College sports: SHS grads competing at the next level

Beuke helping UW Huskies crew to top NCAA ranking

From the track to the softball and baseball diamonds to the top-ranked women’s rowing program in the nation, Sequim High School graduates are making their mark at colleges and universities across the states.

Elise Beuke (sophomore, University of Washington, rowing)

Sophomore Elise Beuke and the nation’s top-ranked University of Washington Huskies look to be in midseason form after winning 11 of 12 races at the Pac-12 Challenge April 2 in Reed Shores, Calif., against a field that included five of the top 10 teams in the nation.

Beuke, who rows in the fifth position, helped UW’s varsity eight (6:22.24) defeat No. 7-ranked University of Virginia by 11 seconds (6:33.49.)

Washington ranked No. 4 in the nation coming into the meet but recently was bumped ahead of Pac-12 rival California for the top spot in the most recent NCAA Division I rankings.

Beuke is a second-year rower at UW after competing with the women’s second varsity eight in 2016.

She rowed in the U.S. double sculls that finished seventh at the 2015 Junior World Rowing Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and won the silver medal at the 2015 USRowing Youth National Championships

A basketball player while at Sequim High (she graduated in 2015), Beuke trained and competed with the Olympic Peninsula Rowing Association.

Jack Shea (freshman, Western Washington University, golf)

In his first year of college competition, Shea — a 2016 Sequim High graduate — is among the top Vikings on the course. He placed sixth on the team and 86th overall as WWU finished the regular season at the 20-team Mustang Intercollegiate in Goodyear, Ariz., April 3-4. Western placed fifth overall.

In late March, Shea was third on the team and 47th overall as WWU took fifth place at the 15-team SoCal Intercollegiate in Santee, Calif.

WWU’s next action is defending their team title at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title April 24-25.

Shea was two-time Olympic League MVP as a junior (2015) and senior (2016) at Sequim High.

Waverly Shreffler (freshman, Western Washington University, track and field)

A 2016 Sequim High School graduate, Shreffler set a collegiate personal best in the 800 meters with a 2:19.19 finish for the Vikings at the Doris Heritage Distance Festival on March 25 in Seattle.

Western’s top 800 runner this season, Shreffler had the top team mark in the 2016-2017 indoor season as well, topping out at 2:23.27 at the University of Washington Open in February.

She took fourth place in the 1,500 meter race at the Puget Sound Shotwell Invitational in Tacoma on April 1, clocking in at 4:57.13.

Shreffler was a cross country and track standout at Sequim High, winning the state 2A 800-meter title and placing sixth at the 2015 cross country 2A state meet.

Miguel Moroles (freshman, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, track and field)

A transfer from Washington State University, Moroles competes in sprints and relays for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

The freshman helped the Bears’ 4×100 relay team take second and 4×400 team take third at the Corsair Classic Track & Field Invitational in Dartmouth, Mass., on April 2. Moroles also competed in the 200-meter race, taking ninth with a 23.22-second finish.

For their effort, the Coast Guard’s 4×100 squad was named New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference relay of the week.

Moroles, a 2014 Sequim High School graduate, also competed for the Bears in the 2016-2017 indoor season, racing in events from 55 to 200 meters and the distance medley.

Also a football standout while at Sequim High (he was an all-Olympic League first team quarterback), Moroles helped Sequim’s 4×100 relay team to a state 2A title in 2015.

Oscar Herrera (freshman, University of Washington, track and field)

Herrera placed fourth for the Huskies in the 400-meter hurdles (54.66) at the 2017 Trojan Invite, held March 17-18 in Los Angeles, Calif.

A multiple-time state finalist at the 2A level in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles, Herrera — a 2016 Sequim High graduate — was a four-time individual Olympic League champion after sweeping the hurdles as a junior and senior. He anchored the 2A state title winning 4-by-400 relay at the state 2015 meet.

Nick Johnston (junior, Campbellsville University, baseball)

A transfer from Edmonds Community College, Johnston has the top earned-run-average for Campbellsville (Kentucky) this spring with at least 15 innings pitched. In eight games — including three starts — Johnston has a 0.54 ERA with 13 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .206 off the southpaw.

The Tigers are 7-4 in conference play and 19-14 overall.

Johnston is a 2014 Sequim High graduate and former all-Olympic League first team pitcher.

Jasmine McMullin (senior, Western Washington University, track and field)

McMullin, a senior competing for the Vikings, topped the field in the long jump with an 18-foot, 8.5-inch mark, then took second in the triple jump with a 38-1.5 effort at the San Francisco State Distance Carnival, held March 31-April 1.

In the WWU outdoor record books, McMullin has the second-best triple jump mark in school history (39-7.75) and seventh-best long jump (18-3). She holds WWU’s indoor triple jump mark (40-1.25) and fourth-best long jump (17-11.75).

McMullin is a 2013 Sequim High graduate. As a high school senior she placed third in the triple jump and ninth in the long jump at the 2A state meet.

Alex Barry (sophomore, Western Washington University, track and field)

Barry got the outdoor track season off on a good note with a first-place finish in the javelin at the Lewis & Clark Invitational, held March 17-18 in Portland, Ore. His 192-foot, 5-inch heave topped the field by more than 25 feet and is a Division II meet provisional mark.

Barry’s top mark last season was 201-8 and he placed 14th at the NCAA Division II national championships.

A 2015 Sequim High graduate, Barry was an Olympic League MVP in basketball and a standout on the track, earning the Washington state 2A javelin title and helping Sequim’s 4×400 relay team win a title in 2015.

Mikey Cobb (sophomore, North Central College, track and field)

Cobb recently finished his indoor season at North Central College in Naperville, Ill., running a season-best 9:14.99 in the 3,000 meters indoors.

The Cardinals tied Wisconsin-La Crosse for the 2017 Division III indoor national title and are ranked No. 2 nationally for Division III outdoor men’s track.

Cobb is a 2015 Sequim High School graduate and cross country standout, competing in three state 2A meets with a top finish of 22nd overall as a senior in 2014.

Rylleigh Zbaraschuk (senior, Concordia College, softball)

Zbaraschuk has started all 35 games in the outfield for the Cavaliers. She’s hitting .245 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. Her nine steals are second on the team.

Concordia is 5-11 in conference play and 13-22 overall.

A transfer from the University of Washington, Zbaraschuk is a 2013 Sequim High grad and former Olympic League co-MVP. She hit .290 as a sophomore at Concordia in 2015 and .276 as a junior last season.

She is majoring in exercise and sports sciences.

Adrian Clifford (senior, Linfield College, track and field)

Clifford, a 2013 Sequim High grad and standout runner on SHS cross country and track teams, competes in events ranging from the 800 meters to the 10,000 meters for Linfield.

Most recently Clifford took second on the team and eighth place overall in the 1,500-meter run at the Linfield Jenn Boyman Memorial Invitational on April 1.

He ran a Northwest Conference meet-qualifying 10,000-meter finish of 32:55 at the Linfield Erik Anderson Memorial Icebreaker on March 3 and a conference meet-qualifying 15:49 mark in the 5,000 meters at the 2017 Willamette Invitational on March 25.

A three-year letter winner who also competed in cross country at Linfield, Clifford is an exercise science major.