(WSB photos: WSHS’s Charli Elliott scoring the first run of the game)
At Southwest Athletic Complex, the West Seattle High School Wildcats softball team has just opened district tournament play with a victory over Bellevue HS, 7-2. Their next game is Thursday at 5 pm, same place they played today, Southwest Athletic Complex; the game to determine their opponent is just getting under way.

9:22 PM UPDATE: Lake Washington is who the Wildcats will play on Thursday – LWHS just beat Bishop Blanchet, 14-2. Meantime, we have a few more details and photos from the WSHS-Bellevue game.

Gabby Wenn again pitched a complete game for WSHS. It was a pitchers’ duel through four innings; then in #5, West Seattle scored 5 unanswered runs against Bellevue pitcher Dejah Rogers; the full WSHS order came to the plate before Bellevue could get three outs. After that, LWHS picked up two runs in the top of the sixth, but then the Wildcats added two more in the bottom, and that was it.

WSHS coached Trevor Leopold tells us his team is now guaranteed a spot in the state tournament in Lacey, . But first – they face the Kangs.

On a day that began with hundreds of people running to benefit West Seattle High School students … we have news about the students who run *for* WSHS. Thanks to Linda Rackner for the photo and report:

The following West Seattle High School track athletes are moving on to compete at the District level this week at Southwest Athletic Complex. They competed at Metros this last week.

GIRLS
Lani Taylor – 110 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters & 4×400 Relay
Lexi Ioane – Shot Put, Discus
Maggie Cooper – 300 M Hurdles, Pole Vault, 4x 400 Relay
Saoirse Cumming
Annie Means – 4×400 Relay
Gabrielle Rackner – 4×400 Relay
Riely McCullough – (alternate for 4 x 400 Relay)

BOYS
Chris Nunez – (4×100 & 4×400 Relay)
Cass Elliott – (300 m Hurdles, 4×100 & 4×400 Relay)
Noah Evans – (4 x 400 Relay)
Chaaka Trahan – (110 m Hurdles, 300m Hurdles, Long Jump)
John Ursino – (4×100 Relay)
Nuradine Abdi – (alternate 4 x 400 Relay)
Miles Hairston – (alternate for 4×400 Relay)

Linda Rackner
Senior Director, Marketing & Sales

Alki Avenue SW is reopening now that everyone’s finished the 7th annual West Seattle 5K, with more than 800 people of all ages (and a few dogs!) running and walking along the beach to raise money for the WSHS PTSA. Above, our Instagram clip of the start; we’ll add our traditional “everyone leaving the starting line” video once it’s uploaded. (Added – Here it is:)

Now, what happened as the participants started coming in:

FIRST FINISHERS

Males –
Tyler Eidsmoe (above), 26, 16:31
Ben Sauvage, 45, 16:40
Kyle Smits, 36, 17:03

Females –
Kelly McKean (above), 37, 18:56
Megan Newton, 28, 19:54
Kylen Fountain, 26, 20:02

1:57 PM: We’re adding photos now. But first – here are the results, the full list of names and times for all 692 timed finishers.

Though the WS5K isn’t the only race in the region on this particular date, it’s the only one that’s about this community. WSHS principal Ruth Medsker, for example, ran to support her students:

Race announcer Eric Radovich gave extra shoutouts to the local businesses that are longtime WS5K sponsors. That included us, and two that also happen to be WSB sponsors – first, West Seattle Runner, this area’s only store devoted to running, whose proprietors Lori McConnell and Tim McConnell were on the run too – here’s Lori:

WS Runner has marked its 5th anniversary and moved to a new location (2743 California SW) since last WS5K. Second longtime WS5K sponsor that’s on our team too, Metropolitan Market:

On the sidelines, we also caught up with race participants Stefan and Christine from WSB sponsor West Seattle Office Junction, this area’s only co-working center:

(At center in our photo, between Christine and Stefan, is Christine’s husband Marco.) The 5K takes a lot of volunteer power, and that includes WSHS students:

Back on the race course, some of the very youngest participants found it extremely relaxing:

We saw a lot of somewhat older kids, meantime, who gave it their all:

Some runners brought along their furry friends:

Still adding photos …

(WSB photos: Above, Wildcats applauding their supporters postgame)
We’re under the lights at Southwest Athletic Complex, where the Metro League softball championship game has just ended with Ballard HS taking the tournament title, 3-1 over the West Seattle HS Wildcats.

Tough pitching on both sides; Ballard’s Sage Nicholson (above) got the win, pitching a complete game as did WSHS’s Gabby Wenn (below).

The postseason is just beginning, with districts up next. First time in tournament history that the top two teams have been from public schools, the tournament director has just said.

Thanks to Lisa Brody for the photo and report on a Chief Sealth International High School relay team that won big this afternoon:

Metro-All City Track meet on May 15 at SWAC this afternoon: Lots of excitement and many competitors from Chief Sealth International High School as well as West Seattle High moving on to the District Track Meet next week at SWAC.

I thought I would share this photo of the Chief Sealth Girls 4 X 100m relay team who took first place as Metro League Champions. These same girls also ran in the 4 X 200m relay and took 2nd in that event.

Here they are with the Chief Sealth International High School Track Sprinting Coach, Billy Hairston. From left to right – Chloe Myers, Assa Kaba, Coach Hairston, Imani Carey, and Quinn Wiley.

(Thanks to everyone who’s been sharing high-school sports updates – editor@westseattleblog.com – so we can share the news with the community!)

(WSB file photo)
Looks like the classic annual forecast for Sunday’s West Seattle 5K on Alki – partly sunny, comfortable temperatures. If you haven’t signed up yet, today is your **last chance** to do it the most convenient way – online. Here’s an update from race director Jeff Mensing:

Online registration for the West Seattle 5K Run/Walk ends tonight at midnight. Don’t delay, register today and take advantage of discounted fees. We will also be at the new West Seattle Runner location (2743 California SW) from noon to 6:00 on Saturday for registration and race packet pickup or at the Alki Bathhouse starting at 8:00 am Sunday the 17th. The race starts at 9:20 am.

The West Seattle 5K is presented by, and benefits, the West Seattle High School PTSA; we’re proud to be among the co-sponsors again this year. It’s the biggest 5K of the year on Alki, running/walking in the temporarily closed-to-vehicles street on Alki Avenue, with runners/walkers of all ages every year. See you there!

(Tuesday night photo of WSHS-EC game, by West Seattle athletic director/softball coach Trevor Leopold)
Thanks to Cheryl Brown for another update on the high-school softball playoffs:

*West Seattle High School beat Eastside Catholic 15-7 at Southwest Athletic Complex last night and advances to the Metro League championship game vs. Ballard at 7 pm Friday at SWAC

*Chief Sealth International High School lost to Holy Names 12-2 at Southeast Athletic Complex but plays Roosevelt at 5 pm Friday at SEAC for 7th/8th-place determination

*1st- through 9th-place teams advance to district playoffs starting next Monday

Thanks to Cheryl Brown for the photo of the division champion West Seattle High School softball team, and this update on how they got there, with their next game just hours away:

Last week (at the end of the regular season), the West Seattle HS, Bainbridge HS and
Ballard HS Girls’ Fastpitch Softball teams were tied for 1st place in the Metro-Mountain Division. Two 4-inning games were played last Thursday at Southeast Athletic Complex to break the tie. WS beat Ballard 2 – 0 in 4 innings. At the end of 4 innings WS was tied 1 – 1 with Bainbridge so it went into extra innings with international tiebreaker rules. WS beat Bainbridge 2 – 1 in 6 innings.

Outcome for Metro-Mountain division:
1 – West Seattle
2 – Bainbridge
3 – Ballard

Last night, WS played Chief Sealth (Metro-Valley #3) at SEAC in the Round 2 of the Metro League Tournament. WS won 13 – 0.

Tonight, in Round 3, WS plays Eastside Catholic at 7 pm at SWAC, and Chief Sealth plays Holy Names at 7pm at SEAC.

Big win for the West Seattle High School varsity baseball team, as postseason play begins. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and photo:

First day of the Metro Playoffs. West Seattle matched up against Franklin at Hiawatha this afternoon. Sophomore Ryan Kimsey (above) started on the mound for the Wildcats and proceeded to throw the entire game. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Junior Morgan McCullough led things off with a solo home run. The Wildcats would tack on 4 more runs to close out the inning. Then in the bottom of the 3rd, the Wildcats opened up the game, scoring 8 runs off of 8 hits. West Seattle would run away with this game, winning 1-15. Their next opponent is Roosevelt, tomorrow (Friday) at 4:00 pm at Steve Cox Field in White Center.

P.S. Tickets are still on sale for the June 22nd Mariners’ game, to benefit the Wildcats and their annual appearance in the High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field. You can get yours by sending e-mail to wshsmarinerstickets@gmail.com.

(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand)
The only guaranteed varsity-baseball game this year between West Seattle High School and Chief Sealth International High School ended in a 5-2 win for the Wildcats on Monday afternoon at Southwest Athletic Complex. Thanks as always to Caryn Johnson for the recap:

A beautiful afternoon for baseball between two great schools. With the addition of more schools to the Metro league and the way the divisions within Metro are set up, West Seattle and Sealth only meet each other once during the regular season. The stands were full of West Seattleites. It was fun to see the support for these two great teams.

The game was a battle of the pitchers. West Seattle senior Jordan Sagmoen was up against Sealth sophomore Evan Moe.

First inning saw no runs scored by either team.

It wasn’t until the bottom of the 2nd that Sealth broke the 0-0 tie and scored on a triple by David Johnson and a single by Evan Moe that drove him in.

In the top of the third, West Seattle would score two off a single by senior Sam Cook and a triple from Morgan McCullough. Sealth would get one more back in the bottom of the third to tie things up.

No runs were scored in the 4th.

Then at the top of the 5th, West Seattle would take advantage of a couple of errors to score two more runs. They would bring in one more run in the top of the 6th. Jordan threw the entire game to get the win 5-2 over Sealth. In the end he would strike out 6 and only give up 6 hits.

Evan Moe would also throw the entire game, striking out 4 and giving up only 5 hits.

Both teams’ next games are at 3:30 pm Wednesday – West Seattle will be at home at Hiawatha to face Seattle Prep, while Sealth will be on the road visiting Cleveland.

Baseball rematch at Hiawatha on Friday afternoon for West Seattle High School and Bainbridge Island High School. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photos and report:
Friday afternoon was the rematch of the two teams that met on Wednesday, West Seattle vs Bainbridge Island,. Freshman Anthony Coats [top photo] started on the mound for WS. The Bainbridge Island bats came out firing and in the first inning had three hits including a three-run home run, but West Seattle would answer back in the bottom of the 1st with an RBI single by senior Jordan Sagmoen. After the first inning, Anthony would settle down and pitch another two innings, only giving up one more run.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, West Seattle would get two more runs off a deep home run hit by Morgan McCullough [photo above]. This would put the score at the end of the 5th inning at 4-3, Bainbridge up. But that would be as close as it would get. Bainbridge Island (ranked #9 in Washington State) would open it up and end up winning 16-3.

Next game is the matchup of the local schools, West Seattle vs Chief Sealth, Monday at 4:00 at Southwest Athletic Complex.

P.S. Around noon today (Saturday), you’ll find some of the WSHS players at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) selling tickets for the June 22nd Mariners-Royals game – it’s related to their annual appearance in the High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field, as explained here. If you want tickets but can’t make it to the store, e-mail wshsmarinerstickets@gmail.com and they’ll make it happen.

Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photo and report from this afternoon’s WSHS-Bainbridge baseball battle:

This afternoon, West Seattle ventured across the water to battle Bainbridge Island. It was an epic duel of two great pitchers. Senior Kevin Cuddy was on the mound for the Wildcats. He pitched the entire game and it wasn’t until the bottom of the 6th that he wavered just slightly, but it was enough to allow two runs to come across. In the end, he gave up only 4 hits and struck out 6. The defense was solidly behind him, making no errors in the field, but the bats just didn’t have enough power to find the holes to get a run across the plate. They did have a few chances, as Morgan McCullough made it to third base twice and tried to come home on a deep hit to right field, only to be caught trying to score on a close call at the plate. In the end, West Seattle lost 2-0.

Rematch this Friday, with Bainbridge Island visiting this time, 3:30 pm Friday at Hiawatha.

Three weeks ago, Chief Sealth International High School and West Seattle High School opened the boys-soccer season with a 1-1 tie. Tuesday, they met again, and this time the final was a 1-0 victory for Sealth. #3 in the top photo is the Seahawks’ Abel Kidane (featured in our earlier story about 3 Sealth & WSHS players who helped make history last weekend), who had the assist for Yael Pina‘s goal.

Next on the schedule – Sealth plays Seattle Prep at Magnuson, 3:30 pm Friday; West Seattle plays Roosevelt at Walt Hundley, 3:30 pm Thursday.

As the Mariners were wrapping up their Opening Day win downtown, the West Seattle High School Wildcats were taking the field on the road for what turned out to be a big win. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and photo:

West Seattle Wildcats took on the Franklin Quakers Monday afternoon. Freshman Cameron Paskett (#28) started on the mound for West Seattle. Cameron pitched 5 good innings, striking out four, giving up 6 hits and only allowing 3 runs. Senior Daniel Kemp came in to finish up the game, pitching the last two innings and not giving up a hit.

On the offensive side of the ball, West Seattle dominated Franklin’s pitchers. 5 players had multiple hits in the game, with freshman Alex Pastrana leading the way with three. In the end, West Seattle walked away with the victory 18-3. Next game is Wednesday against Garfield, 3:30 at Hiawatha.