Thanks to Julie Rajaratnam for the photo and report:

Seattle’s history in the sport of rowing is well known, thanks to Daniel James Brown’s best-seller The Boys in the Boat. What you may not know is how West Seattle is doing its part to cultivate rowing prowess. Meet four exceptional young women from West Seattle who have earned their way to the US Rowing Youth National Championships in Sarasota, Florida, June 12-15.

[L-R: Kiran Rajaratnam (rowing for Vashon Island Rowing Club in the Women’s U17 4x and coxswain for the Men’s U16 4x+), Anna Urelius and Genevieve Ide (both from Mount Baker Rowing and in the Women’s U17 8+), Claire Gordon (Greenlake Crew, Women’s Varsity 8+]

Each athlete shared a brief word about what the sport of rowing, and the opportunity to compete at Nationals, means for them:

Kiran: “Rowing has taught me so much: determination, confidence, discipline, and most of all, the value of teamwork. My boat mates and I have been there to support each other, push one another to be better, and share a friendship on and off the water. After all the meters we’ve rowed and the time we’ve dedicated, our hard work has paid off. We made it to nationals! I’m super excited for this opportunity, and we’re ready to give it our all!”

Anna: “Rowing at Mount Baker is like a second home to me. It’s the place I can go to take a break from the stress of school and life to be able to focus on something that I really enjoy while getting stronger and forming amazing relationships with my teammates. I feel so lucky to be able to go to nationals with this amazing group of girls that I love so much!”

Genevieve: “Nationals is what the whole year has been leading up to, every practice, race, and even recovery day has been preparing me for this. When I’m doing a hard piece or start wanting to give up, I always remind myself that my body can do so much more than my mental ‘limit’.”

Claire: “Nationals to me is a great opportunity to compete at a higher level and on such a large scale. I’m so excited to represent the PNW along with these other girls as well as race my hardest for the last time this season!” Claire, a junior at West Seattle High School, recently committed to rowing at the University of Washington!

These clubs all fundraise to support the costs of athlete participation and enable greater access. If you’d like to support them, here are three links: VIRC’s Nationals Fundraiser, Mount Baker’s Annual Fund, or Green Lake Crew’s STEM to Stern initiative. As these four young athletes take to the starting line in Sarasota, we wish them flat water and fast strokes!

Rowing culture—and the tight-knit communities built within and across clubs—offers an ideal environment for young athletes to thrive. Check out the clubs’ websites for more information on how you can get involved. In addition to these three clubs, the Duwamish Rowing Club in South Park also offers rowing opportunities for youth. The summer months are particularly ideal for dipping your toes (and oars!) in the water.

(All photos taken during Southside Revolution’s May 10 bout with Seattle Derby Brats)

Story by Tracy Record
Photos by Dave Gershgorn
for West Seattle Blog

“Seattle is where roller derby is at!”

So proclaims Patty Gray, a former Rat City Roller Derby skater who is mentoring the newest generation of derby skaters as board president of Southside Revolution Junior Roller Derby.

SSR, whose home bouts are at Southgate Roller Rink in White Center, recently wrapped up its home season with the “Battle in Seattle” vs. Seattle Derby Brats. The two are not only friendly rivals; Patty says they make Seattle the only city in the country with two junior roller-derby organizations.

Though the home season is over, the competition continues. Four teams comprise Southside Revolution – Alliance, Cadets, Rebels, and Resistance; the Rebels are a year-round travel team, headed to regionals in Oregon in June, which are followed by national championships in Colorado in July. They’re hoping to make it to “champs” for the first time in seven years. And SSR is hoping for community support to help get them to postseason success; you can help with that by going to their Royal Masquerade Skate Prom fundraiser at Southgate on Wednesday (June 4). More on that shortly!

Why support SSR? Myriad reasons, including this one: Junior roller derby is an inclusive sport, Patty explains, attractive to many kids and teens who just “didn’t fit in”. with conventional sports. Southside Revolution is open to ages 7-18, and it’s “open gender,” so all can skate together. “All body types,” too. Yes, it gets rough, Patty acknowledges, but it has rules. “These kids are learning how to embody their strength, their skills.” Sometimes during bouts, it’s about speed, but other times, it’s about defense against an opponent trying to break a “jam,” and you might see the line of teammates barely move.

“It’s definitely a team sport,” Patty says.

She says she fell in love with roller derby by watching skaters then known as the Rat City Rollergirls; eventually she joined them. She skated for five years before retiring; now she has two kids who are following in her wheelstops. Skaters of course have derby names; she was Slamburger Patty – her son is Omargeddon; her daughter, Killer Diva.

Though Southside Revolution has been in existence more than a decade – even if you’ve never been to a bout, you might have seen them around, including West Seattle Grand Parade appearances – this is its first year as a nonprofit. That means there’s been a new learning curve, and it includes the world of fundraising. Even if you don’t skate, you can have fun at Wednesday’s Royal Masquerade Skate Prom, 5:30-7:30 pm at the rink (9646 17th SW) – watching skating, of course, for starters.

Also, there’ll be a costume contest, silent auction, refreshments, more to make it a true party. $20 tickets will be available at the door.

P.S. If you have a potential derby skater in your household – watch for word of new-skater clinics that SSR will be offering in fall.

Congratulations to the West Seattle girls’ water polo team – they’ve made into the state tournament! That news comes from Jennifer, who sent the photos and report, and also says they’re offering a free clinic to mentor other girls:

The WSHS Girls Water Polo team finished 3rd in the Division Championship Tournament last Saturday and then won a play-in against Shorewood High School to qualify for the State Championship Tournament held at Curtis Aquatic Center in University Place. The Wildcats will play Curtis High School (tonight) at 8 pm. The team will also play Friday, May 30th and Saturday, May 31st. The other qualifying schools are Bainbridge, Kennedy Catholic, Gig Harbor, Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Rogers.

Once their post-season is over, the team will host a free clinic for middle- and high-school-aged girls on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 3:00 to 4:30 pm at Southwest Pool. Learn and play alongside the high school girls team players, under the direction of WSHS Coaches Steven McKinnon and Jojo Southwell. Find out what this growing sport is all about and get a chance to learn the basics. This is an educational event open to all 6th through 12th grade girls regardless of which school they attend. Registration required in advance of the event. Please contact WSWP to receive a link to register: wshswaterpolo@gmail.com

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

In an improvement from their debut match, West Seattle Rhodies FC scored a win Sunday against Eugene, Oregon’s Lane United FC, 2-0. The Rhodies’ second match saw good attendance, albeit less than their debut.

Two new additions for Sunday’s match were inflatable cheering sticks and pink, Rhodies-themed color spray, to use when the team scores a goal. “We didn’t get the chance to use it last time, but expect to see a lot more of it in the future,” said chief marketing officer Marissa Villegas.

Lower attendance didn’t diminish the crowd’s enthusiasm as Nicole, a Rhodies self-proclaimed “superfan,” brought along a flag, one of many seen at the match.

The Rhodies’ next two matches, against Olympia FC and a rematch against Lane United, will take them away from their home field at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex. They’ll be back in West Seattle on June 8th, then returning for their final two matches at home on the 25th and 28th. To learn more about Rhodies FC, and to purchase tickets to future games, go here.

Today’s other state-tournament game involving a local high-school team also ended with a loss, but just getting to the 2A tournament was a victory for the Chief Sealth IHS Seahawks – first trip to state in 40 years. They played W.F. West HS this morning at that school’s home field in Chehalis; the Seahawks were on the losing end of a 2-0 shutout.

FIRST REPORT, 3:05 PM: We’re in Tacoma, where the West Seattle High School baseball team’s season has just ended with a second-round loss at the state 3A tournament. Though in baseball a loss is a loss, whether it’s by one run or 10, this one was a valiantly fought close call to a much-higher seeded team – 2nd-seeded Gig Harbor 3, 14th-seeded WSHS 2. Full story after we get back to HQ.

ADDED 8:46 PM: As happens so often in baseball, one rally can make the difference.

Just a few hits, and some aggressive base-running early on, made the difference for the Gig Harbor Tides.

Their three runs came on seven hits, and they left nine runners on base; the Wildcats’ two runs resulted from four hits, with five runners left on.

Gig Harbor’s starting pitcher, junior Quentin Bockhorn, had a three-up three-down top of the first, while the Tides scored their first run in the top of the 1st, off WSHS’s starting pitcher, junior Jacob McCall. It could have been worse, though, , as that came with the bases loaded, and McCall limited the damage with a strikeout for the inning’s final out.

West Seattle’s first hit came from sophomore Cole Williamson in the top of the second, with one out, but senior Clay Pecore hit into a double play after that. The next scoring happened in the bottom of the third, when the Tides brought in two runs on three hits, bringing the score to 3-0.

That was all the scoring Gig Harbor did, but it’s all they needed. The Wildcats got a base runner in the top of the fourth, after senior Lukas Cheha drew a walk, but this inning too ended with a double play. Gig Harbor threatened again in their half of the inning, with senior Jayce Corley hitting a leadoff single, making it to third with just one out, but getting stranded there.

West Seattle’s hopes were high with a two-out rally in the fifth inning. Pecore battled to a full count and then walked. Senior Dex Pudduck singled, and there were runners at the corners. Junior Leo Bronk came in next to pinch-hit and got a hit on the first pitch, bringing Pecore in. But a strikeout ended the rally there.

WSHS head coach Ryan Ramsower put senior Oliver Heltzel on the mound for the bottom of the fifth, and went through three Tides quickly. Then it was the Wildcats’ turn; Cheha got a first-pitch hit, and was at third with two outs – a spectator shouted, “Bring him home”- and junior Sacha Ninburg did. But the rally ended there, and so did the scoring. West Seattle got close again in the top of the seventh – with two on and one out – but Gig Harbor changed pitchers, bringing in lefty freshman Max Bergford, and he struck out two to end the game, and WSHS’s season.

-Tracy Record, WSB editor

(WSB photo by Tracy Burrows, November 2024)

Last year, the West Seattle High School volleyball team went to state. This year, the program is offering two 3-day camps for younger players, and registration is open. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:

West Seattle Volleyball Announces Two Exciting Spring Volleyball Camps!

Get ready to serve, spike, and set your way into summer! West Seattle Volleyball is thrilled to host two volleyball camps for middle-school-age players looking to improve their skills, build confidence, and have fun on the court. Come join West Seattle’s coaching staff and players from the 2024 District Champion team.

Camp Details:

Camp 1: Current 7th & 8th grade
Dates: June 3-5
Time: 4:15 – 6:45 PM
Location: West Seattle High School

Camp 2: Current 5th & 6th grade
Dates: June 10-12
Time: 4:15 – 6:45 PM
Location: West Seattle High School

Spots are limited — register today! To register, go here.

(Photo by Dakota Grim)

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Rhodies FC’s debut match against Ballard’s Salmon Bay FC ended in a tie this afternoon at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, signaling a wary but optimistic start to their first season. Today’s game was the culmination of months of effort and passion, which showed as dozens of people met several blocks away at EC Hughes Playground before the game to march to the home field, carrying signs and chanting.

(March to the Match. Photos by Hayden Yu Andersen unless otherwise credited)

“It’s been a labor of love,” said Marissa Villegas, a marketing officer for the team. Supporters, including members from three local youth soccer clubs, met up ahead of the game for face-painting and poster-making hosted by members of the team.

(Fan-made sign)

Getting here has been a long process, and they’ve faced more challenges than they can count, Villegas said. “It’s been tough, and we had to get our hands dirty but today, we’re focused and excited.” Adding to the pressure of today’s inaugural game was the rivalry between Ballard and West Seattle’s soccer teams- something that’s played out previously seasons with the Rhodies’ sibling team, West Seattle Junction FC (which started its season Saturday, with a loss at Tacoma) .

Villegas thinks the pressure is a good thing, though, focusing the Rhodies even more as they step out onto the field together for the first time.

(Seattle Metropolitan Singers on the field before the match)

Before the match, attended by more than 1,600 fans, the National Anthem was sung by the Seattle Metropolitan Singers. Kickoff commenced at 2 pm. Salmon Bay met the upstart Rhodies head-on, and for the ensuing 90 minutes, neither team seemed willing to give an inch.

(Photo by Dakota Grim)

By halftime no goals had been scored. After a series of skirmishes at Salmon Bay’s six-yard box, including noteworthy goalkeeping by the Rhodies’ Madi Munguia, the score remained at 0-0 until the game was called. It was a hard-fought game for Ballard’s Salmon Bay, and a cautious start for the Rhodies, beginning their first season with a draw.

“I’ll need a minute to digest it,” Villegas said after the game, “but I’m optimistic, we’ve got the whole season ahead of us.”

Next Sunday, the Rhodies will go up against Oregon’s Lane United FC, again at home at NCSWAC (2801 SW Thistle). To buy tickets for that and future matches, check out their website here.

(Wildcats’ Clay Pecora)

Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

West Seattle High School finished second in the District 2 3A baseball tournament, losing to the Ballard Beavers on Saturday by a score of 2-1 at Steve Cox Memorial Park‘s Mel Olson Stadium. It was a chilly afternoon, with an occasional downpour that sent fans crowding toward the center of the covered seats. The players were unfazed by the weather and the game was tight throughout the contest.

Ballard capitalized on classic small-ball play in the first inning, scoring a run on a single and stolen base followed by an RBI single. West Seattle threatened to tie up the game in the third when Ryan Typpi (photo above) walked and Lincoln Scott was hit by a pitch. With two out and runners on first and second, Sacha Ninburg ripped a single to center field, but Typpi was gunned down at home on a great throw by the Ballard outfielder to end the inning. Ballard added an insurance run in the bottom of the third, fueled by a double and an RBI single to take a 2-0 lead.

Ninburg continued his torrid hitting in the top of the sixth, crushing a lead-off double. Clay Pecore followed with a run-scoring single, narrowing Ballard’s lead to 2-1. In the seventh, West Seattle loaded the bases with a walk, a single by Cody Buehring, and another walk. But the Ballard closing pitcher was able to work out of the jam with three fly ball outs to end the ball game.

West Seattle pitchers Jacob McCall, Seth Rutman (photo above), and Oliver Heltzel combined to limit a talented Ballard team to just two runs.

Both teams are headed to the 3A State Championship tournament, which starts Tuesday at various sites; the final rounds will take place in Yakima.

Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Saturday night at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, the Chief Sealth International High School boys’ soccer team suffered a heartbreaking district-tournament loss to Tukwila’s Foster High School, falling in a dramatic penalty-kick shootout, 1-1 (3-1).

With a berth in the state-championship tournament on the line, both teams played with passion, intensity and grit. Sealth struck early in the first half when Seijiro Azinger netted a quick goal, giving the Seahawks a 1-0 lead they held for most of the game. Controlling possession and dictating the pace, Sealth looked poised to close it out. But despite dominating the run of play, the team couldn’t capitalize on its scoring opportunities and it came back to haunt them.

Late in the second half, the game took a stunning turn. The referee called a rarely enforced violation on the Sealth goalkeeper for holding the ball longer than six seconds — violating the so-called “six-second rule,” which requires the ball to be put back in play promptly. The call awarded Foster an indirect free kick from where the goalie had been holding the ball — in this case from point-blank range. The Foster players crowded on the goal line and managed to tip in the kick, leveling the score at 1-1.

Neither team could break the deadlock through two tense five-minute overtime periods, sending the match to penalty kicks. There, Foster’s goalkeeper emerged as the hero, making three crucial saves. Sealth managed just one conversion as Foster claimed the shootout 3-1.

The final whistle triggered an outpouring of emotion. Several Sealth players collapsed on the turf, devastated by the sudden end to a hard-fought season. It was a cruel reminder of soccer’s unforgiving nature — where a single call, a missed chance, or a brilliant save can change everything.

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Tomorrow, West Seattle soccer fans will get their first look at the new pre-professional soccer team Rhodies FC, and you’re invited to March to the Match, too.

Named for the Rhododendron flower, to represent a commitment to community and strength, The Rhodies will make their home debut Sunday at 2 pm against Ballard’s Salmon Bay FC. The Rhodies are affiliated with West Seattle Junction FC, which made its own debut a year ago, following a trend of growth for pre-professional soccer across the last several years.

As a new USL W League team, the Rhodies are joining an ever-expanding network of almost 100 clubs across the country, since the league’s inaugural season in 2022.

(Rhodies Head Coach Lyndsey Patterson at a recent training session – photo by Erik Sandvik @slow_snaps)

The Rhodies’ head coach is Lyndsey Patterson, a 24-year veteran of women’s soccer with experience coaching at University of Tennessee and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as well as a professional career spanning seven years, including time with Seattle Reign FC and Seattle Sounders Women.

The ties to West Seattle Junction FC, the Rhodies are embedded in the community. According to their website, “Just as Rhododendrons thrive in clusters, our strength lies in unity. We are deeply connected to West Seattle, committed to building relationships that strengthen our local soccer culture and bring people together.”

The Rhodies’ home field is Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle). Fans are invited to get there via a family-friendly March to the Match ahead of time, from EC Hughes Playground a few blocks north. Here’s the plan:

Participating in the march and its adjacent activities is free, but tickets will be required to watch the Rhodies play. They are available online here. Tomorrow is one of five home matches on the Rhodies’ inaugural schedule.

Story and photos by Tracy Burrows
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Chief Sealth International High School softball team cruised to a 22-4 victory over Tukwila’s Foster High School 22-4 on Friday night in the 2A District tournament at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex.

The Seahawks jumped out to a commanding 7-0 lead in the first inning, fueled by clutch hits by Maddie Moeller and Olivia Dunham (photo above), along with several defensive miscues by Foster. Sealth broke the game wide open in the second inning, starting with a lead-off triple by Allie Ohta (photo below).

The offensive onslaught continued with RBI doubles by Lauren Moore and Ava Boisoneau, powering the team to a 22-2 lead.

The Foster girls were never able to muster a serious threat as Seahawks starting pitcher Danica Thach (photo above) kept the Bulldogs’ hitters off-balance throughout the game.

With this win, the Sealth Seahawks keep their hopes of making the State Tournment alive. Coach Breena Belgarde said, “We’re excited. We’re focused on playing one game at a time and taking our team as far as we can go.”

The team’s next game is scheduled for 1:00 pm today (Saturday, May 17) at Juanita High School in Kirkland, where they will face the winner of the 11 am game between Nathan Hale and Evergreen (White Center).

WSB PHOTOS BY OLIVER HAMLIN
(Sealth 3B Brady Murphy tags out a runner)

ORIGINAL 9:52 PM SUMMARY: In an extra-inning heartbreaker at Steve Cox Memorial Park‘s Mel Olson Stadium, Chief Sealth IHS finished second in the District 2 2A baseball tournament moments ago. Nathan Hale defeated Chief Sealth 5-1, but the game was closer than the score reveals; the Seahawks had the lead 1-0 going into the seventh, then the Raiders tied it, and Hale blew it open in the top of the ninth. Details and photos to come; the Seahawks had already secured a state-playoff spot, so their season continues.

HIGHLIGHTS ADDED 12:30 AM: Sealth starting pitcher Sam Popelka (#7, above) had a shutout into the seventh, when, with one out, he gave up an RBI single that tied the game 1-1.

#11 Seth Clark took over in the eighth and got out of that inning unscathed, but then came the ninth. Toward the start of the game, Clark had a memorable battle against Hale starter PJ Sale (#5), battling to a full count and then some before finally drawing a walk.

First baseman Peter Sketchley hits an RBI single in the fourth inning to put the Seahawks ahead.[/caption]

Sealth’s Peter Sketchley (#23, above) had the Seahawks’ lone RBI, a single in the 4th, bringing in Brady Murphy (#14, below), who had originally gotten on base via a walk.

Sealth threatened to score more in the fourth, with two on after #2 Julian Reinhardt drew a walk, but #6 Graham Hull hit an infield fly and that ended the inning. Popelka’s pitching kept them close but Raiders pitcher Sale hung tough too, including getting himself out of a two-on-nobody-out jam in the sixth.

(CSIHS #5 Oliver Clark signals to the dugout after stealing second)

Both teams have at least a week off now, as opening-round games in the state tournament start on Saturday, May 24 – here’s the bracket that’ll be filled out when the matchups are set. According to Sealth athletic director and baseball head coach Ernest Policarpio, this is the Seahawks’ first trip to state in 40 years.

(2023 WS5K photo by David Hutchinson)

In case you don’t read the daily traffic notes and so haven’t seen this week’s reminders, remember that streets on and around the heart of Alki will close for a few hours on Sunday morning (May 18) because of the West Seattle 5K. Here’s the race-day schedule:

7:30-9:00 am: Packet pick-up (and bibs for those registering after May 15) will be available on-site at the event near the Alki Beach Bathhouse located at 2701 Alki Ave SW. Be prepared for long lines. No in person registration; register via mobile phone at the getmeregistered.com link up until 9:00 a.m. race day. T Shirts available to the first 1,200 registered participants, while supplies last.

9:10 am: Pre-race warm-up
9:30 am: 5K Run/Walk starts
8:30 to 11:30 am: Visit our sponsor booths

The 5K run/walk takes off eastbound from the start/finish line on Alki Avenue near 61st, heading to Luna/Anchor Park and back. It’s organized by, and a benefit for, the West Seattle High School PTSA. (WSB is a community co-sponsor.)

P.S. If you were registered by yesterday, you can pick up your bib/packet Saturday noon-5 pm at West Seattle Runner (2743 California SW; WSB sponsor).