Spring sports preview — SHS boys golf
2018 finish: 9-0 (Olympic League champions); four players to state; second place at state 2A tournament
Head coach: Bill Shea (11th year)
Returning players: Blake Wiker (sr.), Paul Jacobsen (jr.), Liam Payne (sr.), Joe Grasser (so.), Garrett Hoesel (so.), Truman Nestor (so.)
Newcomers: Dominic Riccobene (fr.), Ben Sweet (fr.), Cole Tierney (fr.), Jack Van de Wege (fr.)
Key league competition: North Mason, Olympic, Port Angeles
Spring sports preview — SHS girls golf
2018 finish: 9-0 (Olympic League champions); three players to state
Head coach: Garrett Smithson (10th year)
Returning players: Yana Hoesel (sr.), Madison Uranga (sr.), Jessica German (so.), JoNell Hill (so.)
Newcomers: Eliza Brown (fr.), Kaylee Dunlap (jr.), Brittney Gale (sr.), Abbee Jagger (jr.), Madison McKeown (fr.), Kendra Munger (fr.), Delaney Nucci (so.), Claire Payne (sr.), Sydnee Price (fr.), Juliana Tamblyn (fr.)
Key league competition: Olympic, Klahowya, Bremerton
For the past decade — and in particular, the past three campaigns — Sequim High golf’s squads have posted some big numbers.
And thanks to a solid turnout this spring, the Wolves’ boys and girls are primed for another run at the top of the Olympic League standings and deep into the postseason.
Bill Shea’s Sequim boys, fresh off back-to-back-to-back undefeated seasons and a school-best second-place finish at last year’s 2A state tourney, look for another banner season in 2019.
And while they’ll have to do it without all-Olympic League first team players Josiah Carter and Andrew Vanderberg, the Wolves have plenty of experienced talent and promising newcomers for an extended postseason run.
Back are Blake Wiker and Paul Jacobsen, the 2017 and 2018 league MVPs, respectively, along with all-Olympic League second-teamer Liam Payne.
“They’re all kind of natural leaders,” Shea said.
Joining the mix is promising newcomer Ben Sweet, whom Shea said already is playing up with the top varsity players, along with freshmen Dominic Riccobene and Jack Van De Wege and sophomore Joe Grasser.
“One of our advantages is the depth of the team,” Shea said, pointing out that strong, local junior golf programs allow young players to hit the fairways running.
“They’re coming in like seasoned veterans,” Shea said. “I have a feeling stuff’s going to click.”
Last spring, Wiker tied for 10th and Jacobsen tied for 13th at the state 2A golf finals in Richland. Sequim finished with 72 team points, second only to Liberty (Issaquah).
Sequim’s boys haven’t lost a league match since March 18, 2015.
SHS girls turn out on links
With 14 players out for the SHS girls squad, head coach Garrett Smithson has nearly double the turnout of some recent seasons.
“That’s the most I’ve ever had … (and) they’ve been awesome,” he said at an early season practice at The Cedars at Dungeness, the Wolves’ home course where Smithson works as the head pro.
“They’re all athletes and very coachable.”
Leading the pack of returnees is Madison Uranga, an all-Olympic League first-teamer, plus 2018 district tourney qualifier Yana Hoesel and sophomores Jessica German and JoNell Hill.
Along with senior Brittany Gale, the Wolves have a formidable quintet that looks to make up for the graduation of 2018 Olympic League MVP Sarah Shea and state qualifier Samantha Smith.
But, like the boys’ team, the SHS girls have a number of newcomers challenging for top varsity sports. In particular, the Sequim coach noted strong preseason play from freshman Eliza Brown, and expects sophomore Delaney Nucci and senior Claire Payne to battle for varsity roles.
“I made it pretty clear to them to challenge each other,” Smithson said. “(Positions) 3 through 10 will be up for grabs.”
Smithson said that, without seeing any teams’ rosters just yet, Olympic should be a strong contender in the league.
“I think the league’s kind of wide open,” Smithson said.
SHS’s girls have lost just one league match in the past four seasons; the Wolves were 9-0 in 2018, 8-1 in 2017, 10-0 in 2016 and 9-0 in 2015.
SHS boys win, girls fall vs. Eagles
For the first time in about two seasons, an Olympic League foe managed to beat a Sequim High golf squad.
Emi Brown shot a nine-hole round of 38 to take medalist honors as Klahowya topped Sequim’s girls 189-224 (low score wins) at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton on March 21.
Jessica German and Yana Hoesel paced Sequim with rounds of 54 while Brittany Gale shot a 56.
It was the first league match loss for the Wolves since April 11, 2017 — ending Sequim’s 13-match winning streak.
Sequim’s boys opened their season on a winning note, however, with a nine-shot (186-195) victory over Klahowya’s Eagles.
Paced by medalist Paul Jacobsen’s nine-hole round of 42, Sequim ran their league match streak to 32 with the victory.
Garrett Hoesel added a 46 for the Wolves and Ben Sweet and Dom Ricobene each shot 49 for Sequim, while Landon Betzing and Aaron Phillips led Klahowya with rounds of 46.
Looking ahead
Sequim was scheduled to host Kingston on March 26 — details were not available at press time — before taking on rival Port Angeles on the road on March 27, Sequim’s last match before spring break.
