It was a great year for sports in Renton. Athletes from Hazen, Lindbergh and Renton High reminded us all why we’re fans of prep sports. From swim and gymnastics, to football and basketball, there were many notable performances in the 2007-2008 prep sports season.
Fall
Hazen swimmers Laure Thompson, Brandi Ervin, Lauren Kaufman and Karli Howe made it to the 3A state meet. Kaufman finished third overall in the 100-yard freestyle and sixth overall in the 50-yard freestyle. The foursome carried Hazen to an eighth-place finish at state.
The Lindbergh soccer team didn’t have a huge turnout, but it did have some huge performances. Sarah Aylward scored 16 goals and four assists. Nicole Burnette scored 12 goals and five assists. Kenisha Macklin tallied seven shutouts, six goals and three assists. The three led Lindbergh to within one round of the state tournament.
The Renton football team recorded a huge upset when it beat Evergreen 23-22 on Oct. 5. Evergreen came into the game undefeated and leading the league in scoring, but Renton won behind Justin Gunn’s two touchdown runs and field goal. The win helped Renton take second in the league and advance to the preliminary round of the state tournament.
Gunn not only led the offense at quarterback, he contributed on defense and was one of the state’s best punters.
In Lindbergh’s 14-0 win over Hazen on Sept. 28, the teams combined for just 365 yards of total offense. The Eagles toppled that mark by themselves the next week, piling up 409 yards of offense against Mount Rainier. For good measure, Lindbergh tallied 360-plus yards three more times that season.
The situation didn’t look great for Liberty football when the team opened the season with a shutout, 28-0 loss to Newport. However, the Patriots turned things around quickly, passing the shutout to another team the very next week with a 27-0 win over Interlake.
Both the Renton boys and girls cross-country teams qualified for state, giving the Indians 14 runners in the meet at Pasco. The Lindbergh boys team repeated as league champions and qualified for state. Lindbergh’s Trevor Thompson finished ninth overall at the state meet and was the highest Renton area placer. For Hazen, twin brothers Jeff and David Hinckley along with Michelle Wnek represented the Highlanders at state.
Winter
Lindbergh’s Marcisa McMillan had one of Renton’s most dominating seasons in any sport and helped the Eagles’ basketball team on a run to the bi-district tournament. The junior averaged 18.2 points per game, 14 rebounds per game and 6.3 blocks per game. She recorded three triple
doubles through the year, but maybe the best example of her dominance is the fact that she was held to single-digit rebounds just once (she had eight Jan. 15 against Highline) all season. The Eagles had three win streaks of four games or more during the season.
First-year coach of the Hazen girls basketball team Jeff Bernhardt brought the Highlanders back from an early five-game losing streak to make the bi-district tournament.
The Renton boys basketball team made it to the state tournament for the sixth time in a row. The Indians finished the regular season 19-1 and with the Seamount League title. They lost their first game at the state tournament to Seattle Prep March 5, then bounced back to win three in a row over Mount Spokane, Meadowdale and Enumclaw, giving them fifth place at the state tournament.
Lindbergh won one of the most emotional games in recent memory. The Eagles met Highline on Feb. 12 for a tie-breaker to determine which team would move on to sub-districts. Highline beat Lindbergh just four days earlier and the Pirates’ fans were less than kind afterward, so the Eagles had revenge on the mind. Lindbergh’s Chris Jones hit one of the more pressure-packed free throws you’ll see with less than a 10th of a second on the clock to send the game to overtime. The Eagles won in the extra period.
The Hazen wrestling team battled through low numbers and advanced all nine varsity wrestlers to the regional tournament. The Renton wrestling team had an area-high three wrestlers win their weight class at the league match. Aaron Garcia, Thomas Diwag and Armin Basic were better than anyone in the Seamount at their weight.
Spring
When Hazen’s Andrey Levkiv threw the shot put 57 feet-3 inches at the Shoreline Invite April 26, it was the second-longest distance in the nation. Levkiv finished second in the shot put at the state track meet.
The Renton track program continued to be a strong presence in the Seamount. When the girls team finished the dual meet season 7-0, it made for the fifth-straight year either the Renton boys or girls (both in 2007) had finished undefeated in dual meets. The Indians sent 11 athletes to the state tournament.
The Lindbergh boys team finished the dual meet season undefeated.
The Hazen baseball team made it to the state tournament for the first time since 1993. Nathan Bunch led the Highlanders all season long. Bunch struck out 16 batters in a win over Lindbergh March 24. He allowed just one hit, no runs and one walk in the game. The game didn’t even lower Bunch’s season earned-run average – it was already at zero.
Lindbergh’s Patrick Claussen led the Eagles’ baseball team. The senior shortstop hit .395 with 14 RBIs, 23 runs and four home runs. Highlights: March 31 – 2-3, 4 runs, 5 RBIs, a home run, April 17 – 4-4, 5 runs, 4 RBIs, a home run. Claussen also proved to be a menace on the basepaths, stealing 15 bases in 16 attempts.
The Lindbergh softball team saved its best for when it really counted. The Eagles scored 34 of their 77 runs in the fourth inning or later.
The Liberty softball team played a grueling 11 games in 15 days to end the season. That includes five games in two days at districts and three in one day at state. When the Patriots made state, it was for the 12th straight time, the longest streak in Washington.
After winning the 2007 3A state title, the Hazen soccer team started off the 2008 looking strong. That is until the Highlanders had to forfeit seven games because of an ineligible player. The paperwork mistake bumped the team out of the playoff run.
On the flip side of Hazen’s loss, was Renton’s gain. The Indians made the playoffs for the first time since any of the coaches can remember.
The Hazen tennis team finished 13-1 and sent five members to the state tournament.
Adam McFadden can be reached at amcfadden@reporternewspapers.com or 425-255-3484, ext. 5054.
