Community Sports

Sports Beat: Gig Harbor cheer wins state title

The Gig Harbor High School cheerleading team won the Class 3A Game Day Small division state title at Battle Ground High School on Feb. 4.

It’s the first state championship for the school’s accomplished cheerleading program. The Tides turned in a near-flawless routine to score 93.3 points, winning comfortably over second-place Auburn Riverside, who scored 88.8 points.

Tides head coach Laura Nation’s program has been knocking on the door of a state title for years. The Tides finished third in 2015, fifth in 2018, fourth in 2019, second in 2020, third in 2021, and second last year.

The state champion Gig Harbor cheerleading team.

“We are so proud of our athletes for this remarkable accomplishment,” Nation said. “Their performance was nothing short of outstanding and represents the spirit and determination of this team.”

Team members include Gabbi Buskirk, Ellie Caldier, Sam Campeau, Lily Fouquette, Lola Hawkins, Kaitlyn Larson, Libby Law, Zoe McIntosh, Ally Milner, Kimberley Ortiz,  Andrea Raynz, Makenna Scheller, Andre Stefanski and Anela Terunkina-Ward.

Nation’s assistant coaches are Nikki Poling and Julie Kealy.

The Peninsula Seahawks finished seventh in the cheerleading Game Day Medium category.

The state champion Gig Harbor cheerleading team.

Wrestlers advance to regionals

Wrestlers from Peninsula and Gig Harbor are competing in the Class 3A Region 1 meet starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at North Thurston High in Lacey.

Last weekend, they qualified for regionals via a subregional meet at Capital High in Olympia.

Gig Harbor sophomore Jonah Edmund, 16-5 on the season, won the 113-pound division at subregionals. Justin Phipps of Peninsula,  who is 20-7, finished third and Gig Harbor freshman Issac Edmund fifth in the same weight class.

Peninsula’s Aiden Eversull, who is 23-8, won the 126-pound division.

Gig Harbor sophomore Liam McDermott finished fourth at 132 pounds and Seahawk Marcus Reum, who is 13-5, was second at 145 pounds.

Peninsula’s Emmett Casey (23-8 at 160 pounds) and Boden Clark (16-9 at 170 pounds) both finished second in their weight classes. Other notable Peninsula finishes included:

• Freshman Gavin Grice, fourth at 182 pounds
• Senior Aiden Thomsen, second at 220 pounds
• Sophomore Joaquin Antoine, third at 220 pounds
• Junior Trace Schumacher, fifth at heavyweight

All the above wrestlers advanced to regionals. The top five from each weight class will advance to Mat Classic, Feb. 17 and 18 at the Tacoma Dome.

On the girls side, Ellanor Nimrick of Gig Harbor and Campbell Stegeman of Peninsula advanced to the district tournament at Snohomish High School.

GH 2nd, Peninsula 3rd at swimming districts

Gig Harbor finished second and Peninsula third at the West Central District III swim meet Feb. 4 at Mount Tahoma High School.

District champions for Gig Harbor include:

• Aiden Hammer in the 200 freestyle (setting a new school record) and 500 freestyle
• Grant Huston in the 100 freestyle
• The 400 relay team of Emmett Scott, Ryan Nagata, Travis Scott and Hammer

Other Tides to qualify for state include divers Wriley Savage and Jaron Simler and Jackson Davis in the 500 freestyle.

Peninsula senior Hunter Hobbs won the 200 individual medley and finished second in the 100 fly. Jonah Bergerson qualified for state in the 50 freestyle, as did the Seahawks 200 medley relay team of Hobbs, Bergerson, Tyler Givot and Aidan Miller.

The state swim meet is Feb. 16 through 18 at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Gig Harbor swimmer Aiden Hammer

District basketball playoffs open

The Gig Harbor boys (19-2) basketball team opens District 3/4 playoff action at Greater St. Helens League Class 3A champion Mountain View (13-8) in Vancouver. The game tips off at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.

The Gig Harbor and Peninsula girls open district playoffs against each other, one week after the Seahawks secured a league title with a 40-point win over the Tides. That game is at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, at Peninsula. Spectators will not be allowed as the district investigates allegations of a racist comment made by one player in a previous game.