Sports in 2012 were like a rollercoaster ride, from many teams being picked to vie for state titles and records being broke, to legends retiring and new fields being opened.
Here are just a few of the big sports stories that the Bothell/Kenmore Reporter covered last year.
January
The Inglemoor boys basketball team won the Bellevue College Holiday Tournament after an 0-4 start to the regular season, while the Viking girls won the Les Schwab Classic.
Bothell boys basketball team stunned Inglemoor, 58-56, as Aaron Wilkins last-second shot won the regular-season rivalry game.
Bothell’s Kari Studley won the “Coach of the Year” award from the 2011 National Interscholastic Cycling Association.
February
Bothell boys basketball team earned No. 4 seed to the KingCo Tournament. The team would advance to state for the first time since 1997 by defeating No. 6 ranked Olympia. The boys team would lose both of its state tournament games.
At the state gymnastic’s meet, Inglemoor’s Mina Tanaka placed fourth in state on bars with a score of 9.125, while Bothell’s Raynie Hultgren placed sixth on vault (9.225).
Bothell’s Brandon Davidson finished third at the Mat Classic State Wrestling tournament in the 152-pound weight class, while the Inglemoor team had two eighth-place finishes by Gabe Seward (138 pounds) and Paul Schulfer (195 pounds).
Ronald Swafford, a coach with the Northshore junior volleyball program, was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes. Although Swafford originally plead not guilty to the charges, he changed his plea and was sentenced in August to a little less than a year.
March
Cedar Park Christian High School celebrated the opening of its “Field of Dreams” on its Bothell campus. The $1.5 million facility is home to the school’s football and soccer teams.
April
Bothell High School’s Allie Hadley broke the state record for javelin during the 51st annual Pasco Invitational. Her throw of 140-feet, 5-inches was more than 13 feet better than the previous school record.
May
The Inglemoor High School girls track and field team won the 4A KingCo title, as the athletes took five separate events with first-place finishes.
Inglemoor High School’s Michael Mendenhall broke school record in the 1,600-meters with a time of four minutes, 14.04 seconds to take seventh during the state meet.
Bothell High School graduate Johnny Hekker was picked up by the NFL’s St. Louis Rams via free agency following his senior year at Oregon State University.
June
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller coached young soccer players during the Northwest Soccer Camp at Bastyr University in Kenmore.
Bothell High School basketball player commited to play for the University of California Los Angeles.
July
The FC Alliance girls soccer U-15 team won the title in Spain during the 21st annual Donosti Cup.
Three local boys, Ryan Gibson, Zach Shimek and Cage Shimek won their third consecutive Spokane Hoopfest title during the 3-on-3 competition, which draws athletes from all over the greater Northwest of the United States.
PGA Legends took to the Inglewood Golf Club course for a fund raiser for cancer care, including Juanita and Kenmore resident JoAnne Carner.
August
Bothell resident Christopher Penna earned two gold medals during the national championships and United States team trials at the Broward County Convention and Trade Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Penna, who is an eighth grader at Skyview Junior High, has won 101 medals overall during competitions.
Inglemoor High School grad Mitchell Gunsolus was named the Pacific Coast League Most Valuable Player. Gunsolus played for the Winatchee AppleSox and hit .371.
September
The Bothell football team entered the 2012 season ranked fifth in state, but would start the season with three consecutive losses.
The state’s No. 2 basketball recruit, Josh Martin, transferred from Seattle Prep to Bothell High School. Martin joined No. 1 Washington state basketball prospect Zach LaVine.
October
Bothell High School runningback Danny Wilson rushed for 364 yards during the Spaghetti Bowl against rival Inglemoor High School. The Cougars won the game 66-21, completing a comeback after a disastrous 0-3 start. The win gave Bothell a 4-3 record. The Cougars won the Crest Division title with a 5-3 record before entering the state playoffs.
November
The Bothell High School football team’s state run came to an end in Tacoma during the second round of the tournament.
December
The Bothell High School boys basketball team entered the season as the No. 1 ranked team in the state, thanks to three Division I college recruits.
Inglemoor High School athletic director and head football coach Frank Naish resigned after 34 years at the school.
The University of Washington Bothell opened a new 2.5 acre sports and recreation complex. The facility was student-initiated and cost $3.3 million.
