The Kentlake High baseball team spent pretty much the entire spring on an emotional high, winning game after game en route to a state finals berth at Safeco Field.
On that same diamond, however, coach Jason Evans was in the midst of an emotional roller coaster ride, stemming from the loss of his father Dale, who passed away April 14 after a short bout with lung cancer.
Nick Zografos unquestionably is a special athlete. But at no point during the senior’s four years at Kentwood High did he consider simply specializing in one sport.
Matt Hague had to wait a little bit longer than anticipated for the second year in a row.
TODAY
Kentwood’s Nick Zografos proved this year to be a rare breed: the three-sport standout. There weren’t many of them among the boys this prep season. Zografos’ all-out athletic assault helped him capture The Reporter’s Male Athlete of the Year honors.
Broadcast sporting events in Western Washington for June 7 through June 11.
Kentwood junior Jessie Genger was far from alone among female prep athletes to shine during the 2007-2008 school year.
From the volleyball floor to the basketball court, the swimming pool, the fastpitch diamond and everything in between, Covington and Maple Valley athletes impressed during every season.
Below is a look at a handful of female athletes from the three local schools (Kentwood, Kentlake and Tahoma) who were in the running for The Reporter’s second-annual Female Athlete of the Year award.
Basketball or volleyball?
Volleyball or basketball?
When it comes to Kentwood High’s Jessie Genger, coaches tend to have different opinions on which is her better sport.
Understandably so.
Genger, a 5-foot-11 junior, has been equally impressive in both the last several years. This past fall and winter, however, the agile and athletic Genger turned a corner, leading to the obvious question: When it comes to college, which will she choose?
Matt Hague is trying to remain even keel.
The sweat is already beading up in the palms of Stephen Foster with equal parts excitement and nerves.
Kyle Buchanan, on the other hand, won’t sweat a drop anticipating what might unfold Thursday and Friday during Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft.
And while all three — Kentwood’s Hague, Auburn Riverside’s Foster and Auburn’s Buchanan — will be brought together during the next couple days through a shared boyhood dream, all very well could be going different directions come Saturday.
In terms of mileage, the Seattle Thunderbirds aren’t moving all that far from their current hockey homes in Seattle and Kirkland to their new one in Kent.
ANDY ENDERS
Good morning, Rui Li.
We don’t know each other – you’re a Kentwood High School teenager; I’m a 40-something in the work world. We probably don’t have a whole lot in common athletically – you like to use golf courses for their intended purpose of playing golf; I’d much rather run on them in a cross country race.
It appears there is one little thing that ties us together, though – and a lot of other people, too:
Doing the right thing.
No matter the circumstances, Kentlake knew it faced adversity in the Class 4A state softball tournament last weekend at South End Recreation Area in Tacoma.
Kentlake junior Zach Smith knows what it’s like to run, jump and be free again.
The magic socks ran out of juice Saturday night for the Kentlake High baseball team.
Kentlake High School’s kids’ basketball camp is scheduled for June 24-27.
Kentwood sophomore Rui Li went from the top to the bottom in less than an hour Wednesday afternoon at the Class 4A state golf tournament in Bellingham.
Falcons to play Snohomish at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Safeco Field for Class 4A title
TODAY
DAN COTTON
