Greetings Beaver Fans,

What an awesome Winter Season for Ballard Athletics!

This season was one of the most successful overall that we’ve had in quite some time, certainly over the last six years I’ve been at Ballard!

• In Unified Basketball, we had another successful Jam the Dam event that drew the biggest crowd of the season. (Event photo courtesy of Ed Tanaka.)

• In our second year of Bowling, our numbers grew, and we continued to improve. Natalie Bauer had a great year and represented Ballard at the State Bowling Meet.

• Our Flag Football team also just finished their second year of competition. Led by Captains Tristan Cooper, Jennifer Garcia Cruz, Charlotte Wenrick and Ryan Sander, our team had huge wins against Nathan Hale and Rainier Beach.

• Girls Basketball tied for first in the Metro Sound Division while our Boys Basketball team finished second.

• In Wrestling, we finished with an 11-2 Metro record, sent 19 wrestlers to regionals and at the WIAA State Meet, Lazlo Davis Rudin finished fifth and Jackie Benson finished third.

• In Boys Swim & Dive, Kian Vae’ena set a new school record in the 100 backstroke and our 400 free relay team made it to State.

• Our Gymnastics team will get another banner in the Gym after a third-place finish at the WIAA State Championships. Additionally, we had several outstanding individual performances!

• The biggest highlight of the season might be from our Cheer Team who traveled to the USA Nationals in Anaheim over the break and returned as National Champions!

• Winter season is still not officially over since our Dance Team has qualified for Districts, which will be held at Mount Si High School March 2 and if we qualify, the State Dance Competition will be held in Yakima, March 24.

Please see below for more detailed summaries of each sport this season, submitted by our BHS Head Coaches.

Also, if you have an athlete participating in a BHS sport this spring, our Spring Sports Parent/Guardian Information Night will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 in the Main Gym.

~ Eric Ensign

Athletic Director

Gymnastics

The Gymnastics team wrapped up its season on Saturday after a season full of highlights which included:

• Undefeated in the Metro League regular season for the third year in a row.
• Metro League Champs for the third year in a row.
• Senior Naomi Kildal was the Metro League Beam Champion for the third year in a row as well as the 2024 co-champion on floor and second-place finisher on bars and all-around.
• A strong showing at the District I/II Meet - second place as a team and Naomi taking home second place on bars, beam, and in the all-around.
• Team state qualifiers for the sixth time in the past eight years (only the top eight teams in the state qualify to state).
• Third place at state, tying Ballard's highest finish ever.
• Five state event finalists, the most ever for Ballard. [Brooke Adkins (beam), Caitlyn Adkins (beam), Alex Bullock (vault, bars, floor), Vivi Corsini (beam) and Naomi Kildal (beam)] 
• 3 top-10 finishes on beam! Naomi (fourth), Vivi (tied for sixth) and Brooke (10th).
• So much fun and teamwork and hard work and dedication. 

If you feel inclined to support the program and these dedicated and talented student-athletes, please take a look at our fundraising page. Follow along on Instagram @ballardgymnastics.

Cheer

Ballard Cheer has had another amazing season volunteering in the community, cheering on the Beavers, and finding success in their own competitive season. Cheer has had a stellar year taking home multiple first place and Grand Champ titles statewide in various divisions. In addition to state and local competitions, Cheer was fortunate enough to travel to USA Nationals in Anaheim competing in both Traditional and Gameday/Crowd Leader. This was a monumental trip as Ballard Cheer returned home as TWO TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! We are so very proud of these athletes and coaches! Follow the team @ballardcheer

Girls Basketball

The Girls Basketball program started the season with a completely new coaching staff and had a great season! JVC, coached by Mandrell Dunn, finished the season 7-1. All the players on the JVC team got the opportunity to play a lot of basketball between eight JVC games and opportunities to swing up to JV where they also saw significant playing time. Our JV team was coached by Valerie Bell and finished the season 13-0 in league and 17-1 overall. The JV team played tenacious defense in their 17 victories; the most points allowed was 35.

Our Varsity team was coached by Jennifer Anderson and Ani Garaventa and led by senior captains Makenna Meyer and Lidet Becker. The team finished 13-1 in league, 14-7 overall and had a lot of fun in the process! Three players made the All-Metro Sound Division Team: Clara Haynes First Team; and Lidet Becker and Vivian Nabou Second Team.

A huge thank you to our seniors: Lidet Becker, Sydney Marion, Makenna Meyer, Vivian Nabou, Signe Rediger, and Carmella Terrones for all the years they committed to Ballard Girls Basketball and the many contributions they made on and off the court. You will all be missed greatly, and we are so excited to see where life takes you! Follow the team @ballard_girls.basketball.

Boys Basketball

This past winter, the Ballard Boys Basketball team has set the standard high for future Beavers to come. The Beaver boys finished the season with an 11-3 league record and overall, 17-5 record. We are graduating six seniors this year: Dale Estey, Chase Herrman, Jaxon Rider, Charlie Dunn, Nirvan Laemmle and Jackson Carver. Sophomore Gavin Matuska grabbed a Ballard all-time single game rebounding record with 25 rebounds against Franklin and freshman Nolan Larson put together four straight double doubles.

Head Coach Lorenzo Durant III has earned Metro Sound Coach of the Year while his leading scorer, senior Jackson Carver, earned Second Team All-Metro Team.

The future is looking very bright. Starting soon, there will be a new boys select team, Ballard Protege Basketball Club. The new program is looking for players from 3rd-8th grades. Contact Coach Zo for more information at ballardprotegebball@gmail.com. Follow the team @ballardbball.

Boys Swim & Dive

At the Boys Swim and Dive WIAA State Championship Meet, Kian Vae’ena swam a PR day one with a 53.21 in the 100 Backstroke, solidifying his new Ballard Boys Team record (the previous record 55.66 was set in 2003!). Kian was seeded seventh for the A final and just got out-touched and earned eighth place. This makes Kian the highest State finisher for Ballard Boys swimming since 2015!

This season, we had more than 45 boys turn out for our team. We are excited to continue to build on this momentum.  Follow the team @bhsboys.swim. Coach Tom Keenan will be taking over the Girls Swim Team as well next fall. We are excited to grow the community and streamline the culture of these two programs.

Bowling

Bowling just finished our second season. This year the team consisted of 27 girls, and we awarded 20 varsity letters! We had a tough start to the season, and struggled a little in the regular season, but the girls really excelled in the post season.

Team Captain Natalie Bauer ended the season with a team high average of 112 and qualified for State Championships! Natalie won the Metro individual tournament by bowling a 137 and 170! Additionally, our JV girls took second place in the Metro JV tournament. Once again, our future is looking bright! Follow the team @ballardgirlsbowling.

Wrestling

The Brawlin' Beavers finished the dual part of our schedule 12-2, with our only losses coming on the same night. It’s by far the best league record we have had in quite some time. We finished it on an amazing high note with Senior Night. Our final dual, against O’Dea, was a historic one and it came down to the last two matches. We pinned both opponents to clinch our first victory against the Irish in my time here. There were seven wrestlers who completed the Metro regular season undefeated.

We had high hopes of taking the Metro Title this year but fell just short taking second by 25 points. We had 12 semifinalists and five finalists (Jackie Benson, Ben Kildal, Simon Moreno, Miles Price, and Lazlo Davis Rudin). In the end we took home two Metro Champions (Miles and Lazlo). We advanced three girls and 16 boys to regionals. The boys left regionals with six advancing to State and three alternates, those numbers were good enough for us to finish third in the team rankings.

State was an amazing and historic weekend! Ballard hadn’t had a boy place at State since Josh Barnett took second place in the 95-96 season. That drought ended this year with Lazlo taking fifth! He went 6-2 during the tournament, wrestled the most matches and got the most pins in his weight class. Jackie became the second girl to place for Ballard, taking third and surpassing Kayla Roger’s fourth place finish just five years ago! Jackie capped off her last day as a Ballard wrestler by going undefeated and pinning her opponent for third, an opponent who she has wrestled three times in the last two years and never beat until that match. Follow the Boys Wrestling and Girls Wrestling programs at @ballard_boys_wrestling and @ballard_girls_wrestling.

Flag Football

The Flag Football team was small but mighty this season. Girls consistently showed up for each other and fought hard each week. During many games we had no subs and players were learning positions on the fly. No matter the challenge, these players rose to meet it! We matched our record of last year and improved our overall points allowed dramatically. In two games against the best teams in the league, we lost in the final seconds, demonstrating our vastly improved defense. The team came together as a tight group this year and our Ballard Flag Football team embodies heart, grit, tenacity and fun. We are so proud of their efforts this year! Follow the team @bhs_girlsflagfootball.

Unified Basketball

Unified Basketball concluded its season at the District Tournament with a record of four wins and three losses. The team demonstrated significant improvement throughout the season in both individual and team skills, and their achievements are a source of pride for all involved. We are eager to continue growing support and involvement for Ballard Unified Basketball. Follow the program and team @Ballard_Unified.

Mixed Ultimate Frisbee

The Varsity and JV BUF Mixed Ultimate Frisbee teams finished their winter season in mid-February and we’re already prepping for Spring Reign tournament in April. Mixed Varsity won the “Ninals” tournament. The teams also said goodbye and thank you to graduating seniors Krystian, Nathan, Isak, Dexter, Danny, Etienne, Simone and Elsa. We had a lot of new players on our JV squad which is great for our growing program! Come check out the girls program which has just kicked off this week with games starting March 14. Find more information on the BUF website. Have you thrown a disc today? Follow the team @bufballard!

Dance Team

While the Dance Team season still continues, Coach Bethany Nielcen is inspired in her 9th year as Head Coach. "We're so proud of how far this team has come," she said. Her dancers have been battling tough all year competing in the Hip Hop and Dance categories. Another highlight of the year was the team's annual Winter Showcase Dec. 2 at Ballard's Performing Arts Center, featuring team performances and student choreographed small group routines.

The team is now getting ready to compete at the District Tournament this Saturday, March 2 at Mount Si High School. A solid performance there and they’ll be back at the Dance/Drill State Championships, March 24 at the Sun Dome in Yakima. Follow the team @ballardhsdanceteam.

Ross Humphries Steps Down as Head Football Coach

Asst. Coach Prince to Serve as Interim Head Coach

The Ballard Football community was informed Wednesday that Head Coach Ross Humphries has stepped down from his position.

"This decision has not been an easy one for me to make. I have poured my heart and soul into mentoring students and coaching football for the past 21 years; eight of them here as the Head Football Coach. The memories we've created together, the moments we've celebrated, and the challenges we've overcome will always hold a special place in my heart," Humphries wrote in a letter.

Assistant Coach Malik Prince has been named Interim Head Coach for the program that anticipates about 80 returning players.

Thank you, Coach Humphries, for all you've done for our student athletes over the years! And thank you Coach Prince for stepping up in support of the Beaver Football program too. #BallardPride

Read the full letter here. Photo of Coach Humphries addressing the team at the 2023 playoffs c/o Ed Tanaka.

Spring Athletics Parents/Guardians Meeting March 5

The Spring Athletics Parents/Guardians Meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 in the Gym. Athletic Director Eric Ensign will share important information about the Spring Season. Meet BHS trainer Loka Murphy and Strength/Conditioning Coach Colin Matthiesen. Breakout groups for individual spring sports teams to follow.

There will also be a few fan giveaways from the Athletic Booster Club (ABC) too so don't miss out! Say hi to the Beaver Gear sales team (pictured) and buy some new BHS gear, all in support of ABC! More info

Ballard Athletics to Stay 3A

From Athletic Director Eric Ensign: "As a result of the WIAA student enrollment projection for next year, Ballard was classified as a 4A school. While we still would have played our normal Metro League schedules for each sport, we would not have been allowed to compete for a Metro title in any sport and all post-season contests would have been against larger 4A schools in other leagues. This would have resulted in much more travel and in turn, more missed instructional time. Fortunately, we were able to appeal the 4A classification with WIAA based on our projection that enrollment will most likely drop and that our 3A classification is most appropriate for our level of competition across the athletic programs offered at Ballard."

Thanks Coach Ensign for the update and speaking out on behalf of Beaver athletes!

March 23 at Golden Gardens

5th Annual Running of the Beavers 5K

Get ready to lace up your sneakers and join the Ballard High School Foundation's 5th Annual Running of the Beavers 5K Walk/Run at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 23 at Golden Gardens.

The Ballard High School Foundation provides financial support for wellness and activities at Ballard High School. The 5K Walk/Run, supported in partnership with the Athletic Booster Club, will start and finish at the beautiful Golden Gardens Park along the Ballard waterfront. Enjoy stunning views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains on this fast, flat course. The finish will take you right by the famous Beaver Pond at Golden Gardens. Direct your registration proceeds to the BHS team and/or program of your choice!

Today, Feb. 29, is the final day to get the $35/adult racer rate!

March 1-22 it's $40/adult! Act now!

For volunteer and sponsorship information, contact Dick Lee, rjlee@seattleschools.org.

March 24 at Block 41

PTSA Fundraising Gala a Slam Dunk for Student Support

We're sharing this community event on behalf of our friends at the Ballard HS PTSA!

It's almost game time for the Ballard PTSA's March Madness-themed Fundraising Gala from 5-9 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Block 41 in Belltown. Funds raised through the Ballard High School Gala support teacher grants for academic materials and school building improvements not covered by district funding. Have you secured your tickets yet?

You have until March 6 to donate items to the Gala. That's when the final whistle will blow, so don't wait any longer to contribute! Items small and large are still needed. Organizers also need donations of desserts and wine to sweeten the deal. Donate items online or email ballardprocurement@gmail.com to coordinate.

And if you're ready to join the Gala team, sign up now to volunteer at the event. You can bring your student along, and they can earn service hours! More info.

SUPPORT BALLARD ATHLETICS!

ATTEND OUR NEXT MONTHLY BOARD MEETING!



6:30 p.m. Monday, March 11 at Ballard High School Staff Lounge (second floor, past Counseling Center)

Our Athletes Need Your Support!

One way ABC assists teams is through our grants program! Did you see the snazzy new uniforms on our Bowling team? Those were paid for through your donations in action via ABC grants! Our acclaimed wrestling team members were able to track and make their weight all the way to the WIAA State MatClassic due to new scales, paid for by your donations ala ABC grants. We were also able to provide pizza service for our coaching staff as they participated in Positive Coaching Alliance training. Thank you so much for your support!

I want to support BHS athletes! What can I do?

• Please support the Athletic Booster Club by donating! As a team parent/guardian, you are already a member of the Athletic Booster Club! Your kind donations (via link or use the easy QR code) directly support our efforts to support all student athletes.



• Buy and wear Beaver Gear, especially when you are out supporting our Beavers at sporting events.

• Plan on attending the various social and fundraising events we host and support throughout the school year. Help us build community while we celebrate our athletes! This includes the March 23 Running of the Beavers and our Spring Sports Trivia Night, date TBD at the Ballard Elks Club!

• Assist your team coach as a team rep (or offer to help your existing team rep). Volunteering to help out with a team's administrative, fundraising, or communications means the coach has more time to focus on athletes.

• Make a direct donation to your team!

Questions? Email Community Outreach Chair Beth Sylves at bhsabcmemberships@gmail.com. Go Beavers!

Follow @bhs_athleticboosterclub on Instagram!