Category Archives: College

Geoducks fall sports underway

Aug 7

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geoducksThe college sports season is getting set to kick off and athletes at The Evergreen State College are hitting campus getting ready for the men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball seasons.

This week the Cascade Collegiate Conference released their preseason polls for the three sports and the Geoducks garnered a second place pick for men’s soccer, a ninth place ranking for women’s soccer and a last place spot for volleyball.

Maurice Sanchez punches one out

Maurice Sanchez punches one out

The Evergreen men’s soccer team returns the CCC Defensive Player of the Year Brady Espinoza, CCC Newcomer of the Year Willie Spurr and a pair of solid senior goalkeepers in Colin Harlow and Mauricio Sanchez to a team that finished 12-2 in conference play and advanced to the conference finals in 2012. They will have to replace two of their top scorers, Kevin Flavin and Mirza Memic, but will feature forward Jeff Roland, who tallied four goals and two assists last season, and will welcome Aberdeen’s two time 2A Evergreen Conference Most Valuable Player Juan Lopez to the midfield.

The Geoduck men will open their season with a home game against Trinity Lutheran on August 17th at 1:00 PM. They open CCC play on September 17th at home against Warner Pacific and will host defending champ and preseason #1 Concordia on October 1st.

sophie krauza

Sophie Krauza

It took 11 games but the Evergreen women’s soccer team won two of their last three games last season to finish 2-11-1. The Geoducks will return four starters from last season including CCC honorable mention midfielder Sophie Krauza, goalkeeper Kaitlin Mackenzie and leading scorer – albeit with just three goals – Rayna Murphy. Capital star Loren Switzer, the 2A EvCo Defensive MVP last season, is one of the team’s top newcomers.

The Geoducks scored just 11 goals in 14 games last season and and are picked to finish ninth in the CCC. The women open their season with a scrimmage at Saint Martin’s on August 23rd.

angelaspoja

Angela Spoja

Angela Spoja takes over the reins of the Evergreen volleyball program and will try to get the Geoducks their first win in over two years. During the last two seasons under Greg Spector, they went 0-46 and were never competitive.

Spoja comes to Evergreen with an impressive resume at Tacoma Community College and has brought in a host of transfers to join seniors Meredith Gurr, Brittany Covert and Cassidy Watkins on the court. Natimia Barker-Doss is an outside hitter from Pierce College that earned NWAACC West Region First Team honors last season, Kelsey DeLaGrange is a 2005 graduate of Kelso High School and was outstanding for Mount Hood in their NWAACC championship season – eight years ago – and Capital star Gabriela Vega returns to Olympia after a stint at Pacific University.

They are still picked to finish 10th in the CCC this season but there is a definite sense of optimism surrounding this program for the first time in a long, long time.

Posted in College, Soccer, The Evergreen State College, volleyball

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Today (7/31): Brewers face Linx for PSCL championship; SLANBLAYTEE!

Schedule for Wednesday, July 31st

Puget Sound Collegiate League tournament

Tumwater Brewers vs. West Olympia Linx – The RAC – 5:00 PM

Tumwater BrewersIt’s the last day of July and the last day of the PSCL season. The West Olympia Linx have been the dominant force in the league this season with just three losses and have two chances tonight to win one game for the championship.

The Tumwater Brewers are the #3 seed and won two elimination games yesterday to advance to today’s title games. They have to win game one to force a second game that would be slated to start at 7:30 PM.


Wednesday news and notes (updated throughout the day)

SlanblayteeThe greatest name in Olympia sports comes to town this fall when Slanblaytee Kaye takes the court for the SPSCC men’s basketball team. Head coach Aaron Landon announced the signing of Kaye, who actually went by his middle name Clarence in high school, yesterday. Coach Landon says that the 6-0 guard from Logan High School in Union City, California will go by Slanblaytee as a member of the Clippers. – Link

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Jimmy Belleville, a four time state champion wrestler at Black Hills, is back in town and has been named the wrestling coach at River Ridge. – Link

Posted on | Aside

Today (7/26): Senior Games kick off; Brewers face Cards

Schedule for Friday, July 26th

Washington State Senior Games

Rock climbing – Warehouse Rock Gym – 10:30 AM
Hammer, weight and super weight throwing – Saint Martin’s – 12:00 PM


Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball

Tumwater Brewers vs. Hawks Prairie Cardinals – The RAC – 5:00 PM


Friday news and notes (updated throughout the day)

Tumwater superstar running back Kevin Clark has been diagnosed with testicular cancer and his family is raising money to cover his medical expenses. The ’91 grad was one of the best running back to ever come out of the area. – Link to his gofundme.com site

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South Puget Sound men’s basketball signed another player on Thursday inking Bethel guard JJ Johnson to play for the Clippers this season. Johnson was a two time SPSL honorable mention for the Braves. – Link


Thursday score update

Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball

West Olympia Linx 19, Nisqually Silvers 3
Lacey Saints 10, Olympia Athletics 6

Posted on | Aside

Tuesday schedule; Saint Martin’s news

Schedule for Tuesday, July 16th

Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball

Tumwater Brewers vs. Nisqually Silvers – The RAC – 5:00 PM
Olympia Athletics vs. Hawks Prairie Cardinals – The RAC – 7:30 PM


Tuesday news and notes (updated throughout the day as needed)

Saint Martin’s continues to look back at the top moments of 2012-2013. Yesterday featured the women’s soccer team’s late goal scoring prowess. – Link

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And they are smart too. The Saints took home the GNAC Academic All-Sports title for the 2012-2013 school year. – Link

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The Thurston County Senators will take on the Kitsap Bluejackets today and tomorrow at the Kitsap Fairgrounds in Silverdale. Games can be heard on ISPNSports.com. – Link

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Capital grad and Gonzaga defender Josh Phillips talks about his time this summer with the Sounders U23s on the new look theolympian.com – Link

Posted on | Aside

Monday schedule; Sunday scores; Conley update

Schedule for Monday, July 15th

Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball

Olympia Athletics vs. Hawks Prairie Cardinals – The RAC – 5:00 PM
West Olympia Linx vs. Lacey Saints – The RAC – 7:30 PM


Sunday score update

Baseball

Seattle Studs beat Thurston County Senators in semis of Sound Invitational
Thurston County Senators 3, Northwest Honkers 0 – Senators take third place
Tacoma Cascades 12, Capital City Bombers 6


Monday news and notes (updated throughout the day as needed)

ConleyOlympia grad Adam Conley pitched a seven inning complete game shutout in game one of a doubleheader for the Jacksonville Suns on Sunday. The Miami Marlins second round pick out of Washington State in 2011 struck out four in the game and moved to 8-4 and lowered his ERA to 3.66 for the double-A Suns. Next up for Conley is the Southern League All-Star game in Jacksonville on Thursday. – Link

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SPSCC men’s basketball added another Vancouver area player to their roster today. Aaron Landon signed Austin Bonds, a 6-1, 155 pound point guard out of Skyview High School. He joins Union’s Chris Williams and Bonds’ Skyview teammate Keegan Liebelt. – Picture

Posted on | Aside

Clippers basketball, Geoducks volleyball make head coaching hires

May 30

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landonTwo days, two new coaches for Olympia area college teams.

On Tuesday, South Puget Sound announced the hiring of Aaron Landon as the Clippers’ head men’s basketball coach. And on Wednesday, Evergreen announced that Angela Spoja was hired to the long vacant position of head volleyball coach.

Aaron Landon comes to the SPSCC from Concordia University in Portland, where he has been an assistant for the past two seasons. The native of Davis, California was responsible for recruiting in California, where he was an assistant coach at Marina High School and assistant at Santa Monica College before moving to Portland. In his time at Concordia, the Cavaliers went 29-30. Landon played basketball at the University of La Verne and Monterey Peninsula College.

Landon’s head coaching duties are combined with a full-time position as an educational planner for SPSCC. He takes over for Curtis Norwood, who resigned after the season, and will have to replace 56 points from departing sophomores on a team that went just 4-21 last season and given the fluid nature of community college rosters from year to year, he will probably have to bring in a whole new team.

This is Landon’s first head coaching job, but he is a young guy that has some experience recruiting in the Northwest in his time at Concordia and has contacts in California that could help him land some out of state talent that seems to be the key to success in the NWAACC these days.

angelaspojaMeanwhile, at Evergreen, Angela Spoja  is one of the most accomplished coaches the Geoducks have hired in a very long time. Spoja spent eight seasons at Tacoma Community College where she was named NWAACC coach of the year three times and went undefeated in 2007 and 2010. She also oversees operations for the South Sound Volleyball Club in Tacoma.

Spoja has a tough job ahead of her trying to turn around a moribund program that went 0-46 over the last two seasons under Greg Spector and Geoduck volleyball has gone just 44-203 since 2001. Can Spoja make Evergreen attractive to volleyball players? For a variety of reasons, volleyball just isn’t a good fit as a sport for Evergreen but I think her experience in the community college ranks will help her draw more local transfers to the program and could yield some good players from the NWAACC. She also has strong roots in the local volleyball scene and will have better success recruiting in local high schools.

The Geoducks’ volleyball season starts in just a few months on September 6th.

Posted in Basketball, College, South Puget Sound CC, The Evergreen State College, volleyball

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Sunday scoreboard: Saints’ NCAA tournament run comes to an end

May 12

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College softball

NCAA Division II West Regional
Humboldt State 5, Saint Martin’s 3

Saint Martin’s dream season came to an end on Sunday afternoon with a 5-3 loss to Humboldt State in the NCAA Division II West Regional in Arcata, California. The Saints finished at 41-16 overall and won the first NCAA tournament game in school history.

Humboldt State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning off of a Courtney Hiatt two run double and an RBI single by Hannah Williams.

The Saints responded when Dani Wall hit a solo shot in the second inning to cut the Jacks lead to 3-1. One inning later, Megan Miller hit a sacrifice fly to score Madi Davis followed by a Sam Munger single that scored Lacey McGladrey. Unfortunately, that would do it offensively for the Saints.

Megan Wink scored on a Munger wild pitch in the bottom of the third inning for what would prove the game winning run and the Jacks added an insurance run in the fourth inning. Lizzie Perez shut down the Saints over the final 3 2/3 innings and Humboldt State advanced to the Super Regionals and ended the Saints season.

The Saints lose four important seniors – Joslyn Eugenio, Taylor Bakos, Madi Davis and Aubree Pocklington – from their most successful team.

Posted in College, Saint Martin's University, Softball

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Today (5/12): Do or die for Saints softball in NCAA tourney

May 12

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College softball

NCAA Division II West Regional
Saint Martin’s vs. Humboldt State – Arcata, CA – 12:00 PM

Saint Martin’s and Humboldt State have split their season series and both games were close one run affairs that came down the wire. But the Saints have to win two straight games today on the Jacks home field to advance in the NCAA tournament to the Super Regionals.

First pitch in game one is set for noon and if the Saints win, they will play immediately after in a winner take all game.

Live video and stats can be found here.

Posted in College, Saint Martin's University, Softball

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Saturday scoreboard: Saints softball survives; Bears, Rams baseball split seeding games; Cougs soccer to state

May 12

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College softball

NCAA Tournament West Regional
Humboldt State 6, Saint Martin’s 5
Saint Martin’s 8, Grand Canyon 5 – Recap from SMUSaints.com

In game one of the NCAA Division II West Regional in Arcata, California today, Saint Martin’s out homered heavy home run hitting Humboldt State on their home field but it wasn’t enough and the Saints fell to the Lumberjacks, 6-5. The loss was the first for the Saints in the double-elimination tournament and sent them to an elimination game later in the day.

Humboldt State opened the scoring right away putting two runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning. But the Saints answered back, first with a two run home run from Dani Wall in the top of the second and briefly took a 3-2 lead when Joslyn Eugenio drove in Lacey McGladrey in the third.

The ‘Jacks answered with three straight runs in the third and fourth innings including Dani Randall’s homer in the third and what proved to be the game winning run on a Courtney Hiatt single in the fourth.

Taviah Jenkins hit a two run shot in the sixth inning to cut the score to one run and Taylor Bakos singled and advanced to second on an error with no outs. Aubree Pocklington fouled out and Madi Davis struck out for the first two outs of the inning. Bakos was then thrown out on the plate trying to score from second on a single to left by McGladrey. The Saints stranded a runner at second in the seventh inning and Humboldt State held on to win 6-5.

In game two, Grand Canyon got a rematch with the Saints after eliminating UC-San Diego in the first game of the consolation bracket in the morning.

Facing elimination, Saint Martin’s got it going quickly scoring twice in the first inning on a Sam Munger single and a Wall ground out. In the second, Pocklington doubled to drive in Bakos and the Saints took a 3-0 lead.

The ‘Lopes would answer back in a big way with four runs in an error filled top of the third inning. But Jenkins hit her second home run of the day in the bottom half of the inning, a two run shot that put the Saints back on top, 5-3. McGladrey’s single in the fourth drove in Pocklington to put the Saints up 6-4.

Grand Canyon got a run back in the fifth but again Jenkins went deep in the bottom of the fifth, her third of the day, to give the Saints an 8-5 lead and they would hold on to end the ‘Lopes season and advance to play Humboldt State on Sunday at noon. The Saints will have to win two straight games against the ‘Jacks to advance to the Super Regionals.


High school baseball

4A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tournament
Olympia 8, Kentridge 1
Emerald Ridge 7, Olympia 4

With their win over Kentridge and their loss to Emerald Ridge, Olympia took sixth place in the district tournament and advanced to the state tournament regionals. They will take on Lake Stevens at Everett Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 18th at 1:00 PM.


3A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tournament
Peninsula 10, North Thurston 4
North Thurston 5, Bonney Lake 0

North Thurston dropped their district semifinal game to Peninsula but came back to beat Bonney Lake at take third place. They will face Mt. Si at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue on Saturday, May 18th at 1:00 PM in the state tournament regionals.


2A District IV tournament
Mark Morris 8, Capital 7

Down 7-0 and with just three outs left in their season, Mark Morris rallied for eight runs in the seventh inning and Capital saw their season end with a heartbreaking 8-7 loss.


Boys soccer

3A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tournament
Mountain View 4, North Thurston 0

North Thurston’s season came to an end at Highline Memorial Stadium with a 4-0 loss to Mountain View.


2A District IV tournament
Capital 2, Centralia 0

Capital got second half goals from Ethan Meyers and Kellen O’Neill and kept their season alive with a 2-0 win over Centralia at Ingersoll Stadium. They will play in the state tournament beginning on Wednesday, May 15th.


Auto racing

South Sound Speedway winners:
Mini Stock – Grant Charneski
Vintage Modifieds – Paul Field
Hobby Stocks – David Knittle
Baby Grand – Jim Guinn
Stinger 8’s – Steve Pierson

Posted in Baseball, Capital HS, College, High school, North Thurston HS, Olympia HS, Saint Martin's University, Soccer, Softball, Tumwater HS

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Today (5/11): Such a busy day

May 11

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College softball

NCAA Tournament Regional
Saint Martins vs. Humboldt State – Arcata, CA – 11:00 AM


Boys soccer

3A West Central/Southwest Bi-District tourney
North Thurston vs. Mountain View – Highline Stadium, Burien – 1:00 PM

2A District IV consolation final
Capital vs. Centralia – Ingersoll Stadium – 7:00 PM


High school baseball

4A West Central/Southwest Bi-District consolation
Olympia vs. Kentridge – Heritage Park, Puyallup – 1:00 PM


3A West Central/Southwest Bi-District semifinals
North Thurston vs. Peninsula – Auburn Mountainview HS – 10:00 AM


2A District IV consolation
Capital vs. Mark Morris – Bearcat Stadium, Chehalis – 11:00 AM


College baseball

Centralia College vs. Green River – The RAC – 1:00 PM

Posted in Baseball, Capital HS, College, High school, North Thurston HS, Olympia HS, Saint Martin's University, Soccer, Softball, Tumwater HS

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