High School Sports: 2010 Year in Review

Shorewood Thunderbirds

Team of the Year

Shorewood had a number of teams post outstanding seasons in 2010, but none surpassed the job done by coach Steve Kelley's boys swim and dive team.

The Thunderbirds took home the 4A team state title, led by strong performances by Mackey Hopen and Thor Stenfjord.

Honorable Mention

Susie McDowell's girls swim and dive team showed that Shorewood's prowess in the pool is not limited to the boys team. The Thunderbirds won the WesCo and district titles before placing sixth at the 4A girls state swim and dive meet.

Shorewood's volleyball squad placed four members on the All-WesCo team, including first-teamers Molly Whipple and Monica Poster. Madison Welsh earned second-team honors and Carolyn Stransky was honorable mention.

Cross-country runner Colin Wilkins qualified for the state meet, where he ran a 16:58.2.

Brandon Leach was the only T-Bird wrestler who made the state tournament in 2010. He finished eighth in the 119-pound class.

Best Moment of 2010

With a bevy of athletes having success on the league, district and state levels, the Thunderbirds left many great moments of 2010 to choose from. But only one team brought home the big prize. Kelley's boys swim and dive team's 4A state title is an accomplishment that will not soon be forgotten at Shorewood. The Thunderbirds beat Gig Harbor by 15 points to secure their place in the rich history of Shorewood swimming.

Best of the Rest

In the fall, eight Shorewood runners qualified for state in cross country: Wilkins on the boys side, and girls team members Charlee Linton, Erin Johnson, Tori Lewis, Jessica Throolin, Keelin McKellar, Angelica Yehdego and Anahi Vicencio.

The boys 4 x 100 relay team placed seventh at the state track and field meet in 2010.

Erin Johnson finished second in the girls 800 meter run at state.

The Shorewood baseball team also made a state tournament run in 2010, finishing fourth after beating Puyallup and Kelso before losing to Richland in the semifinals and to Federal Way in the third/fourth-place game.

Shorecrest Scots

Team of the Year

In his final year as head coach of the Scots girls basketball team, Ed Wissing took his team into uncharted territory. The Scots rode their dream season all the way to Tacoma and the state tournament for the first time in any classification. But Wissing and the Scots weren't finished. Shorecrest beat Lakes 52-42 before losing to eventual state champion Cleveland.

Honorable Mention

Two Shorecrest runners made it to the boys state cross country meet: Abiel Tekle and Carter Osborne.

Angie Bonato, Neva Mahler, Jacque Blackmore, Sarah Semon, Emily Strathy and Amy Glaskova qualified for state in girls swimming.

The boys qualifiers in state for swimming were Carter Osborne, Kevin McKay, Kenny Johnson, Erik Ramsey, Jeremy Donner, Reyes McElmurry, Nathan Hannah, Cam McMahon, Josh Dyck, Jacob Ferris, Russell Groves and Jeffery Zylstra.

Jordan Brown, David Cannon and Sean Dever were the state qualifiers for the boys in track and field. For the girls, Emily Corona and Elisa Ahern made the state track and field meet.

Best Moment of 2010

Making the state tournament for the first time in girls basketball was a monumental accomplishment for the Scots. But none of it would have been possible without the best moment of 2010 for Shorecrest. Facing Lynnwood for the district title and a spot in the state tournament, Shorecrest beat the Royals 54-44, sending the Scots to Tacoma to play their first state playoff game in girls basketball.

Best of the Rest

Shorecrest also made the 3A state tournament in boys soccer, where the Scots advanced to the second round of the with a 4-3 win over Yelm before losing 1-0 to Camas in the quarterfinal round.

King's Knights

Team of the Year

The Knights made it impossible to choose just one from their eight state qualifying teams in 2010. The boys track and field team won the team title over Cashmere by 17 points in the spring and the volleyball team posted an outstanding run to the state championship match before falling to Chelan.

Curtis Clauson set the tone for his team, winning titles in the 300 meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump and javelin throw.

Honorable Mention

The Knights boys soccer team made it to the semifinals before losing to Overlake 1-0. They finished fourth.

The boys basketball team made a state quarterfinal appearance after beating Toledo and Granger in their first two rounds. The Knights lost to Meridian and Vashon to finish sixth at the tournament.

The football team, led by the arm and legs of quarterback Thomas Vincent, took down Montesano in the first round of the state tournament before losing to Meridian.

Best Moment of 2010

One of the best teams of 2010 also takes home the best moment for the year for King's. The Knights volleyball team was dominant for much of the season including the playoffs. King's won nine consecutive games (three-game sweeps in each of their first three matches) in the state tournament, beating Newport, Zillah and Cedar Park Christian before falling to Chelan in the final. The Knights were at their best in a semifinal win over Cedar Park Christian. King's won 25-18, 25-13, 25-12 to earn its spot in the championship match.

Best of the Rest

In addition to their four state tournament appearances, the Knights also made the state meet in boys and girls cross country, finishing fourth and second, respectively. The girls track and field team finished third at state. 

Shoreline Christian Crusaders

Team of the Year

The Crusaders boys soccer team reached the 2B championship game in 2010, knocking off Waitsburg and Riverside Christian in the tournament. The Crusaders fell 2-1 in the final to Providence Classical Christian, ending one of the most successful seasons in school history.

Best of the Rest

Shoreline Christian also had runners qualify for state in girls track and field. Bethany Richards, Meesha Hoskin, Mallori Wells and Laura Kredit all made the 2B girls state track and field meet last spring.