With the last weekend of the prep sports season, several Bainbridge individuals and teams are headed to their respective tournaments to try to bring home a trophy.
The Bainbridge track and field team had several athletes qualify for the state meet at Mt. Tahoma High School thanks to their performance at the district meet last week.
Cameron Brink collected a district title with a throw of 145 feet, 8 inches.
The girls 4×400 meter relay team of Danielle Bogardus, Isabel Ferguson, Joli Holmes and Pearl Terry made it with a time of 4:11.97.
Ferguson also qualified in the high jump with a mark of five feet, one inch while Mark Smith qualified in the high jump with a mark of six feet, two inches.
It is the third year in a row that Ferguson has made it this far.
Brink, who also plays on the football and basketball teams, has overcome a sprained ankle to become one of the top throwers in the district.
“I’ve just been coming out every day and working hard,” he said. “I’ve been working hard with the coaches everyday.”
Head coach Andy Grimm said that Brink has gone to throwing camps over the summer to work on his form.
“It’s very competitive to get to this point,” he said. “He had a good year last year, but he wasn’t real healthy at (throwing) camp (this summer) so he didn’t get the more quality reps, but what he’s thrown (this season) are some good high school marks.”
The Bainbridge soccer team has put forth some good marks over the season as they do battle for its first ever trophy in the 3A state tournament at Clover Park High School.
“We had certain personalities step up (this season) in goalkeeping, in the central defense, in the midfield and having a nose for goal,” head coach George Vukic said. “There’s been a lot of growth along the way and there have been some good intangibles that have grown out of this chemistry.”
Both Vukic and senior defender Will Devereaux also gave credit to how tough the Metro League is – in particular their 1-0 wins over Seattle Prep and Lakeside in the tournament – and how it got them ready for state.
But while its the first time they have made it this far, Devereaux said neither Vukic or the team want to have a ‘happy to be here’ attitude.
“George has been talking to us about not playing this game with a ‘let’s go out and have fun’ (attitude),” he said. “We’re focused on winning this game and winning the next game. We want to go all the way.”
Fastpitch coach Liz McCloskey is hoping they can go all the way at the 3A state tournament at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.
The tournament was moved there because they have artificial turf while the South End Recreation Complex in Tacoma does not. It was based on the heavy rain last season that forced many teams to play four games in one day.
McCloskey said the field conditions will help the team avoid injuries due to the poor field conditions at SERA last year.
“It’ll make it a completely different game,” she said. “I talked to a couple of coaches who are going to districts and they don’t like the idea of playing on turf, but with the rain last year, there was no way to get out of it.”
While the team did not repeat as Mountain Division champs, McCloskey said they have had many of the younger players step up and deliver this season, especially at the plate.
“It’s been a huge difference with our younger group, but the experience they got” at state last year is beneficial to them, she said. “To get that experience and be able to move forward from it and do what they did last year is only going to benefit us this year.”
Seniors Caitlin McCormick and Clara Dunn, who have been to state all four years in their time on the team, said they feel they have a good chance to succeed.
“If we just keep up our attitude and go hard after everything and play hard, I think we can make it far,” McCormick said.
Bainbridge head tennis coach Mike Anderson is hoping five members of the team can go far at the 3A state tournament in Kennewick this weekend.
“I felt like we should have gotten five to state,” he said. “But we are really thrilled to take five to state for the first time in a long time.”
Sasha Carter is one of the contenders to bring home a state title. She won the 1A title as a freshman at Annie Wright in 2008, then won a state title last year after sitting out a year due to WIAA transfer rules.
Many are expecting both Carter and Natalie Allen to meet up again in the finals. Allen has beaten Carter the last three times they have played, including in the Metro and district finals but Carter said she will not stress out too much about the past.
“I have a game plan, so I’ll just go in and do my best,” she said.
Porter and Jameson will be looking for another trophy this year after taking fifth at state.
Both feel they can make it to the semifinals, but Jameson said she needs to make sure her first serves are good and that they play well at the net.
“It’ll really click if I can get my serves in,” she said.
“We’ve been working on first serves a lot,” Porter said.
Scott Alderson, who qualified with his brother Matt, a freshman, said the two were motivated to make it after missing out last season.
“The confidence for (both) of us is key” to our success this weekend, he said.
Anderson said that all five have a good chance to make it far in the tournament.
“Number one, we’re telling them to ‘play like champions,’” he said. “That means be consistent and come right out from the get go.”
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A state capsule
Here is a brief rundown of the events for this weekend. For up to the minute news, follow Bainbridge Review sports reporter John Becerra Jr. on Twitter (@birsports).
• Fastpitch: The Spartans face off against Peninsula at noon Friday at the Lacey-Thurston County Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey (8345 Steilacoom Road SE). If they win, they will play at 4 p.m. against the winner of the Capital/Mt. Spokane game. If they lose, they will play the loser of that game at 2 p.m. The tournament is double elimination.
• Boys’ Soccer: Bainbridge plays the defending 3A state champions in Glacier Peak at 2 p.m Friday at Harry Lang Stadium in Lakewood (11023 Gravelly Lake Dr. SW). If they win, they will play either Camas or Southridge at 2 p.m. Saturday for a state title. If they lose, they will play the loser of that game at 10 a.m. for third or fourth place.
• Track and Field: Those who have qualified for the 3A state meet at Mt. Tahoma High School (4634 S. 74th St. in Tacoma) include:
-The girls’ 4×400 relay team of Danielle Bogardus, Isabel Ferguson, Joli Holmes and Pearl Terry ran its heat Thursday, but results were not available as of press time. If they made the top eight, they will run at 5:20 p.m. Saturday.
-Ferguson is also in the high jump. The finals of that event were Thursday, but results were not available as of presstime.
-Mark Smith is in the high jump. The finals of that event are Saturday at 1:40 p.m.
-Cameron Brink is in the discus. The finals of that event are Friday at 10:05 a.m.
• Tennis: Sasha Carter will play in girls’ singles at the Tri-City Court Club (1350 N Grant St. in Kennewick) while the boys and girls’ doubles teams of Matt and Scott Alderson and Grace Porter and Kate Jameson play at Kamiakin High School (600 N Arthur St. in Kennewick.)
Carter plays against Emma Leimback of Yelm at 10 a.m. while the Aldersons play Joel Richardson and Jacob Yannello of Lakes at 10 a.m. and Porter and Jameson play Rebecca Johnson and Gina Sanders, Enumclaw at 8:30 a.m. If Carter wins, she plays at 1 p.m. If the Aldersons win, they play at 1 p.m. If Porter and Jameson win they play at 11:30 a.m. The tournament is double elimination.
