Call it a terrific trio of state titles.
The Mercer Island High School boys soccer and baseball teams and a girls tennis duo won 3A state championships on May 28.
The Islander booters defeated Lakeside, 3-1, to win the program’s first title at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.
Over at Gesa Stadium in Pasco, the Islander baseballers beat Kennewick, 8-4.
Both Islander teams were No. 12 seeds in their respective tournaments and rose to the top.
In Richland, tennis doubles partners Rachel Garton and Ava Chatalas won the 3A championship. The team finished second overall as Chloe DeGracia placed fourth in singles and Ella Simpson and Jaya Manhas took fifth in doubles.
BOYS SOCCER
Remy Frederick said it was an amazing feeling to notch the game-winning goal in the final off an assist from Samir Lumba.
“It felt like all the pressure was lifted off our team. The only thing we thought about from there was closing out the game and ending this amazing state run with a bang,” said Frederick, adding that resilience, grit and determination were on the Islanders’ side, notably when Lakeside tied the match at 1-1.
Brady Gilroy netted the Islanders’ first goal off an assist from Nick Chou, and Kaleb Rawson put the finishing touches on the win off a cross from David Thomas.
Thomas recalled his 80-yard run with the ball at his feet and whipping the cross to Rawson: “I ran as fast as my knees could handle down the sideline. I’m incredibly thankful for having such a cohesive team this whole season.”
The Islanders had to dig deep into their arsenal of skills to garner the 3-2 victory over Monroe in the semifinals on May 27. After Monroe went up 2-nil in the first five minutes, Mercer Island eventually tied the match on a 30-yard Lumba free kick and a Gilroy header off a Frederick assist.
As the clock ticked off its final seconds of the match, Leo Berkley knocked the game-winner into the back of the net off a lengthy Rawson free kick to bounce the locals into the final.
Islander Hawkins Sanborn said the state-championship experience felt like a strange dream as the victories unfolded before his eyes.
“It was so amazing that after all the work we have put in so far to have a final game be the state championship and to actually win it,” he said. “The keys to the team’s success were that we were not a team with just one or two fantastic star players that could carry the team to get to state, but we were well built and coached. I feel that the people on our team have a love and bond with each other.”
Earlier in the week, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association named stellar Islander defender Cooper Gersch one of its athletes of the week for scoring three goals in two matches and helping lead his squad to the final four.
BASEBALL
Evan Otte said it was a dream come true to be the winning pitcher in the state championship game.
Otte — who was also part of the Islanders’ state champion boys golf team earlier in the week — toed the rubber for six innings against Kennewick and surrendered just four runs en route to hoisting another title trophy.
“Ever since I was in Little League and All Stars, I have dreamt of the day I was pitching in a state championship. It makes it even more special that I got to pitch to my brother Halen, who’s our catcher,” Evan said. “Our team’s success came from limiting the mistakes on defense. This was a big key to holding Kennewick to four runs after they scored 39 runs in their last three games. I emphasized limiting the walks and our defense limited the errors and made it hard for their team to score runs.”
For the Islanders, Kaden Wu, Max Clark, Cutter Werdel and Alex Henderson delivered two hits each and hurlers Jack Beebe and Governor Aufranc shut down Kennewick in their reliever roles.
Aufranc said the Islander brotherhood followed leader and head coach Dominic Woody to state and knocked off higher seeds each time to notch the championship.
“It was a surreal moment that I will never forget, especially when you faced the last batter of the game to strike him out after not facing a single hitter the entire year due to a ski accident,” Aufranc said. “It was no question the best day of my life and I’m happy I got to do it alongside some of my best friends.”
In a 3-1 semifinal victory against West Seattle on May 27, pitcher Austin Cupic fanned eight batters over seven innings to help place the Islanders in the final. Henderson and Wu each knocked base hits and Chris Mock walked to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth inning. The Islanders were error-free on defense and Halen Otte made eight plays.
Islander Jack Varney said winning state will be an unforgettable experience. He grew up playing with the same guys on the squad and said that everyone put in great performances.
It was an emotional ride as the team rose to the occasion for Woody.
“Woody told us a story of how his brother passed away four years ago that same day of the championship game. We all rallied behind our coach and played for him. It really was something special. It felt like something I’ve never been a part of, our whole aura was different,” Varney said. “Every time I close my eyes, I can see my diving play and running to the dog pile an out later. It’s a feeling I never want to lose.”
Wu said that the Islanders played in an electric atmosphere at each stadium they put their gloves and bats into action. It was surreal, he added.
“It’s what every kid dreams about, running for a state championship, and I’m very lucky I had the team to make it come true. My teammates became my best friends over this period of time and the experience is certainly something I will always remember for the rest of my life,” he said.
GIRLS TENNIS
The Islander freshman-senior doubles squad of Garton and Chatalas defeated Abby Nolan and Addison Smith of Seattle Prep, 2-0, in the final after downing Amelia Hegstrom and Halle Fenkner of Lakeside, 2-1, in the semifinals.
“In the semifinals, we were tied at 3-all during a 15-minute rain delay, after which we came back out to win 7-5. Having a partner like Ava in that moment was amazing, being able to pump each other back up and combat the nerves,” freshman Garton said.
Added coach Carol Gullstad about the girls’ semis success en route to snagging the title: “Rachel and Ava both had nerves of steel in critical match moments. An incredible sports moment that I was lucky to witness and be their coach.”
Senior Chatalas said the girls’ capability to compete against the players on the other side of the net was never in doubt.
“Maintaining adaptability, especially in the finals, was key to winning the title. Rachel and I faced opponents that tried to throw us off our game and force errors on our end,” Chatalas said about their foes playing two back or in an I-formation, for instance. “We had to adjust our strategies while not becoming frustrated or lacking confidence.”
Garton said the team aspect was crucial to the girls taking first. They were driven by fellow Islanders cheering and coaches Gullstad and Julie Stillman strategizing with the netters before and during matches.
Partnering with Chatalas was a special experience for Garton, who played a lot of singles this season before jumping into the doubles realm.
“She brought so much to the team, with her experience and humble confidence, especially as a senior,” Garton said of Chatalas. “Whenever I would miss or get down, it was nice to have someone there on the court to lean on and talk to.”
MORE ISLANDER STATE ACTION
Also in state tennis, the boys finished third overall and received stellar performances from Ajay Manhas/Nathan Wen (third in doubles), Brandon Chew/Noah Perlman (sixth in doubles) and Hanri Luo (eighth in singles). The doubles teams competed against each other in their last match.
In other Islander sports, boys lacrosse took second at state, girls water polo placed fifth at state, boys and girls track and field sent 13 athletes to state and the Mercer Island Mountain Bike team sent eight riders to state and had three top-10 finishers.
On the track and field front, top Islander placers were Ari Nguyen, who took fourth in the 100 hurdles in 15.58, and fifth in the 300 hurdles in 45.36; Azad Khan, who placed fifth in the triple jump with a 43-07.25; Chase Shavey, who took seventh in the 300 hurdles in 41.31; Garrett Rogan, who took eighth in the high jump with a 6-0; and Owen Powell, who took 13th in the 1,600-meter run in 4:17.41.
For the mountain bikers, Zane Shiers placed fourth in the sixth-grade boys division, Scout Bates took seventh in seventh-grade girls and Quinn Shiers took ninth in eighth-grade boys.
