West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
(Click image for larger view)
Thanks to Craig Young for the view of CenturyLink Field from West Seattle during tonight’s moonrise. The purple lighting is in honor of the University of Washington Huskies’ game tonight, which just ended with UW beating San Diego State, 21-12.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
FIRST REPORT, 4:16 PM: Just ended at West Seattle Stadium, Seattle Lutheran High School‘s first football game of 2012, a loss to Carson Graham Secondary from B.C. – CG 48, SLHS 21.
ADDED SATURDAY NIGHT: Details, ahead:Read More
(Sealth’s Trevor Forsell, #10, had two TDs. Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
The first game of the season is in the books: At Southwest Athletic Complex tonight, in a hard-fought game, it was Chief Sealth International High School 26, Evergreen High School (in White Center) 20.
(Halftime meeting on the north side of the stadium)
This was the first game and the first win for Sealth’s new head football coach Luther Carr (who told us back in February, “If we do the right thing, the victories will come.”). WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand talked with him on camera right after the game:
Story ahead (and more photos) …
(Video of everyone as they started the 5K, first through last person across the line)
FIRST REPORT, 9:35 AM: Half an hour after they began, the runners and walkers are continuing to cross the line at the Alki Beach 5K, raising money for Northwest Hope and Healing, the West Seattleite-led nonprofit that helps breast-cancer patients.
Unofficial first results: Kelly Spady (photo above) was first male runner across the line, Karra Whitmire the first female:
Spectacular morning to run and/or walk along the beach. Video, more photos, and more results to come.
9:45 AM UPDATE: And now the official info on the top two F and top two M, from the timing booth:
*Females: 34-year-old Karra Whitmire of Bothell in 20:34 (chip time), 30-year-old Rebecca Martin of Seattle (21:09)
*Males: 25-year-old Kelly Spady of Mukilteo in 17:12, 17-year-old Jack Griffing of Mountlake Terrace (18:13)
Jack is #838, right in front in this photo shared by Alki’s David Hutchinson:
Almost 1,000 people were signed up as of just before race time – we’ll check back with NWHH. We’ll also be adding video from the start of the race (our traditional “all participants as they head out” clip), including what the special inspirational guest speaker, survivor Tami Hyldahl-Haan, told the runners/walkers just before the start. (Photo added) Here’s Tami, with, at left, race emcee Eric Radovich:
(video added) Tami spoke of the help she received from NWHH after she was diagnosed shortly after she was widowed:
Note: There were two medical calls before the end of the race – one in the 2800 block of Alki, one in the 1700 block. Police told us the person in the 1700 block collapsed with a possible heart attack; race organizers confirm they got word it’s someone who was registered as a walker. We don’t have any condition information so far.
ADDED 12:25 PM: Yet more scenes, as we go through our photos – Before the race, its eventual winner, Kelly Spady, was up atop the Statue of Liberty Plaza steps leading the stretch with West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) proprietors Lori and Tim McConnell (for whom Kelly works, we noted when he won the West Seattle 5K in May):
Here’s the crowd they were leading:
Once all of today’s results are available online, looks like this will be the link.
5:07 PM UPDATE: They’re up now.
(Click image to see larger size)
Photos by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand
Seattle Lutheran High School‘s football season starts one week from tonight.
This afternoon, the players, coaches, and cheerleaders took to the West Seattle Stadium field for a “Media Day” full of photo sessions and drills, under a perfect blue sky – SLHS blue, of course.
The invitation came from the Saints’ new head football coach, Jeff Scott, who posed with his staff:
Last year, racing individually in The Great Cross-Sound Race round-trip from Alki, Evan Jacobs and Tyler Peterson placed third and sixth respectively; today, rowing together, they finished first. Their announced time of 59:03 was 9-plus minutes over the course record they set together in 2006, but today, wind and waves factored into Sound Rowers‘ annual race, which drew more than 30 participants:
They headed out to Blakely Rock, off Bainbridge Island, and back, starting just after 9 this morning. Don Kiesling was second to finish:
Finishing third, Christian Roth and Josh Proctor. Among the sights at sea before the rowers started crossing the finish line, the U.S. Coast Guard was even out keeping an eye on things:
On shore, Peterson and Jacobs (who also are past North American Open Water Rowing champions) had a welcoming party:
And then some help getting everything back on shore:
You can watch later for full race results on the Sound Rowers website.
(August 2010 photo by Christopher Boffoli)
Next Sunday morning (August 26th), Alki Avenue SW closes for a few hours so more than a thousand people can help send a message of hope via Northwest Hope and Healing. NWHH’s annual Alki Beach 5K Walk/Run raises money for the organization’s work, which includes healing baskets for newly diagnosed breast-cancer patients and an emergency fund for women dealing with breast or gynecologic cancer. This year’s kickoff speaker is a survivor who knows what it’s like to need that kind of resource – NWHH says Tami Hyldahl-Haan “became a widow and a breast cancer survivor as well as a single mother without a source of income” within a short period of time last year, and the NWHH Patient Assistance Fund helped her “get through a couple of rough months.” The 5K starts and ends at Alki Bathhouse; register online now, or at West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor; California/Charlestown), or starting at 8 am on race day.
West Seattle Stadium will be the site of national-championship competition this weekend, as dozens of throwers come from around the country, as explained in this news release we just received:
Men and women ages 30 and over will be contesting the United States Track and Field Association’s (USATF) National Masters Throws and Ultra Weight Pentathlon Saturday and Sunday at West Seattle Stadium. Events begin at 8 am each day.
The throws pentathlon is a Masters (age 30-105+) event consisting of 5 events – the hammer, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, and weight throw. They must be contested in order. Weight of implement goes down in 10-year increments after age 50 as age increases. Athletes compete in 5 years age groups, 50-54, 55-59 etc. Each distance, for each event, has a point score based on its relationship to the world records for the events. The athlete with the highest number of points wins.
The First Masters National Championship was held at Husky Stadium in 1992. It was organized by West Seattle residents Ken Weinbel and George Mathews (former WS resident and meet director of this year’s event), with the help of West Seattle resident Leon Joslin. That first meet was conducted by the Seattle Masters Athletic Club, who is also responsible for building the area’s only hammer cage 18 years ago at West Seattle Stadium. The ultra weight pentathlon was also created by Weinbel and Mathews and will be contested on Sunday.
Three-time Olympic hammer thrower and flag bearer at the LA Olympics, Ed Burke, 72, of Los Gatos, Ca. will be competing and looking to break world records in the Throws Pentathlon and Super Weight Throw in the meet this weekend. Meet Director and five-time Masters World champion in the weight and hammer throw, George Mathews, will be looking to break his American record in the age 65-69 Super Weight (44lb.) throw. Over 60 athletes have entered the meet and come from all over the United States.
(Photos by Nick Adams for WSB)
Like so many benefit 5K’s, today’s Breathe Deep Seattle walk/run in Lincoln Park was both a big-group celebration, and an intensely personal event. Breathe Deep benefits the lung-cancer-fighting LUNGevity Foundation, and the tributes to lung-cancer patients past and present were everywhere, like the one D.J. Vallaca wrote before the start:
… and the one worn in support of Ray Flores, whose Team Flores had dozens of members:
Extra inspiration came from survivor Eva Borsi, speaking before the race:
More scenes from today’s Breathe Deep Seattle 5K – including the top finishers, one of whom was half the other one’s age! – ahead:
Seattle Parks and Recreation has just released its list of adult sports available this fall, and a couple – including flag football and women’s basketball – will be in West Seattle.
Both men’s and co-ed flag football leagues are going to be offered at Riverview Playfield from September 16th through November 18th. Both leagues’ games will be played on Sundays at varying times between 10 am and 2 pm. The cost to join is $635, which includes an eight-game guarantee, and all teams will make playoffs. The first place team wins a trophy and t-shirts (plus bragging rights). To enter, call 206-684-7092 or email antoiniette.daniel@seattle.gov.
Women’s pick-up basketball games, though not on the official list, will also be offered at High Point Community Center starting August 18th. Players can come with a team or as an individual every Saturday from 10 am to noon. The cost is $3 per person (free with high school ID), with all proceeds going to the Community Center. Questions? E-mail nadjastars@aol.com or call the Community Center at 206-684-7422 (ask for Sharri or Jimmy).
(Photo tweeted by Special Olympics Washington – @SO_Washington)
FIRST REPORT, 6:25 PM: In a few hours, after the Sounders–Rapids soccer match in Colorado, West Seattle-area student players and coaches, many from the Seattle Schools Unified Soccer League, will take the field for their own match. Chief Sealth International High School athletic director Sam Reed shared the news that they’re traveling with the Sounders and Special Olympics of Washington. The SO Sounders headed out on Friday. Three weeks ago, a similar delegation came here when the Rapids visited the Sounders; the Seattle team won that game, and is now in the Rockies for the rematch against the Colorado team. Reed explains that “more than half of the SO Sounders team (in) Colorado come from Chief Sealth International and West Seattle High Schools. Chief Sealth Head Coach Andrew Saldana is on the coaching staff, while players Morgan Hegge, Cameron O’Donnell, Christian Freitas, Ben Lee, Sydney Proctor, Karina Silva, Eric Swenson and Xahil McDonald all represent the Seahawks as either athletes or partners. Christian Estaban is on the team representing West Seattle.” Traveling with them is Angie Bounds, who’s been publishing updates at sosounders.blogspot.com; she tells WSB the game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO, is around 9:30 Colorado time tonight. We’ll update this story after the game (you can check out the SO-WA Twitter feed, too).
11:16 PM UPDATE: SO Sounders win, 2-0, according to Twitter updates. And someone recorded the entire match on phone video – you can see and hear it here.
(MONDAY UPDATE: A medal for Ginger’s grandson! Scroll down …)
26-year-old Olympic athlete Nick Thoman is from Ohio – but you can call him an honorary West Seattleite if you’re looking for specific people to cheer during the 2012 Summer Olympics, since his grandmother Ginger Brewer lives on Alki. She headed to London a few days ago to join other family members there. We’ve heard from Ginger before regarding Nick’s swimming success; a neighbor of hers told us he made it to the Olympics, so we e-mailed her, and heard back from daughter-in-law Lauri, who says Nick’s in the 100m backstroke “and may also swim in the 4x100m medley relay.” Lauri says those competition dates are:
July 29 – 100 m prelims
July 30 – 100 m finals
Aug 3 – 4x100m medley relay prelims
Aug 4 – 4x100m medley relay finals
She adds, “He has the third fastest Olympic qualifying time in the world for the 100m backstroke, so he is definitely in the running to bring home some hardware, although we are just super excited that he is even going! He currently holds the world record in the 100m short-course backstroke. The Olympics is a long-course pool. Short course is a 25 meter pool, long course is a 50 meter pool.” Nick is 26 and has been swimming since he was 4, Lauri says, adding, “Go Team USA!!” (P.S. Nick of course has an official “fan page” on Facebook. Here’s the lineup for his preliminary competition at 11 am Sunday, London time.)
SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Nick finished first in his heat very early this morning (results here), and is in the second heat at the semifinals tonight, 8:28 pm London time.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: And … he’s in Monday’s finals!
MONDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Nick scored silver today – here are the results (thanks to Ben for sharing the link in the comment section). He is also scheduled to be part of the USA relay team in competition later this week.
Evergreen Tang Soo Do Academy student Tamela Thomas has won her third world championship, reports the academy’s Master Steve Elmore (with her in the photo above). Thomas, 52, is one of nine students who went with Elmore to the World Tang Soo Do Association‘s world championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, last weekend, an every-two-years event at which more than 1,600 people from 34 countries competed. He says Thomas became Senior Female Black Belt World Champion “by winning gold medals in weapons, forms, and free fighting. This was her 3rd consecutive world title but her first in the black belt division.” (Back in 2008, we mentioned this Seattle Weekly story about her first world title.) He also reports that the recent death of the association’s founder, Grandmaster Jae C. Shin (reported here), loomed large over the event, with a memorial service following the ribbon-cutting for a new WTSDA in nearby Burlington, N.C.
(Video of the race’s start and first 2 photos, by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
About 300 people ran and/or walked in the first-ever West Seattle Float Dodger 5K, a kind of opening act for the West Seattle Grand Parade, was a big success, reports Tim McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor), which played a big role in making it happen. Tim and wife/co-proprietor Lori McConnell both participated, too, in costume (which was encouraged):
The race started under cloudy skies, but no rain:
The “float dodging” happened after participants walked/ran the first leg of the race, north from California/Charlestown to California/Lander, the starting line of the parade – where the West Seattle Hi-Yu float was parked, minus royalty, for them to run around:
(WSB photo by Tracy Record)
From there, they ran southbound along the entire parade route to the finish at California/Edmunds. The results are available online now – go here. The top male finisher was 29-year-old Mark Mandi, with a net time of 15:28; top female finisher was 30-year-old Bekka Martin, with a net time of 20:17. Other winners included the beneficiaries, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Rotary Club of West Seattle, whose members helped with race staging/organizing – here’s Gary Potter of Potter Construction (WSB sponsor) with some of the course markers:
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
This was one of two Rotary events on parade morning – the other was the Kiddie Parade; photos from that are coming up. Run for Good Racing Company was a partner in making the Float Dodger 5K happen, too. So far, sounds like the first one won’t be the last – so watch for the registration announcement next year!
Just in from Mount Vernon, the West Seattle Little League Seniors Division team (15/16-year-olds) scored their second victory in three games, advancing them in the state tournament. They beat South Kitsap today, 5-1. They’ll play again tomorrow at 1 pm (here’s the bracket). They made it into the state tournament by winning the District 7 tournament earlier this month (as reported here).
Just in from Chief Sealth International High School athletic director Sam Reed:
Chief Sealth International High School football players will be partnering with the Seattle Seahawks to host the Gatorade Junior Training Camp on July 25th at Alki Playfield. Participation in this 2-hour clinic is FREE to all youth ages 7-14, and with 200 participants the Seattle Seahawks will make a generous donation to the Chief Sealth football program. Details and registration found by following this link. For additional information, please contact Chief Sealth Head Football Coach Luther Carr at luther_carr@yahoo.com
In case you haven’t seen it already in the WSB West Seattle Events Calendar – Our Lady of Guadalupe‘s brand-new Alex J. Brunett Gymnasium will host Hoopfest this weekend, and sign-ups are open now for boys and girls going into 3rd through 12th grades this fall. It’s a three-on-three basketball tournament this Saturday and Sunday, with these brackets:
3/4th grade Boys 3/4th grade Girls
5/6th grade Boys 5/6th grade Girls
7/8th grade Boys 7/8th grade Girls
9-12th grade Boys 9-12th grade Girls
The cost is $50 per team, with proceeds benefiting the OLG CYO sports program. Questions? E-mail olghoops@gmail.com – or if you just want to sign up, go here!
This afternoon in Mount Vernon, the West Seattle Little League Seniors Division team (15/16-year-olds) shut out their first opponent in state play, 5-0. A game scheduled for 4 pm game today will determine who they play tomorrow (here’s the bracket). They won the state berth by winning the District 7 tournament earlier this month (as reported here). More to come!
We’ve reported here before on the Seattle Unified Soccer League, with teams including Special Olympics athletes as well as athletes without disabilities. This past Saturday at Starfire, the Unified Soccer coaches from West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School led a team representing the Sounders in a match against Colorado counterparts who came to town with the Rapids (who played Sounders FC that night). WSHS coach Alex LaRosa e-mailed today to let us know about it and to share the link for the clip above, a Sounders-produced story by longtime local sports journalist Tony Ventrella, featuring the teams, the coaches (you’ll hear from Alex), and the game. She says the team that she and Sealth’s Andrew Saldana coached featured athletes from both their schools as well as Franklin HS. And they won – congratulations!
(From left, back row: Manager Vinnie Sposari, Coach John Coats, Buick MacNamara, Larry Jensen, Merle Rowan-Kennedy, John Roach, Cody Jones, Geoffrey Wukelic, Coach Fred Jensen. Front row: Alex Coats, Joey Werlech, Daniel “DJ” Kemp, Vinnie Sposari, Jack Larsen, Jayme Kelly. Photo by Lisa Roach)
A victory last night in Seatac means a state-tournament spot for the West Seattle Little League‘s most veteran players. This report is courtesy of Cami MacNamara:
West Seattle Little League’s Seniors Division Team (ages 15-16) has advanced to the Little League Seniors State Tournament in Mount Vernon on July 16th with a 3-2 win over South Highline Nationals.
The District 7 tournament was hosted at PacWest and West Seattle lost their first game on Sunday, July 1st to South Highline. This placed West Seattle in a must-win situation in double elimination play. They played again on Tuesday, July 3rd, winning 4-3 over Renton, and then handed South Highline their first loss on July 4th, winning 4-3 in extra innings, which forced a rematch last night.
West Seattle was home team, and pitcher Larry Jensen, supported by a strong defense, got the game started the top of the 1st with only 7 pitches. In the bottom of the 1st, lead-off batter Jack Larsen walked, stole second, and was brought in with an RBI single by pitcher Jensen. West Seattle led 1-0.
The game remained tied until the top of the 4th when South Highline pitcher Jimi Fay hit a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the 5th, left fielder Joey Werlech walked and three bats later, second baseman Vinnie Sposari hit an RBI single to bring in Werlech. West Seattle was now up 2-1.
In a final attempt to tie the game, South Highline second baseman Jorge Esqueda hit a single. Larry Jensen then struck out a batter and that was followed by an out at first. With 2 outs, South Highline’s first baseman Ryan Macri then hit an RBI single to bring in Esqueda across the plate for a 2-2 tie. Joey Werlech was brought in to relief pitch and the final out was made by shortstop Alex Coats, throwing South Highline’s batter out at first.
With one last shot before extra innings, West Seattle first baseman Geoffrey Wukelic hit a solid double. Pitch runner DJ Kemp came in for Wukelic. The next two batters flied out to center field, and lead-off batter Jack Larsen ended the game with an RBI single. DJ Kemp slid head first into home plate for the photo finish, beating the throw home and securing the 3-2 victory in the bottom of the 7th.
West Seattle will now play on July 16th at Sherman Anderson Field in Mount Vernon at 1 pm. Follow all tournament results on website, Facebook, and/or Twitter.
Congratulations and good luck!
Something else big happening in the Alki area tomorrow, along with the Seafair Pirates Landing – a baseball tournament hosted by West Seattle Little League! Thanks to Cami MacNamara for sharing the news:
We are proud to announce the District 7 Little League All-Star Tournament for 11-12 year olds will commence at Bar S [64th & Admiral], beginning this Saturday, July 7 at 10 am!! Come on down to watch some great baseball with your entire family while five teams battle it out in this double-elimination tourney to determine who moves on to the State Championships! West Seattle Little League plays on Sunday at 1 pm.
If you and your kids enjoyed their season at Bar S, this is an event not to be missed! There will be vendors, a 50-50 raffle, and, of course, the comestibles available at the Snack Shack so as to round out that full-body Little League experience. Come on down and join the fun!
Cami adds that WSLL’s Senior Team, ages 15-16, is playing the South Highline Nationals tonight at PacWest Field in Seatac – and the winner will advance to the state Little League Senior Tournament in Mount Vernon. Watch westseattlelittleleague.com for updates (and we’ll update here later, too).
11:30 PM UPDATE: WSLL won that game and is off to the state tournament!
Just stopped by West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor; California/Charlestown) to say hi to (from left) co-proprietors Tim McConnell and Lori McConnell and Ilana Balint from Run for Good Racing Company, as they sign up participants for the first-ever Float Dodger 5K. Till 4 pm, you can get a $5 discount on registration, plus some of Lori’s birthday cake (raffles and giveaways too):
The run/walk will precede the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 21st, as a charity fundraiser (Leukemia/Lymphoma Society and Rotary Club of West Seattle) and a fun way to make the day even more fun, for participants and spectators. If you missed our earlier mentions and don’t see this till after 4, you can still sign up online – just go here – or by stopping by WS Runner.
Go see a Mariners game while helping the West Seattle High School baseball team! They play in the annual High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field every spring, and part of the deal is for WSHS to help sell tickets to an M’s game. This year, they’re selling tickets to a second game to meet their quota, and offering you the chance to buy in: The game is Saturday, September 22, vs. the Texas Rangers. You can get what would be an $20 ticket for $8 (***that’s the corrected amount – we had the numbers transposed previously**). If you’re interested, call Gina at 206-779-9793.
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