Community roundup: Arlington grad leads CWU women to 1st GNAC title

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Randi Richardson-Thornley did something no one had ever done in the history of the Central Washington University women’s basketball program: guide the Wildcats to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship.

The Arlington High School graduate, now Central’s head coach, led the Wildcats to their first-ever GNAC tournament title as CWU defeated Western Washington University 57-46 Saturday in Lacey. Not only was it Central’s first-ever GNAC tournament championship, it was the first time the Wildcats even reached the final.

“I’m so proud of our team and the year that we have had,” Richardson-Thornley said in a press release on Central’s website. “We have been challenged all year long and have found ways to rise to the challenge and grow in the process. To be able to win three games in three days to finish our GNAC season and get a championship means so much for them and their investment, trust and hard work. I couldn’t be happier for the team, program and everyone who has been a part of this process.”

The third-seeded Wildcats (23-7) defeated sixth-seeded Simon Fraser 91-85 in the quarterfinals and second-seeded Alaska Anchorage 80-65 in the semifinals to set up the showdown with the top-seeded Vikings.

Central was named the No. 2 seed to the West Regional of the NCAA Division II tournament and will face seventh-seeded Northwest Nazarene in the first round Friday in Hayward, California.

Harding, Edwards, Collins receive all-conference nods

Glacier Peak High School graduates Paisley (Johnson) Harding and Aaliyah Collins and Lynnwood High School graduate Jordyn Edwards all received all-conference recognition in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

Harding, a senior guard at BYU, and Edwards, a graduate student guard at San Diego, were recognized by the West Coast Conference. Harding was named first-team All-WCC after averaging 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 steals for the Cougars, who are 26-3 and ranked No. 15 in the Associated Press national poll. Edwards was name the WCC Defensive Player of the Year and honorable mention All-WCC after leading the conference in steals (2.5 per game) while also producing 8.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest.

Collins, a first-year guard at Chicago State, was named second-team All-Western Athletic Conference and WAC Newcomer of the Year after averaging 14.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Snohomish County players help Sound FC to titles

Nine players from Snohomish County high schools were part of the Sound FC boys under-19 youth soccer team that claimed championships at both the Washington State Cup and the Northwest Conference in February.

Sound FC, based in Woodinville, won the State Cup by beating Whatcom Rangers 3-2 in double overtime on Feb. 6 in Tukwila, then won the Northwest Conference by beating Portland City United in a shootout following a 2-2 result on Feb. 13 in Woodinville. Both titles qualified Sound FC for the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships, which begin June 20 in Boise, Idaho.

The Snohomish County members of the team are Weston Joyner (Kamiak), Eduardo Rocha Bernal (Mariner), Theo Uherka-Hartman (Meadowdale), Cade Weatherbie (Kamiak), Keegan McCampbell (Archbishop Murphy), Lucas Siemering (Jackson), Mac Dunn (Jackson), Lucas Joehnk (Lake Stevens) and Deacon Fuentes (Edmonds-Woodway).

Doan named GNAC Pitcher of the Week

Mountlake Terrace High School graduate Kira Doan, now a senior on the Western Washington University softball team, was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 28-March 6. Doan earned two wins and a save in three relief appearances, during which she allowed four hits and one walk over 6.2 innings, striking out three.

For the season Doan is 4-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 14 appearances, striking out 29 in 53.0 innings.

EdC’s Lewis receives NWAC honor

Edmonds College’s Kaden Lewis was named the Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 21-27. The freshman from Tumwater won both his starts, striking out 17 over 14 scoreless innings as the Tritons beat Green River and Centralia.

Pro cornhole coming to Angel of the Winds Arena

The American Cornhole League will be bringing its top series to Snohomish County when it holds its ACL Pro Shootout #4 on June 24-26 at Everett’s Angel of the Winds Arena. The Pro Shootout will feature some of the best cornhole players in the world competing to make it to the $500,000 ACL Pro Shootout Championship, and the event will be televised on either CBS or CBS Sports Network.

The weekend will also include the Bacardi Spiced ACL Open #15, a competition that is open to the public.

If you have an item for the community sports roundup, email Nick Patterson at npatterson@heraldnet.com.