This time around the lucky number is 13.
On second thought, luck really had little to do with it.
A total of 13 Wolverines earned individual all-league honors for their performance on the baseball and softball fields during the 2009 spring season.
Five members of the Friday Harbor baseball team, which this season compiled a 21-2 record, claimed its fifth-consecutive Northwest 1A/2B League title and another trip to the state 1A tournament, were first-team all-league selections, including cousins Eddie and Jordan Nash. Ryan Alyward, Alex Jangard and senior flame-thrower Richie Ochoa, who’s headed to Washington State University later this year to begin a collegiate career with the Division I Cougars, were first-team post-season selections as well.
Senior Albert Strasser and junior Parker Lawson were all-league honorable mention.
On the softball field, Friday Harbor seniors Kelsie Carlton and Brooke Jangard, and sophomore Elle Guard, earned first-team all-league honors, while pitcher Kerri Goff, catcher Khaili Radden and shortstop Hannah Starr were selected to the all-league second-team. Sophomore Maggie Anderson earned all-league honorable mention. The Wolverines ended the season with a 15-9 overall record, and made their presence known in the post-season by winning 5-of-6 do-or-die playoff contests before falling one game shy of a berth at the state 1A tournament.
These athletes, along with their counterparts on the girls tennis and track teams, as well as the boys soccer team, were no push over in the classroom either.
The baseball, softball, girls track and tennis teams all earned an WIAA Team Academic Award for “Distinguished” achievement in the classroom by tallying a collective GPA of 3.0 or better. Though victories on the field were few and far between, the boys soccer team outpaced the rest of the pack by posting a heady 3.53 GPA, collectively, and earning a WIAA “Outstanding” team academic award as a result.
But wait, there’s more.
Friday Harbor’s Parker Lawson, baseball, and Kayla Short, track, are the recipients of this year’s Wendy’s Heisman Award, which recognize juniors for athletic achievement, sportsmanship and academic excellence. Selected by a coaches’ committee representing all boys and girls sport seasons, winners of the state Wendy’s Heisman award are also chosen to compete against their counterparts nationwide for national honors.
This year’s Cliff Gilles Award winners, which recognize seniors for sportsmanship, citizenship, fulfilling their academic potential and overall participation, are Brooke Jangard and Albert Strasser.
— Scott Rasmussen
