“The West Seattle Totems have had an outstanding year,” declares the riflery club’s coach Joe Matter, sharing this wrapup and the team photo:

Led by two seniors, Lauren Phillips and Emma Carey, the Totems successfully defended last year’s Junior National Championship in Four Position Smallbore Rifle. And that was just the beginning…

Alec Patajo, one of the younger kids in the program, won 6 national championships in his age group (14 & under).

McKenna Dahl, who is a paralympic athlete, took the silver medal in the National Three Position Air Rifle Championship. She also qualified for the USA National Paralympic Team. She traveled to Britain for the International Paralympic World Cup Match in July where she finished 11th and 12th in two Air Rifle events. She is just back from Bangkok, Thailand, where she captured the Gold Medal in the Falling Targets, and 5th in offhand Air Rifle in the last World Cup Match of the season.

The West Seattle Totems’ team efforts were thunderous this season. The top team, the Thunderbirds, also finished 3rd in the American Legion National Air Rifle Championships, 2nd in the NRA’s Three Position Air Rifle Championships, 3rd in the Open Smallbore Four Position National Championship. The team also won five State Championships.

The Totems also competed in three National Qualifier matches this season in order to attend the Junior Olympic National Championships as well as the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s National Championships. The Totems were the only club in the nation to qualify two teams to go the those events.

In total, the Totems brought home more than 40 national awards, both team and individual, this season.

Lauren Phillips is off to Nebraska this fall, where she is on scholarship for the Huskers Rifle Team.

Congratulations, Totems!

SIDE NOTE: As we head into fall, just a reminder that we appreciate reports like this on local achievements (not just sports) – we try to keep informed on as much as possible, but there’s still so much we won’t know unless you share the news so that we in turn can share it with the West Seattle (and beyond!) community – editor@westseattleblog.com any time.