PREP NOTEBOOK: Wesco, KingCo agree to share allocations

Published 9:19 pm Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Starting this fall, the road to Class 4A state tournaments will change for many Western Conference sports teams.

Based on a pending agreement between District 1 — which includes 11 4A Wesco schools following the new state-classification realignment — and District 2 (11 4A KingCo schools), the districts will pool their allocated state/regional-tournament berths. It means that in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 Wesco and KingCo will each send at least two teams to state/regional in boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, baseball and softball. The new twist is that each district’s third-place team in those sports will meet in a Wesco-versus-KingCo battle for the bi-district’s fifth (final) berth to regional/state.

The agreement isn’t official yet but it will happen, Wesco president Greg Erickson said Tuesday.

In recent years Wesco had three automatic state/regional berths. But after the latest enrollment count and realignment Wesco and KingCo were allocated split allocations: one conference gets three berths the first year and two the next year; the other conference gets two and then three. To avoid giving either conference the short end of the stick, Wesco and KingCo decided to pool their berths and give their third-best teams a chance to advance past districts every year, said Erickson.

The bi-district agreement does not affect football, which will stick with a quad-district playoff format, Erickson said. Golf and swimming formats will also remain the same. The wrestling format has not been determined.

Cross country, track and tennis will be affected. Details have not been finalized for boys and girls bi-district track meets, said Erickson, but boys and girls cross country will each have a 16-team 4A bi-district meet (eight Wesco teams, eight KingCo teams). The top eight Wesco teams and all top-40 individuals at the 4A Wesco league championships will advance to the bi-district meet.

Wesco’s 11 4A schools are divided into the North Division (Arlington, Lake Stevens, Marysville-Pilchuck, Monroe, Snohomish, Stanwood) and the South Division (Cascade, Edmonds-Woodway, Jackson, Kamiak, Mariner). KingCo’s 11 4A schools are Ballard, Bothell, Eastlake, Garfield, Inglemoor, Issaquah, Newport, Redmond, Roosevelt, Skyline and Woodinville.

Oak Harbor’s Young signs with WSU track

Recent Oak Harbor High graduate Shantae Young signed an NCAA National Letter of Intent with the Washington State University women’s track and field team. Young took a recruiting visit to WSU June 5-6 and signed with the Cougars June 16.

This spring she set Oak Harbor school records in the long jump (18 feet, 3.5 inches) and triple jump (38-6.75). In late May she placed third in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump at the 4A state track meet in Tacoma.

“I really like the (WSU) track team. They’re really friendly. They just kind of welcomed me in,” said Young, who also received a scholarship offer from Western Washington University and interest from Portland State University.

Young’s recruiting trip to Pullman included a tour of WSU’s highly ranked Edward R. Murrow College of Communication. Young, who wants to be an entertainment reporter, was impressed.

“That helped me decide,” she said, “because you go to college for your major.”

Inaugural Wesco Alumni Softball Game raises $2,575

After building a 5-0 lead, the Wesco South team held on for a 5-4 victory over the Wesco North team June 22 in the first-ever Wesco Alumni Softball Game at Lincoln Field in Everett. Jackson alum Carly McEachron (South) made a spectacular catch to end the game, reaching over the fence in left-center field and preventing what would have been a game-winning, two-run home run by Everett alum Liz Reed (North). The event raised $2,575 for the Ashley K. Aven Foundation. Aven is a former Meadowdale softball player who suffers from terminal cancer (acute myeloid leukemia). She would have been a Class of 2010 Meadowdale graduate but left school because of her illness. Learn more about Aven here: http://tinyurl.com/28xgtsp.

WIBCA announces new Hall of Fame members

The Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association will induct seven members into its Hall of Fame in late July during separate ceremonies in Spokane and Seattle. Dave Olzendam (Medical Lake, Rochester, Coulee-Hartline, and Newport), Dwight Pflugrath (Ritzville, Mansfield, Brewster), and Toivo Piippo (St. Joseph Junior High assistant) will be honored July 22 at Whitworth University. Bill Bakamus (Toledo, Coulee-Hartline, Mark Morris), Mike Downs (Bellevue Christian), Phil Lumpkin (Seattle Prep, O’Dea) and Steve McCallum (Mark Morris assistant) will be honored July 29 at Seattle Pacific University. Both banquets begin with a social hour at 5 p.m. followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $30. To RSVP call 360-201-5218 or e-mail ddickson@bham.wednet.edu.

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.