Community Sports

Sports Beat: Tides dominant in the pool

There’s definitely something in the water.

Gig Harbor’s swimming team remain undefeated in the South Sound Conference (5-0) after winning 10 of 12 events to overwhelm North Thurston last week,  118-62. Then also won the Jan. 14 Swimvitational meet at Olympic High School in East Bremerton.

The Tides won nine of the 11 Swimvitational events to earn 390 points. Port Angeles was a distant second with 260. Peninsula finished fourth with 205 points.

Gig Harbor’s Aiden Hammer was the swimmer of the meet at the annual Swimvitational meet at Olympic High School. Mike Kelly

Gig Harbor’s Aiden Hammer won swimmer of the event honors. He won the backstroke in a state-qualifying time of 53.46 and dominated the 200 individual medley with a state qualifying time of 1:57.14.

The Tides’ Grant Huston finished only two points behind Hammer for the overall award. He won the 200 freestyle and almost had time to finish a sandwich before anyone in the field finished. Huston finished an astounding 12 seconds in front of the field by laying down a personal-best of 1:43.83, which easily qualified him for state.

Gig Harbor’s Emmett Scott won the 50 freestyle in 22.88 and the 100 freestyle in a blistering time of 50.82.

Bowlers headed to districts

Gig Harbor swept Peninsula 5-0 in girls bowling on Jan. 12 at Tower Lanes in Tacoma.

The Tides finished the regular season 7-7 in the South Sound Conference, good for fourth place. The Seahawks were 4-10 in sixth.

Natalie Flick of Gig Harbor took home top honors with successive games of 163 and 133 for a 296 total. Carly Ikei finished second with a 155 and 129 for a total of 284. Mandy DeClements fired a 142 and 120 for a 262 total and Natalie Bahl contributed games of 135 and 120 for a 255 total. Kim Bornt shook off an opening 103 and finished with a 146, for a 255 total to win her match and complete the sweep over the Seahawks.

Nonetheless, it is Peninsula whose season continues after the Jan. 19 league championships at All Star Lanes in Silverdale.

The Seahawks finished a surprising third and qualified for the district tournament. Gig Harbor’s Bornt placed fifth individually and also advanced to district.

Key wrestling match ahead for Peninsula, Gig Harbor

Peninsula and Gig Harbor are both chasing Yelm for league wrestling supremacy.

Peninsula junior Justin Phipps, who finished sixth at state last year, punishes another opponent on his way to a victory for Peninsula. Bryce Carithers

The Seahawks gave the Tornados all that they could handle in an early-season matchup on Dec. 15 before losing the dual meet 42-36. It’s the only blemish on the Seahawks’ 3-1 league record, good for second in the conference.

The Tides are just a half-game behind at 2-1 heading into a Jan. 26 meet at Peninsula at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26.

Three tied for league girls basketball lead

Peninsula (12-3, 8-1 South Sound conference) and Gig Harbor (9-5 8-1) are tied with North Thurston (13-2, 8-1) for the girls basketball league lead. Those three teams have clearly established themselves as the class of the SSC.

Head-to-head matchups provide little clarity.

Peninsula owns a tie breaker over Gig Harbor after the Seahawks’ 59-51 win over the Tides on Jan. 11. However, the Seahawks lost at North Thurston 58-50 on Dec. 16.  Meanwhile, Gig Harbor beat North Thurston 49-34 on Jan. 6. So each of the three tied teams are 1-1 against each other.

Peninsula gets both Gig Harbor and North Thurston at home in the second half of the season.

Neither local team had much trouble on Wednesday, Jan. 18. The Tides blew out River Ridge, 82- 23, while Peninsula took care of Capital, 61-29.

Both teams return to the court Jan. 20. Gig Harbor hosts Central Kitsap, while Peninsula is at Yelm. Both games begin at 7 p.m.

GH-Timberline showdown on horizon

Gig Harbor (15-1, 8-1) will host Timberline (11-4, 9-0) with the SSC boys basketball lead on the line on Wednesday, Jan. 25.

The Blazers handed the Tides, ranked 4th in the state’s RPI rankings of Class 3A schools, their only loss on Dec. 10.

A flu bug that ripped through the team left the Tides hampered in that game in Lacey. Since then, the Tides have reeled off 10 wins in a row.

On Jan. 18, the Tides’ starters got some extensive rest in a 70-30 win at River Ridge. Gig Harbor plays at Central Kitsap at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20.

Peninsula (6-7, 4-5) dropped a 69-53 loss to Capital on Jan. 18, a game the Seahawks led 17-8 after one quarter. But once Capital figured out the Seahawks’ zone press, the Cougars pulled away.

The loss leaves the Seahawks and Cougars tied for fourth place in the SSC. However, the Cougars beat the Seahawks both times the two teams played this season.

Peninsula hosts Yelm at 7 p.m. Jan. 20.