HS Gymnastics: Rodal qualifies for state all around

Ty Swenson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:01:36 +0000

DES MOINES - Highline area and Federal Way gymnasts displayed high level skills at the West Central District III Class 2A/3A state qualifying gymnastics meet held at Mount Rainier High School on Saturday, Feb. 11.

In the allocation formula, the top two teams plus the top 12 additional non-state team members on each event qualified for the state meet at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall beginning Feb. 17.

The top four performers not on state teams in the all around competition also earned state berths.

Enumclaw dominated the meet with a team score of 175.75 while Auburn Mountainview secured the second team spot at 158.425. Seamount League champion Highline High School placed fifth in the 13-team field and sent a superb gymnast to the Dome.

"We did very well," said Pirate head coach Dawn Tessandore. "This was one of our top three scores and we just missed with a few girls. The team really pulled it together."

Pulling it together very well was Highline's Kristen Rodal, who finished a close second in the full field all arounds with a point total of 37.05, just behind Enumclaw's Olivia Bannerot (37.2).

Boys Basketball SLIDESHOW: Kentridge stops Federal Way

Ty Swenson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:03:04 +0000

KENT - In a game that Federal Way never led, Kent-Meridian used its Royal treatment to stop the Eagles, 46-39, to gain the South Puget Sound League No. 3 seed to the Class 4A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tournament from the SPSL boys basketball tournament at the ShoWare Center on Friday, Feb. 10.

"We just had a tough time scoring," said Eagle head coach Jerome Collins. "This is a young team and this is going to happen. We needed to come up with more loose balls. This was good challenge and we'll keep moving forward."

Despite three ties in a 7-7 first quarter standoff, the Federal Way shooters were just a little off as 8-of-29 shooting from the field in the first half corroborated. Kent-Meridian pulled way to lead by seven points twice in the second -- including 20-13 with 47.3 seconds left in the half - before D'Londo Tucker's trey near the end of the quarter kept the Eagles within 20-16 at the half.

The Royals (15-7) opened up their lead to 27-18, but Tucker scored five straight points to bring Federal Way within 27-23. KM led 29-23 after three quarters.

Single-session tickets for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving are now on sale

Ty Swenson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:38:32 +0000

Press release

Single-session tickets for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Diving are now available for sale.

The Trials will be held June 17-24, 2012 at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way and will spotlight the best divers in the United States.

The Trials will serve as the final team selection for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Competition will include men’s and women’s individual 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform, and men’s and women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform competition.

Approximately 120 of the nation’s best divers are expected to vie for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Diving Team. Notable participants are expected to include three-time Olympian Troy Dumais, 2011 World platform silver medalist David Boudia, and 2008 Olympians Kelci Bryant, Chris Colwill, Mary Beth Dunnichay, Thomas Finchum, Haley Ishimatsu and Christina Loukas.

Sports Roundup for 2-13-12

Ty Swenson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 23:08:23 +0000

Friday, Feb. 10
Boys basketball
Decatur 70, Kennedy 62
Decatur captured the No. 1 seed into the 3A West Central District tournament with Friday's win over Kennedy Catholic.
The Gators open district action with a 6:15 p.m. game at Franklin Pierce Friday. The tournament continues Saturday and concludes with the finals at 2 p.m. Monday at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

Saturday, Feb. 11
Girls basketball
Enumclaw 59, Decatur 46
The Gator girls season ended with Saturday's loss to Enumclaw in the South Puget Sound League Class 3A tournament.

Union 50, TJ 32
Thomas Jefferson's season also ended Saturday as the Raiders lost a pigtail game for the final WCD girls berth at Union High School.

Boys wrestling
4A Region II
Todd Beamer took second place at Saturday's tournament held at Rogers High School in Puyallup, scoring 132.5 points behind the 212 of first place Graham-Kapowsin. Federal Way came in 14th with 23.5 points.

Girls Basketball SLIDESHOW: No. 1 Mount Rainier toppled by Federal Way

Ty Swenson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:53:22 +0000

KENT - Darah Huertas-Vining's spectacular three-point shooting third quarter powered unranked Federal Way to a stunning 58-50 upset of Class 4A state-ranked No. 1 and previously unbeaten Mount Rainier in the championship game of the South Puget Sound League girls basketball tournament at the ShoWare Center on Friday, Feb. 10.

After Huertas-Vining was harnessed by the Ram defense with only two points on 0-of-7 first half field goal shooting, the Eagle "go to" player opened up for six three-point missiles in the third quarter.

This success was based on strategy and motivation.

"The coach told me that we were going to set more screens and not rush shots," she said.

Motivation came from a friend who told her how difficult and unlikely it was to beat a team three times in a row after taking both games against Mount Rainier last season.

"I just had to prove him wrong," she added. "I just wanted to make a difference."

This difference came in the form of six third quarter treys en route to 25 points. Two of these threes came as the shot clock nearly drained away and the last was at least 24 feet out as the quarter elapsed.

Girls Basketball: Thomas Jefferson survives mini-games

Ty Swenson — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:19:30 +0000

AUBURN- When the Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team ended its regular seaon with a 6-10 South Puget Sound League 4A North division record it was one game out of the SPSL tournament.

Kentlake change the dynamics of the playoffs with an upset victory against Tahoma on Monday, Feb. 6.

As a result, the Raiders were back in the hunt in a three-way tie with Auburn and Tahoma, necessitating two mini-games of two eight minute quarters each with a one minute halftime.

Making the most of their new lease on playoff life, the Raiders earned the No. 5 SPSL North seed to the SPSL tournament with a 29-20 win against Tahoma in the second of two mini-games at Auburn Riverside High School.

With a 45-39 loss to South No. 5 Rogers, the Raiders have one more chance in a pigtail game for the No. 10 seed.

HS Gymnastics SLIDESHOW: Decatur girls fall just short of top two ranking

Ty Swenson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:05:57 +0000

DES MOINES--Competing without its top all-arounder, Allison Sherwin, the Decatur girls gymnastics team fell just short in its bid for a top two team ranking from the South Puget Sound League 3A/2A sub-district championships that would send it to West Central District.

Scoring 157.475 points, the Gators just missed second place Auburn-Mountainview's 160.525. Enumclaw ran away with the top spot to the West Central District meet at 172 725 on Saturday, Feb. 4.

All members on the two qualifying teams plus three additional all-around competitors and top seven additional individual event qualifiers earned spots to the district meet to be held Feb. 11 at Mount Rainier High School.

"Almost everybody made it to district, even though the team didn't," said Decatur head coach Patty Braun. "Our top all-arounder was missing, so what more can you do?"

Anna Paradee led the Gator gymnasts in the special qualifier category as the all-around No. 1 with a third place 34.2 score. The best scoring event for her was a 9.2 sixth place on the floor exercise.

A vault of 9.125 netted her a second place as her to finish.