Sports

Four Tides, three Seahawks girls receive all-conference basketball honors

Peninsula and Gig Harbor girls basketball teams have much to look forward to as all four Tides and all three Seahawks receiving all-South Sound Conference 3A honors are underclassmen. In fact, only six of the 22 players recognized league-wide are seniors.

More good news is that two of the seniors are most valuable player Tay Birdtail and defensive player of the year Laney Borchardt from conference co-champion North Thurston, though Rams first-teamer Soraya Ogaldez, a freshman, will be a star for years to come.

Gig Harbor’s Mike Guinasso, who was named co-coach of the year, and Olivia Paul, who earned honorable mention. Hero photo is first-team pick Taylor Schwab. Photo courtesy of Maria Dorsten

Gig Harbor, in a vote of the league’s coaches, landed junior Riley Peschek and sophomore Taylor Schwab on the first team, junior Baylee Young on the second team and junior Olivia Paul on honorable mention. The Tides’ Mike Guinasso and North Thurston’s Jaqueline Meyers, who guided their squads to a share of the league title, also shared Coach of the Year honors.

Tides’ Riley Peschek slices for a shot between Peninsula’s Grace Richardson (24) and Brook Zimmerman (11). Richardson made the second team and Zimmerman was honorable mention. Courtesy photo

Peschek, a 5-foot-11 forward, is a tough inside defender who averages 12 points and 12 rebounds per game. She grabbed 22 boards in one game, one off of the school record, and 17 in another. Schwab, a 5-foot-8 guard, was first-team all-South Puget Sound League last year as a freshman. She can do a little of everything offensively, scoring 17 points per game along with three assists, five rebounds and 2 1/2 steals

Young, a 5-foot-9 guard, was first-team all-South Puget Sound League as a sophomore last year. She averages nine points, five rebounds, 3 1/2 assists and 2 1/2 steals per contest. Paul, a 5-foot-7 guard, broke a 13-year record for 3-pointers in a game, dropping 11 threes and scoring 35 points. She averages 7.8 points per game

Peninsula’s Kaylia Heidelberg received first-team honors. Photo courtesy of Bryce Carithers

Peninsula, which finished in third place, put sophomore Kaylia Heidelberg on the first team, freshman Grace Richardson on the second team and junior Brooke Zimmerman on honorable mention. Heidelberg, a 5-foot-7 guard, leads the team at 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Richardson, a 5-foot, 9 guard, scores 11 points per game. Zimmerman, a 5-foot, 10-inch forward, averages 11 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

MVP — Tay Birdtail, sr., North Thurston
Defensive Player of the Year — Laney Borchardt, sr. North Thurston
Coach of the Year — Jaqueline Meyer, North Thurston; Michael Guinasso, Gig Harbor

First Team

Riley Peschek, jr. Gig Harbor
Taylor Schwab, soph. Gig Harbor
Soraya Ogaldez, fresh., North Thurston
Kaylia Heidelberg, soph., Peninsula
Lilli Williams, soph., Yelm

Second Team

Grace Richardson, fresh., Peninsula
Kora Landers, soph., Capital
Joann Flynn, sr. River Ridge
Baylee Young, jr., Gig Harbor
Laney Borchardt, North Thurston, sr.,

Honorable Mention

Capital — Aria Cornwall, soph.
Central Kitsap — Hailey Carroll, sr.; Amaya Saunders, sr.
Gig Harbor — Olivia Paul, jr.
North Thurston — Alexis Meyer, soph.
Peninsula — Brooke Zimmerman, jr.
River Ridge — Marsoni Cannon, sr.
Timberline — Jasmine Randall, jr.; Dani Smith, jr.
Yelm — Henlee Sherman, soph.; Sadie Tanner, soph.