Three Falcons qualify for state

South Whidbey High School tennis ace Lindsey Newman qualified for state finals on May 10 at Sehome High School. She’ll be joined by doubles partners Victoria Comfort and Nicole Zalewski.

Newman defeated Anacortes 6-0, 6-0, then defeated Bellingham 6-0, 6-0, Blaine 6-0, 6-0 then lost to her nemesis – Lynden’s Erica Bosman 6-4, 4-6, 5-7.

“Lindsey breezed into the finals but then had a very tough match with Erica Bosman, last year’s runner-up in district and state,” Falcon coach Tom Kramer said.

“Erica played a very intense, quality match and Lindsey was not in top form,” he said. “We will be working on her accuracy and consistency in preparation for state with the obvious goal of repeating last year’s championship.”

Fellow singles player Natalie Wheeler lost in the first round to Bellingham 1-6, 0-6.

“Natalie lost to a solid and very consistent performer,” Kramer noted. “More hard work is needed for next year.”

In doubles action, Shannon Craig and Julia Iversen lost in the first round to Sehome 6-2, 6-4.

Coach Fulton said the loss was part of an “experience” year.

“It is now obvious what they must do as individuals to successfully compete next season,” he said.

Comfort and Zalewski defeated Lakewood 7-5, 6-0, defeated Anacortes 5-7, 6-2 and 6-4, suffered a lost to Bellingham 3-6, 2-6, defeated Sehome 6-2, 3-6 and 7-6 and finally beat Bellingham 4-6, 6-3 and 7-6.

The pair will join Newman at the University of Washington’s Nordstrom Tennis Center on May 23-24.

“It’s always difficult to win four out of five matches to qualify for state,” Kramer said. “Victoria and Nicole improved during the tournament, concentrating better on big points and being much more aggressive for sustained periods of time. In the final match, the other team played defense at the end and our aggression made the difference.

“However, we are not quite ready for state so several days of intense preparation are ahead of us,” he added.

Overall, the team came in third place in the Northwest League district behind Lynden and Bellingham.

Students advance with black belts

Tiger Martial Arts reported that Sensei Fedele Cacia, fifth-degree black belt of Natick, Mass. flew out last month to test his student Wendi Barker for her fourth-degree black belt. It was his first visit to Washington.

“I was really pleased with the quality of all the students at Tiger Martial Arts,” Cacia said.

“They train hard and are dedicated to our style and they have inspired me to train even harder when I get back home. Wendi is doing a great job,” he said.

At the conclusion of the test the following ranks were awarded: Carole Hansen of Clinton, first-degree black belt; Corey Henderson of Oak Harbor, first-degree black belt; Nick Bibich of Oak Harbor, third-degree black belt; Jennee Bouthillier of Langley, first-degree black belt; Sarah Kelso of Langley first-degree black belt; Mike Buxton of Oak Harbor, first-degree black belt; Barker of Freeland, fourth-degree black belt; and Desire McDaniel of Coupeville, first-degree black belt.

Falcon girls end

the fastpitch season

The South Whidbey fastpitch softball team ended their season Monday, losing a crossover game 5-1 against Mount Baker.

The Falcons began the game well, scoring in the first inning with Natasha Roberts bunting her way on for a base hit, stealing second and third and then driving into home on a sacrifice hit by Melanie Murphy. Roberts swift feet gave her a league-leading total of 19 steals.

The Falcons held off the Mountaineers through the third inning but in the fourth, Mount Baker was able to bring two runners across the plate capitalizing on two Falcon errors. Mount Baker scored one more in the fifth and two in the sixth to win the game 5-1.

“After losing last year’s crossover contest, Mount Baker played a solid game and never gave us a chance to come back – they earned the birth to the district tournament,” said Falcon coach Chuck Burton.

South Whidbey finished the season with six wins and 14 losses.

“This was a very competitive year with the four top teams in our league loaded with seasoned senior players,” Burton added. “Next year’s outlook is very promising if our pitchers come back ready to take control.”

Sign-ups start soon for football

Ready for some football?

Hard to believe, but it’s time for the little guys to start thinking about getting their pads and helmets ready.

Sign-ups for participation in the South Whidbey Youth Football Association football program are scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 27 at the community room in the South Whidbey Intermediate School.

The South Whidbey Youth Football Association is a member of the North Cascade Youth Football League. The association plays against teams representing Oak Harbor, Everett, Mount Vernon and several other communities north of Everett and south of Bellingham.

The football association has three teams for South End youth: PeeWees, ages 7-8; midgets, ages 9-10; and juniors, ages 11-12.

Practice begins on July 28 and the season runs through late October.

For information, call Jean or Carolyn at 579-1789.

Mudder race is this weekend

The Whidbey Island Mudder -a grueling but challenging bicycle race through the woods over a wide variety of terrain – is headed back to town this weekend.

The annual event will start at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 18 at the track off Coles Road in Langley; just follow the signs.

Racers from South Whidbey under 15 can race free as long as they’re accompanied by a parent or guardian, thanks to One Speed Promotions. The company is waiving the entire entry fee for local riders who are under 15 because organizers want to encourage their participation.

The Mudder is a favorite among local riders, with a $3,000 prize purse, food available throughout the day and music to keep riders and their friends energized.

This year, the Mudder is sponsored by Half Link Bicycle Shop, Jerry Beck and Company, Cozy’s and Heggenes Arboreal.

For more, call Robert Fry at 321-5884 or visit www.onespeedpromotions.com.

Chum Run to donate proceeds

The South Whidbey High School cross country program will share proceeds of the annual Chum Run 5K race as well as the South Whidbey Community Park scholarship fund.

This year’s run starts at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 1 at the South Whidbey Community Park.

“The cross country team will be a permanent recipient,” Chum Run director Frazer Mann said. “This is the perfect fit for the race because a primary goal of the Chum Run has been to encourage endurance running in young people. Now we can also provide financial assistance.”

The cross-country team has always had to supplement the limited school budget to pay for travel expenses to invitational meets. Money from the Chum Run will help with this effort, plus the race now will benefit from additional volunteer help.

“We want to continue the longstanding tradition of excellence in distance running in our South Whidbey schools,” Mann said. “We believe that endurance running develops character in young people like few other activities.

Mann added that the Chum Run is not just a competitive race, it’s also a fun community event for everyone who loves to run.

Brenda Bosman’s daughters – Courtney and Cassie – have been on the Falcon cross country team for three years.

“My girls understand that running is a lifelong sport,” she said. “High school cross country has opened the door to lifelong routines that build strength, confidence and long-term healthy habits. The proceeds from the Chum Run will go a long way in helping to cover traveling and other race related expenses for a group of dedicated and hard working student athletes.”

For details, call Mann at

579-8578 or visit www.swparks.org for details.