Prep sports wrap: Beamer girls run to another SPSL South track title

The Todd Beamer girls track and field team took another huge step in securing their second straight unbeaten South Puget Sound League South Division season Thursday by sweeping the Puyallup Vikings and Spanaway Lake Sentinels.

The Titans (7-0) have one dual meet remaining against the Graham-Kapowsin Eagles Thursday and have already secured the SPSL South Division championship.

Beamer got three individual wins Thursday from Taylor Kartes. The junior won the pole vault (8-0), 400 meters (59.42) and 800 (2:27). The Titans also got wins from Emma Cortes in the triple jump (33-2 1/2), Moriah Bentley in the high jump (4-10), Sydney Rogalla in the long jump (16-8 1/2) and Mercedes Sullivan in the 200 (26.60).

The Beamer boys also swept Puyallup and Spanaway Lake Thursday to move to 6-1 in the South. The Titans got a pair of wins from Duran Ward in the 100 (10.98) and 200 (22.24) and Anthony Hogan in the 110 hurdles (14.88) and 300 hurdles (43.52). Beamer’s other victories came from DJ May in the 400 (51.69), Jacob Wittman in the 3,200 (10:26) and Justin Moultray in the pole vault (8-6).

The Titan boys followed with a second-place finish at the prestigious Shoreline Invitational Saturday. North Central High School from Spokane won the 57-team meet with 61 points. Beamer finished with 45 total points.

Hogan had an ultra-impressive meet. The senior won the 110 hurdles in a time of 14.84 and was third in the 300 hurdles (39.31). Hogan also ran the leadoff leg of the Titans’ winning 4×100 relay team victory. The defending state champion team, which includes Hogan, Travis Koch, Ward and Dominique Maxie, ran a state-best time of 42.42 to win the Shoreline title.

Individually, Ward finished third in the 100 (11.03).

Federal Way finished fifth in the team standings thanks to a first-place run by Meron Simon in the 3,200 (10:01.35). The Eagles got a second-place finish from Robert Shelby in the 300 hurdles (39.26), a third from Trenton Pinson in the 200 (22.38) and a fifth in the 100 (11.09) and a fourth from Andre Barrington in the triple jump (43-9 1/4) and fifth in the high jump (6-4).

On the girls’ side, the Federal Way Eagles finished in third place at the 52-team Lake Washington Invitational. Senior Jacqie Evenson won the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.22, finished third in the 300 hurdles (45.86) and also ran a leg for the Eagles’ winning 4×100 relay team. Tiara Fuller, Evenson, Chantel Dixon and Jaleecia Roland won the event in a time of 49.04. Roland finished third in the high jump (5-2) and fifth in the triple jump (36-1 1/4) and Fuller was fifth in the 200 (26.36).

Jefferson’s Kayla Adams helped the Raiders to a 15th-place finish at Lake Washington with a winning throw of 41-6 3/4. Adams is leading the state with a mark of 42-1 3/4. TJ junior Kendra Ansotigue finished fourth in the javelin (120-4).

Baseball

The Todd Beamer Titans failed to clinch a berth into the SPSL Tournament Friday night with a heart-breaking 12-11 loss to the Rogers Rams. The Rams (10-6) tallied five runs in the top of the seventh to erase an 11-7 lead.

The loss forced Beamer (10-6) into a tiebreaking game against Rogers Tuesday night. The winner will earn the South’s fourth seed into the SPSL Tournament, which is scheduled for Saturday at Kent-Memorial Park.

Against Rogers, Beamer scored three runs in the bottom of the first, five in the second, two in the fourth and one in the fifth to take an 11-6 lead. Travis Crumb provided the offense, by finishing 3 for 4 with five RBIs and a triple. Kenny Johnson finished with three runs scored.

Jefferson, however, won’t have to play a tiebreaking game, thanks to the Federal Way Eagles. Federal Way downed Kentridge, 6-5, Monday afternoon to give TJ the SPSL North’s fourth and final seed into the postseason.

Federal Way got a big day from TJ Horsfall, who finished with five RBIs and a home run. The Eagles (6-10) scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to overcome a 5-2 Kentridge lead.

The Raiders finished the season 9-7 in the North and the loss dropped the Chargers to 8-8. Jefferson was forced to root for the Eagles after losing to second-place Kentwood Friday, 15-5.

Tahoma (15-1) will be the league’s first seed, followed by Kentwood (13-2) and Kentlake (10-6).

The Decatur Gators split a pair of games Friday and Saturday. The Gators beat Spanaway Lake Friday, 5-1, and lost to Rogers Saturday, 4-3.

Against Spanaway Lake, the Gators (8-7 in the South) got a two-hitter from Greg Bull on the mound. Bull struck out eight. Offensively, CJ Andrus finished 3 for 4 with a run and RBI and Gavin Cuddie was 1 for 1 with an RBI double.

Rogers tallied two runs in the top of the seventh to down Decatur. The Gators got three hits from Ryan Kim, including a pair of doubles, and Conner McFaul finished 2 for 4.

Boys soccer

The Thomas Jefferson Raiders (10-2-3) remained atop the SPSL North Division with a pair of shutout wins Thursday and Saturday. The win sets up a huge match Friday afternoon against the second-place Kentridge Chargers (9-2-3) at 3:30 p.m. at Federal Way Memorial Stadium. The Raiders would win the SPSL North title outright with a victory over the Chargers. The two teams tied, 3-3, in their first meeting of the season.

The Raiders blitzed Kent-Meridian, 10-0, Thursday and beat Federal Way, 3-0, on Saturday.

Against Kent-Meridian, Jefferson got two goals each from Chris Miller, Charles Yi and Miguel Toscano and single goals from Amos Nistrian, Viktor Pilipchuk, Julio Medina and Casey Kim. Brian Bosshart and Chris Hicks combined on the shut out in net.

The Raiders got a pair of second-half goals from Ernan Roman Saturday against Federal Way (1-10-3). Chris Miller added a late goal in the 66th minute to finalize the score. Miller is TJ’s leading scorer this season with seven goals and four assists.

Beamer (10-2-2) picked up two more wins Thursday and Saturday to stay in second place in the SPSL South behind Rogers (11-1-2). The Titans beat Curtis, 4-1, Saturday and tallied two late goals to beat Puyallup Thursday, 3-2.

Against Puyallup, Beamer fell behind 2-1 before a goal by Jordan Hale tied the score in the 67th minute. Michael Manolides followed a minute later with the game winner.

Girls tennis

The Thomas Jefferson Raiders finished the regular season with an 8-8 record after losing to Auburn Riverside Thursday, 3-2.

The Raiders’ win came from Mackenzie Qualls and Caroline Min at No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 7-6 (9) and Krista Nakamura and Breanna Ziccarelli at No. 3 doubles, 6-4 6-3.

The SPSL Tournament will be played Saturday and Monday. The North Division will play the first two rounds at Kent-Meridian High School and the South will be at Auburn High School.