all peninsula spring 2011

All-Peninsula 2011S P R I N G

Athlete of the YearLea

Hopson, Sequim

Special sports section of the Peninsula Daily news ■ Friday, June 17, 2011

Clallam County

Girls Track and Field MVP: Audrey Lichten, Sequim

Boys Track and Field MVP:

Frank Catelli, Sequim

Boys Soccer MVP:

Anthony Brandon,

Port Angeles

Tennis MVP: Mallory Maloney, Sequim

Peninsula Daily newsall-Peninsula sPring 20112 FriDay, June 17, 2011

Athletes were selected by the Peninsula Daily News sports staff based on their marks and state placements this season.

All-Peninsula Boys Track and Field

Frank CatelliSequim (Junior)Throws — MVP

Reached 2A state in all three throwing events, winning the shot put crown.

Jayson Brocklesby Sequim (Sophomore)Sprints/Jumping events

Area’s top 400 runner also reached 2A state in high jump.

Joel Williams Crescent (Junior)Distance running/Javelin

Took second at 1B state in 800 and was part of two runner-up relays.

Taylor Bonneau Sequim (Sophomore)Sprints

The Peninsula’s top sprinter in the 100 and 200 reached 2A state in the latter.

Parley Scott Port Angeles (Senior)Sprints/Jumping events

PA’s all-around athlete finished 12th out of 31 in the state decathlon.

Stephan Stilts Sequim (Senior)Hurdles

Reached 2A state in 300 hurdles and was part of seventh-place relay team.

Rickie Porter Port Angeles (Senior)Sprints

Closed out his prep career by reaching 2A state in 200.

Cameron Braithwaite Port Angeles (Senior)Javelin/Jumping events

Made 2A state in area-best four events, placing 8th in javelin.

Troy Martin Port Angeles (Senior)Throwing events

Will compete for WSU after topping PA discus record and tak-ing 2nd at 2A state.

Titus Pascua Neah Bay (Junior)Sprints/Long jump

Finished second in two events — 100 and long jump — at 1B state.

Bereket Piatt Port Townsend (Senior)Distance running

Closed out prep career with top-five finishes in 1,600 and 3,200 at 1A state.

Sebastian Ramos Forks (Senior)Javelin

Shattered Forks record in javelin and reached 1A state.

Derek Toepper Chimacum (Senior)Sprints/Jumping events

Reached 1A state in three events, plac-ing 4th in long jump and 5th in triple.

Habtamu Rubio Port Townsend (Senior)Distance running

Tops in 800 and 1,600 in the area, PT star had two top-four marks at 1A state.

Mack Grinnell Sequim (Junior)Pole vault

The Peninsula’s top pole vaulter eventually reached 2A state.

All-Peninsula Boys Top Marks ’11

100 Meters1. Taylor Bonneau (Sequim), 11.26; 2.

Rickie Porter (PA), 11.42; 3. Shane WhiteEagle (Forks), 11.50.

200 Meters1. Taylor Bonneau (Sequim), 22.81; 1.

Rickie Porter (PA), 22.81; 3. Derek Toep-per (Chim.), 23.02.

400 Meters1. Jayson Brocklesby (Sequim), 51.03; 2.

Parley Scott (PA), 51.93; 3. Brendan Den-nis (PA), 52.74.

800 Meters1. Habtamu Rubio (PT), 2:00.24; 2. Bren-

dan Dennis (PA), 2:01.75; 3. Joel Williams (Crescent), 2:03.82.

1600 Meters1. Habtamu Rubio (PT), 4:24.88; 2. Ber-

eket Piatt (PT), 4:25.20; 3. Alex Jenkins (Sequim), 4:32.55.

3200 Meters1. Bereket Piatt (PT), 9:29.47; 2. Habtamu

Rubio (PT), 9:40.83; 3. Tavish Taylor (PA), 9:47.23.

110m Hurdles1. Parley Scott (PA), 15.72; 2. Stephan

Stilts (Sequim), 16.36; 3. Chris Falkey (Sequim), 16.75.

300m Hurdles1. Emanuel Herrera (Sequim), 40.49; 2.

Stephan Stilts (Sequim), 41.12; 3. Mat-thew Waldrip (Crescent), 43.69.

4-by-100 Relay1. Sequim, 43.82; 2. Port Angeles, 44.75;

3. Crescent, 46.01.4-by-400 Relay

1. Sequim, 3:31.51; 2. Port Angeles, 3:36.41; 3. Chimacum, 3:38.03.

Shot Put1. Frank Catelli (Sequim), 58-1.50; 2. Troy

Martin (PA), 53-5.00; 3. Justin Boland (PT), 50-2.00.

Discus1. Troy Martin (PA), 175-8.00; 2. Frank

Catelli (Sequim), 155-10.00; 3. Justin Boland (PT), 149-6.00.

Javelin1. Sebastian Ramos (Forks), 166-2.00; 2.

Cameron Braithwaite (PA), 165-2.00; 3. Frank Catelli (Sequim), 162-4.00.

High Jump1. Ian Ward (PA), 6-4.00; 2. Jayson

Brocklesby (Sequim), 6-2.00; 2. Cameron Braithwaite (PA), 6-2.00.

Pole Vault1. Mack Grinnell (Sequim), 13-0.00; 2.

Will Stevenson III (PA), 11-0.00; 3. Hamish Peers (Sequim), 10-6.00.

Long Jump1. Derek Toepper (Chim.), 22-4.50; 2.

Cameron Braithwaite (PA), 21-4.25; 3. Titus Pascua (NB), 20-9.00.

Triple Jump1. Derek Toepper (Chim.),42-10.50; 2.

Cameron Braithwaite (PA), 40-11.75; 3. Parley Scott (PA), 40-8.75.

Peninsula Daily news all-Peninsula sPring 2011 FriDay, June 17, 2011 3

Making the perfect adjustment

By Matt SchuBertPeninsula Daily news

SEQUIM — One adjust-ment can go a long way in track and field. Just look at Frank Catelli.

The Sequim junior once best known for his cannon right arm as a backup quar-terback became even more notable for his shot put throws this spring, thanks in part to a midseason altera-tion of his throwing style.

In the course of four

weeks, he went from rou-tinely throwing in the high 40s to breaking a 24-year-old school record with a toss of 58 feet, 1½ inches, and even-tually winning the Class 2A state title.

Think what he could do with another 12 months.

“Frank has a lot of poten-tial, even if you consider how far he grew just from his sophomore to his junior year, increasing almost 16 feet in the shot put,” Sequim coach Brad Moore said.

“Clearly, he took great strides to get the technique down, but he could still be even better.”

Yes, even after qualifying for state in all three throw-ing events and winning one of them, Catelli may have only scratched the surface of his abilities.

An all-league defensive end, starting tight end and backup QB in football — he’ll likely start under center next fall — he has an uncommon blend of strength and quick-ness at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds.

Given more time to per-fect his technique, he could learn to harness those physi-cal tools to produce true top-level marks.

Moore himself envisions Catelli possibly going past 60 feet in the shot put and eventually challenging 200 feet in the discus if he puts his mind to it.

“All he has to do is master the technique of it, and that just takes a lot of throws,” Moore said.

“It takes a long time to really get [the discus] down to where you are really good at it. A kid like him, who’s been throwing for a year and a half, the potential is going to be there.”

By his own admission, Catelli didn’t give track and field his full attention until almost midway through this season.

He missed several prac-tices during the first few weeks because of a spring break trip and commitments to the Sequim talent show.

“Once I actually started practicing things, I just started going,” he said.

Indeed, Catelli began popping off big throws in the shot put as the season hit the stretch run in May.

It wasn’t just a renewed focus, however, that brought about the dramatic increase in distance. With the help of Sequim throws coach B.J. Schade, Catelli also changed his throwing style from a high-risk, high-reward rota-tional delivery to a more straight-forward glide.

Soon thereafter, he took down Shawn Kendal’s school record (56-2¾), then followed that with a dominant state performance in which he had the four longest throws of the 2A championship. Now col-leges are taking notice.

“Even right now, throw-ing 58 feet, he’s already gar-nered some attention. We got a thing from Stanford for him [after the season],” Moore said. “He has poten-tial to do it.

“He’s one of those kids you can show him how to do stuff, and he takes off very quick. It’s fun to see.”

Catelli transforming into elite thrower for Sequim

Boys Track MVP

chriS tucker/Peninsula Daily news

Sequim junior Frank Catelli threw himself into an elite class in the shot put this spring after altering his throwing style.


All-Peninsula Girls Top Marks ’11

100 Meters1. Jolene Millsap (PA), 13.25; 2. Kathryn

Moseley (PA), 13.59; 3. Jewel Johnson (PT), 13.71.

200 Meters1. Jewel Johnson (PT), 27.70; 2. Kathryn

Moseley (PA), 27.73; 3. Mandi England (Sequim), 28.16.

400 Meters1. Kathryn Moseley (PA), 60.54; 2. Jewel

Johnson (PT), 63.26; 3. Haleigh Harrison (Sequim), 63.95.

800 Meters1. Audrey Lichten (Sequim), 2:17.88; 2.

Brittany Grant (PT), 2:29.62; 3. Alison Maxwell (PA), 2:34.80.


Alison Maxwell (PA), 5:18.44; 3. Brittany Grant (PT), 5:29.29.


Alison Maxwell (PA), 11:38.93; 3. Brittany Grant (PT), 12:04.63.

100m Hurdles 1. Sarah Hutchison (Sequim), 17.54; 2.

Anne Grover (Crescent), 18.11; 2. Court-ney Winck (NB), 18.11.

300m Hurdles 1. Haleigh Harrison (Sequim), 48.61; 2.

Sarah Hutchison (Sequim), 49.28; 3. Anne Grover (Crescent), 52.33.

4-by-100 Relay1. Sequim, 51.94; 2. Port Townsend,

53.67; 3. Chimacum, 53.70.4-by-200 Relay

1. Port Townsend, 1:50.62; 2. Sequim, 1:50.84; 3. Port Angeles 1:55.09.

4-by-400 Relay1. Sequim, 4:12.77; 2. Port Townsend,

4:13.48; 3. Port Angeles, 4:24.90.Shot Put

1. Sydney Christenson (Forks), 37-4.00; 2. Kirstin Erickson (CB), 30-9.50; 3. Rashaya Donnell (Crescent), 30-4.50.

Discus1. Sydney Christenson (Forks), 96-8.00;

2. Kirstin Erickson (CB), 93-3.00; 3. The-resa Soha (Forks), 90-0.00.

Javelin1. Katelyn Noard (PA), 108-1.00; 2.

Rashaya Donnell (Crescent), 90-7.00; 3. Christine Unrue (PT), 86-4.00.

High Jump1. Haleigh Harrison (Sequim), 5-5.00; 2.

Patricia Reeves (PT), 4-8.00; 3. Tarah Erick-son (PA), 4-6.00; 3. Melissa Willis (CB), 4-6.00; 3. Megan Gambill (PT), 4-6.00; 3. Jennifer Morelos (Sequim), 4-6.00.

Long Jump1. Haleigh Harrison (Sequim), 16-0.00; 2.

Courtney Winck (NB), 15-6.00; 2. Jasmine McMullin (Sequim), 15-6.00.

Triple Jump1. Haleigh Harrison (Sequim), 34-10.00;

2. Jasmine McMullin (Sequim), 32-7.00; 3. Tarah Erickson (PA), 31-0.50.

Pole Vault1. Tarah Erickson (PA), 10-3.00; 2. Alison

Maxwell (PA), 8-0.00; 3. Lauren Corn (PA), 7-6.00.

Athletes were selected by the Peninsula Daily News sports staff based on their marks and state placements this season.

All-Peninsula Girls Track and Field

Audrey Lichten Sequim (Senior)Distance running

The area leader in all three distance events, Lichten was 2nd in 2A in 1,600.

Courtney Winck Neah Bay (Junior)Jumping events

The Red Devils’ lone female 1B state rep took fifth in the long jump.

Sydney Christenson Forks (Freshman)Throwing events

Put up area’s top marks in discus and shot put as freshman.

Jewel Johnson Port Townsend (Fr.)Sprints

Was among the Peninsula’s best in all three sprints as a freshman.

Brittany Grant Port Townsend (Soph.)Distance running

Finished one spot short of reaching 1A state in 3,200 and was two shy in 1,600.

Rashaya Donnell Crescent (Senior)Throwing events

Finished seventh at 1B state in javelin.

Kathryn Moseley Port Angeles (Junior)Sprints

Area’s best in 400 also reached 2A state in the event.

Alison Maxwell Port Angeles (Senior)Distance running

Top three in area in four events and was one spot shy of 2A state in 3,200.

Kirstin Erickson Clallam Bay (Senior)Throwing events

Reached 1B state in two events — shot put and discus — and took 7th in both.

Haleigh Harrison Sequim (Sophomore)Jumping events

Broke own school record in high jump and took 4th in 2A.

Sarah Hutchison Sequim (Freshman)Hurdles

Reached 2A state in 300 hurdles as a freshman.

Katelyn Noard Port Angeles (Junior)Javelin

Was the Penin-sula’s leader in the javelin by nearly 16 feet.

Jasmine McMullin Sequim (Sophomore)Jumping events

Reached 2A bi-district in triple jump.

Anne Grover Crescent (Senior)Hurdles

Took fourth at 1B state in 100 hurdles and was part of 2nd-place relay team.

Tarah Erickson Port Angeles (Junior)Pole vault

The area leader in the pole vault, Erick-son finished fifth at 2A state.



Sequim senior Audrey Lichten received a little extra coaching at home from her father, Wolves distance running coach Don Lichten.

Sequim’s Lichten gets extra push

By Matt SchuBert

Peninsula Daily news

SEQUIM — Audrey Lich-ten never really had the option of slacking off.

With Sequim distance running coach Don Lichten sharing the same roof as the cross country and track star, there was no place to hide during the off-season.

“Having my coach at home all the time, he always

knew if I was running or not,” Audrey said. “It wasn’t ever that he forced me to do anything, but it was that lit-tle extra push.”

Not that Audrey needed all that much coaxing.

Much like all of the great Sequim distance runners who came before her — state champions like Stephanie Marcy and Allison Cutting — Audrey always possessed the drive needed to excel,

according to Wolves coach Brad Moore.

“They are all kind of the same type of kid,” Moore said of Lichten, Marcy and Cut-ting. “They are very focused.

“You look at [Audrey’s] stats going through the years, and every year it’s improved. That’s because she runs 12 months out of the year. As a distance run-ner, that’s really the key.

“You have to train all year long if you’re going to be a state level distance runner.”

A four-time All-Peninsula cross country and track run-ner, Lichten was most defi-nitely that at Sequim.

After spending much of the past winter honing her closing kick, she also came about as close as one can to winning a state track title.

Competing in the final race of her prep career, Lich-ten went stride for stride with Kingston’s Marina Rob-erts throughout the Class 2A girls 1,600-meter final.

Coming down the closing stretch, Lichten put it all on the line in a furious finish only to place second to Rob-erts by 0.15 seconds.

Combined with a sixth-place mark in the 800, it wasn’t the perfect ending, but it was good enough.

“I guess one of my goals was to win, but even just get-ting second and putting everything out on the track in that 1,600 still fulfilled my goals,” she said.

“Knowing that I put it all out there and gave it my best and got top-two, that was satisfying.”

Much like her father, who ran at UC Davis, Audrey plans to compete in college as well.

In fact, she will join for-mer Sequim track star Anna LaBeaume at Linfield Col-lege in McMinnville, Ore.

Lichten said she’ll likely study art and pursue her

interest in photography at the Division III school.

Moore has little doubt she’ll also work hard to com-pete on the track, too.

Even if dad isn’t around to push her.

“If she decided that she wants to continue and work hard to improve, I guarantee she will get better and she will do very well running for Linfield,” he said.

“I guarantee you will see her running at the national championships.”

Wolves distance runner excels at the family trade

Girls Track MVP


Landon CrayChimacum (Junior)Pitcher/OF — MVP

The three-time Nisqually League MVP led Chimacum to a 1A title, bashing a school-record 9 homers and amassing a 1.16 ERA with 107 strikeouts.

Isaac YamamotoSequim (Senior)Infield

Named a first-team All-Olympic League player for the third straight year after hit-ting a team-best .456 with 27 runs scored and 21 RBIs.

Quinn EldridgeChimacum (Junior)Infield/Pitcher

A first-team All-Nisqually League hurl-er two years in a row, Eldridge also hit .346 with 11 doubles, 2 homers, 28 RBIs and 19 runs this spring.

Easton NapiontekPort Angeles (Junior)Infield

PA’s wiry 1B/SS hit .393 with 20 RBIs and a home run as an honorable mention All-Olympic League selection.

Dylan Brown-BishopChimacum (Senior)Infield

A first-team All-Nisqually League first baseman, Brown hit .345 with 14 runs, 19 RBIs and four doubles for the 1A champs.

Austin McConnellChimacum (Junior)Catcher/Pitcher

Named a first-team All-Nisqually League catcher for the sec-ond time with a .354 average, seven extra base hits and 21 RBIs.

Players were selected by area baseball coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.

All-Peninsula Baseball

Cody SullivanPort Angeles (Senior)Outfield/Pitcher

A vacuum in CF, the All-Olympic Leaguer was also a big-game pitcher (2.15 ERA, 60 Ks) and explosive bat (.391 BA, 22 runs, 10 extra base hits).

Drew RickersonSequim (Senior)Outfield

Selected a second-team All-Olympic League OF, Rickerson hit .375 this season with 12 extra base hits, 21 RBIs and 14 stolen bases.

Devin ManixChimacum (Senior)Utility

Played all over the diamond (C, OF and SS) and hit .403 with four homers, 25 RBIs, 34 runs and 22 stolen bases as a first-team All-Nisqually Leaguer.

A.J. KonopaskiPort Angeles (Senior)Pitcher/Infield

One of PA’s two aces on the mound, Konopaski had a 3.09 ERA this year with 46 Ks to earn a first-team All-Olympic League selection.

Brandon BancroftQuilcene (Senior)Pitcher

The senior south-paw was named the Sea-Tac League MVP and finished as Quil-cene’s career strike-out leader with 348.

Jim DunnChimacumCoach of the Year

Dunn took over a powerhouse program and didn’t miss a beat as his Cowboys won Nisqually League and 1A state titles in his 1st year as head coach.

Honorable Mention: Kyle Kelly (Port Townsend); Preston McFarlen (Sequim); Egan Cornachione (Chimacum); Kyler Morgan (Port Angeles); Cameron Leons (Forks); Derek Crain (Port Angeles); Weston Royall (Sequim).


Matt SchuBert/Peninsula Daily news

Chimacum junior Landon Cray — PDN baseball MVP for the third straight year — has done just about everything there is to do for a high school player.

Complete package for Cowboys

By Matt SchuBertPeninsula Daily news

CHIMACUM — Landon Cray looked admiringly upon his Chimacum Cow-boys baseball uniform as he stood on an empty diamond.

“I’m going to miss wear-ing this,” Cray said.

Incredulous, his friend couldn’t help but point out the obvious: “You’re only a junior. You’ve got one more year.”

Forgive Cray for looking ahead. But after three years

as the centerpiece of Chima-cum’s wildly successful base-ball program, he’s already accomplished just about everything he could in his high school career.

Nisqually League cham-pionship? He’s won three. League MVP? Ditto.

All-State nod? He’s already got one and will likely receive another when the 2011 team is announced.

And after two straight seasons of coming up just short in the Class 1A semi-

finals, Cray and the Cow-boys finally got their hands on that elusive state title this spring.

At this point, the longtime Tri-Area resident is running out of dragons to slay with one year to go in his high school career at Chimacum.

“It’s kind of like a lot of pressure came off us after we got this one,” said Cray, leadoff hitter, center fielder and No. 1 pitcher for the 2011 1A champs. “Winning that title was kind of the end of the line for the high school season. It felt so good.

“I enjoyed getting that one more than all the other individual awards . . . just because I got to share the moment with everyone.”

Of course, it’s hard to imagine that moment hap-pening without Cray.

A powerful spark plug at the top of Chimacum’s order and the unquestioned ace of a deep pitching staff, he was the most important piece to the team’s success.

“We kind of went as he went,” Cowboys head coach Jim Dunn said.

Coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, Cray was even better as a junior.

His numbers at the plate were positively gaudy — .575 average, 11 doubles, four triples, nine homers and 53 runs in 26 games.

He was just as brilliant on the mound — 1.16 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 18

walks in 54 1/3 innings — where the lefty once regis-tered a no-hitter by striking out 20 of 21 batters.

“Obviously, his power numbers improved [from Cray’s first two years],” Dunn said, “but I thought as a player he improved more along the lines of pitching.

“This year he was remarkable on the mound. His arm was just unreal.”

Much of that improve-ment can be attributed to his work ethic. A member of the Washington Brewers club team in Burien, Cray refines his skills year round.

The finished product is a seemingly effortless left-handed swing and uncanny command of the strike zone

on the hill with an 80-plus mile-per-hour fastball and array of off-speed pitches.

Now he’s got suitors from across the region — includ-ing Washington, Washington State, Oregon State and Gonzaga — recruiting him as a center field prospect.

“I would think he could [play at that level] with some effort getting stronger and getting faster,” Dunn said. “He just has what it takes.

“I don’t think he needs to bulk up by no means, just put on a little strength and weight. His baseball tools? There’s not a lot to tinker with there.”

Chimacum standout running out of goals

Baseball MVP



Sequim’s Lea Hopson was named the Peninsula Daily News prep athlete of the year for 2010-11 school year for her work on the softball diamond and the basketball court.

Competitive to the endSequim’s Hopson never failed to give everythingBy Matt SchuBertPeninsula Daily news

SEQUIM — Some might define Lea Hopson’s athletic career at Sequim High School by what she did on the softball diamond.

It would certainly be hard not to.

As a two-time Olympic League MVP with a pair of league titles, one Class 2A state crown and possi-ble school-record 35 career home runs to her name, she leaves an indelible impression on the diamond.

Dig a little deeper, however, in another venue, and you’ll find what truly distinguishes Hopson.

For it was on the Sequim basket-ball court where she suffered through double-digit defeats night after night — and refused to give in.

Where she began her varsity career with 43 straight losses, but kept coming back.

Where she saw classmate after classmate walk away from the program in frustration until she was the only one left.

“They’d be behind 30 points, and she’d be diving for balls,” said Steve Rosales, the girls basketball announcer at Wolves home games.

“She never quit.”Indeed, that is the essence of

what Lea Hopson was all about for Sequim.

No matter the score, no matter the number of people in the stands and no matter the stakes, Hopson always gave the same all-out effort.

“She was the only one from her class that stuck it out for four years of that struggle,” Sequim girls basketball coach Stephanie Lewis said. “[Her classmates] all quit because they couldn’t handle the losing. She was in it to finish something she started.”

Of course, Hopson did exactly that.

Not only was she on the court when the Wolves snapped a losing streak that spanned two-plus sea-sons, she was also there when they played in their first playoff game in three years following a 9-11 regu-lar season.

All of this despite suffering a back injury midway through the

season that limited her minutes and still lingers to this day.

“Just because you’re losing doesn’t mean you should quit,” Hopson said. “That

should just give you more reasons to work harder.

“I couldn’t let those girls down after all that work they put in. That’s just my nature.”

That dedication helped inspire Rosales to create a $250 scholar-ship — aptly named the “0-43 scholarship” — to be awarded annually to every graduating Sequim girls basketball player.

Since Hopson was the only one to stick out both 0-20 seasons and play a full senior year — even after injuring her back in January — Rosales decided to give her a $500 scholarship.

“Lea and this team, they just epitomized what it is to compete,” Rosales said. “It definitely wasn’t about winning.”

By contrast, winning was what Hopson’s senior softball season was all about.

Featuring a lineup that was loaded from top to bottom, the Wolves didn’t lose a single game on their way to a 28-0 record and 2A state championship. And in the middle of it all was Hopson, start-ing at shortstop and hitting in the third spot of the order with the same pedal-to-the-metal style she displayed on the basketball court.

Except in that realm she was also locking up league titles and MVP awards.

Athlete of the Year

Turn To hopSon/9


“You could tell that she’s played for a long time and she knows the game,” first-year Sequim softball coach Joel Lewis said.

“Everything she does is so quick and she practices hard.

“She’s just one of those fearless players.”

The roots of Hopson’s aggressive play can be traced all the way back to her original home in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Forced to play baseball in the Rancho Cotati Little League during her grade school years — there was no softball program — Hopson developed a style that mir-rored what she saw from the boys.

“I was the only girl on every team I played for [in baseball],” Hopson said.

“My work ethic devel-oped from that because I had to work so much harder to prove myself to them.”

After she moved to Sequim in sixth grade, she continued to play baseball

for one more year before taking up softball and even-tually playing for elite travel teams.

Now, Hopson lays out for balls in the field with regu-larity, dares opposing pitch-ers to throw inside by crowding the plate and refuses to shy away from contact no matter the situa-tion.

No doubt she’ll be doing the same for College of Southern Idaho, a junior college in Twin Falls, next spring. She plans to work toward a degree there in construction management.

Whether that leads to a softball scholarship to a four-year school doesn’t seem to concern Hopson.

She already turned down offers from schools east of the Rocky Moun-tains because she wanted to stay closer to home.

“I don’t really have that need [to play for a Division I school] anyway,” Hopson said.

“Pretty much whatever happens, I’m just kind of going with the flow.”


Sequim’s Lea Hopson takes a cut at the plate during a home game against North Mason in Sequim last season.

The leader of the Wolves’ return to respectability this season, Hop-son averaged a team-high 12.2 points and 3.5 steals per game as the team’s “Spark Award” winner. She also dished out 1.8 assists and grabbed 4.3 rebounds while playing nearly half the season with a back injury that limited her minutes toward the end of the year.*

Hopson by the numbersLEA HOPSON

MADE her bones on the diamond as a two-time Olympic League MVP, but she was cer-tainly no slouch on the basketball court.

Twice she was given All-Olympic League hon-ors as a 5-foot-5 guard, including a first-team selection as a senior when Sequim ended a two-year playoff drought.

Here’s a glance at her senior year:

Sport The story

Basketball:

Softball:

Sequim’s lineup was loaded with dangerous hitters, but none scared opponents quite like Hopson. That was with good reason, given her prolific offensive statistics: .625 average, 13 doubles, seven triples, 12 home runs and 54 RBIs. Once she got on, she was also a terror on the base path with 33 stolen bases and 80 runs scored.

keith thorpe/Peninsula Daily news

Sequim’s Lea Hopson front, drives past Port Townsend’s Irina Lyons during a game this winter in Sequim.

Hopson: All outConTinueD From 8

* Regular season stats only.


Golfers were selected by area boys golf coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.

All-Peninsula Boys Golf

Mason MougChimacumSenior — MVP

After leading the Cowboys to a Nisqually League title, Moug took fourth in his third visit to the 1A state tourney.

Ryan O’MeraSequimJunior

Match medalist in six Olympic League matches, O’Mera aver-aged 37.9 strokes per nine holes and took eighth at 2A state.

Cody PiperPort TownsendSophomore

PT’s top scorer — 37.9-stroke average for 9 holes — reached 1A state for the second year in a row, finishing ninth.

Sean AndersonPort TownsendSenior

The Redskins’ No. 2 would have been tops on many teams with a 38.9-stroke 9-hole average; made the 1A state cut for 2nd time.

Jordan NegusPort AngelesJunior

The Rider junior was match medalist 4 times in league play and reached the state tournament for the second straight year.

Gabriel TonanPort TownsendCoach of the Year

Guided PT to an Olympic League title with three golfers reaching 1A state and one (Piper) placing in the top 10.

Matt SchuBert/Peninsula Daily news

Chimacum’s Mason Moug, a three-sport star for the Cowboys, turned to golf for a change of pace and eventually became one of the better sticks in the state.

Not par for the course

By Brad LaBriePeninsula Daily news

CHIMACUM — Mason Moug isn’t your typical state-level high school golfer.

The Chimacum senior is a three-sport athlete who was the quarterback and team leader on the football team in fall, a shooting guard on the basketball squad in winter and the No. 1 player on the golf team in spring.

Most star prep golfers are one-sport specialists who spend a lot of time in the off-season honing their skills.

At the Class 1A state tournament May 24-25 at The Home Course in DuPont, Moug asked his fellow state golfers how many sports they participated in.

“They all said that they play only golf,” Moug said.

Despite having a disad-vantage in experience, Moug tied for fourth place at state with a two-day score of 148 on 36 holes, the highest state finish of any North Olympic Peninsula golfer.

At state, Moug was going against golfers who compete in tournaments during the weekends in Arizona, Cow-boys coach Mitch Black said.

“That speaks to the way Mason competes,” Black added.

The multitalented Moug, who says he could have been a starter on Chimacum’s state-championship baseball team, went out for golf his freshman year for a change of scenery from baseball.

“I played baseball every year till the eighth grade,” Moug said. “I was burned out from playing all-star base-ball every summer.”

Since he played golf usu-ally just once a year with his dad for fun, Moug was far from burned out in that sport. The talented athlete caught on to golf quickly, Black said.

Moug missed the state cut by two strokes as a fresh-man and made the trip to state the past three years.

He claimed 22nd place as a junior and jumped all the way up to fourth this year.

“I knew I could finish at the top because I was in sev-enth place after the first day last year,” Moug said. “Then I blew up on the second day.”

This season Moug was tied for second with a 1-over 73 after the first day and hung in there with a 75 the second day to finish in the top four.

“You could not find a bet-ter guy,” Black said. “In four years I have had nothing but positive experiences with him.”

The 6-foot-4 Moug, who had a growth spurt from 5-9 at the end of his sophomore year, has a powerful swing.

“He hit 16 greens at state,” Black said. “He can just blast it.”

Next up for Moug is a communications degree from San Diego Mesa Col-lege.

He hopes to walk on and play golf at the community college while in San Diego.

“I don’t know if I will have time to play golf, though, because I have to balance a job to pay for school,” Moug said.

If he does find a team to play for, there’s no doubt that Moug will be competitive.

Moug rare multi-sport star in world of golf

Boys Golf MVP


Golfers were selected by area girls golf coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.

All-Peninsula Girls Golf

Jennifer GraubergerPort TownsendSenior — MVP

Won medalist honors in all 8 Olym-pic League matches and took fifth in final 1A state trip.

Kim DuceSequimSenior

The Olympic League’s second-best-scoring golfer — 47.3 strokes per 9 holes — ended up taking 33rd at 2A state tourney.

Hailey EstesSequimJunior

Sequim’s No. 2 scorer had the team’s best finish at the 2A state tourney (27th place) in her second straight trip.

Dana FoxPort AngelesFreshman

Reached 2A state tournament in first year after averaging a team-best 54.5 strokes per 9 holes in Olympic League play.

Elisa SalleeSequimSophomore

The last of three Wolves to qualify for state, Sallee also was part of the winning Duke Streeter pairing with Kim Duce.

Beth KrausePort AngelesCoach of the Year

Guided a young and inexperienced Rider team to a 7-1 league record, with two of her golfers reaching state.

Singular performance

By MichaeL carManPeninsula Daily news

PORT TOWNSEND — Golf is all about the indi-vidual; a game where the outcome of every action depends on the player swinging the club.

There are some subtle changes in high school golf, where in most instances players still compete as individuals but team together for a collective score.

Unless you’re Port Townsend senior Jenny Grauberger, aka the entire Redskins girls golf team.

The lone female member of the team embraced the chance to practice daily

with the Redskins boys team this season, winning match medalist honors in every Olympic League match, claiming league MVP honors with a scoring average six strokes better than her closest competitor and finishing fifth at the Class 1A state tournament in late May.

“The harder competition [against the boys team in practice] made me play up, made me play more from the men’s tees, play a longer game and I think it really helped me,” Grauberger said.

Port Townsend golf coach and Port Townsend Golf Club Assistant Pro Gabriel Tonan agrees.

“Playing with the varsity boys in practice helped her stay in her game and stay steady out on the course,” Tonan said.

“She learned not to try and keep up with them off the tee but to stick with her game and score low.”

Although her golf career has lasted a short three years, the improvement shown by Grauberger has been dramatic.

After turning out for track and field as a fresh-man, her father and older brother encouraged her to try her hand at golf her sophomore year.

She made a 20-stroke improvement from her sophomore debut at state, lowering her score from a miss-the-cut 101 to rounds of 81 and 82 at this year’s final tournament.

Grauberger was also the school’s first female Olympic League golf MVP,

averaging a nine-hole score of 41.6 during her senior year.

She’s going to continue to work on the consistency of her game this summer with Gold Mountain teach-ing pro Ted Naff before heading down to study pre-law and play golf for Divi-sion III Willamette Univer-sity in Salem, Ore.

She will join a squad coached by Noah Horst-man, an assistant pro at Illahe Hills Golf Course, Willamette’s home course.

Now she’ll have someone else to compete against other than the boys.

“He’s bringing in a lot of talented freshmen players for next year,” Grauberger said.

“I’m really excited about having teammates again.”

Grauberger shines as PT’s lone girls golfer

Girls Golf MVP

phiLip WatneSS/For Peninsula Daily news

Port Townsend senior Jennifer Grauberger started playing for the Redskins her sophomore year. By the time she was done, she was the fifth-best golfer in Class 1A.


Anthony BrandonPort Angeles (Junior)Forward — MVP

The two-time All-Olympic League forward was a force up front with 11 goals and nine assists for the Riders.

Nick CamporiniSequim (Senior)Forward

Sequim’s “grinder” had a knack for finding the back of the net, scoring an area-best 12 goals and dishing out 5 assists as a first-team All-Olympic Leaguer.

Chris PieperChimacum (Soph.)Forward

The Cowboys forward was given All-Nisqually League honorable mention after scoring a team-high three goals as a sophomore.

Wilson Avila-LunaForks (Senior)Midfielder

Named a first-team All-SWL midfielder after scoring three goals and dishing out two assists while play-ing through injury.

Kyle BinghamPort Angeles (Junior)Midfielder

PA’s pint-sized man in the middle played big with six goals and one assist as an honorable mention All-Olympic League player.

Jerry AzanzaSequim (Senior)Midfielder

The second-team All-Olympic League player had three goals and three assists while guiding the Wolves attack from the midfield.

Players were selected by area boys soccer coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.

All-Peninsula Boys Soccer

Chris ShivelyPort Townsend (Senior)Midfielder

The senior captain’s play in the middle garnered him a first-team All-Olym-pic League selection.

Juan BeltranForks (Senior)Forward/Defender

The Spartans’ leading scorer — 7 goals and 3 assists — also put in time at sweeper, eventually earning first-team All-SWL recognition.

Renns BresserChimacum (Junior)Defender

A newbie to the Chimacum program, Bresser was named the Nisqually League defensive player of the year for his work on the back line.

Seiji ThielkPort Townsend (Senior)Defender

PT’s lanky senior provided solid sup-port on defense as an honorable mention All-Olympic League player.

Jack DorylandPort Angeles (Soph.)Goalkeeper

The Rider keeper had four shutouts and came up with a criti-cal penalty kick save in a victory against archrival Sequim.

Chris SaariPort AngelesCoach of the Year

Saari’s Riders snapped a nine-year postseason drought, submitting their first 10-win season in 10 years before falling one win shy of state.

Honorable Mention: Max Gunn (Port Townsend); Max Bukovnik (Port Angeles); Byron Boots (Sequim); Irons Ring (Sequim); Gabriel Camarena (Forks); Ali El-Maallam (Port Angeles); Kobi Albright (Chimacum).



Port Angeles junior Anthony Brandon was the Roughriders’ top scorer this year, netting 11 goals and dishing out nine assists.

Aiming high on the pitch

By Brad LaBriePeninsula Daily news

PORT ANGELES — Anthony Brandon isn’t one to sit on his laurels.

The junior forward/mid-fielder for the Port Angeles boys soccer team plans to repeat as an Olympic League first-teamer and repeat as the North Olympic Peninsula MVP next year, then play college soc-cer on his way to the profes-sional ranks.

If anything, you can’t accuse Bran-don of not having lofty goals.

He has already shown how quickly he can improve, going from four goals and four assists as a sophomore to team captain and a team-leading 11 goals and nine assists a year later, amassing 31 points to claim third for scoring points in league.

“Anthony has been easy to coach,” Port Angeles coach Chris Saari said. “He’s self-motivated, he’s always hus-tling and he has a great atti-tude.”

A varsity starter as a fresh-man, Brandon showed right off the bat that he had promise, receiving the Coaches’ Award for hard work, dedication and a positive attitude.

“He’s a really good kid,” Saari said.

Brandon also gives back to the community, refereeing youth soccer in his free time.

Athletically, Brandon has a lot of speed, a fluid shot and strong ball-handling skills.

Brandon has improved every year, according to his coach.

“His confidence level has gone up, his finishing shot is

better and his teammates around him have gotten bet-ter and have been a help,” Saari said.

Brandon’s personal improvement has mirrored that of the Roughriders’ team improvement.

“We had a really good team this year,” Brandon said.

The Riders, who made the playoffs for the first time in nine years, came within a win of the state tournament.

“We had a good season. I give thanks to my teammates and my coaches for the season I had,” Brandon said. “My coaches taught me

well.”The offensive player of the

year for Port Angeles is looking forward to his senior season.

“We should have a great year,” he said.

Sixteen players are return-ing, and most of them will be seniors. The Riders are losing just two seniors from this year’s team and five foreign exchange students.

Brandon has lofty goals.“I hope to be the top scorer

on the Peninsula, I hope to make first-team all-league, be MVP of the Peninsula again and have a great year,” he said.

And then on to college.Brandon’s dream school is

Colorado, one of two new addi-tions to the Pac-12, but he has other schools in mind if his Division I dream doesn’t come true.

“Seattle Pacific is a possibil-ity, and if I stay in town, then I will play for Peninsula Col-lege,” he said.

Port Angeles High School, though, gets Brandon for one more year.

PA’s Brandon becomes dangerous scoring threat

Soccer MVP


Lea Hopson Sequim (Senior)Infield — MVP

The two-time Olympic League MVP put up gaudy stats again this spring with a .625 average, 32 ex-tra base hits, 54 RBIs and 80 runs scored.

Kelsey HinsdalePort Angeles (Senior)Infield

Named a first-team All-Olympic Leaguer for the third straight year, Hinsdale hit .500 with 5 home runs, 6 doubles, 30 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Cindy MillerSequim (Senior)Infield

The Wolves’ second baseman set the table near the top of the order — .414 average, 51 runs, 10 stolen bases — as a first-team All-Olympic Leaguer.

Kaylie CastilloChimacum (Senior)Infield

A first-team All-Nisqually League selection for the second year in a row, Castillo hit a team-best .452 with 17 RBIs and 3 doubles.

Maddy ZbaraschukSequim (Senior)Catcher

The first-team All-Olympic Leaguer will play for UM-St. Louis after hitting a team-best .682 with 9 homers and 63 RBIs.

Hannah WahtoPort Angeles (Junior)Catcher

PA’s backstop was named a first-team All-Olympic League player after hitting .556 with four homers, 36 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

Players were selected by area softball coaches and the sports staff of the Peninsula Daily News.

All-Peninsula Softball

Rylleigh ZbaraschukSequim (Sophomore)Outfield

Sequim’s leadoff hitter hit .600 with 62 runs, 33 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 6 homers as a first-team All-Olympic Leaguer.

Sheri AdamsPort Angeles (Senior)Outfield

Seeing limited action because of injuries, Adams hit .457 with 8 RBIs and 6 doubles and earned 2nd-team All-Olympic League honors.

Sarah BacchusQuilcene (Senior)Catcher/Pitcher

The Ranger captain was named co-Sea-Tac League MVP after hitting .553 with four homers and racking up 46 Ks with a 7-2 record pitching.

Demiree BrionesSequim (Junior)Pitcher

The first-team All-Olympic League hurler was 24-0 this spring with a 1.98 ERA and 115 Ks. She also hit .522 with 40 RBIs and 4 homers.

Stacy WebbPort Angeles (Senior)Pitcher

PA’s three-time All-Olympic League pitcher had a 2.84 ERA in her final season with a 15-5 record and 131 Ks in 123 innings pitched.

Joel LewisSequimCoach of the Year

Lewis’ first year as head coach turned out to be one for the ages as Sequim went a perfect 28-0 on the way to its first state title.

Honorable Mention: Meleny Fors (Port Angeles); Cydney Nelson (Chimacum); Columbia Haupt (Sequim); Sammy Rae (Quilcene); Alyssa Feldewert (Forks); Natassja Savidge (Chimacum); Cailey Snyder (Chimacum); Emily Drake (Port Angeles); Alexas Besand (Sequim); Courtnie Paul (Forks); Bridget Galle (Chimacum); Kaitlyn Cadero (Chimacum); Mariah Frazier (Port Angeles); Bailey Rhodefer (Sequim).


All-Peninsula Boys Tennis

Mallory Maloney Sequim (Senior)Singles — MVP

Reached 2A state for the fourth straight year, placing seventh.

Byron Boots Sequim (Junior)Doubles

Part of Sequim’s 2A state doubles team that came within one win of placing.

Hayden McCartney Port Angeles (Junior)Doubles

Half of the PA doubles tandem that reached 2A state.

Micah RoosPort Angeles (Senior)Singles

Qualified for 2A state tourney in final season and came one win shy of placing.

Michael Lee Sequim (Senior)Doubles

The other half of Sequim’s 2A state doubles tandem that went 1-2 in Seattle.

A.J. Konopaski Port Angeles (Senior)Doubles

Started a state baseball game and qualified for state doubles play in same weekend.

All-Peninsula Girls Tennis

Stacy HansonSequim (Junior)Doubles

Reached 2A state for the second straight year with Chan in doubles.

Alexis Corn Port Angeles (Senior)Doubles

PA’s top singles player part of the year, Corn teamed up with Boyd and nearly made state.

Shayla Bohman Port Angeles (Fr.)Singles

Finished sixth in the Olympic League singles tournament.

Katerina ChanSequim (Junior)Doubles

Made second straight 2A state appearance with Hanson.

Laney Boyd Port Angeles (Senior)Doubles

One half of the Riders’ top doubles tandem, she came within a win of 2A state.

Mark Textor SequimCoach of the Year

Guided Sequim boys to second straight league title and had 5 players reach 2A state.


Sequim senior Mallory Maloney ended his prep tennis career having placed at state three years in a row.

Stately status

Peninsula Daily news

SEQUIM — An era ended at Sequim when the tennis season ended last month. Mallory Malo-ney, who has been one of the top players on the boys tennis team for four years, graduated.

Maloney has been at or near the top of the ladder all four years, with each season culminating with a trip to the Class 2A state tournament. He placed at state three times, twice in doubles with partner Reed Gunstone, and this year in singles.

A career doubles player, Malo-ney had to move to singles when Gunstone graduated in 2010. But Maloney, who also golfs, never completely left doubles behind.

“Doubles is more net play while singles is more stroke play,” Maloney said. “Net play was my strength in singles.”

Tennis is Maloney’s first love even though he said he enjoys playing golf, too. Last year, he just missed the first-day cut at state but was hoping for another shot at Day 2 this year.

He never got it, however, because the district golf tourna-ment was scheduled on the same day as its tennis counterpart.

He said opting for tennis, a sport he knew he’d make state in, was a no-brainer.

“It was frustrating, though,” Maloney said.

His next step is Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., where he plans to focus on his studies.

Maloney said it would be fruit-less to compete for a spot against the school’s top-tier players, some from Romania and Russia.

“They have a really good club tennis team I will join,” he said. “They play other school club teams that are competitive.”

No matter what Maloney does in college, the Sequim boys tennis program will never be the same.

Maloney’s run at Sequim ends where it began

Tennis MVP

Peninsula Daily newsall-Peninsula sPring 2011

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Documents

b state

state placements

state decathlon

chris falkey sequim

alex jenkins sequim

emanuel herrera sequim

rickie porter pa

parley scott pa