PC’s Hughes named NWAC Coach of Year
For the second time, Peninsula College men’s soccer coach Jake Hughes has been named the NWAC soccer coach of the year.
The Pirates won the NWAC championship in November in a 12-11 penalty kick shootout over Highline.
The Peninsula men also won the NWAC championship in 2019. Hughes was named the NWAC coach of the year that season, as well.
Hughes said he doesn’t see this as an individual honor.
“Rather than a personal award, I think it’s more an award for the coaching staff,” he said.
He added that assistant coaches Juan Carlos and Andrew Cooper deserve credit, as does women’s coach Kanyon Anderson, who also assisted with the men’s team.
“They were all influential in our season,” he said.
Hughes said this season did provide some unique challenges. One was the Pirates only had a roster of 25 because of housing availability.
“I think what was initially a challenge became our strength,” he said.
“We went on to have a tight group that came together to take on the challenge.”
Avalanche awareness class slated at library
The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Education Foundation, in conjunction with the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), hosts an avalanche awareness class starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7, at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.
NWAC Instructor Jessica Trimble will explain how to assess avalanche and mountain weather forecasts as well as recognize basic signs of avalanche danger.
The free class is open to the public.
Henninger siblings earn collegiate honors
Women’s collegiate soccer standout Claire Henninger of Sequim earn All-West Region second team honors from the Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) for the 2023 season.
The Western Washington University goalkeeper who was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Year led the conference and ranked fifth in the West Region with a 0.607 goals against average, and was also tied for the GNAC lead with nine shutouts. She ended her career with 21 shutouts to tie for fifth in program history and sixth with a 0.59 goals against average.
She was also one of six six student-athletes from Western who were recognized for their strong efforts as a student-athlete earning a spot on the 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. Recipients of the awards for maintaining at least a 3.5 cumulative grade-point-average and participating in 90% of the team games during the season.
Younger brother Aidan, also a former prep soccer standout in Sequim, was recently was named to the 2023 Academic All-District Men’s Soccer Team at Franciscan University. The team is selected by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Henninger, a sophomore defender, was instrumental in helping the Barons have seven shutouts over their 21 games played.
