As the fall sports season came to a close, the Hawks found four of their six sports teams in postseason play. With women’s swim, football, men’s tennis, and cross country all in the playoffs, this marks one of the better seasons in school history.
Football made the postseason for only the second time in school history and was unlucky enough to face fourth ranked Kennedy Catholic last Saturday. After trailing 21-9 at halftime, the Hawks outscored the Lancers 26-14 in the second half, but still came up short with a final score of 35-29.
Following the game, an emotional Coach Tony Umayam said, “When it’s all said and done, we had a heck of a football team. They didn’t quit and battled the top teams, literally the top teams in the state. It’s a testament to the fight that these guys have.”
Also having one of their best years in school history was cross country. After men’s cross country easily clinched the WesCo 3A championship, the Hawks finished in fourth place at districts.
Jack Pearce, junior, and Ella Schroth, freshman, both qualified for state. Pearce finished 38th overall out of 144 runners with a time of 16:28.6. Schroth finished with a time of 20:03.1, for 51st out of 139.
Nine competitors represented women’s swim at Marysville-Pilchuck in districts. Six seniors, Julie Felber, Sonja Head, Jessica Jamtaas, Mckenzie LeSueur, Sarah Lundquist and Riley Morgan, as well as two juniors, Sarah Willhoite and Megan Bruce, and one sophomore, Daria Jamtaas.
Bruce, LeSueur, Morgan and Willhoite competed in the 200 meter freestyle relay, and finished with the fourth best overall time in districts. Morgan finished in third in the 50 meter freestyle along with a fourth place finish in the 100 meter butterfly events and will compete in the state championship for both events on Nov. 9 for the second straight year.
The Hawks’ men’s tennis team was represented by two sophomores, Collin Rhodes and Brandon Park, one junior, Bryce Pingul, and three seniors, AnhViet Nguyen, Tin Ho, and Kandin Neri in the WesCo 3A South Division Tournament. In doubles, Neri and Ho fell to the Shorecrest Scots’ Chris Sato and Nick North. Meanwhile, Nguyen and Pingul came up just short against the Glacier Peak Grizzlies’ Max Everett and Devin Remlinger. Both singles competitors Rhodes and Park fell in the first round as well.
With winter just around the corner and one of the best fall seasons in recent school history, the Hawks hope to keep their hot streak alive and send more athletes into the postseason.
