West Seattle, Washington
07 Sunday
(UPDATED MONDAY with information on injured players)
ORIGINAL FRIDAY NIGHT REPORT: A somber end to tonight’s Southwest Athletic Complex football game between Chief Sealth International High School and Decatur HS (visiting from Federal Way) – two Sealth players were taken away by ambulance. While several players were down for several minutes at a time at various points in the game, including one toward the end, emergency responders weren’t brought in until the game was over; we were driving out of the stadium lot when we noticed SFD units arriving, so we turned around and went back to see what we could find out. All we know so far is that the two players were transported by private (AMR) ambulance rather than SFD medic unit because both were conscious, indicating their injuries were not believed to be major. We hope to be able to find out later how they are doing.
Meantime, the rest of the game story is after the jump:
Both of tonight’s varsity football games are over. West Seattle High School reports a loss on the road to Ingraham HS, 36-14. WSHS is now 0-2. Next week at Southwest Athletic Complex – Friday, September 15th, 7 pm – it’s the annual Huling Bowl clash between the Wildcats and crosstown rivals Chief Sealth International High School (whose game we’re reporting on next).
(WSB photos. Above, #11 Cyrus Storlie with the ball)
School doesn’t start until Wednesday, but high-school football season got going tonight. West Seattle High School hosted Washougal, from Clark County, at Southwest Athletic Complex. It was the first game for new head coach Marcis Fennell:
The visitors went home with the win, 54-0. That was also the halftime score; the Wildcats held the Panthers scoreless for the entire second half. Long before the season started, parents and administrators worked to make this a year of revitalization, raising money through gear:
That’s athletic director Corey Sorenson modeling some of what was available. Also seen at the stadium, new WSHS principal Brian Vance, and new girls-soccer coach Todd Veenhuizen:
In the stands, fans found reasons to cheer:
Next Friday, WSHS is on the road.
(#22 Rylee Farrison, #76 Roman Saladino, #28 Quinn Sadow)
The Wildcats will play Ingraham at 7 pm Friday (September 8th) at Northwest Athletic Complex.
Thanks to Jon Anderson for the report from Highline Memorial Stadium in Burien, where Chief Sealth International High School opened football season with a big win:
Chief Sealth Seahawks dominated both sides of the ball tonight in a landslide victory over Evergreen.
The game was called by Evergreen after 68 points were put on the scoreboard for Sealth.
Final tonight at Highline Stadium, 68-0.
Way to go, Seahawks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Head coach Ted Rodgriguez‘s team will be home next Friday night (September 8th) at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 7 pm, vs. Decatur.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
Almost 900 runners and walkers filled Alki Avenue this morning for the first-ever West Seattle edition of the Cosmo 7K. As noted here previously, Cosmo is a multi-city run series that previously held its local races in Kirkland. It moved our way this year as successor to the Alki Beach 5K that Northwest Hope and Healing is no longer organizing – though NWHH is this year’s Cosmo beneficiary; we caught up with its immediate-past executive director Kristina Dahl pre-race:
(Photos/video from here down are by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
The sun shone bright as all gathered at the starting line:
And here’s our video as they took off:
Since the race included a 7K run as well as 5K run/walk, participants headed westbound at the beginning instead of eastbound as most Alki 5Ks do.
(First 4 photos by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
Never mind Mayweather vs. McGregor. Last night’s big local battles were in the ring at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park, as Lucha Libre Volcánica‘s luchadores put on a show following the Duwamish River Festival.
Above, the purple-costumed luchador is The Joker, who lost to the crowd favorite Peligro.
Below, El Dragon Dorado took on Milky Burrado (in beige):
El Dragon was the victor. Bonus photo if you missed it in comments on our Saturday daily preview – this one posted by Steve shows just how high-flying lucha libre can be:
Lucha Libre Volcánica is not only a lucha-libre troupe, it also is home to the only school in Puget Sound for lucha libre. The luchadores perform in South Park at least once a year, with shows elsewhere throughout the year.
(Photos by David Hutchinson)
How did you spend YOUR Saturday? Jerome Leslie and Lauren Boilini spent most of it in 55-degree Puget Sound, swimming ten and a half miles from Bremerton to Alki Point, where they emerged just after 4 pm:
According to the Northwest Open Water Swimming Association, they completed the “Amy Hiland Swim” – named after the woman who made history doing it in 1959 – in six hours and 11 minutes. They are part of the group of distance swimmers who train in Alki waters, and they were all smiles after arrival:
Almost a year ago, you might recall, Erika Norris became the first person to complete the Amy Hiland Swim in half a century. Thanks to one of Jerome and Lauren’s fellow Alki swimmers, Andrew Malinak, for letting us know about today’s swim (as previewed here last night) – he says it’s the locals’ last big one this season.
(WSB photo by Leda Costa)
1:53 PM: Beautiful Saturday all around Puget Sound, including the route for this morning’s Great Cross-Sound Race, which takes Sound Rowers competitors from Alki to Blakely Rock (off Bainbridge Island) and back. The solo racer at right in our top photo is Greg Barton, the Olympic gold medalist, who came in first, in 55:58; Kevin Olney and Paul Clement were 11 seconds behind. Here’s the full list of results – we’ll be adding more photos later.
ADDED 11:38 PM: #31, Evan Jacobs (58:30), and #32, Tyler Peterson (59:04), were fifth and sixth, respectively, overall:
Rowing together in 2006, they set the course record.
The top quad entry was #4, T. Batty, T. Silver, A. Storb, and R. Storb (57:40):
The rest of this year’s races are listed here.
Last September, Erika Norris became the first swimmer in 50 years to complete the Bremerton-to-Alki Point “Amy Hiland Swim“ – named in honor of the woman who swam it in 1959. Tomorrow (Saturday, August 26), two more swimmers plan to take it on – Jerome Leslie and Lauren Boilini. Both are open-water swimmers who train off Alki, according to one of their compatriots, Andrew Malinak, who sent us first word of the plan. Jerome and Lauren plan to start from Bremerton at 10 am, and will be using the Northwest Open Water Swimmers Association tracker that you should be able to follow here once it’s activated. If all goes well along the 10.4-mile route, they expect to arrive at Alki Point by 4 pm or so.
Two weeks after our last update on the track resurfacing at West Seattle Stadium, we have new views courtesy of Mark, who says the project reached a milestone this week – the new track’s being laid down.
Parks says the $950,000 project should be complete in “early September.”
The last weekend in August has historically brought the Alki Beach 5K, presented by and benefiting Northwest Hope and Healing. As of this year, NWHH is no longer presenting that run, but instead, it’s the beneficiary of this year’s Cosmo 7K, part of the Cosmo All-Women’s Race Series, moving its local event from Kirkland to Alki. It’s a 7K run and 5K run/walk set to start at 9:30 am Sunday, August 27th, with a kids’ half-mile run at 10:30. The runners will use the road, so even if you’re not participating, be aware of parking restrictions and an Alki Avenue road closure that morning.
A new parents’ group, Wildcats Touchdown Club, is rallying community support for the West Seattle High School football team, under its new head coach, as the new season approaches. Here’s what they want you to know – and how they hope you can help:
Are you ready for some West Seattle High School football? The coaches, players, and parents at WSHS are. The student athletes and the community are excited for the reveal of the 2017 Wildcats … and there is a lot to be excited about.
The players have been working hard since June to get ready for this season under new head Coach Marcis Fennell. Coach Fennell is developing a culture within the WSHS Football program that prepares young people for the rigors of life through education, technically develops athletes to excel in the sport of football, instills values that will assist in producing men and women of character, gets the team involved with the West Seattle community and continues to cultivate the long tradition of Westside Pride!
As the new coaching staff enters its first season, one of their driving initiatives is to provide a positive and safe experience for all students. To facilitate this, we are asking our community, friends and families, to donate to our program. Please understand that all proceeds will directly benefit the student athletes and their experience in the Wildcats Football program.
Right now, the team is in immediate need of the following:
*Equipment (girdles, thigh pads, knee pads, etc.) for student athletes
*Operational equipment (agility bags, hand shields, pop-up bags)
*Team meals (pre-game team meals, halftime snacks, and fall ball double day snacks)
*Giant Tents for team halftime at SWAC (there are no locker rooms for the team at half-time)
*Funds for transportation to and from games
The West Seattle Football team currently has three ways that you can help with our immediate and long-term goals:
Donate directly to the Football Booster club at our Booster Club for Cats Football GoFundMe page.
Our awesome 2017 WS Football Kick-off t-shirt (you can get one with a blank back as well) for $25 each.
Our cool Elite West Seattle Wildcat socks for $24 a pair.
**To pre-order your T-shirt and socks, contact lildeerpaw@hotmail.com with cash or checks payable to the WS Booster Club.
Thanks, all supporters of the Wildcats football program! Every cent donated will assist the coaches and staff in pouring love and education into our young people through the sport of football!
We look forward to seeing you on Friday nights in the Fall!
Don’t forget to put on your calendars that the first game is September 1, 2017 @ 7:00 pm at SWAC!
The full season schedule can be seen here; if you missed our interview with Coach Fennell after the March announcement that he was joining WSHS, see it here.
(Duwamish Rowing Club photo: Gold medal winners L-R, Molly MacDonald, Bree Hopkins, Coxswain: Dirke Holsberry, Hazel Dahlquist, Laurel Glassley)
From the Duwamish Rowing Club, word of rowers’ success and a reminder about your chance to learn to row:
The Green Lake Summer Extravaganza is one of summer’s last regattas for rowing crews in the Northwest.
This year, 24 crews from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska gathered on Saturday, August 5th for one last fun race of 1000 meters before fall’s longer head race season begins.
The Duwamish Rowing Club had seven entries in six races for both masters (adults) and junior youth crews. Our DRC girls under 16 rowed their quad to win the gold medal, crossing the finish line with open water between them and the other crews. It was exceptionally sweet because many of the girls were novices with only three weeks’ rowing experience. A quad is a boat that holds four rowers, each with a sculling oar in each hand or eight oars. They row together in unison.
The Duwamish Rowing Club has both youth and master’s programs and is currently seeking more members. Come join a vibrant, growing, fun team. Over the next six weeks, we are hosting a free learn to row event. If you would like to be on land and on the water learning the sport of rowing, contact us at duwamishrowingclub.org.
(Photo courtesy West Seattle YMCA)
Interested in youth soccer this fall? Registration is closing soon at the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor), which shared this reminder:
At the Y, our sports staff, coaches and volunteers all share a singular vision of helping all youth reach their full potential in life. We leverage the excitement and passion around recreational and competitive programming to create a healthy outlet for children to gain new skills, develop a sense of team and connect with positive role models.
Practices start the week of September 11 at High Point fields. Games are on Saturday starting (updated) September 23 at Roxhill Park or Lincoln Park. Registration closes soon – on August 28. Join us for Outdoor Soccer this fall!
To register and learn more, follow this link.
Congratulations to West Seattle’s Lauryn Nguyen for her big win at the recent Washington Junior Golf Association State Championships! The announcement:
Lauryn Nguyen won her division (14-15 year old girls) by a commanding 7 strokes. In the Girls overall division (14-18 year old), she came back from a 7-stroke deficit after day two to force a sudden death play-off. She won the playoff in just one hole with a birdie on a par-5. She shot rounds of 69, 72, 72 to post a 3-day total of 3 under par to capture the Championship Title. She is among one of the youngest players to win this title, having just turned 14 last May.
Nguyen attended Madison Middle School, where she earned the Principal’s Award for maintaining a GPA of 4.0 throughout her 3 years at Madison. She will be a freshman at West Seattle High School next fall. She is looking forward to playing on the WSHS golf team with her brother Alex for one year before he graduates in the Spring.
The WJGA tournament was held at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland.
Thanks to West Seattle High School track and field head coach Will Harrison for sharing news of what he headlines as “stunning summer performances for WSHS track athletes”:
West Seattle HS Track and Field athletes rolled from national class spring WIAA track seasons into sizzling summer track seasons:
After capturing the 300-meter hurdles crown at the 3A State Meet to cap off his junior-year spring track season, Cass Elliott took home another state title at the 46th Annual Washington State Combined events Championship, held at Lake Stevens High School on June 2-3. Elliott won the 10-event decathlon with a score of 6008, which included winning the 400, 110 hurdles, Javelin, and 1500 outright against the top 32 athletes accepted into the meet. He would later improve his decathlon score to 6235 in July.
He next competed in the prestigious USA Track and Field Junior (U-20) Championships in Sacramento, California. As a 17-year-old junior, Elliott was up against a loaded field of the nation’s best high-school seniors and college freshman competing for a chance to finish in the top 2 and represent the U.S. at the 2017 Pan American Junior games in Peru. Elliott wound up 9th with a stunning time of 52.07 seconds. For perspective, that time that would have placed 6th in the PAC-12 Championships this season.
Most recently, he competed at the USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in Lawrence, Kansas, where athletes compete in 2-year age brackets. Elliott finished runner-up at the in the 17-18 category with a time of 52.14. He also took 2nd last year in the 15-16 division.
Cunliffe Regains Washington All-Time Sophomore Record
(Cunliffe with Coach Tim Reilly after the Junior Olympic Regional)
Sophomore star Chloe Cunliffe temporarily held the sophomore class, all-classification, all-time state record in the Pole Vault after clearing 12 feet, 9 inches back in April at the Pasco Invite before fellow sophomore, Eastlake’s Ellie Talius broke the record by jumping 13’1 at the 4A District II meet. By clearing 13’1.5 at the Junior Olympic Regional in Spokane on June 25th, Cunliffe narrowly regained the top spot in the record book.
Fortunately, the WIAA does indeed count summer marks for state records. And coincidentally, Cunliffe’s mark also would have placed 6th in the PAC-12 college ranks this year, like Elliott’s. She competed this summer with Seattle Speed TC and NW Pole Vault.
Also Notable
Other notable summer performances from West Seattle Track Athletes were junior Joe Kirk-Woodbury (above) placing 16th in the hammer throw (156’11) and 30th in shot put (44’7.5) in the 17-18 Division at National Junior Olympic Championships, and graduated senior Abdullahi Ali qualified for Junior Olympic Nationals by nationals by placing 7th at the regionals in Spokane in the 110 Meter Hurdles (15.74 seconds). Both athletes competed with High Voltage TC.
(WSB photo: Kayleen Dunson, before Delridge Playfield game in July)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When the Pan American Women’s Softball Championships start tomorrow in the Dominican Republic, West Seattle will be represented.
Not by a player.
By an umpire!
We’ve introduced you to Kayleen Dunson before. She is in her fifth year as Umpire In Chief for USA Softball in this area (Seattle Metro Softball Umpires Association).
And she is one of two USA umpires chosen to go to the 20-nation championships in Santo Domingo.
The photo and report are from Brent Lindblom:
Congratulations to the Arbor Heights Swim and Tennis Club swimmers who advanced to the Greater
Seattle Summer Swim League “GSSSL” ALL CITY Championship Meet.
Above from left to right and top to bottom:
Brendan Stoll, Dominic Flack, Ben Kinerk, Ty Lindblom, and Hannah Tittel
Lucas Richardson, Will McGlothlin, Lachlan Swanson, and Cookie Hooper. (Not in the photo, Tyler Lenzie)The meet was held at Innis Arden Swimming Club in Shoreline.
Your Arbor Heights All City Winners are:
Ty Lindblom: 1st Place 15-18 Boys 50-yard Back and 5th Place boys 100-yard Individual Medley
Hannah Tittel: 6th Place 15-18 Girls 50-yard Free and 5th Place 15-18 Girls 50-yard Butterfly
Ben Kinerk: 5th Place 15-18 Boys 50-yard Breast
Dominic Flack: 6th Place 15-18 Boys 50-yard Breast
Lucas Richardson: 6th Place 13-14 Boys 50-yard Free
Lachlan Swanson: 5th Place 11-12 Boys 50-yard Breast
Will McGlothin: 4th Place 11-12 Boys 50-yard Breast Stroke
Cookie Hooper: 4th Place 8 and under Girls 25-yard Butterfly and 25-yard Back StrokeRelays:
5th Place Boys 15-18 200-Yard Medley Relay:
Ty Lindblom, Dominic Flack, Tyler Lenzie and Brendan Stoll
5th Place Boys 15-18 200-Yard Free Relay:
Ben Kinerk, Tyler Lenzie, Brendan Stoll and Ty Lindblom
Alternates:
Naomi Williams
Cassidy Wells
Flora Medina
JJ Hartog
Ryan KlemCoaches: Hannah Tittel, Nate Williams, Nicole Roed and Chris Veraya
11:14 PM: Local distance swimmer Andrew Malinak is the person who’s told us about some of his fellow swimmers’ memorable feats in recent years – such as Melissa Blaustein tackling the “Amy Hiland Swim” from Bremerton to Alki Point three weeks ago (WSB coverage here), less than a year after Erika Norris did it.
And he's off. #swimming from Olympia to Seattle. #marathonswimming #openwaterswimming pic.twitter.com/MejBPtEWZo
— Andrew Malinak (@AndrewSwims) July 22, 2017
Right now, Andrew is on a daring swim of his own – having left Olympia around 4 pm, planning to swim all night and into tomorrow, expecting to reach downtown Seattle Sunday evening. Along the way, if all goes well, he’ll be off West Seattle . You can follow him via this tracking site.
He planned to have Alki swimmers including Erika sailing alongside for support. “I’ll swim through the night, and will land in the Sculpture Park in downtown Seattle around maybe 6 pm Sunday. We’ll pass by Alki Light around 3-4 pm-ish. Distance is 53.3 miles.” So keep an eye offshore tomorrow afternoon – you might see Andrew and his support crew. Two years ago, he swam from Tacoma to West Seattle – this is about triple the distance.
SUNDAY MORNING NOTE: The tracking stopped after midnight, and Andrew e-mailed at 1 am that “the swim is over; we’re headed home.”
Thanks to Tanya Powers for the photo and report:
I wanted to share with you that the Galaxy Girls took 1st place at the International Championships for the 2017 Junior Roller Derby Association on Sunday in Loveland, Colorado!
The Galaxy Girls are a part of Seattle Derby Brats, which first formed in West Seattle at Pathfinder School. While they have moved, they maintain a close connection to West Seattle, with one of the two coaches (Luna, aka Patrice Davis) from West Seattle and 4 of the skaters (Seven Skate Nine, Brady O’Flyer, Helen, and Fighty – their skate names) also from West Seattle.
This is their third time taking Championships. We are so very pleased for their win!
You can cheer for the champs in person even before their next bout – Seattle Derby Brats, with Galaxy Girls representation, will be in Saturday’s West Seattle Grand Parade (11 am Saturday, southbound on California from Lander to Edmunds).
Photos by Leda Costa for WSB
It’s our area’s only river, and it remains a heavily industrialized waterway. It’s also where the Duwamish Rowing Club is continuing to grow. Part of that growth – its second annual regatta this past Saturday.
That brought supporters and rowers to the shore at Duwamish Waterway Park in South Park and the river’s waters beyond.
While we were there, Ria Delora and Molly McDonald (above and below) rowed for DRC in a youth race against Lake Stevens. Read More
After an 8-day tournament in Vancouver, Washington, the West Seattle Little League 10-11 All-Stars are coming home with the state championship! Thanks to everyone who sent the exciting news. This is from Darrell Glover:
The West Seattle Little League 10/11 All Star Team beat Kirkland 6-4 on Saturday to bring home the first State Championship for West Seattle Little League.
The team went undefeated (9- 0) through the District 7 and Washington State Championship Tournaments. There were close games and nailbiters throughout the run, but the team always found a way to win. There was “no bottom of the order” on the team – every player was clutch !!
Manager – Mike Fahey, Coaches – Sean Eley and Brian Sherrick. Players are alphabetically – Tristan Buehring, Parker Eley, Caden Fahey, Robbie Foisey, Wyatt Glover, Miles Gosztola, Mathew Hazlegrove, Mathew Henning-Dierickx, Joe Sherrick, Blake Taft, Bobby Trigg, Simon Vance
By Patrick Sand and Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
Like his predecessor, West Seattle High School‘s new head baseball coach has deep roots at the school.
Bryan Tupper, a 2002 WSHS graduate, has been announced as the school’s new head baseball coach, successor to Velko Vitalich, who – as reported here a month ago – retired from the role after 31 years.
We talked with Coach Tupper at a local coffee shop this week. His rise to the head-coach job comes after he spent six of the past seven years as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.
He’s a born-and-raised West Seattleite who started playing ball at Bar-S Playfield and played with West Seattle Little League all the way up through seniors. He played in the Pony League, too, for the West Seattle Dodgers.
After college, he wanted to go into coaching, and Coach Vitalich gave him a chance. Since he’s worked with the team for so many years already, he says he’s familiar with the students in the program, and while he’ll have to get to know some of the freshmen, many of them have older siblings with whom he’s already worked at WSHS.
Coach Tupper says his core group for next season has good talent coming along, and he sees a real possibility to build a program that produces teams like the ones who went to state for five consecutive years in the past decade. The building blocks are in place now, he says, to have a competitive team for next year. He says WSHS’s increasing success in sports has encouraged more student athletes to stay at the school rather than switch to independent schools.
Overall, Coach Tupper says, he sees this as a great opportunity – and it’s in his hometown, where his folks still live, too. Now, it’s on to preparing for the 2018 season.
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