Two Wildcat golfers make state
Two Mount Si girl golfers have qualified for the state 3A girls’ golf tournament in Spokane this week.
Jen Sanford and Katie Somers both shot well enough to earn berths to state. Somers shot an 85 to finish eighth in the Sea-King girls’ 3A district golf tournament held recently at West Seattle Golf Course. Sanford, despite a 96, finished 22nd, and grabbed an alternate berth, meaning that if someone else who qualified is unable to make the trip to Spokane, Sanford will potentially get to compete in the event.
Somers, a sophomore, will be returning to the scene of one of the more dramatic moments of her golf career, and of Mount Si girls’ golf history. Last year, Somers’ shot to the 18th hole on the final day, narrowly missed going into the hole and possibly giving her the state title. Somers ultimately finished second to Issaquah rival Brittany Tallman.
That great finish set up a strong summer for Somers on the Washington Junior Golf Association tour, and another strong finish at state this year may set her up to again have a great summer competing against the state’s best teenage golfers.
Wildcat tennis pair’s season ends at districts
It was a great run for the Mount Si girls tennis doubles pair of Britta Safstrom and Alina Plavsky, but their season came to an end recently at the Sea-King girls’ tennis tournament.
Safstrom and Plavsky defeated Kirstie Franceschina and Mayte Vidal of Eastside Catholic 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to open the tournament. The Crusader pair was eliminated from competition. Things became more difficult very quickly, however, as the Wildcat duo fell to Newport’s top doubles pair, Kristin Moseby and Casey Roh. The Knight twosome won 6-3, 6-4.
Safstrom and Plavsky saw their season end at the hands of Christi Elling and Andrea Sullivan of Seattle Prep. Despite winning the first set 6-0, the Mount Si pair fell in sets two and three, 6-7, 3-6, to see their season come to an end. All matches were held at Woodland Park in Seattle.
Wildcat coach Sue Gallacher will miss this pair of great players. “They’re going to leave a void in next season’s team,” Gallacher said by e-mail to the Valley Record, “They are without a doubt the best doubles team to come out of the Valley in many years.”
The Mount Si girls’ tennis team did well this season, despite missing star sophomore Erika Strine for much of the time with illness.
Baseball releases final season stats
Mount Si’s baseball program has released final varsity stats for the 2006 season.
Junior Ian Atkinson led most offensive categories. He hit a team high .443, scoring 15 runs, walking 15 times, stealing 12 bases and driving in 13 RBIs. Junior Ryan Utesch also showed some power this season, hitting a pair of home runs and adding 13 runs batted. Senior Corey Lindberg doubled a team-high five times this season.
Senior Erik Alexander and junior Keegan Riley led the team in strike outs this season. Each struck 19 hitters out.
Seniors Alexander, Remo Castagno, Beau Davis and Lindberg; juniors Atkinson, Derek Aldrich, Riley, Kevin Sandin, Thomas Taylor, Utesch and Dan Reeves; and sophomores Jake Handy and Blake Hepner all earned varsity letters this season.
Mount Si finished 4-11 in league and 7-14 overall this season, a far cry from their strong 2005 campaign. However, with many returning players next season, led by Atkinson, Riley and Utesch, the Wildcats’ look to make a strong run.
