Filing out of the dugout early Friday evening after losing their second game at the state 3A fastpitch tournament at Tacoma’s South End Recreation Area, the Bainbridge Spartans were obviously disappointed that their stay wasn’t as long as they wanted it.
But Coach Steve Nelson looked at the upside as he contemplated the end of the season:
“It’s over, but it’s just the beginning.”
In a spring filled with outstanding performances by Spartan athletes, two individual efforts stand out.
Freshman Whitney Cheng nearly qualified for the state tennis tournament after playing No. 3 girls’ singles during the regular season, while senior Christy Lubovich improved her previous season’s time in the 3200 meters by more than minute and set a school record at the state meet.
Sarah Grue and Becca Ivey concluded their Spartan track careers by running outstanding legs in their fourth consecutive state appearance on the 4×400 meter relay.
They helped the team to a school record 4:02.16 clocking and fourth place finish in Saturday night’s finals at Star Track XX.
Though Elliot Beam and the doubles team of Sara Suffis and Amanda Allender both won a match at the 3A State Tennis Tournament at the Nordstrom Tennis Center on the UW campus, they lost twice and were eliminated on Friday’s opening day of competition.
With 300 meters to go in Saturday’s Northwest Regional Junior Championships in Vancouver, Wash., the Bainbridge Island Rowing Club’s boys’ four-oared shell with coxswain was in fourth, about two lengths behind the lead boat.
“Generally things don’t change much at that point,” said coach Jay Trinidad.
Bainbridge made an exception.
“They just exploded,” said Trinidad.
Cheyne Clark, Stephanie Whalen and Krissy Dickson of the Bainbridge Island Diving Club were double winners in a meet hosted by the Club at the Don Nakata Memorial Pool on May 11. Neal Griffey also placed first, winning the 10-under boys recreation event with 137.7 points.
After self-destructing in the final innings of Friday’s District 2 Fastpitch Tournament opening round game against West Seattle – the team with the worst record coming into the tournament – the Spartans appeared to be headed for a premature exit after entering with high hopes.
To qualify as the No. 5 seed to the state tournament at that point, the girls had to win four successive loser-out games in a 23-hour period.
Call it the Ivey League.
Sisters Becca and Veronica Ivey both ran sub-60-second legs to power the Spartan 4×400 relay to a school record 4:04.74, defeating defending event state champion Bellevue to conclude Saturday’s District 2 track and field championships on a high note. The Spartans won three events in the state’s most competitive district meet.
For opposing teams, the most frightening thing about the Bainbridge A lacrosse team’s 14-6 thumping of Mercer Island on Saturday to reclaim the state title trophy may have happened after the game.
After the entire team happily hoisted the trophy for a barrage of pictures, someone yelled, “Seniors only.” Only five members of the 23-man roster stepped forward.
As newly elected tri-captain Spencer Evans and a first-team all-state selection said, “We’ll be even better next year.”
Golfer Katja Trygg was the lone Bainbridge qualifier for next week’s state tournament in Yakima, as she fired an 86 to finish third in Monday’s District 2 girls golf tournament in Snohomish.
“It was cold, but not wet,” said coach Marnie Snyder. “The course played long and difficult. The top score was 84, which is high.”
The fastpitch team earned the Metro League’s No. 3 seed with a white-knuckle 9-8 win over Holy Names on Friday, the team’s 15th in its last 17 games.
The girls lacrosse team claimed the state championship by defeating Overlake 11-10 on Friday evening.
The girls took control of the game with a three-goal spurt in less than a minute midway through the first half and went into the break holding what appeared to be a comfortable 9-4 lead.
The water polo team opened the State Tournament with a 10-8 win over Rogers on Friday afternoon, but dropped the next four games – the last three by a single goal each time – to finish eighth overall and 10-13 for the season.
