Young defense sinks MI
Baseball lets six-run lead slip, still win
The Mercer Island girls water polo team won their eighth state title last season by beating long-time rival Bainbridge Island 10-6 during the state finals. The meeting between the two teams had great significance to start the 2007 season. But the game looked more like target practice for Mercer Island. Instead, it showed how far one team can fall in one off-season, as the Islanders were victorious 18-1, March 9 at Bainbridge Island.
Islander Lindsey Buchanan tees off against Bellevue High School Thursday at Mercer Island’s home course of Jefferson Park in Seattle….
As an unusually harsh winter fades away, spring is reborn on Mercer Island. With the warmer weather and yellow daffodils comes preparation for the national pastime, baseball. For a few hours on Saturday, more than 1,000 people, including players, coaches and parents, showed up for Mercer Island Little League’s opening day ceremony. While the weather was far from balmy, the overcast sky and chilly wind were not enough to quell the excitement in the air.
Balance is at the heart of every good offensive threat in any sport. The Mercer Island girls lacrosse team proved that theory true last week by playing three of the toughest teams in the state and winning two games. The two victories came thanks to eight different Mercer Island scorers, giving the team sole possession of the first place in East Division of the varsity A league. The only loss came as the Islander offense became one dimensional.
The Islander boys lacrosse team picked up a big victory Friday at Bellevue High School as they defeated the Wolverines 11-9. The win vaults Mercer Island into first place in the division.
The Mercer Island girls softball team continues to play against state tournament caliber competition in 3A KingCo, but has yet to win a game in seven league contests.
The Mercer Island boys soccer team knew that there was very little room for error following its losses to Newport and Mount Si to start the season. That focus has led to a 3-0-1 record during the past two weeks, including two big wins against second place Bellevue and a comeback against Sammamish last week.
Changing the attitudes of players on a squad such as the Mercer Island High School varsity baseball team is not easy. Ridding the players mind of losing thoughts before they step on the diamond can be difficult after a decade of sub .500 seasons. But those attitudes and habits have to change before the record will improve. Coach Brian Potoshnik is changing his players habits in hopes that the team’s 1-6 record will be different come May.
The focus of the Mercer Island girls tennis team last week was the battle against the defending 3A KingCo champion, Newport Knights. The Knights knocked off Mercer Island last year to take the regular season title from the Islanders for the first time in over a decade. The Islanders beat the Knights at Newport 6-3. But the combination of very little pre-season practice and a two-day event against Newport left the Islanders drained. Skyline took advantage with a 7-2 victory at Mercer Island Thursday, putting the 3A KingCo title in jeopardy.
The Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club’s gym was transformed into a martial-arts arena Saturday, as about 200 competitors from Washington and Oregon attended the Evergreen State Open Judo Championship.
Sean White, a 1999 Mercer Island High graduate, made his debut with the Seattle Mariners Wednesday at Safeco Field against…
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