Cascade girls golfer’s state title a shocker

By Aaron Coe

Herald Writer

For Cascade’s Renee Skidmore, winning a state title is still sinking in.

After all, the sophomore golfer did not even win her own district. That honor went to her good friend, Shorewood’s Kim Shin, who led the Class 4A state tournament after the first round was completed on May 21 at Canyon Lakes Golf Course in Yakima.

The second day of the tournament, however, belonged to Skidmore, who began hitting golf balls at age 3.

She shot a 1-over par 73 on Saturday for a two-day total of 152 and a three-stroke victory over Shin. Her streak on holes 12-15 was a golfer’s dream – birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie. The highlight was the eagle on the par-4, 338-yard No. 14. Skidmore drove her tee shot approximately 215 yards to set up her second shot from 125 yards away.

“I hit a 9-iron up short and it just started slowly trickling toward the hole,” said Skidmore, who has a 3.7 grade point average. “I watched (Shin) hit her shot and she said, ‘I don’t see your ball.’ I said, ‘neither do I – I think it went in.’ We all started running up the fairway.”

That shot gave Skidmore all the momentum needed to hold off Shin and Gonzaga Prep sisters Ellie and Katie Brophie, who finished 5 shots back.

After a birdie on 15, Skidmore held on for dear life with bogeys on 16 and 18 sandwiched around a par on 17.

“Winning was awesome,” said Skidmore, who has been one of the Washington Junior Golf Associations top competitors since age 10. “It was kind of unexpected for me, because my goal was to go in there and get into the top five.”

She did not know she had won until well after she had completed her round, as the final golfers finished up and the scores were tallied.

Skidmore, who hopes to teach golf someday, said it will be fun to compete against Shin – another – sophomore – for the next two years.

Skyline high jumper amazes: The fact that Jeff Skiba cleared 6 feet, 10 inches to win the Class 3A high jump competition is impressive, sure. Not since 1999 did someone soar higher at the state meet. What is amazing about Skiba is that he accomplished the feat with a prosthetic leg. Skiba, like Lake Stevens basketball player Katie Holloway, was born without a fibula in his left leg. The lower portion of the leg was amputated when he was a year old, but it has not stopped him from being a great athlete with a flare for the dramatic. After Skiba cleared 6-10, he followed with a back flip and threw his hands in the air. Skiba, who set a paralympic world record three weeks ago in the event, has run the 100 meters in 12.4 seconds and can dunk a basketball.

Powell dominates: Rainier Beach senior Ginnie Powell concluded her prep career Saturday at the state track meet by winning her 10th individual title. Powell, who is regarded by many as the greatest female track athlete in state history, won the 100, 200 and 100 hurdles Friday and Saturday and became the all-time leading points scorer in 3A meet history. She will run for USC next season.

Uh, you missed one: The hurdle crew at the state track meet on Saturday made a startling discovery just before the Class 3A girls 300 hurdle final began. The crew, which consisted of high school students, had forgotten to lower the last set of hurdles after the boys race. The boys quickly ran onto the track to finish the job, drawing laughter from the fans. The race, which is considered one of the sport’s most grueling, wound up starting several minutes later, so the rush may not have been necessary. Had the last set of hurdles remained higher as the fatigued athletes came down the stretch, however, it surely would have led to a pile of runners.

All-State Games: King’s coach Eric Rasmussen will have a couple of familiar faces on his West squad for the June 22 Washington Girls Basketball Coaches Association All-State Games at Whitworth College. King’s center Rachel Strand and guard Christina Wikstrom have been selected to play for the Class A West team. Two Coupeville players are also on the A West team. Guards Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby and Brianne King will play against the East team.

Selected to the Class B West team were gorward Darcy Madison of Shoreline Christian and guard Amy Jones of Darrington.

Lakewood center Stephanie Anderson has been chosen to play for the 2A West team.

The all-state series begins with the B game at noon. The A game is scheduled for 1:30 followed by the 2A game at 3:15 and the 4A/3A game at 4:45.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 12 and younger and senior citizens.

Lowery honored: The Everett School District has approved the naming of the Everett High School gym in honor of former boys basketball coach Norm Lowery. The basketball court will retain the name of former coach Joe Richer, who played for Lowery and later succeeded him as the Seagulls’ coach.

Since 1955 Lowery or one of his former players: Richer, Everett High athletic director Roger Haug and Darrell Olson, has coach the Everett High team. Lowery also has three sons coaching in the Western Conference: Mike, the head coach at Marysville-Pilchuck; Norm, the head coach at Lake Stevens, and Tom, an assistant coach at Kamiak.