The Seattle Thunderbirds are excited to announce a new summer photo promotion.
Starting July 1 the T-Birds are encouraging fans to send the team photos of them wearing T-Birds jerseys, hats and t-shirts during the summer.
Today marks the last of the three annual honors we hand out here at the Kent Reporter.
Of the three – the Male and Female Athlete of the Year honors – the Coach of the Year was the most difficult to choose.
Why?
For beginners, it’s nearly impossible to choose one coach who guided his or her respective team to a state title over another coach who did the same thing. During the recent prep sports year, Kentwood’s Jon Aarstad (baseball), Michael Angelidis (boys hoops) and Ingrid Bakke (boys tennis) all led their programs to the top.
Clearly, it has been quite a year in the athletic arena at Kentwood High.
It’s hard to imagine that a high school baseball team would feel as though it had something to prove after posting a 17-4 record.
But that was exactly the position the Kentwood High baseball team found itself in at the beginning of this spring. When the Conquerors looked back, they didn’t see the wins from the previous season or their second-place finish in league, but instead the one glaring loss — a 13-7 defeat to Newport — in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
She grew up with dreams of qualifying for the Olympic games in track & field.
While that never quite panned out for Adrienne Wilson of the Seattle Majestics women’s football team, a second chance of sorts has materialized.
Ben Wadowski cashed in on opportunity Sunday morning at South County Ballfield Park in Federal Way.
Wadowski delivered a Herculean performance, belting two home runs and going the distance on the mound, leading Kent's 10-11 All-Stars past Auburn 7-2 for the District 10 championship.
Seattle Thunderbirds goalie Calvin Pickard was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round, 49th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Los Angeles June 26.
It rained. It poured.
But the fun didn’t stop for 2000 Kentwood High graduate Mike Karney on Saturday at French Field, where he played host to the third-annual Karney’s 44 Kids Camp. Roughly 140 youngsters between the ages of 8 and 16 showed up for the one-day event, which featured a handful of NFL players, including Seattle’s Owen Schmitt, St. Louis linebacker James Laurinaitis and kicker Josh Brown.
Kent will be taking on a decidedly Spokane feel later on this summer.
While the Gonzaga Bulldogs won’t be coming this way any time soon, the Showare Center parking lot will be host to the first 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Kent history. The tournament, which is being tabbed the Showare Shootout presented by Allied Waste, will follow the blueprint established by the Spokane Hoopfest, which takes place at the end of June each year and draws more than 5,000 teams and 25,000 players from around the nation.
Leslie Folsom is speechless.
Folsom, 42, continued what has been a magnificent run last week, edging Mimi Racicot 4-and-2 to win the Seattle Women’s Golf Association’s City Championship at Kent’s Meridian Valley Country Club. Folsom, who lives in South Seattle and plays out of Rainier Golf and Country Club, vaulted into some rare territory with the win, which was her third straight City title. Folsom joins Anne Carr and Ruth Jessen as the only golfers to ever win three consecutive SWGA titles.
GRAND SLAM BASEBALL CAMPS
Grand Slam Camps for baseball and fastpitch will be held at Petrovitsky Park from July 12-15th and at South County Ballfields Park from July 19-22. The camps serve players ages 7-14. The complete camp covers all aspects of the game and is held each day from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Skills Camp is held from 1:30-4 p.m. daily and provides hitting instruction as well. Campers select a defensive position to focus on as well as pitcher, catcher or infield. Since 1993, Grand Slam, a non-profit organization, has had the goal of providing quality instruction in a fun environment while exposing kids to positive role models. The camp staff is comprised of high school coaches and current or former college players. Each camp is $105. Discounts are available for military, siblings, and multiple camp sign-ups. Detailed information can be found at www.grandslam.com. Grand Slam Camps also can be found on Facebook.
Track wasn’t her first choice.
In fact, track wasn’t even among Jaclyn Onosko’s top three when she entered Kentridge High several years ago. Instead, the 18-year-old senior dabbled in fastpitch for a year, spent three more in basketball, and was a mainstay on the volleyball court.
Track?
Of all the years I have been in the newspaper industry and have selected a Female Athlete of the Year, I have to say this was the tightest race of all.
Kent-Meridian’s Melanie Vertrees took home last year’s honors with relative ease.
Kentwood’s Jessie Genger walked away with the award the year before.
This year?
KELSEY BUENO, Kent-Meridian
Grade: Senior.
Sport: Track.
ALEX STRAUS, Kentlake
Grade: Junior.
Sport: Track.
CHELSEA MUSKELLY, Kent-Meridian
Grade: Sophomore.
Sport: Track.
AVERY KAIN, Kentwood
Grade: Junior.
Sport: Baseball.
AARON ABRAMS, Kentridge
Grade: Senior.
Sport: Track.
He had NFL dreams, but Mike Karney's goals have always brought him back home to Kent.
Karney, a 2000 Kentwood High graduate, achieved those NFL dreams. The current St. Louis Ram fullback will be entering his seventh season in the NFL this fall. However, just as important to the former KW star is the fact that he achieved his goal back home, too.
That goal?
The Seattle Women’s Golf Association City Championship will be returning to Kent from June 14-18 for the first time since 1997.
MATT OVERLAND, Kentridge
Grade: Senior.
Sport: Tennis.
