The Federal Way High School girls soccer program is honoring the best player to ever wear an Eagle uniform. Federal Way will retire the No. 7 uniform worn by 1993 graduate Justi Baumgardt-Yamada at halftime of the Eagles’ game Oct. 14 against Kent-Meridian at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

Baumgardt-Yamada was a four-year starter for Federal Way from 1989 through 1992. During her tenure, she was named to the All-South Puget Sound League’s first team in all four seasons, led the Eagles to a pair of state championships, as well as a second-place finish her sophomore year. She was the SPSL Most Valuable Player her junior and senior seasons and helped the Eagles finish both seasons as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation by USA Today.

Her senior season, Baumgardt-Yamada was named KOMO-4 News’ female athlete of the year, a Parade Magazine All-American and was the No. 1 girls’ soccer recruit in the nation. She still holds school records at Federal Way for career goals (98) and assists (50).

After graduating from Federal Way, Baumgardt-Yamada went on to be a member of the US National Team from 1993 through 1999 and played in several major tournaments with Team USA, including the U.S. Victory Tour, U.S. Cup, Algarve Cup and tournaments in China and Australia. She also played four years at the University of Portland on a full-ride scholarship, where she made three Final Four appearances and played in one national championship game.

While at Portland, Baumgardt-Yamada was a three-time All-American, a two-time finalist for the Herman Trophy, awarded to the top collegiate soccer player in the country, the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1996, a three-time team MVP, a two-time captain and a West Coast Conference first-team all four years.

But the accolades don’t end there. Baumgardt-Yamada was also an academic All-American in 1998 and ‘99 and named one of the top-50 student-athletes in the West Coast Conference in the past 50 years. She was inducted into the University of Portland Athletic Hall of FAme in June 2005 and is currently the only woman soccer player to receive that honor.

Following her career at the University of Portland, Baumgardt-Yamada was drafted into the WUSA women’s professional soccer league by the Washington Freedom. She spent three years in the league before it folded playing with both the Freedom and the New York Power.

Baumgardt-Yamada is currently a coach with the Crossfire Premier Club out of Bellevue. She has two boys, Caden (3) and Carson (3 months), with husband Tote Yamada.

• Apple Physical Therapy will honor one boy and one girl student athlete for both the Fall and Winter sport seasons with a $1,000 Athlete of the Quarter Scholarship.

Eligible student athletes must be high school seniors enrolled in a Western Washington high school, participating in a varsity sport and be in good-standing academically. The scholarship criteria include athlete performance, community service/involvement and other compelling personal circumstances.

Nomination forms are available to download at Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site, www.applept.com, and can be turned in to any Apple Physical Therapy clinic location or other participating private practice location. A complete list of locations is on Apple Physical Therapy’s Web site. Nomination forms are due December 1 for fall, 2008 and March 1 for Winter, 2009 applications.

Scholarship winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Fall, 2008 and Winter, 2009 seasons on the High School GameTime television program on King 5 and Kong 6/16.

Apple Physical Therapy is also the official athletic training partner for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) and oversees young athletes at the state football, basketball and softball tournaments each year.

• NW Krush is seeking players for a new 14U fastpitch program in the Auburn/Puyallup area. Call Mark at (206) 793-2449 or email m.larsen@comcast.net for more information or to arrange a tryout.

• It’s that time of year when celebrities converge on Cheney Stadium, all in the name of raising funds for a great cause.

On Sept. 21, Tacoma Rainiers co-Owner, Nick Lachey, will once again headline the Multicare Celebrity Softball Game presented by Windermere Professional Partners, which will help raise money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Tacoma General Hospital. Last year, a weekend of events helped raise more than $750,000 for the NICU and MultiCare Health Foundation.

“I’m excited to get back up to Cheney Stadium and once again, take part in the Celebrity Softball Game,” said Lachey. “This is always a great event and besides having loads of fun, we’re hoping to raise a lot of money for a great cause.”

Fans will have a chance to catch Lachey, fellow celebrities, and local media representatives that Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. when the softball game kicks-off. Among the celebrities currently signed up for the game are Vanessa Minnillo, Cris Judd, Jeff Nelson, and Aimee Wright.

Tickets to the softball game are already available online (TacomaRainiers.com and TacomaCelebrityWeekend.org) as well as at the Cheney Stadium Box Office until Sept. 1.

Box Seats (which include a barbeque, parking, special gift and designated seat in field/row box) are available for $40. General admission tickets can be purchased for $15.

• The Federal Way School District sign program is entering its second year. Advertising banners may be placed at Federal Way Memorial Field or in secondary schools. Each banner costs $500. For more information, contact Greg Flynn at gflynn@fwps or call (253) 945-5575.

• The Federal Way under-11 Storm program is in need of a few boys soccer players. The Storm is currently seeking players to fill out rosters on the following teams: Storm 97 White, Storm 97 Black, Storm 98 Platinum, and Storm 98 Silver. If your son is interested in playing in the 97 program, he must not be older than 11 years of age. For further information, contact Eric Poorvielt at (206) 353-3517. If your son is 10 years old and interested in playing at a competitive level of soccer, contact John Yorke at jyorke3@aol.com.

• The Western Washington Football Officials Association is looking for candidates to begin officiating in the 2008 season. No experience is necessary and officials are paid. Training meetings will begin on July 29. For more information, call Jan Wolcott at (253) 826-2460 or e-mail jswol@comcast.net.

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