Walsh-Platt scholarships awarded to Olson, Skoor

By Aaron Coe

Herald Writer

EVERETT – Emily Olson and Mike Skoor exchanged a high five shortly after winning Walsh-Platt scholarships Monday night at Everett High School.

The greeting was the result of them learning they were both ASB presidents of their respective high schools.

That’s not all Skoor, of Cascade High School, and Olson, of Everett, have in common.

Both are outstanding students who excel in athletics and in the community, which is why they won the $2,000 scholarships at the 42nd Walsh-Platt Athletic Scholarship Banquet. Those three traits were apparent in all 12 candidates from the three Everett School District high schools.

Olson, who played volleyball, basketball and tennis all four years at Everett, was shocked.

“There are so many good quality girls here,” said Olson, who has a 3.93 grade point average, but during her speech was, well, speechless.

Olson led her team in scoring in basketball and was a second-team Western Conference South Division selection after the volleyball season in the fall. Olson, who was Everett’s No. 1 singles player in tennis, lost only four matches during the regular season.

She volunteers at the Boys and Girls Club, where she coaches basketball. She is on the Youth Advisory Committee of the Everett Parks Department and has worked with troubled teens.

Skoor, like Olson, was captain of three teams as a senior.

He played defender for the Cascade soccer team, and scored the first three goals of his career this spring.

“With my name, I was hoping I would score eventually,” said Skoor, who won a Snohomish County Football Hall of Fame scholarship in January. “I was hoping they’d work it into a headline somehow.”

He averaged 12 points and seven rebounds this season and earned All-Area honorable mention in basketball.

The 6-foot-4 receiver earned a spot in the Cascade Football Hall of Fame after starting two years on both offense and defense.

Skoor, who is active with youth groups at his church, has a 3.7 GPA. He plans to attend Western Washington, where he may try out for the basketball team.

Jackson’s finalists included Brent Lillibridge, Jessica Shadle, Evan Wirkkala and Mike Yonkers.

Cascade’s other finalists were Jesse Erickson, Heather Hughes, and All-Area Soccer Player of the Year Megan Lienhard.

Everett athletes Brittney Moore, Leslie Barton and Bennett Johnson were also finalists.

Two parents from each school were honored. Erickson’s parents, Randy and Jo Erickson, won Mom and Pop of the Year awards. Everett parents Connie Anderson and Ross Johnson were also honored, as were Jackson parents Jean Eshelman and Jerry Wirkkala.

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