Federal Way High School seniors Talia Walton and Brittany Barrington were both voted onto the 2011 Class 4A All-Tournament Team by the media following Saturday’s championship game.
Walton, who has already signed with the University of Washington, finished the three games with 34 points and 26 rebounds and Barrington ended up with 40 points, including 17 each in wins against Mount Rainier and Chiawana.
Brittany is the second Barrington to be named to a Class 4A All-Tournament Team.
Back in 2009, her older brother, Andre, was named first-team, All-Tournament after the Federal Way boys won the state championship.
Lewis & Clark High School’s Devyn Galland, a junior point guard, was named the tournament Most Valuable Player and Woodinville’s Melissa Gilkey and Chiawana’s Hayley Hodgins were also first-team honorees.
The All-Tournament second team was Ashley Albertson (Edmonds-Woodway), Nakia Arquette (Lewis & Clark), Sarah Hartwell (Bellarmine Prep), Brittany McPhee (Mount Rainier) and Brooke Pahukoa (Lake Stevens).
What did you think?
• The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is looking for input regarding the new state-tournament format. The governing body of high school sports wants to know if you loved it or hated it.
Mike Colbrese, the WIAA’s executive director, said the information will be taken to the executive board meeting March 19-20 and discussed further at the March 21 Winter Coalition meeting.Tournaments were reduced this year to three-day, eight-team events in Tacoma (4A and 3A), Yakima (2A and 1A) and Spokane (2B and 1B). They used to be four-day, 16-team tournaments.
Colbrese said the biggest issue people want addressed is having boys and girls teams from the same school at different sites for the opening-round state games.
The 2011 State Basketball Fan Survey is now available at wiaa.com. The survey will be available through March 14.
According to the WIAA, the survey offers fans an opportunity to provide input to the WIAA Executive Board as it plans for future state basketball tournaments. “Input from fans is one of the valuable resources that will be used by the Board,” they said.
In addition, member schools and coaches will be surveyed separately for their comments.
Free-throw contest
• Federal Way High School did beat Lewis & Clark at one thing Saturday inside the Tacoma Dome. Three Eagle students, which included Washington State University baseball signee Nick Tanielu, sank two free throws during a halftime competition with three Lewis & Clark students. The Tiger threesome didn’t make a shot.
Quite a streak
• Anacortes resident Lou Crosby has been to 56-straight high school basketball tournaments in Washington. The announcer during the Federal Way-Lewis & Clark game alerted the Tacoma Dome crowd about the impressive feat following the first quarter of action Saturday night.
Dixon honored
• Senior guard Chantel Dixon didn’t play one minute this season for the Federal Way Eagles. But every one of her teammates honored the 5-foot-4 senior by writing her number 24 on their arms or legs Saturday night during the 4A final. Dixon spent the entire season on the bench supporting her teammates.
Dixon, who started as a freshman, sophomore and junior, tore up her knee in November forcing her to miss the entire season. As a junior, Dixon was the Eagles’ best defender and also averaged 6.6 points, three rebounds and three assists a game.
SPSL Dominance
• Federal Way was looking to become the third-straight South Puget Sound League team to win the Class 4A State Girls Basketball Championship. Auburn Riverside won the 2010 title and Kentwood took home the 2009 crown.
Another SPSL team, Curtis, also lost in the Class 4A boys championship to a Spokane school. Gonzaga Prep won the 2011 boys title.
Title game
• Saturday was the third time the Federal Way Eagles have played in the state title game and also the third time they have played a team from Spokane.
Federal Way lost to Mead in the 1990 title game and beat Central Valley to win the 1997 state championship.
