South Whidbey grads continue athletic careers in college / Alumni update

By Jim Waller • March 6, 2020 1:30 am
South Whidbey graduate Megan Drake, left, was one of the top shooters on the Pacific Lutheran women’s basketball team this season. (Photo courtesy of PLU Athletics)
South Whidbey graduate Megan Drake, left, was one of the top shooters on the Pacific Lutheran women’s basketball team this season. (Photo courtesy of PLU Athletics)

Several South Whidbey High School graduates competed collegiately this winter season. Here is a rundown of how the former Falcons fared.

Basketball

Junior Megan Drake played in all 25 games, starting 22, for the Pacific Lutheran University women’s basketball team (11-14, 6-10) this winter.

Drake was one of the Lutes’ top shooters, posting the best three-point shooting average (.351, 27-77) and second best field goal (.481, 82-196) and free throw (.692, 27-37) percentages.

She finished second in points (692) and rebounds (112); third in assists (28); and fourth in points per game (8.7), steals (27) and blocks (5).

Drake scored in double figures 12 times, including in four of PLU’s final five games. She recorded a season- and career-high 21 points at Linfield Feb. 8 and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds against Pacific Feb. 21.

Kody Newman, a freshman guard at Skagit Valley College, helped the Cardinals post a 25-4 record this winter. SVC went 10-4 in league play, good for second in the North Division.

Newman appeared in 23 games and recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

He scored a season-high 7 points in Skagit’s win over Northwest Indian College Dec. 4.

Skagit Valley, the No. 2 seed, opens the postseason at noon Saturday, March 7, when it plays Highline Community at Everett Community College.

Lewis Pope redshirted at Central Washington University this winter.

Indoor Track

Elizabeth Donnelly runs track for Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minn.), and is a member of the Gusties’ all-conference distance medley relay team.

At the 12-team Minnesota Interscholastic Athletic Conference championships Friday and Saturday, Feb. 28 and 29, Donnelly and three teammates won the distance medley relay (12:37.7) and finished third in the 4×400 (4:05.53).

She also took 17th in the conference meet in the 600 meters (1:42.71).

During the regular season, she finished first in the 800 (2:28.58) at the MSU-Mankato Invitational Jan. 19 and in the 600 (1:49.91) at the St. Olaf Quadrangular Jan. 24.

Sophomore Emma Barker pole vaults for Linfield College (McMinnville, Ore.). Her top finish this season was fourth with a season-high mark of 10 feet at the George Fox/University of Portland Indoor Invitational. She was also 15th when she jumped 9-01.5 at the University of Idaho Vandal Open Jan. 11.