The spring sports season has nearly reached the finish line, with just a few days of competition remaining for the state’s high school athletes.
With the state track and field meets slated for this week and other programs concluded, here’s where things stand for Enumclaw and White River.
FASTPITCH
Enumclaw: The Enumclaw High girls had a very busy May 23, playing three games in the Class 3A state tournament. Two of those contests resulted in a loss, meaning the Hornets were ousted from further play.
Fresh off an undefeated NPSL 3A season and a district championship, the EHS crew headed to Lacey’s Regional Athletic Complex as the No. 3 seed among the 20 teams gathered in Thurston County.
Coach Quinn Haney’s crew opened against No. 19 Hermiston, an Oregon team that competes in a Washington league to find like-sized competition. After blanking Hermiston 3-0 the Hornets found themselves on the frustrating end of a shutout, falling 6-0 to No. 6 Liberty High.
Liberty went on to win two more tourney games and hoist the state 3A championship trophy.
The Liberty loss put EHS in a win-or-go-home situation and Enumclaw suffered an 8-5 defeat at the hands of No. 9 Prairie High, a school from the Vancouver area.
The state setbacks concluded a noteworthy season that ended with a 23-4 overall record and featured a 21-game winning streak and a 16-0 run through the North Puget Sound League 3A campaign.
BASEBALL
Enumclaw: The Hornets traveled across the Cascades for a pair of May 24 contests in the Class 3A state baseball tournament.
Playing at Kennewick’s Roy Johnson Field, coach Eric Fiedler’s Hornets split a pair of one-run decisions – a victory followed by a loss. Given the “loser out” nature of all the tourney games, Enumclaw’s state experience was limited to those Saturday contests.
The Hornets, seeded No. 9 into the tourney, opened with a 2-1 victory over No. 6 Stanwood, a game that stretched to nine innings. Enumclaw plated a run in the top of the final frame and held on for the hard-fought win.
Quality pitching was the name of the game. EHS senior standout Cooper Markham went 6.2 innings, allowing just three hits and a lone, unearned run. He struck out 11 while allowing only a pair of walks. Carter Grant hurled the remaining 2.1 innings, blanking the Stanwood bats.
The opening victory pushed EHS into a quarterfinal game against No. 3 Kennewick High. In another close battle, the Hornets fell 5-4, thus ending their season.
This Friday, May 30, Kennewick will face No. 2 Gig Harbor in one of the tournament’s semifinal contests. The other pairing will see No. 4 Ballard taking on top-seeded Mount Vernon. The semifinal winners will square off Saturday for the Class 3A state championship while Friday’s losers play for third- and fourth-place honors. The Final Four games will be played at Parker-Faller Field in Yakima.
TRACK & FIELD
Plateau athletes used last week’s West Central District/Southwest District 3/4 meet to earn a trip to this week’s Class 3A state championships.
The three-day, 3A state meet will take place May 29-31 at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
At the May 21 and 23 district meet at French Field in Kent, athletes represented 51 schools. In 3A, the top seven finishers in each event punched their ticket to state. Here’s a look at athletes from Enumclaw High and White River who will be competing this week in Tacoma.
Enumclaw boys: Cole Olson 100 meters and 200 meters; Amos Hall 110-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles; 4×100 relay (Louis Chevalier, Cooper Rodarte, Kaden Kranz, Olson); Porter Rodarte discus; Marcell Lensegrav-Obot triple jump.
White River boys: Dainton Neff discus and shot put; Michael Marlow 800 meters; 4×400 relay (Braden Eames, Cannon Ross, Hunter Maris, Marlow); Hunter Dahlstrom shot put; Jorden Goethals high jump.
Enumclaw girls: Lillian Haas 800 meters; Senna Burt high jump.
White River girls: Vivian Kingston 400 meters and 800 meters; Paeton Poelman 1,600 meters and 3,200 meters; Trista Turgeon 100-meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles.
GIRLS GOLF
White River: Paced by an impressive individual performance by Lexie Mahler, the White River High girls captured ninth-place honors during last week’s Class 3A state golf championships.
The Hornets were in Spokane for the May 20-21 state tournament, playing the Indian Canyon Golf Course.
Mahler opened with a round of 80 and improved dramatically on Day 2, carding a 73. The senior’s two-day total of 153 left her in a tie for fourth place in the field of 140.
Other golfers making up the White River entry were: freshman Kailey Jensen who tied for 36th place (91-90-181); junior Abby Akins, 69th place (96-109-205); and junior Ella Johnson, 75th place (115-123-238). A fifth member of the team, senior Abigail Ringel, had an opening-round 97 then had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict.
Enumclaw: The EHS golf program was represented by Taylor Puryear at the Class 3A state tournament.
The Hornet junior joined a field of 140 for the May 20-21 tourney, staged at Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane. She opened the 3A festivities with a round of 95 and closed with a 92, landing her in a tie for 50th place.
BOYS GOLF
Enumclaw: The Enumclaw High boys team was in Spokane last week, having qualified for the Class 3A state tournament, staged at The Creek at Qualchan.
The Hornets’ state effort was paced by sophomore Wyatt Webb, whose 36-hole total of 155 landed him in a tie for 26th place. He opened with a round of 79 and improved to post a 76 on Day 2.
He was the only Hornet to survive the cut after the first day of play.
Others making up the Enumclaw state team were Travis Leonard who shot 82 and tied for 60th after the first day; junior Parker Cook, 86, tied for 93rd; junior Taelon Van Dam, 87, tied for 103rd; and junior Cole Kiblinger, 90, tied for 124th.
White River: Three White River golfers participated in the Class 3A state tourney, traveling to Spokane for the May 20-21 competition at The Creek at Qualchan.
Following the first day’s 18 holes of play, the White River trio found themselves missing the cut. Playing for the Hornets were: Jonah Wright, junior, who shot an opening-round 83; Wesley Ebbert, freshman, 86; and Zach Wisdom, junior, 96.
GIRLS TENNIS
The only local participant in the Class 3A state girls tennis tournament was White River sophomore Cydnee Chapin.
She traveled May 23 to the Vancouver Tennis Center, the host venue for the two-day tourney.
Chapin’s stay was cut short when she fell 6-0, 6-0 to Chloe Han in the opener, which was a loser-out affair.
This marked the second trip to a state tournament in Chapin’s two-year high school career. She advanced to the Class 2A tourney last year before White River bumped up to 3A status this season.
BOYS TENNIS
Months ago, the Enumclaw High duo of King Gisa and William Stuenkel had earned a berth in this week’s Class 3A state tennis tournament.
In the North Puget Sound League boys tennis is a fall sport, with the state tourney staged in the spring.
The Gisa/Stuenkel pair traveled to the Vancouver Tennis Center May 23, falling out of contention during the double-elimination format. They opened with a 6-2, 6-2 loss then fell by the same score in the loser-out round.
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