Basketball: Vaara picked MVP, top defensive player in Olympic League

By Michael Dashiell • March 15, 2023 1:30 am
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim’s Jolene Vaara looks to get past Sammamish’s Sophia Eastman in the first half of SHS’s 57-37 win over Sammamish at the class 2A state tournament in Yakima on March 1. Vaara was named the 2022-23 Olympic League’s most valuable player and defensive player of the year.
Photo by Jim Heintz / Sequim’s Jolene Vaara looks to get past Sammamish’s Sophia Eastman in the first half of SHS’s 57-37 win over Sammamish at the class 2A state tournament in Yakima on March 1. Vaara was named the 2022-23 Olympic League’s most valuable player and defensive player of the year.

Sequim’s Jolene Vaara was everywhere on the basketball court during her 2022-2023 junior season. So it only makes sense she’s all over the postseason honor lists.

Fresh off a class 2A state tourney second team selection, she was named both the Olympic 2A League most valuable player and defensive player of the year, as four Sequim players were named to the all-league girls basketball team.

Vaara helped lead the Wolves to a 14-0 record in league, a 23-4 overall record, a second-place finish at the District 2/3 tournament and a fourth-place finish at the state 2A tournament.

She averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.9 steals per game during the regular season, and averaged 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game in the state 2A tourney. She and Prosser’s Adriana Milanez set a 2A tourney record (post-2017) with 14 steals during the tournament.

Despite missing several games to a sprained ankle, she had 14 games during the season with at least 15 points — including 29 against Bainbridge (Dec. 6), 26 against Bremerton (Dec. 8) and 25 against North Mason (Jan. 24).

Vaara was joined on the first team by her teammates Jelissa Julmist, who was a force in the post all year for the Wolves, and point guard Hannah Bates, who ran the offense and was considered the leader of the team.

Julmist averaged 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and three assists per game in the regular season and set a 2A state tourney (post-2017) record with 51 rebounds. She also led the team with 37 blocks.

Bates, who was named to the 2A state tournament second team, averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 assists and 3.2 steals per game during the regular season and 10.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and three steals per game during the state tourney. Bates didn’t miss any of Sequim’s 26 games, finishing with a 3.6-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Bates also earned the team’s sportsmanship award.

Sequim guard Taryn Johnson was named an all-league honorable mention. She was third on the team with 42 assists and fourth with 39 steals.

For Port Angeles, Anna Petty was named to the first team, Lindsay Smith to the second team and Paige Mason was an honorable mention.

Moore selected to boys’ first team

Sequim’s Isaiah Moore Jr. was named to the all-Olympic League first team.

Moore, a senior, helped SHS finish 8-6 and 11-11 overall, earning third place among 2A teams in the Olympic League.

Sequim won five of its final six games, taking a 10-seed into districts where the Wolves went 1-1.

Senior teammate Zack Thompson was named an all-league team honorable mention.

SHS senior Cole Smithson earned the team’s sportsmanship honor.

Port Angeles had two all-league first team selections — Parker Nickerson and Isaiah Shamp — and an honorable mention for Tyler Hunter.

Olympic League co-MVPs were North Kitsap teammates Harry Davies and Cade Orness, and Davies was selected for the league’s defensive player of the year.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Sequim’s Isaiah Moore, center, looks to push the ball upcourt as teammates Brett Mote (22) and Vince Carrizosa (14) follow the play, in a West Central District game against Lindbergh on Feb. 15. Moore was named to the all-Olympic League first team.

Sequim Gazette photo by Emily Matthiessen / Sequim’s Isaiah Moore, center, looks to push the ball upcourt as teammates Brett Mote (22) and Vince Carrizosa (14) follow the play, in a West Central District game against Lindbergh on Feb. 15. Moore was named to the all-Olympic League first team.