The spring sports season has been a successful one on the Plateau, with most of the Enumclaw and White River programs advancing into postseason play.
The action continues this week with district and state contests. Here’s a look at how things fare for the local teams.
ENUMCLAW BASEBALL
The powerful Enumclaw High baseball squad is off to the Class 2A state championships, one of just 16 teams remaining with a shot at state glory.
Coach Eric Fiedler’s Hornet crew has been a force all spring, finishing the regular season with a 15-1 record in South Puget Sound League 2A play (19-2 overall).
The opening round of state action will have EHS taking on the squad from Burlington-Edison High. Game time is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20 on the diamond at Auburn High School.
Saturday’s opener is a loser-out contest. The victor then takes on the winner of a matchup between North Kitsap and Lynden. That second Saturday game also is a loser-out game with the winner advancing to the May 26 state semifinals.
The Hornets had assured themselves of a state berth May 9 with a 3-0 victory over Olympic High in the District 2/3 tourney. Next came a semifinal, May 13 contest against White River, which resulted in a 6-1 loss. That was followed by Saturday’s district finale, an 11-4 triumph over North Kitsap.
WHITE RIVER BASEBALL
Only 16 baseball teams from the state’s Class 2A ranks are still playing and the White River Hornets can count themselves among that prestigious field.
Following a regular season campaign and a district tournament in which they won two of three games, the Hornets head into the 2A state tournament. The opener comes thisSaturday, May 20, when White River squares off against Hudson’s Bay. Game time is 10 a.m. on the field at W.F. West High School in Chehalis.
It is a loser-out game with the winner then taking on the victor of a contest between Port Angeles and W.F. West. That, too, is a loser-out affair, with the winner advancing to the state semifinals on May 26.
White River’s journey through the district tournament included a 5-3 victory over Port Angeles and a 6-1 decision against Enumclaw, then a 3-1 loss to Fife in the district finale.
ENUMCLAW FASTPITCH
With the regular season concluded, the Enumclaw High girls are preparing for the District 2/3 tournament.
Sixteen teams will gather Friday and Saturday for two days of action that will send six squads to the Class 2A state tourney in Selah. The district tournament will again take place at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.
When the district bracket is determined it will be found on the wiaa.com website. Follow the drop-down menu through “tournaments” and “brackets” and fill in the appropriate boxes for District 3, Class 2A fastpitch.
With one league game remaining, Enumclaw was likely in line for a second-place showing. The season finale was played May 16 against White River.
WHITE RIVER FASTPITCH
The White River High girls will trek to the Regional Athletic Complex this weekend for the District 2/3 fastpitch tournament.
The Lacey venue will feature 16 teams, all battling for one of six berths in the coming Class 2A state tourney.
When the district bracket is determined it will be found on the wiaa.com website. Follow the drop-down menu through “tournaments” and “brackets” and fill in the appropriate boxes for District 3, Class 2A fastpitch.
White River finished the South Puget Sound League 2A campaign Tuesday of this week, traveling across the county line to take on neighboring Enumclaw.
ENUMCLAW BOYS’ LACROSSE
A successful regular season was capped by a Saturday afternoon postseason victory for the Enumclaw lacrosse squad.
The team dropped its season opener and then rattled off a dozen consecutive victories before posting a lopsided 19-5 playoff victory against Squalicum. The win came on Enumclaw’s home turf at the Expo Center.
Gunnar Trachte led the way for Enumclaw with a six-goal performance.
Next on the playoff schedule is a May 20 contest against Burlington-Edison, again at the Enumclaw Expo Center. Game time is 5 p.m.
WHITE RIVER BOYS’ SOCCER
The elite field making up the Class 2A state soccer tournament will include the White River Hornets.
The squad qualified for the 16-team event last week during the District 2/3 tourney.
The Hornets will open the 2A state tournament against the Pullman Greyhounds. As of this paper’s press deadline Sunday night, details surrounding the pairing (time and place) had not been posted.
When the state bracket is determined it will be found on the wiaa.com website. Follow the drop-down menu through “tournaments” and “brackets” and fill in the appropriate boxes for “WIAA state,” Class 2A boys’ soccer.
The state opener is a loser-out contest with the victor advancing to play either Tumwater or Franklin Pierce.
The Hornets advanced to district play after tying for second place during the South Puget Sound League 2A season with a mark of 10-3.
The Hornets opened district competition May 9 with a 4-2 victory over the Lindbergh Eagles, which assured a berth in the state tournament. That was followed by a 3-1 loss to Franklin Pierce, the SPSL 2A regular season champion. During a May 13 tussle for fourth or fifth place at districts, White River fell 2-0 to Sammamish High.
ENUMCLAW BOYS’ SOCCER
The Enumclaw High boys split a pair of postseason contests before putting their uniforms away for the season.
The regular season saw the Hornets place seventh in the SPSL 2A with a league record of 5-11.
Turning their attention to the District 2/3 tournament, EHS opened on a high note, blasting Bremerton 5-0 on the road. The victory featured three goals by Matthew Blakemore and two by Landon Breidenbach, along with the shutout goalkeeping of Sergio Cabral Cisneros. Two nights later, on May 11, the Hornets’ season concluded with a 6-1 loss to Foster High.
ENUMCLAW TRACK AND FIELD
A swarm of Enumclaw High Hornets will appear this week in the West Central District 2A track and field championships.
The district meet, to be staged Friday and Saturday at Renton High School, will pare the field and send an elite group to the May 25-27 state meet at Moun t Tahoma High in Tacoma.
The WCD participants qualified for regionals during the May 12 SPSL 2A league meet at White River High. The top six in each event advanced to Renton, where the top six will earn a state berth and a short trip to Tacoma.
On the boys’ side, EHS athletes advancing to the West Central District meet include: Evan Cheney, 3,200 meters and 1,600 meters; McCoy Brooks, 3,200 meters and 1,600 meters; Michael Poleski, 400 meters; Jeremy Dumler, 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles; 4×100 relay (Bo Dods, Jack Heise, Poleski, Clifford Cummings); 4×400 relay (Poleski, Cummings, Heise, Dods); Tyler Merz, shot put; Garrison Shatswell, discus; Caleb Christian, high jump; and both Dean Paulson and Hank Menzie in the pole vault.
Enumclaw High girls advancing to the district meet were: Lillian Haas, 800 meters and 1,600 meters; Ava Sawyer, 3,200 meters; Saiya Flaherty, 100-meter hurdles and high jump; 4×100 relay (Ashli Gowin, Melanie Martinez, Natalie DeMarco, Sutton Kelsey); 4×200 relay (Gowin, Martinez, DeMarco, Taiya Stafford); 4×400 relay (Gowin, Martinez, DeMarco, Stafford); Natalie Young, discus; DeMarco, javelin.
In the final team standings at the May 12 league meet, Enumclaw’s girls placed fourth and the EHS boys tied for sixth.
WHITE RIVER TRACK AND FIELD
White River hosted Friday’s SPSL 2A league meet, which qualified the top six performers in each event for this week’s West Central District competition.
The district meet, set for May 19-20 at Renton Stadium, will send the top six in each event to the Class 2A state meet, to be staged May 25-27 at Mount Tahoma High in Tacoma.
In the boys’ competition, White River athletes heading for districts include: Lyle Dolojan, both 100 and 200 meters; Michael Marlow, 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters; Brendon Holliday, 110-meter hurdles; 4×100 relay (Dolojan, Kouri Lewis, Holliday, Andrew Marshall); Christian Chaussee, high jump.
White River girls advancing to the WCD meet are: Emma Tomlinson, 1,600 meters, 3,200 meters and high jump; Trista Turgeon, 100-meter hurdles; Nativity Leddy, both 800 and 1,600 meters; Soleil Bianchi, 1,600 and 3,200 meters; Cheyanne Saetern, 100-meter hurdles; Paityn Kaydus, 300-meter hurdles; 4×400 relay (Tomlinson, Bianchi, Kelcie Melcher, Leddy); Belle Knauss, pole vault.
In the final team standings at the May 12 league meet, White River’s girls stood alone at No. 6 and the WRHS boys tied for sixth.
ENUMCLAW GIRLS’ TENNIS
Eight Enumclaw High Hornet tennis players advanced from last week’s league tournament and will participate in the May 19-20 district competition.
The district event will take place at the Kitsap Tennis Club in Bremerton and will send top players to the following week’s Class 2A state tournament.
The top EHS entry into district play is the doubles duo of Macy Furtwangler and Ashley Dickerson, who won the league tournament. Enumclaw’s other doubles teams qualified as well: the Bella Firnkoess/Josie Schampera tandem placed fourth at the league tourney and the Millie Poulin/Jasmine Dumontet was fifth.
Also qualifying for district play were Enumclaw’s singles entries. Caitlin Triplett was sixth at the league tourney and Kate Tinney was seventh.
WHITE RIVER GIRLS’ TENNIS
The season ended with the league tournament for the girls making up the White River tennis program.
Playing in the league tourney were Jazmine Becher and Ava Steffen in singles competition. The Hornets also had two entries in doubles play: squaring off against their SPSL 2A foes were the teams of Alexandra Dinger/Ella Klemkow and Emma Swensrud/Amy Grasley.
PHOTO BY KEVIN HANSON One of the key performers for Enumclaw High baseball all season has been Cooper Markham, a threat every time he takes the mound or steps to the plate. The Hornet sophomore and his teammates will begin the 16-team Class 2A state tournament Saturday morning.
