Following is a review of the South Whidbey sports highlights from June through December.
June
South Whidbey High School athletes earning first-team, all-Cascade Conference honors for spring sports were Alex Black (baseball, outfield), Ethan Petty (baseball, pitcher), Michael Lux (soccer, forward), Graham Colar (soccer, midfield), Silas Batiste (soccer, midfield), Ari Rohan (soccer, defender), Lake Smith (soccer, defender), Julian Inches (soccer, goalkeeper), Matthew Simmons (track, 200, 400, 4×100), Kristopher Dixon (track, 110 hurdles, 4×100), Carl Henri Chapman (track, 4×100, 4×400), John Bartel (track, 4×100, 4×400), Callahan Yale (track, 4×400), Max Dodd (track, 4×400), Owen Boram (track, javelin), Sophia Nielsen (track, 100 hurdles, triple jump), Elizabeth Donnelly (track, 800), Emily Vanberg (track, javelin), Ryan Wenzek (golf), Kolby Heggenes (golf) and Emma Leggett (golf).
Smith was the conference’s Most Valuable Defender in soccer, and Heggenes won the conference’s MVP award in girls golf.
Softball player Mackenzee Collins and Smith were named first-team, all-state in their respective sports.
Coaches Tom Fallon (baseball) and Emerson Robbins (soccer) were each named the Cascade Conference’s Coach of the Year.
Heggenes and Lewis Pope received the Cliff Gillies Award at South Whidbey High School’s year-end awards assembly. The award recognizes those who excel in scholarship, citizenship and activities.
Those added to the school’s Wall of Fame were Batiste (soccer), Rohan (soccer), Smith (soccer), Nielsen (track), Heggenes (golf, volleyball), Pope (basketball), Romey Rohde (track), Collins (softball), Donnelly (track) and Bailey Todd (volleyball).
July
Buz McKinley and Kris Adams posted the low gross scores to lead the field at the 46th annual South Whidbey Invitational at the Useless Bay Golf and Country Club July 20 and 21. Brian Stanton and Martha Carrier were the net leaders in the tournament, which featured 123 players.
The South Whidbey Little League 8-10 baseball team, coached by Josh Coleman, qualified for the state tournament by winning the district title June 25.
August
Dianne Anderson and Cindy Merritt led the field at the Useless Bay Golf and Country Club Ladies Invitational Aug. 7 and 8.
2016 South Whidbey High School graduate Ricky Muzzy signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Washington after helping Lower Columbia College (Longview) win two Northwest Athletic Conference championships.
Bayview’s Connor Ryan won a gold medal at the World Junior Ultimate Frisbee Championships Aug. 18-25.
October
South Whidbey hammered Coupeville 48-20 Oct. 12 in football to win “The Bucket.”
South Whidbey, coached by Doug Fulton, won the North Sound Conference boys cross country championship Oct. 20. The boys would go on to finish 11th and the girls 12th at the state 1A meet Nov. 3, led by Michael Cepowski (10th) and Kaia Swegler Richmond (19th).
November
Falcons earning first-team, all-league honors in fall sports were Yale (cross country), Cepowski (cross country), Thomas Simms (cross country), Swegler Richmond (cross country), Maddy Drye (soccer, defender), Alison Papritz (soccer, forward), Mallory Drye (soccer, midfielder), Leggett (volleyball, outside hitter), Clay O’Brien (football, running back and linebacker), Wyatt De Mers (football, offensive and defensive line), Kody Newman (football, defensive back), Kobe Balora (football, offensive line) and Kole Nelson (football, tight end).
Fulton was Coach of the Year in cross country.
Ashley Lynch placed 13th in the 200-yard freestyle at the state 1A swim meet Nov. 10.
Swegler Richmond qualified for the national United States Track and Field Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships by placing 16th out of 89 at the regional meet Nov. 17. She was 77th out of 313 at the national finals Dec. 8 in Reno.
