West Seattle, Washington
24 Sunday
A big day of golfing a few weeks ago resulted in big help for the regional nonprofit The First Tee of Greater Seattle, which shared the photo and report:
Two West Seattleites, Charlie Anderson and Stuart Martin, and their planning committee, raised more than $34,000 for The First Tee of Greater Seattle at the Chuck Diesel Invitational at West Seattle Golf Course on August 28. There were about 112 players who donated funds through player fees, sponsorship, a silent auction, and other fun ways.
The First Tee of Greater Seattle is a nonprofit that serves youth ages 5-18, by teaching them life skills and healthy habits through the game of golf. The First Tee of Greater Seattle serves more then 1,700 youth at 6 different courses and 85,000 youth in 185 schools in King County.
Interested in an invitation for the 2017 tournament? You can sign up here.
After the recent attack on a woman running in our area, West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) decided to organize a free self-defense class. In case you haven’t already seen it in our calendar, here’s the announcement of the class at 7 pm Wednesday, October 12th:
West Seattle Runner and P3Running are hosting a self defense class for runners. We are pleased to announce that Seattle Integrated Martial Arts (SIMA) will be presenting the class. It will last approximately 1-1.5 hours. … Our hope is that this workshop will help you feel empowered and safe while out doing what you love. Additionally, we hope to create a network of runners that night who will connect to run together during the dark hours. Please invite friends who will benefit, and have everyone RSVP. Either RSVP on the Facebook event page OR email lori@westseattlerunner.com
West Seattle Runner is at 2743 California SW.
(WSB photo: Zach Scott signing autographs at 2011 Lafayette Elementary playground celebration)
After the Seattle Sounders FC‘s 1-0 win over Vancouver at CenturyLink Field today, fans have three more regular-season chances to cheer for the West Seattle-residing player who has announced this is his last season. 36-year-old Zach Scott plans to retire after what the team describes as “a distinguished 15-year professional career in Seattle at the USL and MLS levels, making 347 all-time appearances in a Sounders uniform, including the last eight seasons in MLS.” Scott “won seven trophies throughout his time in Seattle, including two USL league titles, four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and the 2014 Supporters’ Shield.” In addition, the club notes that Scott “is one of three remaining original players from Sounders FC’s expansion season in 2009, and he ranks fifth in club history with 116 career regular-season appearances, starting 91.”
Scott grew up in Hawai’i and lives in West Seattle with his wife Alana and their three children. When not on the field, he’s given a lot of his time to community involvement – some of which is chronicled in WSB coverage archives, like his visits to the West Seattle Cup community soccer event in June 2014:
(June 2014 photo contributed by Steph – that’s her son Zach Arthur with Zach Scott at the West Seattle Cup)
The Sounders announcement of Scott’s upcoming retirement quotes him as saying, “The time has come for me to turn the page on my soccer career and start a new chapter of my life. When I signed with the USL Sounders in 2002, I never imagined that I would have a professional career that lasted 15 years, and it’s been a rare blessing to have played in the same city the entire time. That said, I have much more to offer in this life and I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s next. … It’s unlike me to draw individual attention to myself, and my focus for the rest of the season remains on helping my teammates and this club get to the playoffs. However, my family and I owe so much to the overall Seattle community and the organization, so we wanted to share these final weeks with everyone. I wouldn’t have wanted my career to go any other way and I couldn’t have picked a better place for us to put down roots as a family.”
(Sounders file photo of Zach Scott, by Corky Trewin, used with permission)
The Sounders’ schedule for the rest of the season is here; the three home games are two Wednesdays (7:30 pm), September 28th vs. Chicago and October 12th vs. Houston, and one Sunday (1 pm), October 23rd vs. Salt Lake.
(WSB photos. Above, West Seattle’s #8 Rico Saeturn and #18 Gabe Gagnon)
The Friday night lights shone a little brighter at Southwest Athletic Complex this time around – besides a media swarm for the anthem protest, the game had been voted KING5’s Big Game of the Week – but West Seattle High School would have preferred a different outcome: The Wildcats were defeated for the first time this year, as the visiting Garfield Bulldogs went home with a 52-9 win.
Nate Pryor scored West Seattle’s only touchdown, on a pass from Gabe Gagnon, with a little over three minutes left in the first half. With it, the Wildcats went into halftime behind 24-9, and didn’t score in the second half.
As the crowd departed post-game, rain started to fall. Next Friday at 7:45, West Seattle, now 2-1, is at Memorial Stadium downtown, against Ballard.
Neah Bay visited Seattle Lutheran tonight at West Seattle Stadium, the Saints’ first home game of the season. Neah Bay headed back north with the win, 70-32, and that has the Saints at 0-2. Next week SeaLu heads to Clallam Bay for a 6 pm game on Friday, September 23rd.
In high-school football tonight: Chief Sealth International High School was on the road at Sammamish. As tweeted via @sealthathletics, the Seahawks led much of the way, ahead 20-14 at halftime. Regulation ended with the score tied at 34, but Sammamish managed to get the win in overtime, 40-34. Next Friday night at 7, Sealth – now 0-3 – is back home at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), facing Garfield (which beat WSHS there tonight, 52-9, story/photos to come).
As mentioned in our daily event preview, Garfield High School football players told the South Seattle Emerald that they planned to kneel during the national anthem before tonight’s game with West Seattle High School, to protest racial oppression. The anthem has just been sung (by WSHS’s Kelsey Lenzie) here at Southwest Athletic Complex, and not only did Garfield’s players kneel, as shown in the top photo, so did several WSHS players, while the Garfield cheer squad sat (photo below).
The game is now underway and we will report on it separately later.
ADDED: Garfield coaches, from our photographer on the field.
One night after hitting a home run to help his team win its eighth straight, Mariners star Nelson Cruz was in West Seattle last night, going to bat for local students. An all-star list of attendees helped celebrate the launch of his Boomstick23 Foundation at The Sanctuary at Admiral. A big reason to launch it here – Cruz’s foundation is supporting Chief Sealth International High School, whose principal Aida Fraser-Hammer and athletic director Ernest Policarpio were at the launch.
Fraser-Hammer accepted a check for $10,000 last night and “a promise to provide us with gear for our baseball team,” as she wrote in a message to the CSIHS community this morning, explaining:
… It has long been Nelson’s dream to start a foundation to support education. Both his parents were teachers and he often speaks of their strong commitment to education and to ensuring that all students graduate from high school. Nelson has always wanted to take up the charge to support education as a way to honor his parents and to give back to the community. In looking for a school to partner with, Nelson visited our school in the spring, where he met some of our students and learned a lot about our strengths and challenges. …
Others from the Mariners organization and extended family were there – including Edgar Martinez!
The event at The Sanctuary also included a silent auction – with memorabilia like this:
Donors/supporters on hand included Kirk Keppler from Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) in Westwood Village, showing the diamond “Boomstick” his business contributed:
Others in attendance included King County Executive Dow Constantine and family:
Mayor Ed Murray stopped by too. This isn’t the first philanthropic venture for Nelson Cruz – he is also involved with the community in his Dominican Republic hometown, Las Matas de Santa Cruz. Meantime, he and the M’s go for their ninth consecutive win tonight at Safeco Field, 7:10 pm vs. the Astros.
The photo and report are from West Seattle High School athletic director Trevor Leopold:
Congratulations to West Seattle High School golfer Berit Syltebo, who shot a Hole-in-One yesterday at the Jefferson Golf Course. It was the 102-yard par 3, 6th hole.
She did it during the Wildcats’ Tuesday match against Garfield. The golfers play against Roosevelt at West Seattle Golf Course tomorrow (3:30 pm).
The first-ever Orca Half (Marathon) on Alki is now less than two weeks away – one of three big events on Sunday, September 25th, along with Seattle Summer Parkways (the latest incarnation of “car-free day”) and the Disaster Relief Cargo Bike Trials. Orca Half organizers tell us that they DO have some spots open for the run, so you can register now if you haven’t already (even though some parts of their website might say it’s sold out). West Seattle-headquartered The Whale Trail is the beneficiary (as previously announced here). Go here to find out more about signing up.
West Seattle High School is 2-0 after a big win last night at Southwest Athletic Complex.
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
The Wildcats’ first home game of the season ended with a 43-7 victory over Ingraham. The scoring was spread around: #84 Colin Roman (below, celebrating with #85 Andrew Burggraff) got the first touchdown with 8:17 to go in the first quarter.
Five minutes later, Ingraham tied the game at 7-7 … Read More
The first road game for Chief Sealth International High School ended with the Seahawks’ second consecutive loss – final score Nathan Hale 48, Sealth 6 at Northeast Athletic Complex. Dontae McMillan scored the lone Sealth touchdown. Next Friday, the Seahawks are on the road again, at Sammamish.
2:29 PM: On the shore at Alki Point, swimmer Erika Norris hugged her dad Jim after she became the first person in more than half a century to swim from Bremerton to Alki Point. She finished the “Amy Hiland Swim” – named after the woman who did it in 1959 – moments ago. We first reported on Thursday about the Northwest Open Water Swimming Association‘s announcement of Norris’s 10.4-mile swim.
3:10 PM: NOWSA says Erika’s official time was 4:09:20; Amy Hiland’s 1959 time was an hour and a half longer, according to the coverage linked in the first paragraph.
ADDED 5:24 PM: Our video as Erika came ashore:
Some of the people who hiked out onto the rocky shore at low tide to watch:
Here’s what they saw as she approached, with the accompanying sailboat:
(That photo and the next one are by David Hutchinson.)
Even before this, Erika was an accomplished swimmer, as explained in the bio published when she was named to the New York University Hall of Fame last year.
One home game for a local team as high-school football season began Friday night:
(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)
At Southwest Athletic Complex, Chief Sealth International High School hosted Washington HS (Pierce County), which went home with the win, 60-20. The Seahawks were being shut out 35-0 until the last four minutes of the first half, when suddenly #2, senior Chase McNelly, caught fire.
“They got the touchdown fever,” announcer Eddie Snead (a Sealth history teacher) proclaimed admiringly after McNelly’s two TDs sent the Seahawks into halftime down 44-13. They have a new, yet not-so-new head coach this year:
As announced in April, Luther Carr III is back. He has a very young team, just a handful of seniors to work with.
But there’s time.
Besides supporting the team, spectators tonight were supporting Denny-Sealth Performing Arts via fundraising concessions:
Next Friday night (September 9th), Sealth is on the road vs. Nathan Hale.
The West Seattle High School Wildcats varsity football team is 1-0 after its first game of the season. On the road tonight in Clark County, they defeated Washougal HS, 28-21. Next Friday, the Tom Burggraff-coached Wildcats will be home at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle) vs. Ingraham
High-school football season starts tonight:
CHIEF SEALTH INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HOME GAME: The Chief Sealth IHS Seahawks start their season with a home game vs. Washington HS (Pierce County), 7 pm at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle)
WEST SEATTLE HIGH SCHOOL ON THE ROAD: At 7 pm, the West Seattle HS Wildcats will be in Clark County to play Washougal.
SEATTLE LUTHERAN HIGH SCHOOL ON THE ROAD: At 7 pm, the SLHS Saints will be in Whatcom County to play Lummi Nation.
AT WEST SEATTLE STADIUM: O’Dea plays five home games at WS Stadium this season, and hosts Lincoln HS at 7 tonight. (4435 35th SW)
(Photo courtesy Northwest Open Water Swimming Association)
Meet Erika Norris. The accomplished Seattle-residing swimmer is going to try this Sunday to become the second person to swim from Bremerton to Alki Point Lighthouse. Word of her plan comes from another area open-water swimmer, Andrew Malinak, who says the first person to do it was Amy Hiland in 1959. Erika, like Andrew, is a regular Alki Beach swimmer, “and is very familiar with the challenges posed by the cold water, weather, and currents in this part of Puget Sound,” he says, adding in his announcement that the plan for her attempt at the 10.4-mile crossing should go like this:
Erika will begin in Bremerton around 10 am, and expects to land at the low tide near 2 pm. She will be supported by two boats and a crew of four as she traverses the ferry lanes in Rich Passage and the main shipping channel off Alki Point. The swim will be sanctioned and recorded by the Northwest Open Water Swimming Association (NOWSA), a 501c3 non-profit promoting the sport of marathon swim in the Northwest.
NOWSA plans to track the swim here on Sunday. You can see the route here.
Today, we are happy to share another story about a West Seattleite with an amazing achievement! Proud mom Shawnda Fukano explains what her son has just accomplished:
While most kids were enjoying one of the final weekends of the summer, Colton Fukano was clinching the Washington State BMX Championships in the 5 & under category.
A West Seattleite and soon to be kindergartener at Genesee Hill Elementary, Colton began racing BMX this past January and quickly showed that he wasn’t your average 4-year-old on a bike. After finishing several races on top, he was picked up by the Sonic BMX Team, coached by Jamie Stenson and sponsored by Sprocketts Recycled Bicycles in Magnolia and Potter Racing Products. He headed into the state finals this weekend with four State Cup 1st place finishes during the season, and his 1st place finish on Sunday earned him the State #1 Plate.
Colton’s dad, Casey Fukano, started taking him to the North Seatac BMX Track for fun when he was three years old. Colton loved it, asking, “Can we go to the Sandy Park today?” all the time. During this past winter, when the weather was too bad to ride in Seatac, they tried out a BMX clinic at the Peninsula Indoor BMX track in Port Orchard, an easy ferry ride from Fauntleroy. Colton loved it, and he’s been racing ever since.
Colton would like to say THANK YOU to his coach Jamie, his team sponsors Sprocketts and Potter Racing Products, and Nikko Teriyaki in Jefferson Square for his favorite race-day meal: chicken teriyaki! And, he’d love to see more kids get involved in the sport of BMX, which is an Olympic sport (US won a gold and silver medal this year). The Seatac track is just a 20-minute drive from the Alaska Junction, so head over and have some fun!
Fall means back to school AND back to sports. West Seattle’s sports-consignment store, Second Gear Sports (WSB sponsor), has recently remodeled to add more retail space and new fixtures so that more of their items are easier to browse and discover. The new fixtures were obtained from three regional Sports Authority stores that shut down – it’s enabled SGS to get more merchandise up off the floor and higher up for visibility as well as accessibility.
Also, Second Gear Sports has launched pickup and delivery service for large items, via their new wrapped vehicle that you might have seen around town.
SGS is at 6529 California SW and will be celebrating its third anniversary this fall.
Another achievement for young runner Miles Trius of West Seattle! From his family:
Miles completed his 5th half-marathon Sunday in Santa Rosa, California, beating his Seattle Half-Marathon time and coming in at 1:49:52.
This was his first race running without his dad, Navy Chief Ernesto Trius. Miles just turned 11 and will be entering 6th grade this week. Miles will be starting his training for his first marathon, The Santa Rosa Marathon next August. He will be raising money for his school and church, Our Lady of Guadalupe. He would like to give back to a community that has supported him through CYO Cross Country, Track, and Jog-athon. A special thank you to the Santa Rosa Marathon for supporting his running.
Miles’s family has kept us updated on his achievements for two years now – dating back to his Seattle Half-Marathon run at age 9.
Congratulations to Rachel Strauss! The photo and report are from the West Seattle Women’s Golf Club:
Rachel Strauss is the 2016 Club Champion of the West Seattle Women’s Golf Club. In the annual two-day tournament at West Seattle Golf Course held August 22 and 23, Rachel posted a low gross score of 167 to take the title for the second year in a row.
In defending her title, this marks the 18th time in 24 years that Rachel has won the West Seattle Women’s Club championship. She first won the title in 1992 and had a 6-year run from 1992 to 1997 as well as a 7-year run from 1999 to 2005.
Rachel is also the 2016 winner of the Greater Seattle Women’s Public Golf Association City Championship tournament held earlier this month at Willows Run Golf Course.
Rachel is a long time resident of West Seattle.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
9:16 AM: “Today, you changed a woman’s life.” That’s the message Northwest Hope and Healing executive director Kristina Dahl gave hundreds of runners and walkers as they got ready to head out on this year’s Alki Beach 5K, which started at 9 am.
(WSB video/photos from here, unless otherwise credited)
The nonprofit helps breast- and gynecologic-cancer patients deal with their daily lives as they embark on the fight of their lives. They’re on the course right now – which means Alki/Harbor Avenues are closed for a while – and we’ll be updating.
9:32 AM: Runners of all ages (a 9-year-old finisher was just announced!) continue crossing the line. First was Devon Grove of Kirkland, 20, in 16:15:
(added, next 5 names/photos) Second finisher, Joseph Walker of Federal Way, 21, in 16:38:
Third finisher, John Serrano of Seattle, 17, in 16:54:
Now, the first three female finishers – 1st, Abigail Sargent of Seattle, 33, in 18:38:
2nd, Hailey Kettel of Edmonds, 20, in 19:22:
3rd, Alicia House of Seattle, 27, in 20:55:
10:37 AM: The Alki Beach 5K is officially over, and the waterfront road has just reopened.
ADDED SUNDAY EVENING: Our traditional “everyone leaving the starting line” video is now added near the top of the story. Here are a few more scenes from the Alki Beach 5K:
Robert Spears shared that view of the runners/walkers going in both directions along east Alki. Next – one of the youngest runners, if not THE youngest, who sported the handcrafted bib number “707 1/2”:
Another closer-to-the-ground runner even had a T-shirt:
It wouldn’t be a running event without Lori and Tim McConnell of West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor):
And finally … Kristina Dahl from NWH&H wore her reasons for the run on her sleeve:
(Full results from today’s Alki Beach 5K can be found here.)
(WSB file photo)
One more reminder that hundreds of runners and walkers will take over Alki and Harbor Avenues tomorrow morning (Sunday, August 28th), raising money so that Northwest Hope and Healing can continue helping cancer patients. This year’s Alki Beach 5K starts at 61st and Alki at 9 am; if you’re not signed up already, last-minute registration starts by the Bathhouse at 8 am – “runners, walkers, strollers, and friendly leashed dogs are all welcome.” 8 am is also when the course will be closed to traffic, so if you’re going to be in the Alki area tomorrow but not participating, keep that in mind. Looks like perfect running weather – cloudy, not too cold, not too hot.
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