Athletes excel on the field and in the classroom
Student athletes continued a string of successful sports seasons by
clinching several league titles last spring while demonstrating
excellence in the classroom.
Rick Wells, director of athletics, health, and fitness, presented the
Puyallup School Board with a spring athletics season wrap-up in June
featuring team and individual highlights.
The board congratulated the Rogers High School boys track and field
team and the Emerald Ridge High boys golf team on being named 2015
Washington Interscholastic Athletics and Activities (WIAA) Class 4A
State Academic Champions for the spring sports season.
The Rogers High boys track and field team, accompanied at the meeting
by coach Dan Carlson, earned a 3.627 combined team GPA, which was the
highest in the state for that Class 4A sport.
The Emerald Ridge High boys golf team, recognized by the board along
with coaches Doug Hovde and Tim Spears, earned a 3.721 combined team GPA
— also the highest in Washington state for that sport.
The South Puget Sound League (SPSL) South Division also honored
Puyallup High School athletic teams as the 2015 Spring Sportsmanship
winner and the 2015 South Division All Sport Champions.
Several teams throughout the district won SPSL league titles,
including the Puyallup High baseball, fastpitch, girls tennis, and boys
soccer teams. The Vikings baseball team went on to place second in the
West Central District and advanced to the state playoffs, where it tied
for fifth place.
The Emerald Ridge High boys track team also shared a league title,
and several track and field athletes from all three comprehensive high
schools placed high in the standings at the state meet.
Students who secured one of the top five track and field spots in
Washington included the 4 x 100-meter relay team featuring Rogers High
runners Tyliah Fort, Shaiyenne Monroe, Tammy Kayongo, and Jelani Heath.
The team placed second in state. The same team also took fourth place in
the 4 x 200-meter relay.
The Rogers Rams Malaina Thacker also clinched third place in the
800-meter run, while teammate Jelani Heath took third place in the long
jump.
Emerald Ridge High track team member Karlee Stueckle, a ninth grader
at Stahl Junior High last year, took fifth place in state in the
300-meter hurdles. In boys track and field, Rogers High athlete Kyler
Ooley took fifth place in the 100-meter dash.
The SPSL South Division also awarded two district coaches with Coach of the Year honors in their respective sports.
The spring coaching recognition went to Puyallup High girls tennis
coach Brooks Hazen and Emerald Ridge High boys track coach Bob Frey.
“I commend all of our student athletes for their work this spring,”
Wells said. “While I place a premium on academic performance … the
values and character traits that athletics teach are what will matter
most for being successful in life.”
View a compilation of spring sports season highlights from all three comprehensive high schools