High school sports: Skyview softball highlights first of two weeks of spring sports championships

The Skyview Storm, seen here before they left for Richland for the Class 4A state softball tournament, ruled the tourney and won the championship. Photo by Paul Valencia

The Storm won the Class 4A state title in softball, plus champions were crowned in tennis and golf last week, and there are finals in baseball, boys soccer, and boys and girls track and field later this week

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

In the first year of a new schedule for high school sports spring championships, Clark County already has had a few champions crowned, and there are plenty of opportunities for more championships to be won this coming weekend.

The Skyview Storm, after coming close in recent years, won it all at the Class 4A state softball championship on Saturday. The No. 1 Storm rolled through the first three games of the tournament, then held off upstart No. 10 Rogers of Puyallup in the championship game.

In tennis, In 4A, Hailey Kercker and Taryn Kercker ruled Class 4A girls doubles, winning their four matches in straight sets. In 2A boys, Lucas Walborn of Columbia River also won all of his matches in straight sets, claiming the individual championship.

The Columbia River Rapids won the Class 2A girls team title.

Earlier last week, Jasmine Chen of Camas (4A girls) and Alyssa Rigby of Mountain View (3A) won the girls golf titles.

Later this week is the conclusion of spring sports championships, with semifinals and finals of baseball and boys soccer, as well as the track and field championships. This is a change in the traditional schedule. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association used to have all the championships in one week.

In baseball, the 3-seed La Center Wildcats are the last team standing from Clark County. La Center beat Colville and Cashmere on Saturday in the Class 1A tournament. La Center will face Charles Wright/Life Christian in the semifinals Saturday in Bellingham. The championship game is Saturday.

No. 1 seed Seton Catholic defeated Zillah on Saturday, but then fell to No. 8 Bellevue Christian in the quarterfinals.

In boys soccer, Columbia River is going back to the final four for the third time in the past four seasons. The Rapids beat Othello in the quarterfinals on Saturday 3-2. Columbia River, the 3-seed, will take on No. 2 Sehome in a semifinal Friday in Federal Way. The championship match is Saturday.

Also in soccer, King’s Way Christian refuses to lose. Seeded 13th, the Knights are a final four team. King’s Way Christian beat Overlake and Vashon Island on back-to-back days by the identical score of 2-1 to advance to the semifinals in the 1A tournament. King’s Way Christian will face No. 1 University Prep in a Friday semifinal in Federal Way. The championship match is Saturday.

The Class 4A, 3A, and 2A boys and girls track and field championships are May 29-31 at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. The 1A, 2B, and 1B track and field championships will be held at Eisenhower High School in Yakima.

For the Skyview softball players, this was their moment. Their seniors had lost in the championship game as freshmen, then lost back-to-back years in the state quarterfinals.

This year, they got the job done.

Addy Case crushed a two-run double to give the Storm a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning, and pitching ace Maddie Milhorn did the rest, striking out 11 batters to lead the Storm to victory.

“I’m so proud of us,” Case said on the NFHS broadcast just moments after the game.

This is Skyview’s second state title in program history, and first since becoming a 4A program in 2002.

Clark County Today is scheduled to meet with team leaders later this week to discuss their journey to this state championship.

For results of championships to date, and for the schedule for this coming week’s championships, go to: www.wiaa.com and click “Sports.”