Former Falcons continue athletic careers in college / Alumni update

A handful of South Whidbey High School graduates continued their athletic careers by competing in a college spring sport this year.

Baseball

Charlie Patterson pitched for the 23-20 Lane Community College (Eugene, Ore.) baseball team this spring.

The sophomore left-hander tossed the second most innings for the Titans (39.1) with the third most strikeouts (35) and fewest walks (eight) among the regular pitchers.

He appeared in 13 games, starting five, and posted a 3-2 win-loss record while recording a 4.12 earned run average.

Tennis

Pacific Lutheran University sophomore Bayley Gochanour played second singles and first doubles for the Lutes’ tennis team this spring.

She picked up wins in singles against Bellevue (6-1, 6-2), Highline (6-2, 6-3) and Willamette (6-1, 6-0).

Track

Bailey Forsyth, a sophomore sprinter on the Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma) track team, posted the school’s best time in the 100 meters (12.35) this spring, earning second in the Northwest Conference Championships April 26 and 27 at PLU. She also helped produce PLU’s best mark (48.04) in the 4×100 relay, also good for second at the conference championships.

Her season-best time in the 200 (25.18) placed her third at the league meet.

During the regular season, Forsyth never finished lower than sixth in an individual race and earned 10 top-three finishes, including winning the 100 at the Shotwell Invitational April 6 in Tacoma.

Just a freshman, Elizabeth Donnelly has already established herself as one of the best middle distance runners ever at Whittier College (California).

She helped the Division III Poets set a new school record in the 4×400 (3:53.23) April 20 at the Bryan Clay Invitational (Claremont, Calif.). The relay team went on to win the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship April 28 in Claremont.

She also posted the school’s third-best time ever in the 800 meters (2:17.39) while finishing fourth in the event at the conference meet.

Donnelly won the 800 at the Whittier Twilight Meet April 5.

Freshman Emma Barker pole vaults for Linfield College (McMinnville, Ore.) and earned her top finish of the year, second, with a season-best mark of 9-11.75 at the Lewis and Clark Invitational April 20.

She placed fifth (9-04.5) at the Northwest Conference Championships at Pacific Lutheran April 20.

Earlier in the year, she also competed the 100 meters (finishing 23rd twice) and long jump (taking 13th and 15th).

Sophia Nielsen competes for Azusa Pacific University (California), and the freshman collected her best finish when she took second in the triple jump (36-04.75) at the RCC Invitational March 1 in Riverside, Calif.

She matched that mark and took fifth at the Chris Rinne Highlander Twilight April 12 in Riverside.

Nielsen also competed in four other events this season with bests of 15.35 in the 100-meter hurdles, 28.06 in the 200, 10.23 in the 60-meter hurdles and 17-03.25 in the long jump.

Rowing

Bjorn Elliot held a spot in the top varsity eight boat for the Washington State University club team this spring.

Elliot helped the Cougars win the Collegiate Covered Bride Regatta April 6 in Eugene and place eighth in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships April 27 in Sacramento.

Softball

Mackenzee Collins, at freshman at Colorado State University, red-shirted this season. She suffered a toe injury in the fall, had surgery in October and wasn’t cleared to play until February.