Four Hornets make Junior Olympics

Four members of the Enumclaw High girls water polo team were invited to join Puget Sound Polo’s Junior Olympic Team. Eight Hornets, along with dozens of athletes from around the area, took part in a tryout for the club May 2 at Curtis High in University Place.

EHS athletes Erin Stucker and Ali Ballard were invited to join Puget Sound Polo’s 16-and-younger team, and Hornets Lindsay Bowden and Kaitlyn Korsch were invited to the 18-and-younger team. Stucker, Bowden and Korsch took part in the Junior Olympics in 2008; this is Ballard’s first invitation to the club.

Puget Sound Polo teams will compete around the Northwest this summer in preparation for the Junior Olympic tournament July 29 through Aug. 2 in Palo Alto, Calif. They are coached by Josh Newman and Mike Wallen. Newman coaches boys and girls water polo teams at Wilson in Tacoma. Wallen coaches the boys water polo team at Lakes, the girls team at Curtis and the women’s program at the University of Washington.

EHS junior varsity finish with tourney

The Enumclaw High junior varsity girls water polo team won two games and lost one May 9 at a tournament at Rogers High in Puyallup.

The Hornets pulled off a come-from-behind overtime 9-8 victory over Auburn. The Trojans led most of the game, until Brooke Flaquinti scored the tying goal on a power play with 20 seconds left in the game. Kelsey Sonneson scored in the overtime period to secure the EHS win.

Sonneson was high scorer for the Hornets with three goals. Also scoring for EHS was Ali Ballard and Brooke Flaquinti with two goals each, and Rachel Deonigi and Annie Birklid with one.

EHS lost the second game, 10-8 to Rogers. Hornets scoring were Sonneson with four goals, Birklid with two and Brooke Flaquinti and Deonigi with a goal each.

In the finale, EHS beat Auburn Riverside 12-4. Sonneson and Brooke Flaquinti scored four goals each, and Breanna Flaquinti, Alina VanRuff, Cassie Cook and Birklid each added a goal.