After having their best season ever last spring the Bainbridge Island high school crew team, which boasts a total of 106 athletes combined in the boys and girls team, looks to even out-do last season.
Head coach Tom Goss said this is the first crop of seniors he has had.
“We are very excited,” Goss said. “This promises to be our best year ever.”
The team’s first regatta is Saturday, but only the novice riders will travel.
The varsity team’s first of three big regattas is on April 14-16 in Eugene, Ore., where both high school and college level teams will compete.
The meets for the crew team all lead up to the Regional Championship Regatta at Vancouver Lake in mid-May, where Goss said he hopes to have a boat or two qualify for nationals, which takes place in Tennessee.
It will take all eight riders to reach the goal of qualifying for nationals, but both the girls and boys have some exciting athletes to keep an eye on.
For the girls, Bridget Sloat and Hannah Marsing are two of the team’s strongest riders. Both have said they are going to row at universities next year.
Sloat plans to row for the University of Portland and Marsing plans to row for Bucknell.
Goss said two guys to watch are soon-to-be Huskies; James Erving and David Miller. Miller and Erving both plan to row for the defending national champion Huskies next season, but they are also very different.
Erving has been on crew since he was a freshman, but Miller is relatively new to the sport.
“He just picked it up very quickly,” Goss said of Miller.
The crew team will face several different schools and also clubs, like that of Everett (which is a combination of kids from several schools). Lakeside, Goss said, will be good competition for the Spartans.
The Spartans won’t wait long to be tested against the Lions; the first meet is against Lakeside on March 25, at the All-Island Regatta on Vashon Island.
Tennis
The defending Metro League Champion tennis team was all geared up for its first match Wednesday, but because of the rain, the match was postponed.
The Spartans finished the Metro League undefeated last season and is bringing back 13 winners this year.
For the women, Kate Jameson and Kelly Zwicker are this year’s captains.
Jameson finished last season with an impressive 23-2 record and is the defending state champion in doubles. Both Jameson and Zwicker are four-year starters.
Sophomore Jordan Ferguson is also returning for the Spartans; she boasted a record of 21-3 last season.
The boys team will return this year’s captains, Ryan Bieber and Michael Bock.
Other impact players also returning are sophomores Matt Alderson and Keet Curtis. Alderson finished last season with a 20-3 record, and along with his older brother, Scott, finished fifth at the state tournament.
Lacrosse
The men’s lacrosse team lost in a close one in their opener to rival Lake Washington, 10-11. Jake Knostman and Sean Maier each scored three for the Spartans.
After losing to Mercer Island, the Spartans bounced back with a 15-9 win over Curtis.
After the game, head coach Jack Visco said the team leaders are stepping up and raw talent is developing in all positions.
Knostman again scored three times and added five assists for the Spartans in the win.
The boys have a short break before their next game against Centennial on March 24.
The girls lacrosse team opened up their season Wednesday with a tight game against Issaquah.
Kelsey Mackin and Bea Sheffer combined to score eight of the total 10 goals scored by the Spartans, who fell just short, 10-11.
The girls travel to face Mercer Island Monday, and are back home to battle Bellevue Wednesday.
The boys soccer team opened up their season with a win last Tuesday.
Coach George Vukic said before the season started that his team would score lots of goals, and the Spartans proved him right when they scored four against Lakeside to win, 4-1.
Peter Fawley got the ball rolling early when he scored in just the sixth minute of the game.
Connor Winship, Jason Dick, and Sam Rice also scored for the Spartans.
Water polo
The girl’s water polo team lost in their opener last week to Newport, 4-9.
Emily Carson had three points for the Spartans.
The Spartans host Shorewood on Monday, and then travel to Mercer Island on Wednesday.
