To say the least, 2015 was a special year for Mercer Island prep sports. While Super Bowl XLIX may have broken our collective hearts and the Mariners couldn’t quite meet their high preseason expectations, Mercer Island sports teams went on an unprecedented run during the 2015 spring season. In the spring alone, the Islander athletes brought home five state-championship trophies, and even won Mercer Island’s first-ever state baseball championship ‘twice.’

This week, the Reporter looks back at those memorable highlights from 2015.

Winter Sports

The Mercer Island boys basketball team finished second in the 2A/3A KingCo standings, advancing to the 3A Sea-King district tournament. The Islanders finished with a 10-2 record in KingCo and were 17-9 overall.

The Mercer Island girls basketball team also finished second in KingCo with an 8-4 KingCo record and were 17-10 overall. The Islanders advanced to the 3A state tournament regionals, and were one overtime loss away from their third-straight trip to the Hardwood Classic in Tacoma.

Mercer Island’s boys swim and dive team placed second at the 3A state tournament behind cross-lake rivals, Bellevue. The Islanders boasted a state champion in Ian Caldwell, who won the 50 free and 100 free events.

Though the Mercer Island wrestling team saw its five-year reign as KingCo league champs come to an end at the hands of Bellevue, the season didn’t end there. The Islanders sent program stalwarts Evan Condon and Taylan Yuasa to the 27th annual Mat Classic. Condon won the state title in the 195 division and Yuasa placed second at 113.

Mercer Island gymnastics placed sixth at the 2A/3A KingCo championships, and saw Cece Belady advance to the state tournament in Tacoma.

Spring Sports

The Mercer Island baseball team appeared to be floundering after the Islanders suffered their fourth-straight loss to open postseason play against Lake Washington. But that just meant the Islanders were seven wins away from becoming state champions, as head coach Dominic Woody reminded his team.

In the end, it may have been eight, depending on who you ask. But who’s counting?

Mercer Island won out the rest of the way, and also “won it twice” in the 3A state championship game to take home the program’s first-ever state baseball crown. Josh Stenberg closed the door on Shorewood with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning, five innings after Anthony Scalzo’s walk-off walk was controversially waved off. Highlights of the controversial call garnered national media attention.

Mercer Island tennis once again dominated at the 3A state championships, with the Islander girls winning their seventh-straight title and the boys winning their fifth-straight state crown. In their final prep tournament appearance, Gabby and Lydia Venditti won their third-straight state doubles title, defeating teammates Caroline Hamilton and Sammy Sweet for a one-two Islander finish.

With five of Mercer Island’s six state-qualifiers advancing to the final round of the 3A state girls golf tournament, Mercer Island took home the 3A state championship at Horn Rapids Golf Course in Richland. Rachel Fujitani led the Islanders with a two-day score of 146, good for a second-place finish behind Ingraham’s Sarah Rhee.

The Islander boys golf team placed third at state, with Zach Evens finishing ninth overall. Will Mansfield, who also competed in the state baseball tournament for Mercer Island, tied for 14th.

Mercer Island boys lacrosse capped a special season in dramatic fashion. The Islanders rallied for seven fourth-quarter goals to overtake Bellevue 11-8 in the state final and take home the championship trophy, ending the Wolverines’ three-year reign as boys lacrosse state champions. Mercer Island finished its season with an overall record of 22-1, the only loss coming against the Wolverines.

The Mercer Island boys soccer team were off to the races on the soccer pitch, going undefeated in KingCo during regular season competition with a 12-0 league record. But eventual 3A champs Interlake stunned Mercer Island in the KingCo title game, and the Islanders finished one win away from the state tournament, finishing with a 13-4-2 overall record.

The Mercer Island girls track team finished third at the KingCo championships, while the boys placed fourth overall. The Islanders qualified 15 athletes for the state tournament. The team of Kayla Lee, Victoria Gersch, Piper Casey and Kendra Watson finished second at state in the girls 200 meter relay.

Mercer Island’s girls lacrosse team finished second in their division behind Bainbridge Island, with a 5-1 league record and were 9-4 overall. The Islanders fell to Snohomish in the first round of the state tournament.

With a 7-3 win over Wilson, Mercer Island girls water polo earned a fifth-place finish at the 2015 state tournament. The Islanders finished their season with a record of 6-3 in league play.

Mercer Island fastpitch finished its season tied for sixth-place in the KingCo division.

Getting his first start for the U.S. men’s national soccer team, Islander Jordan Morris scored his first goal in international competition as the U.S. defeated Mexico 2-0 in San Antonio in April. A few days later, hundreds turned out to South Mercer Playfields to catch a glimpse of Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano, as he helped usher in Opening Day ceremonies for Mercer Island Little League. Cano threw out the ceremonial first pitch to young catcher Mitch Ashberg.

Fall Sports

In a season plagued by injuries, the Mercer Island football team saw four different players take over at quarterback as the Islanders tied for fourth in the 2A/3A KingCo standings.

Mercer Island girls swim and dive boasted the top 3A (and 4A) team score at the KingCo championships at Kamiak High School on Halloween. The Islanders placed second at the state championship meet behind Lakeside for the second year in a row. Sabrina Kwan was a state-title winner for Mercer Island in the 100 fly, the third 100 fly state crown of her high school career.

Mercer Island volleyball took home the 2A/3A KingCo league and tournament titles and finished third at the Sea-King district tournament. But a knee injury to KingCo MVP Jemma Yeadon left the Islanders without their best player for the state tournament, cutting the team’s postseason run short and leaving the team without a state trophy for the first time since 2011. Mercer Island finished 11-1 in league play and 20-5 overall.

The Mercer Island girls cross country team advanced to the state meet for the second year in a row, placing ninth overall. The Mercer Island boys placed third at the 3A KingCo championships and saw Ben Stoops advance to the state meet.

Like their spring counterparts, the Mercer Island girls soccer team was off to a fast start, winning their first nine games of the season. The Islanders  finished the year second in KingCo with a 9-3 league record and were 14-6 overall, making the playoffs and coming within one win of reaching the state tournament.

Mercer Island boys golf placed third at the KingCo medalist tournament in October. Senior Zach Evens took co-medalist honors with Liberty’s Ben Graham at the tournament before winning the 3A Sea-King district title two weeks later. Evens and teammate Drew Christofferson will compete in the 3A state tournament in May of 2016.

Mercer Island boys water polo prevailed over Puyallup to take third place at the state tournament at Curtis High School in November. Four Islanders were named to the All-State teams. Conner Vacca was named to the first team, Hunter Peshkin and Ford Witman earned second team honors and Erik Raisys earned honorable mention.

Mercer Island boys tennis locked up the KingCo league and tournament crowns in October, advancing three doubles teams and one singles player to the Sea-King district tournament next spring. Christian Anderson and Chris Elliot won the 3A KingCo doubles title, defeating teammates Jake Bethards and Caden Conder. Freshman Brandon Wong placed third in singles competition to advance in singles competition.

Scoring two goals in the final game of the NCAA College Cup, Jordan Morris led the Stanford Cardinal to the program’s first national soccer championship in December.