Everything is starting to come together for Kentlake big man Jeff Budinich.<\/p>\n
Budinich, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound center for the basketball team, recently signed a letter of intent to play next year on scholarship at Montana State University in Bozeman.<\/p>\n
A year ago, being able to take his game to the college level was more of an afterthought in Budinich\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was uncoordinated last year,\u201d admits Budinich, who grew two inches and added 35 pounds since last season. \u201cNow, I am quicker. I have more hand-eye coordination. I caught up to my body. My strength has, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Which is a good thing for the Falcons and a not-so-good thing for Budinich\u2019s South Puget Sound League North Division foes.<\/p>\n
But the additional weight has not taken away from Budinich\u2019s ability to get up and down the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a guy who floats around,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t think (other centers) can keep up with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Budinich, 17, chose Montana State over Portland State and Eastern Washington University among others. Having made the decision several weeks before practices began is a relief, Budanich conceded.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, I had a few college coaches come to my games … and I felt a lot of pressure,\u201d he said. \u201cThat pressure\u2019s not going to be there this year.<\/p>\n
Budinich averaged 6.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last year, helping the Falcons earn the South Puget Sound League North Division\u2019s fifth-and-final playoff berth. Kentlake was eliminated in two games at the district tournament, but not before Budinich delivered a season-high 20 points in an 87-75 loss to Kentridge.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Shumaker to LC State<\/b><\/p>\n
Budinich isn\u2019t the only local athlete to have recently signed on the dotted line.<\/p>\n
Kentwood\u2019s Stephanie Shumaker, a 5-foot-2 setter on the volleyball team, has signed a letter of intent to play next fall at Lewis-Clark State College.<\/p>\n
Shumaker, a two-year starter for the Conquerors, led Kentwood to a third-place state finish last year. She helped Kentwood, which played in the state tournament this past weekend, win its fourth straight South Puget Sound League North Division title this fall.<\/p>\n
Though a first-team all-league setter this season, LC State is considering shifting Shumaker to libero.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt always helps to have someone with good hands playing in the back row, and good setters have those hands,\u201d Warrior assistant coach Burdette Greeny said.<\/p>\n
\u201cStephanie plays in arguably the region\u2019s best club system in Kent Juniors and her Kentwood High School program has been a state contender for years now. That is significant to us in that she has consistently had quality coaching and is used to winning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Off to Arkansas<\/b><\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t swim for a high school team.<\/p>\n
But that didn\u2019t slow Tahoma High senior Dannica Brennan one bit.<\/p>\n
Brennan, who competes with the King Aquatic Club in Federal Way, recently signed a letter of intent to swim at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville next fall.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cI definitely chose this school because … the team trains a lot like I do now. When I walked into practice (at Arkansas), that\u2019s kind of when I decided I really liked it there.\u201d<\/p>\n
This past summer, Brennan competed in the Olympic trials and just missed the cut in the 200 IM and 50 free. She chose Arkansas over Virginia Tech and Texas A & M among others.<\/p>\n
Brennan is a native of Great Falls, Montana. With her family still in Montana, Brennan moved to Maple Valley in March of her sophomore year simply to compete with the King Aquatic Club.<\/p>\n
\u201cI miss all of my friends and stuff, but I like being out here because training is so much better,\u201d said Brennan, who hopes to qualify for the summer Olympics in four years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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