Photo: The Port Angeles Roughrider swim team placed 4th at the state swim meet
By Oly Archibald
FEDERAL WAY — It was an exciting weekend for high school and NWAC sports fans.
At the Federal Way Aquatic Center, the state swim meet took place, and it seemed Sally Cole’s young Roughrider swim team would not have much of a chance of repeating last year’s amazing 5th place state finish. Instead, the Roughriders swam like a pod of orcas chasing down salmon and placed 4th in the state.
The 200-medley relay placed 4th with Danika Asgeirsson, Brooke St Luise, Yau Fu and Amayah Nelson. The 200 free relay placed 6th with Lynzee Reid, Danika Asgeirsson, Yau Fu and Harper McGuire. The 400-relay placed 3rd with Lynzee Reid, Danika Asgeirsson, Yau Fu and Harper McGuire. In the 200 freestyle, Harper McGuire placed 5th. In the 100 butterfly, Yau Fu placed 6th. In the 100 backstroke, Brooke St Luise placed 9th and Danika Asgeirsson placed 11th. In the 500 free style, Harper McGuire placed 4th.
Roughrider swim coach Sally Cole showing once again she is one of the top coaches and mentors in the state.
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In the NWAC Final Four played at Tukwila the Peninsula Pirate men won the NWAC championship and it was anything but easy.
On Saturday in the semifinal, the 4th-ranked Pirates beat #1 ranked Columbia Basin 1-0 as Nil Grau scored the only goal of the game at the 30-minute mark.
The Pirates then took on Highline yesterday for the NWAC Championship. The Pirates got goals from Mathew Enriquez and Abdurahim Leigh. But the game was tied 2-2 and ended up going to penalty kicks which turned into a 11-10 marathon win for the Pirates and their NWAC Championship.
The #1 Pirates women’s team took on #2-ranked Spokane and with a 0-0 tie at the end of regulation time the game went into penalty kicks, and the Pirates lost a heartbreaker 5-3.
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In high school football action, a special season ended for the Port Angeles Roughriders who had made their first state tournament game since 2010. #1 ranked Tumwater with their historic program simply out sprinted the Roughriders with their speed and numbers to the end zone like they had all season. Tumwater had 90 players on their roster that included 34 Freshman.
Bremerton who played Lynden trailed the Lions 34-0 at halftime and lost 41-7.
It will be a major rebuilding job next year for the Roughriders. The Roughriders will have to replace all-everything QB Parker Nickerson and the entire offensive backfield. The Roughriders will retain a solid nucleus of linemen on both sides of their line as well as a few promising Sophomores such as Dylan Mann. Wide receivers Blake Sohlberg and Kaiden Point return but there are rumors in the Roughrider camp that Blake Sohlberg could replace Nickerson at QB.
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In high school bowling, Sequim is at Port Angeles today at 2:45 pm
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The NWAC basketball season is here and KONP Newsradio will begin our broadcasts Friday night as the 3rd ranked Pirate Women take on NWAC power 4th ranked Walla Walla at Columbia Basin College in Pasco with the tip off at 6 pm.
Allison Crumb lost a ton of talent and brought in 11 new recruits from Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon, Australia and the 3 local stars in Sequim’s Hannah Bates, Jelissa Julmist and Neah Bays Allie Greene.
Last year’s 1B State player of the year, Allie Greene of Neah Bay, is ready to take on the NWAC after leading her Red Devils to the state championship