We now hit the hardwood on this Saturday morning. Yesterday was a historic day for Mount Si High School’s boys’ and girls’ basketball programs, and for one local family, it was an especially special achievement.As we have been telling you, the Heide family from North Bend had yesterday circled on the calendar, as two of their kids – Sela and her brother Miles – both played in their NCAA Division I tournament debuts. And both of their teams won.
It first started in Spokane with Miles, a 2023 Mount Si alum, and his San Diego State University men as they took on the University of Alabama-Birmingham. And to be frank, this was not expected to be as close as it ended up, but inconsistent play from the Aztecs allowed the Blazers to stay in the game, even taking the lead a couple of times late in the contest. But SDSU found a way out, and picked up a 69-65 win sending them into a second-round men’s matchup tomorrow against Yale University, after the Ivy League squad literally had everything and the kitchen sink thrown at them in the final seconds by Auburn University before the Bulldogs eked out a 68-66 upset win. Miles played about five and a half minutes in the game and had a rebound and steal recorded.
Then it was down to Corvallis, OR, where Oregon State University’s women played Eastern Washington University, and this one was no contest, as the Beavers cruised to a 73-51 win sending them to a second-round date with the University of Nebraska tomorrow following the Cornhuskers’ narrow win in the Corvallis nightcap last night over Texas A&M. Sela, a junior with OSU and 2020 alum, played limited minutes as well in this one, recording a block and rebound apiece. However, something to watch for tomorrow’s game may be a potential start by Heide depending on the injury status of Beavers star player Raegan Beers, who appeared to hurt her ankle at the end of the third quarter and did not return. If you remember, late in the regular season when Beers was out for a few games following a nose injury, Heide started those games in her teammate’s place. So we will see what happens tomorrow.
With the win, Sela became the first Mount Si girls’ basketball alumnus playing at the Division I college level to pocket a win in the NCAA Division I tournament, and second overall in the postseason, joining her former Wildcat teammate Lauren Glazier, who won with the Pacific University of California Tigers in the women’s National Invitational Tournament earlier this week. As for Miles, he became just the second Mount Si boys’ alum to pocket a Division I national men’s tournament win with his college team, and the third overall in the postseason, joining Jabe Mullins and Bennett O’Connor. O’Connor’s win was at the Division II level with Central Washington University a couple of weeks ago.
Tomorrow, Sela leads it off with OSU hosting Nebraska for a 1:00pm tip on ESPN, then Miles and the Aztecs play Yale in a game that will tip around 7:00ish tomorrow night in Spokane and will be shown on TBS.
Other action:
Track & Field: Cedarcrest girls clean house in Wesco opener
Cedarcrest High School’s girls’ track and field team dominated in their Wesco Conference opener Thursday against Mountlake Terrace and Kamiak up at Goddard Stadium in Mukilteo. A total of eight events were won by CHS athletes, with three of those being by multi-sport sophomore superstar Laine McKenzie, as the Red Wolves took care of business.
McKenzie won the 200m in a time of 25.69 seconds, and also took both the high jump and long jump events. McKenzie cleared four feet, eight inches to take the high jump, then cleared 16’6” to win the long jump. Summer Soptich also bagged a pair of events, winning both the 100m and 400m sprints. Soptich’s winning 100m time was 13.07 seconds, and her 400m time was 1:03 flat. Maddy Brooks won a pair of throwing events, although coach Bruce McDowell tells us those scores are being appealed and may be changed on Monday or Tuesday. However, Athletic.net, which posted the results, has them listed as “official” so it is not likely any changes will impact the end result. Brooks won the shot put with a toss of 28’9” and the discus with a throw of 101’6”. Rounding out the girls’ dominant results, Kaylee Scott won the pole vault clearing 7’6”.
There was one boys event winner as well, with Ethan Swenson winning the 400m for Cedarcrest in a time of 49.81 seconds.
CHS opens its home schedule next Thursday meeting Everett and Monroe at Cedarcrest High School’s stadium in Duvall. The meet will begin around 4:00 p.m. and last until sundown.
College baseball
Tennessee Tech 9, Southern Indiana 7: The Golden Eagles hit the road for Evansville, IN, and pocketed the win in the first of a weekend set opening the Ohio Valley Conference schedule for both teams. Senior Troy Baunsgard, from North Bend and a 2020 Mount Si HS grad, was 2-5 with a run scored pacing Tech in the contest.
Columbia Basin 5, Lower Columbia 3 (game one, doubleheader): Old friends and former teammates squared off for the first of two in Pasco between the Red Devils and Hawks. The game featured appearances from Mount Si High School alums Jake Smith (LCC), Alex Chamberlain and Chris Jarocki (CBC), and in the case of the pair from Columbia Basin, they helped power a late push to the win in this contest. Chamberlain tripled as part of a two-hit effort scoring a run, while Jarocki also had two hits, stole a base, scored a run and drove in another. Smith pinch-hit and was 0-1. The three are all from Snoqualmie, with Chamberlain, a freshman, graduating from MSHS in 2023 and the other two being 2022 Wildcat alums.
Augustana 9, Minnesota-Duluth 8 (game one, doubleheader): The Vikings held off the squad from Minnesota at home in South Dakota in the first of two last night. Senior Spencer Marenco, from North Bend and a MSHS alum from 2019, was 0-2 in the game for Augustana. He did not play in the nightcap, also won by the Vikings giving them the sweep of the doubleheader and weekend series. The two teams also played two Thursday with Augustana winning both games and Marenco not playing in either of those contests.
Lower Columbia 9, Columbia Basin 2 (game two, doubleheader, 10 inn.): LCC scored seven runs in the 10th to get the last laugh and split the twinbill with the Hawks. Chamberlain doubled and Jarocki tripled for CBC, with “Chambo” also getting an RBI. Smith did not play in this game for the Red Devils.
Lacrosse: Mount Si alums in action
In addition to the players we have been covering this spring in college lacrosse, we are aware of two additional Valley athletes, both Mount Si Lacrosse alums, competing at the college level. Freshman Aidan Landgraf saw action on Wednesday for his Roanoke College men’s lacrosse squad as they cruised to a 17-6 win over Kentucky’s Centre College at home in Virgina. Landgraf, from Snoqualmie and a 2023 Mount Si HS alum, had three shots, two on goal, with no goals scored for Roanoke, who moved to 7-2 on the season with the win. He has seen action thus far in seven of those nine games thus far, with two goals. One of those was scored in his college debut Valentine’s Day in a win over Southern Virginia University. Roanoke will play again next weekend when they take on Shenandoah College in Winchester, VA.
Also, sophomore Kellen Markley is making waves at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. He started in that college men’s squad’s most recent game, a 15-6 win over Neumann University last weekend. Markley, from Snoqualmie and a 2022 Wildcat alumnus, had no stats of note in the contest. He has started all eight games thus far for LV, recording an assist and 14 defensive ground balls for a team that is 4-4 on the season. They play again today.
Snoqualmie Valley Sports Journal 