Community Sports

All-conference honors for Peninsula, Gig Harbor athletes

The 2022 spring sports season saw some fantastic results for teams from Gig Harbor and Peninsula high schools. Both were at or near the top of the South Sound Conference standings in most spring sports.

There were also many notable individual performances. Area schools boasted three conference MVPs; the fastpitch pitcher of the year; the top female golfer; the top female tennis players in singles and doubles; the top male athlete at the SSC track and field championships; and two coaches of the year.

Following is a list of the athletes who were conference MVPs, individual conference champions or who made first- or second-team all-conference teams this spring.

Boys soccer

South Sound Conference MVP: Cory Burbridge, senior, Peninsula

SSC coach of the year: Ozer Kocdemir, Peninsula

Peninsula’s Cory Burbridge was named South Sound Conference soccer MVP. Bryce Carithers

First team All-South Sound Conference

• Hunter Beck, senior, Peninsula
• Tyler Dull, sophomore, Gig Harbor
• Reilly Leahy, senior, Peninsula
• Connor Louden, senior, Gig Harbor
• Jett Manglona, senior, Gig Harbor

Second team All-SSC

• Justin Bodnar, senior, Peninsula
• Frankie Cross, junior, Peninsula
• Owen Ghent, junior, Gig Harbor
• Kaiser Keck, senior, Gig Harbor
• Matt Ludlow, junior, Gig Harbor
• Sam Sutherland, junior, Peninsula

Honorable Mention

• Yzahir Cornelio, senior, Peninsula
• Porter Hansen, junior, Gig Harbor
• Cole Jarrett, junior, Peninsula

Fastpitch

SSC MVP: Audrey Allen, senior, Gig Harbor

SSC MVP pitcher: Alli Kimball, junior, Peninsula

Gig Harbor’s Audrey Allen had 50 RBI and won South Sound Conference MVP honors. Ed Johnson

First-team All-SSC

• Danielle Biehl, freshman, Gig Harbor
• Malia Coit, sophomore, Peninsula
• Aislinn O’Reilly, senior, Peninsula
• Riley Peschek, junior, Gig Harbor

Second-team All-SSC

• Madison Declements, sophomore, Gig Harbor
• Glory Estabrook, junior, Peninsula
• Sarah Holland, junior, Gig Harbor
• Hailey Ruckle, junior, Peninsula
• Mira Sonnen, freshman, Peninsula

Honorable Mention All-SSC

• Ella Barrett, senior, Gig Harbor
• Payton Davis, sophomore, Peninsula
• Ava Miranda, freshman, Peninsula

Baseball

SSC MVP: Payton Knowles, junior, Peninsula

SSC coach of the year: Michael Johnson, Peninsula

Peninsula shortstop Payton Knowles, who batted .527, earned the South Sound Conference MVP award. Ed Johnson

First team All-SSC

• Brady Altman, junior, Gig Harbor
• Hunter Bennett, senior, Peninsula
• Gavin Sheets, sophomore, Peninsula

Second team All-SSC

• Garrick Cosmos, junior, Gig Harbor
• Aden Deschenes, sophomore, Peninsula
• Wriley Schreiner, junior, Gig Harbor

Honorable mention all-SSC

• Troy Buchanan, junior, Peninsula
• Grayson Ford, sophomore, Peninsula
• Ryland Heckman, sophomore, Gig Harbor
• Jak McLellan, senior, Gig Harbor
• Duren Miller, senior, Peninsula
• Chase Pringle, junior, Gig Harbor

Boys lacrosse

First team All-Olympic Conference

• Robby Akulschin, sophomore, Peninsula
• Dylan Amidon, senior, Gig Harbor
• Boden Clark, junior, Peninsula
• Ryder Clarke, junior, Peninsula
• David Holman, senior, Gig Harbor
• Clarke Jones, Ssenior, Peninsula
• Abe Odiorne, senior, Gig Harbor

Girls lacrosse

First team All-Peninsula Conference

• Grace Abrigo, junior, Peninsula
• Reese Anderson, senior, Peninsula
• Anna Caplinger, junior, Gig Harbor
• Ashley Hammel, senior, Peninsula
• Eleah Ho, junior, Peninsula
• Anya Wild, senior, Gig Harbor

South Sound Conference individual champions

Tennis singles: Hailey Austin, senior, Gig Harbor

Tennis doubles: Alexa Thoms and Alexa Lavinder, seniors, Gig Harbor

Girls golf: Hallee Graf, junior, Peninsula

Track and field individual champions

Boys

Athlete of the SSC Championships: Ben Stevens, sophomore, Gig Harbor

• 100 meters: Ben Stevens, sophomore, Gig Harbor
• 200 meters, Ben Stevens, sophomore, Gig Harbor
• 300 meters hurdles, Brian Wheelus, senior, Gig Harbor
• 4×100 relay: Gig Harbor (Cole Rushforth, Ben Stevens, Brian Wheelus, Nick Grover)
• Javelin: Joshua Felt, senior, Gig Harbor

Girls

• 800 meters: Hannah Lee, junior, Peninsula
• 1600 meters: Elektra Higgins, freshman, Peninsula
• 3200 meters: Elektra Higgins, freshman, Peninsula
• 4×200 relay: Gig Harbor (Sophia Olson, Kate Jones, Maura Lenzi, Skyler Kimble)
  4×400 relay: Peninsula (Sabrina Booker, Aaliyah Booker, Elektra Higgins, Hannah Lee)
• Javelin: Lydia Ward, sophomore, Gig Harbor