CAMERON WHITING, KentridgeGrade: Senior.Sport: Swimming.Favorite class: AP Statistics.Accomplishment: Whiting, who attends The Overlake School but swims at Kentridge, qualified for state in the 200 IM… Continue reading
Tanner Keeling-Garcia likes to fly in the water and in the skies.
Keeling-Garcia, a junior on the Kentlake boys swim and dive team, is on the verge of getting his private pilot’s license but is also one of the Falcons’ strongest swimmers.
He’s healthier than ever.
And hungrier then ever, too.
As much was evident for Kentridge High swim star Cameron Whiting on Thursday, Dec. 16 in a pivotal South Puget Sound League North Division meet against rival Kentlake.
SPSL NORTH BOYS SWIMMING: AT A GLANCE• FAVORITE: Kentridge• CONTENDERS: Kentlake, Mount Rainier• ON THE CUSP: Kentwood, Tahoma• LEAGUE OUTLOOK: The South Puget Sound League… Continue reading
The Spokane Chiefs defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 8-2 Dec. 14 at the ShoWare Center.
The Tri-City Americans defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-1 Dec. 10 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick in the first game of a home-and-home series between the two teams.
The Seattle Thunderbirds came back from a three-goal deficit Dec. 4 at the CN Centre to defeat the Prince George Cougars 5-4 in a five-round shootout.
JESSICA BARNES, KentlakeGrade: Senior.Sport: Basketball.Accomplishment: Barnes scored nine points in helping the Falcons pick up their first victory of the season on Dec. 9, a… Continue reading
The pillars of the Kent-Meridian High wrestling program graduated last spring.
Jesus Valdez, Nick Lemmon, Andrew Smith and Thomas Reinhart — four of the South Puget Sound League North Division’s top wrestlers last season — have moved on.
“You have four outstanding kids. They were so exceptional, natural leaders,” said Kent-Meridian coach Todd Owens.
What if?
That thought has gone through the mind of Kentwood High senior Ruben Navejas more than a handful of times since last year’s Class 4A state wrestling tournament, and understandably so.
Navejas, competing at 103 pounds, entered the title match against Tahoma’s Steven Hopkins as the weight class’ top-ranked wrestler and sporting an impressive 39-2 record. He was the defending state champion and was a favorite to repeat.
They have the potential and plenty of talent, too.
Now, second-year Kentlake High wrestling coach Jeremy Williams wants to see it all come together for the Falcons on the mat.
“We definitely want to be in the top three in dual (meets) in the league,” Williams said. “We know Tahoma and Auburn have tough teams, and Kentwood does as well. But we have a lot of guys who have potential and aspirations to make it to state.”
He wants to put the Kentridge High wrestling program back on the map.
But first-year coach Todd Lantz knows it’s never easy in the South Puget Sound League North Division, which produces multiple state champions on an annual basis.
“I want to get these guys revved up,” said Lantz, who is Kentridge’s fourth coach in the last six years. “I want to be middle of the road or above (in the SPSL North). I want to be at least .500 or above in our dual meets. This division is pretty tough with Tahoma, Auburn and Kentwood ... they’ve all have a long tradition of winning.
“I want to get Kentridge in that mix.”
Editor's Note: This is the first of a five-part series previewing the local high school wrestling season. In the coming days, the Reporter will also… Continue reading
On Monday, Dec. 13, the Kentlake and Kentwood girls soccer teams came together to present a check for $4,850 to the Covington MultiCare Mammogram Assistance Fund. The two friendly rivals raised the money with their second-annual Kicks for the Cure soccer match, which was played Oct. 7 at French Field and in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the game, each team sports a different shade of pink. In addition, T-shirts are sold and prizes are raffled off throughout the afternoon.
The decision was easy.
Kentridge High star guard Gary Bell made it look even easier.
Trailing 51-50 with 10.7 seconds remaining Tuesday night at Kentwood High and all eyes on the Kentridge star, Bell sliced his way to the basket and kissed a short runner off glass, leading the fourth-ranked Chargers past the third-ranked Conquerors 52-51 in a South Puget Sound League North Division game.
The Kentwood High boys basketball team may have a new look, even a new style of play.But the same results have followed for the Conquerors.Behind… Continue reading
Calvin Pickard is the Seattle Thunderbirds Player of the Week.
Change is sweeping across the Kentlake High girls basketball courts this winter.
“We’re very green in the post this year,” deadpanned sixth-year coach Scott Simmons. “We’re no longer big.”
Indeed. Kentlake graduated four-fifths of its starting lineup from last season, including 6-foot-3 center Riley Butler (Seattle Pacific University) and 6-foot-1 do-it-all forward Morgan Comstock (Eastern Washington University).
The coaching philosophy was as simple as it was complex.
Build for the future, but play for the present.
Certainly the two conflict in some respects, but it was an ideal, a goal, a foundation to success that Brett Drewery felt was imperative last winter, his first at the helm of the Kent-Meridian High girls basketball program.
The only direction to go this winter is up for the Kentridge High girls basketball team.
But first-year coach Bob Sandall is fully aware it’s going to take a complete buy in from everybody who steps onto the floor.
“The girls worked hard over the summer and made some pretty significant improvements,” Sandall said. “It’s looking good. The kids are buying into what we’re trying to do.”
