Community Sports
Sports Beat | Tides win district swimming title; Seahawks third
Gig Harbor won the West Central District III Swim and Dive championship at Rogers High School on Nov. 1, prevailing over 15 other district-qualifying teams.
Longtime coach Mike Kelly is about as likely to produce a quality swimming team as it is to rain in November. His teams have dominated during his more than 20 years as coach of the Tides, winning state, district and league championships in girls and boys swimming.
Gig Harbor went undefeated in conference meets this season and won the league and district titles, just like last year. The only blemish on this year’s record was to Bainbridge Island, the favorite to win the Class 2A state title.
Tides senior Kaitlyn LaTendresse won two individual titles and two relay titles at the district meet.
She dominated the 200 freestyle, winning in a season-best time of 1:55.33. Then she shifted her propellors into reverse and won the 100 backstroke in a blistering 58.72, eclipsing her own school record.
Kaitlyn LaTendresse of Gig Harbor. Photo by Mike Kelly
LaTendresse (backstroke) was also part of the Tides’ winning 200 medley relay team with Hanna Bevans (breaststroke), Snegana Yevstifieieva (butterfly) and Jenna Nelson (freestyle) that touched in a season-best 1:55.21. Nelson entered the water with her team even but dominated the final leg of the race.
Eva Dahlin replaced Bevans in the 400 freestyle relay, which the Tides won in 3:47.57 — 10 seconds faster than runner-up Peninsula.
The Tides also received another fine performance from freshman diver Jane Jackman, who won the district title with her score of 358.45.
Jackman has leaped onto the state diving scene and has quite a few upperclassmen more than uncomfortable as she prepares for the 3A state championships next week.
The Gig Harbor girls swimming team after winning a district championship. Photo courtesy Mike Kelly
Sehawks third
Peninsula finished third as a team behind junior Lee Gjertson, who won three events.
The first was the 50 freestyle, which Gjertson won in 24.85. Promising freshman Sophia Evers was third in 26.12.
Gjertson and Gig Harbor’s Nelson were neck-and-neck for the entirety of the 100 freestyle before Gjertson lunged at the precise right time to out-touch Nelson by 0.39 seconds.
Then Gjertson teamed with Boe Ballard, Evers and Reese Miller to win the 200 freestyle relay in 1:43.86.
Plenty of swimmers from both teams qualified for Class 3A state Swim and Dive State Championships, which is Nov. 14 and 15 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Lee Gjertson of Peninsula. Photo courtesy Peninsula swimming
Gig Harbor in district soccer title game
Gig Harbor defeated Peninsula for the third time this year, this time by a 3-0 score, in a West Central District III girls soccer tournament semifinal at Harry Lang Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 6.
As a reward, the Tides get another third-time rematch, against Central Kitsap, in the district title game at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Mount Tahoma Stadium.
Both Gig Harbor and Peninsula already clinched state tournament berths just by making the semifinals. The state tournament draw will be Saturday evening, after district championship games wrap up.
Peninsula advanced to Thursday’s semifinal by beating Eatonville, 3-1, on Nov. 4. Gig Harbor got there by beating Bellarmine, 3-0, the same night.
That set up the rematch between district rivals. The Tides won both previous games, 6-1 in September and 3-2 on Oct. 25.
The Tides (15-0-3) came into the game with a quick-strike offense backed by a suffocating defense that has allowed only 12 goals in 18 games. The WIAA’s RPI ranked Gig Harbor No. 1 in Class 3A and Peninsula (13-5-1) No. 10.
Anne Louden of Gig Harbor. Photo by Bryce Carithers
The Tides scored first on a Karin Heikkila corner kick. Heikkila, who could probably hit a flea from 100 feet, found a sprinting Ryan Rodacker at the far post. Rodacker headed in a tricky shot off the turf for a 1-0 lead.
As pretty as that goal was for the Tides, they had another just as nice in the first half. Midfielder Sage Sturrock scored off a free kick from 44 yards out, the ball bouncing once before settling into the net.
Gig Harbor extended their lead in the second half when Anne Louden outraced a defender and sent a low, 15-yard, cross-field shot into the goal to make the score 3-0.
Despite the loss, Peninsula remains a dangerous team that is balanced and can score quickly. Four of Peninsula’s five losses this season were to No. 1 Gig Harbor and No. 3 Central Kitsap, which are a combined 29-2-4.
Peninsula coach Jose Brambila was complementary of the Tides after the game. “They’re talented, fast, tough and relentless plus they’re an experienced team.”
Central Kitsap is one of the few teams to draw against Gig Harbor this year, earning a 1-1 tie on Oct. 7 in Silverdale. Gig Harbor won the rematch, 2-1, on Oct. 23.
Local runners headed to state
The Class 3A state cross country championships are Saturday, Nov. 8, at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.
The Gig Harbor boys team is ranked No. 3 in the state. Top runners include senior Gavin McKeegan, juniors Max Dower, Joshua Minner and Jack Greer, and sophomore Galen Peloquin.
Members of the Gig Harbor boys cross country team start the district race. Photo courtesy of the team
State qualifiers for Peninsula include senior Ben Johnson, juniors Ethan Ericson and Zachary Saxon, sophomores Wyatt Harding, Palmer Schumacher and Wilson Shipp, and freshman Nolan Windell.
District champion Lejla Carlsson leads the Gig Harbor girls team to state. Joining her are Ella Savage, Maya Crane, Clarabelle Simmond, Brynnlie Upchurch and Hadiah Hallam.
Four Peninsula girls qualified for state: senior Anya Bierman, junior Isabella Easley and sophomores Ascher Lascheck and Megan Dyer.
The Peninsula High boys cross country team. Photo courtesy of Tyler Nugent
