Prep golf: Shea signs on at WWU

By Sequim Gazette Staff • November 22, 2017 1:30 am
Sequim’s Sarah Shea follows through on her swing at The Cedars at Dungeness’ hole No. 3 as Shea and the Wolves take on Bremerton in March. Shea recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Western Washington Vikings next year. Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell
Sequim’s Sarah Shea follows through on her swing at The Cedars at Dungeness’ hole No. 3 as Shea and the Wolves take on Bremerton in March. Shea recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Western Washington Vikings next year. Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell

Viking blue runs in the family.

Sequim High senior Sarah Shea is taking her golfing talents north next year to Western Washington University, where she plans to tee it up alongside brother Jack for the Division II Vikings.

Shea, who looks to qualify for her third consecutive state tournament appearance, said she picked Western for a number of reasons.

“I really wanted to stay close to home and get a good education,” she said.

Shea’s older brother Jack, a two-time Olympic League MVP, is a sophomore at Western Washington.

“He gave me a hand on what the campus is like and the teams are like,” Sarah Shea said. “That was my first choice, for sure.”

Shea took second at districts behind teammate Alex McMenamin and finished 22nd at last year’s state 2A tournament. Combined with McMenamin’s sixth-place state finish, the Wolves took fifth as a team.

Shea was named to the all-Olympic League first team in 2015 and 2016.

She placed 15th at state as a sophomore in 2016 — the Wolves finished fourth as a team, a school-best — and was a district tourney qualifier as a freshman in 2015.

Shea will be Sequim’s top returning player in the spring after playing behind McMenamin, a four-time state qualifier. The SHS senior said she hopes to improve on her finish from last year and will miss having someone like McMenamin push her in practice and league matches.

“We’re really going to miss Alex on the team,” she said. “I’m really competitive — I like the back-and-forth — (so) it’s going to be an adjustment.”

Shea plans to major in business and minor in communications at Western Washington.

Sequim High senior Sarah Shea signs a letter of intent to play at Western Washington University in 2018-2019. Submitted photo

Sequim High senior Sarah Shea signs a letter of intent to play at Western Washington University in 2018-2019. Submitted photo