School sports start year after stopped by pandemic

Let the games begin.

In fact, they already have.

The La Conner High track teams swept a league meet at Coupeville on Friday. The school’s softball team hosted NW2B/1B rival Darrington Saturday afternoon, dropping a 25-3 verdict in four innings.

La Conner’s golf teams traveled Monday to Grace Academy, while the Braves baseball program was scheduled at Friday Harbor yesterday.

Those represented the first La Conner High sports action in nearly a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed campuses statewide last March.

“You don’t really appreciate it until you don’t have it,” said interim La Conner Schools Superintendent Rich Stewart, who helped check spectators at the softball game for health screening wristbands necessary for admission.

He also monitored goings-on at the nearby La Conner High baseball diamond, where Darrington and Mount Vernon Christian were paired on Saturday.

Mount Vernon Christian, a first-year baseball program, will play three “home” games at La Conner this year, a development linked to COVID-related sports schedule adjustments.

“They usually use the Mount Vernon High School field, but it isn’t open yet,” Stewart said of the Hurricanes need of an alternative home venue.

The reason is some leagues and districts around the state have chosen to begin their shortened athletic year with fall rather than spring sports. The Northwest Conference, of which Mount Vernon High is a member, is among those.

The NW2B/1/B, on the other hand, elected to begin with spring sports because those are conducted outside and deemed less risky for spread of the coronavirus.

La Conner Middle and High School Principal and Athletics Director Kathy Herrera posted a video last week on the La Conner Schools website explaining the format for a shortened spring sports campaign, which runs into early April.

In accordance with Washington Interscholastic Activities Association guidelines, La Conner Schools is allowing up to 200 people at home sports events, said Herrera. Health screening is required prior to entry and masking and social distancing will be enforced, she said.

Herrera said home track meets are expected to be most affected by the state attendance restrictions.

“Track meets bring in several different teams,” she said, noting that the number of athletes, coaches and meet officials could nudge up against the attendance ceiling.

“In that case,” said Herrera, “families of senior participants would have the first opportunity to attend.”

La Conner track teams certainly made their presence felt at Coupeville. The boys won their half of the six school meet with 166.83 points. Mount Vernon Christian was runner-up with 115 points. La Conner’s girls, meanwhile, edged second place Grace Academy 136-128.

Mason Murdock, Andre Knudson, Cole Hagen, Brady Wyles and Josh Jolly were individual event winners for the Braves. Murdock placed first in the 200 meters with a 0:24.89 clocking. Knudson won the 800 meters (2:19.32) and Hagen captured the 300 hurdles crown (0:50.01).

Wyles claimed the javelin title with a toss of 125 feet. Jolly took both the long jump (19’-0”) and triple jump (38’-7”).

On the girls’ side of the meet, La Conner’s Ellie Marble, Hannah Cook, Rachel Cram, Katie Watkins, Morgan Huizenga and Emma Keller were solo victors. Marble won the 200 (0:30.81), with Cook (100 meters) and Cram (300 meters) taking the hurdles events. Watkins prevailed in the javelin (83’-4”). Huizenga won the high jump (4’-8”), while Keller took top honors in the triple jump (28’-6”).

In softball, La Conner shortstop Maya Masonholder enjoyed a multi-hit outing, lining a sharp single through the left side of the infield on her first at-bat and later clouting a double, but she and the rebuilding Lady Braves suffered a double-digit loss to Darrington in their season debut.

The final score, though, was less relevant than the fact the game was played at all given that the entire 2020 spring sports calendar was wiped out by the pandemic.

Even a shortened spring sports season, followed by streamlined winter and fall sports campaigns, is welcome news.

“We, as a league, are working really hard to support our student-athletes, “Herrera said, “They’re getting to participate, getting to compete.”

She said La Conner Schools Technology Director Ryan Hiller is working on a system to livestream home sports events through June as an alternative to fans attending in person.

“We want you to be able to watch our athletes,” said Herrera, “as they work through what are shortened seasons, but they are getting to compete.”

Herrera said the prospect of sports has given La Conner High student-athletes further incentive to step up their games academically as well, a trend demonstrated by improved grades and scholastic achievement as students anticipate shifting from remote to on-campus learning by the end of the month.

The high school has conducted classes on-line this year, though hopes to employ a hybrid in-person instructional model starting March 29.

As for sports, it is a win-win situation regardless of what numbers are posted on the scoreboard, Stewart and Herrera stressed.

“We’re glad to have them back,” Herrera said of La Conner High’s student-athletes, “to do something they really love and enjoy.”