Strong individual performances and a record-setting team highlighted the local sports scene in 2014.
First the individuals…
Marti Malloy, a 2004 Oak Harbor High School graduate, continued to shine in the world of international judo.
The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist won the Pan American championship in Ecuador in April and the Miami Pan American Open in August; she also placed second in the Tyumen Grand Slam in Russia in July.
Joanna Leete wrapped up her award-filled Oak Harbor High School golf career in May, placing sixth in the state 3A tournament, the best finish ever for an OHHS female.
She was a four-time state qualifier, three-time all-Wesco first-team selection and two-time league tournament and points champion.
Leete also won two district titles, a first for a Wildcat.
She set a school single-season record of 80.14 strokes per round. Leete also set a school single-round record with a 70, smashing the 39-year-old school record of 74.
John Rodeheffer, another Oak Harbor High School athlete, finished his stellar cross country career by placing fourth in the state 3A meet in November, tying for the highest finish ever by a Wildcat by matching Gary Lineburg’s feat from 1965.
Rodeheffer set a 3A course record while winning his second consecutive district title this fall. He also won two Wesco championships, was first-team all-league three times and qualified for state four times.
He was fifth in this year’s BorderClash, featuring the best runners from all classifications in Washington and Oregon.
At Coupeville, Ben Etzell was named the Cascade Conference’s Most Valuable Player in baseball. It was the first time a Coupeville athlete received the honor in any sport in the decade the Wolves competed in the league. Ironically it came in Coupeville’s final season in the conference.
It took just one season for a Wolf to be named an MVP in the Olympic League. Josh Bayne earned the honor in football this fall in the Wolves’ initial season in their new conference.
Etzell was also the MVP of the district baseball feeder game, earning a spot in the state all-star series where he played with Washington’s best seniors.
And, finally, he was named to the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association first-team, all-state team for the combined classes of 1A, 2B and 1B schools.
Now the team…
Possibly the most impressive team performance of 2014 came from one of the most obscure teams, the Oak Harbor High School bowlers.
Oak Harbor, coached by Jason Youngsman, won its fourth consecutive state championship in February, becoming the first high school in the United States to take its state title four years running, according to Youngsman.
The Wildcats were so dominant, their Division II team, coached by Carlton Johnson, won its classification at state as well.
And the rest…
Below is the beginning of a month-to-month review of other highlights from 2014. The review will be completed in next Wednesday’s edition of the Whidbey News-Times.
January
The Oak Harbor High School wrestlers, coached by Peter Esvelt, locked up their second straight Wesco North title by knocking off Everett 37-35 Jan. 28.
The Wildcat swim team, coached by Alex Thierry, finished undefeated in Wesco North 3A action by thumping Everett 121-33 Jan.29.
February
Oak Harbor senior Drew Washington scored 44 points in a 75-67 basketball loss to Marysville-Pilchuck Feb. 3. The point total was the second highest single-game effort in OHHS history. Pat McGreevey scored 49 points in 1953.
The Oak Harbor girls wrestling team placed second out of 31 teams at the subregional meet Feb. 7 and 8, the best finish ever for the Wildcats.
Jahleel Vester and Amber Cramsey-Behnke each placed third and Jeremy Vester was fourth in the state wrestling tournament Feb. 21 and 22.
The Oak Harbor High School bowling team, in addition to taking the state crown, picked up top individual honors.
Brendan McCardle in Division I and Taylor Osorio in Division II won the Most Valuable Bowler awards. McCardle and Carlton Johnson Jr. made the Division I first-team, all-state team. Osorio, Logan Faught and Connor Parameter were first team in Division II.
Oak Harbor’s Caley Powers placed 16th in the butterfly at the state 3A state swim meet.
March
Winter prep athletes earning first-team, all-league honors for Oak Harbor were swimmers Caley Powers (four events), Micah Geist, Caleb Cabigting and Dakota Powers; and wrestlers Christian Bertram, Jeremy Vester, Jahleel Vester, Mark Johnston, Ray Quinday, Jackson Constant and Cramsey-Behnke.
Coupeville basketball player Makana Stone was the Wolves’ lone first-team selection.
Making history along the way, the host Oak Harbor High School Junior Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps secured its second consecutive Northwest Drill and Rifle Conference championship at the regional finals March 15.
The back-to-back titles is a first in the regional competition in the past 14 years, according to Oak Harbor’s Chief William Thiel.
The North Whidbey Aquatic Club set five team records and Olivia Tungate claimed a gold medal at the Age Group Regional Championships March 20-24.
Tungate won the 200-yard butterfly and set two team records; Patrick Caldwell set three NWAC records, including the 50 freestyle mark previously set in 1999; and Taliah Black, Jerrin-James Concepcion and Ashleigh Merrill also competed in the meet.
April
Aaron Johnson (18th) and Jodi Brautaset (37th, fifth among women) were to top Oak Harbor runners in the 13th annual Whidbey Marathon April 13.
Etzell threw a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Lakewood April 14.
Stone set a Coupeville High School record (60.27) in the 400 meters at King’s April 17; she would go on to reset the mark several times during the season.
Mike Washington resigned after eight years as the Oak Harbor High School head boys basketball coach. He helped the Wildcats qualify for three consecutive district tournaments for the first time in 20 years.
Washington later accepted the head coaching position at South Whidbey High School.
The father-son team of Roger and Doug Pierce won Whidbey Golf Club Two-person Best Ball Tournament April 26.
See the Wednesday, Dec. 31, issue of the News-Times for the May-December highlights.
