Ali Gaye is returning to LSU football for one more season.
The Edmonds-Woodway High School graduate, who’s coming off his senior season as a defensive end with the Tigers, has decided to return to LSU and use his extra year of eligibility rather than enter the NFL draft. Gaye made the announcement last week via his Instagram account.
“My goal moving forward is to help lead my team to an excellent season and ultimately win the national championship. See you all,” Gaye said in a highlight-filled video.
Gaye, a native of Gambia who graduated from Edmonds-Woodway in 2017, spent the past two seasons as a starter at LSU, where the 6-foot-6, 250-pounder recorded 51 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss across 14 games. Before the past season he was named an to the Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference Team. However, Gaye suffered through an injury-plagued 2021, including a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery and ended his season after just four appearances.
Gaye was considered an NFL draft prospect before the injury. By using the extra year of eligibility afforded by the coronavirus pandemic, Gaye will have the opportunity to elevate his draft stock. He also gets the chance to help turn around the LSU program, which won the FBS national championship the year before Gaye arrived in 2019, but went 5-5 and 6-7 the following two seasons, resulting in the dismissal of coach Ed Orgeron and the hiring of Brian Kelly away from Notre Dame.
Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame taking nominations
After skipping a year, the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame will be taking nominations for the 2022 induction class beginning next Tuesday. A new class is on the docket this year after the coronavirus pandemic caused the Hall not to have a class of 2021.
Candidates must have been Snohomish County residents either prior to or during the time they gained recognition, and they must have lived in the country for a minimum of five years. Athletes and teams are eligible for considerations five years after their last competition, coaches are eligible three years after their last coaching date, and contributors do not need to be retired.
Online nomination forms can be found on the Snohomish County Sports Commission website. The deadline for nominations is March 5.
Arlington’s Williams earns GNAC award
Arlington High School graduate Juliette Williams, now a sophomore on the Central Washington University women’s track and field team, was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference’s Women’s Track Athlete of the Week for Jan. 17-23.
Williams, running in her first indoor meet with the Wildcats, tied the school record in the 60 meters when she ran a time of 7.78 seconds at the Lauren McCluskey Memorial Open in Moscow, Idaho. She finished third in the race, making her the top non-NCAA Division I finisher.
Two more former Silvertips headed to Olympics
Two more former Everett Silvertips players were selected for their country’s teams for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing.
NHL players are not participating in the Olympics this cycle, opening the door for others to compete. Forward Landon Ferraro, who played for Everett in 2010-11 and is currently playing with Kolner Haie in Germany’s top division, was selected to represent Canada. Defenseman Dominik Bittner, who played for the Tips in 2011-12 and currently plays for Grizzlys Wolfsburg in the German top division, was picked to play for Germany.
Ferraro and Bittner join defenseman Mirco Mueller (Switzerland) and forward Tyler Dietrich (Canada assistant coach) as former Tips headed to Beijing.
EdC announces two new head coaches
Edmonds College has announced that Darrel Marcelle has been elevated to head coach of the Tritons’ women’s soccer team and that Daryl Stevens has been hired as Edmonds’ new softball coach.
Marcelle, a former member of the Trinidad and Tobago men’s national soccer team, spent the past season as the associate head coach for both Edmonds’ women’s and men’s teams. Marcelle takes the head spot for an Edmonds women’s team that finished 8-11-0 last season.
Stevens spent the past two years as the head coach at Lake Washington High School. He inherits a Tritons program that went 10-16 last season, but has had success in recent years, finishing second at the NWAC Softball Championship in 2019.
If you have an item for the community sports roundup, email Nick Patterson at npatterson@heraldnet.com.
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