “Souper Bowl” lunch/games event is under way right now at Tibbetts Church; plus, C and P Coffee offers live music 3-5 pm (and some WSBers are planning a meetup there @ 4 pm); WSB sponsor SoundYoga has a free yoga class @ 4 pm; or how about a midwinter swim? Family swim at Southwest Pool is 2-3 pm; public swim 4-5 pm (full schedule here). Any other SB alternative events we’re missing? Leave a comment.
Another local kids’ sports league starts registration today: the West Seattle Soccer Club‘s spring season. It’s open to players ages 5-12, and it’s a fairly low-impact commitment – games on Sunday afternoons, no practices, various fields around West Seattle; the season starts April 6 and runs for six weeks (no games on Mother’s Day) — $40 per player. You can register any time from now till March 1 by going to the West Seattle Soccer Club website (click here), where you will also find lots of news about the league — which has a fall season too (with almost 1,300 players last year!).

That’s “Design Concept B” for the park that will be built atop and around the newly covered Myrtle Reservoir (map). It has a spot saved at the northeast corner for a skatepark. Here’s “Design Concept A,” which doesn’t:

Though there are many design issues to decide, the potential skatepark was at the heart of most of the Myrtle Reservoir park discussion last night at High Point Community Center:Read More

In the past week, we brought you registration information for West Seattle Pee Wee baseball and West Seattle Little League. Tonight, we want to tell you about West Seattle Girls Softball, for which you can register right now, online, continuing through mid-February. Here’s what the league is all about:Read More
We told you yesterday about registration under way for West Seattle Pee Wee baseball; today, we’ve got a preview of West Seattle Little League registration, which is just days away:Read More

Stephanie just sent this photo (thank you!), saying “Didn’t see any Seahawks Spirit on your page. We have the Seahawks Spirit! :) And so do our kids Jordan and Jett.”
Registration is already under way for this year’s West Seattle Association of Pee Wee Baseball league, which is for 5-10 year-olds, both genders. WSAPWB president Doug Groesbeck kindly took some time to talk with WSB so we’d be able to tell you more:Read More
West Seattle resident and ex-deputy mayor Anne Levinson is one of the women buying the WNBA’s Seattle Storm.
… West Seattle’s 95-year-old discus champion Leon Joslin is featured in the Times today. Inexplicably, the article doesn’t name the “West Seattle retirement complex” where he lives, but we just got a note from Jerald (thank you!) adding some context:
He lives at The Kenney in assisted living. He’s a long-time WS resident and retired from real estate. The triangular office building across from the Original Bakery (Fauntleroy) used to be his and is still named after him.
The USA Masters Track & Field Rankings site has a longer list of his accomplishments.
No, not looking for a new arena site on all that suddenly vacant property; it was a special holiday-shopping spree at Westwood Village Target, according to the official Sonics blog.
That’s Darius Dale, posing during his senior year @ West Seattle High School for WSB contributing photographer Matt Durham, who reports that Darius has made the All-Ivy Football Team @ Yale (scroll down this page to “second team offense”). Matt recalls, “When I met Darius, he struck me as a gentle giant. He was very kind and intelligent, and students and staff appeared to have an high affection for Darius. If my memory serves me correctly I seem to recall Darius was carrying a 4.0 GPA at the time of the photo. On first impression he appeared to be such an outstandingly well-rounded teen that I attempted to recruit him into the fire service, telling him to finish college first.” This page details Darius’s achievements at WSHS and Yale, where he’s now a junior.
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