Community Sports

These Gig Harbor athletes had a sensational summer

Sports fans had an enjoyable summer, watching the top athletes in the world perform in the Olympic Games in Paris. The Olympic games brought excitement for all, but a few local athletes also had sensational summers that  deserve attention.

A couple of those athletes recently burned up the golf course. Theodore Synder of Gig Harbor High School and his sister Olivia Synder both won coveted Washington Junior Golf Association state championships during tournaments Aug. 11 through 14 at three golf courses.

Theo, 16, won the boys 16-18 year old division. Olivia, 13, won the girls 12-13 year old division. They became just the third pair of siblings to win titles in the same year.

Theo Snyder caddies for his sister, Olivia. Both recently won WJGA state titles. Photo courtesy Theo Snyder

Big summer

Theo is considered among the national elite for his age group and has already been seen dropping clutch putts on the Golf Channel while participating in a Pro-Am event at Pebble Beach. He also qualified for a spot in the 2024 junior national championships, won his way into a qualifying event to the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, and just picked up a sponsorship from golf club industry heavyweight, Titleist. Now that’s a sensational summer and the WJGA state title was the cherry on top.

To obtain a Titleist sponsorship at 16 is, in a word, rare. (It made this sports reporter, in a word, jealous.)

That means upper-level decision makers feel you may have the game to possibly help them sell golf clubs down the line. Snyder gushed about his free Titleist gear as any teenager would. His deal allows him to choose from any apparel for free while receiving a half-off discount of all Titleist golf clubs.

Of the 14 golf clubs allowed in Synder’s bag, only one isn’t a Titleist. His putter is Taylor Made.

Dominant WJGA

The putter and Synder’s stroke were true at the WJGA championships. He birdied 15 out of 54 holes to finish nine strokes under par. Synder consistently hit the fairways with smashing drives that left short approach shots to the green.

He won the championship by four strokes, shooting a sizzling 69 and 67 on the opening two days while cooling off a bit on day three with a 71. On that third day, a competitor made two eagles and a few birdies to tighten the gap.

“The funny thing was I didn’t know if I was going to win because I heard another competitor was closing fast, so I felt I needed to come up with something big.” Synder said. “On the 17th green I chipped in (for birdie) from quite a ways out as the ball bounced once, then spun and trickled down into the hole. When that went in, I thought wow … I probably just won the tournament.”

Who finally confirmed his win? His sister Olivia.

After she secured her title with rounds of 71, 75 and 78 to finish only 10 over par, she followed her brother’s competitor. She saw him finish with a couple of bogeys on the final few holes.

“I didn’t know who won yet,” Theo said. “Then she ran up and told me and we were so excited, we shared a long hug and really enjoyed that moment together.”

Theo Snyder with his WJGA trophy. Photo courtesy WJGA

Family links

Asked what the family did to celebrate Snyder said, “Well not a lot actually, but the family did go to the Dairy Queen in Gig Harbor for a big desert.”

Parents Ty and Jane Synder have poured themselves into a complete and complicated golf schedule that has them criss-crossing the country for tournaments. The effort will soon paying off by way of a college scholarship.

Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, Stanford and Columbia have contacted Theo. They are fond of both his golf game and his 4.0 GPA.

Jane Synder is the pair’s swing coach. She never played competitively in high school or college but definitely knows the game and has a keen eye for swing details. She films almost all of her children’s training sessions, making sure their strokes remain consistent.

“My mom is my coach and she knows my swing better than anybody,” Theo said. “She may not have played at a high level but I really trust her advice.”

Ty Synder is also heavily involved. He caddied for Theo at the U.S. Open qualifier and is “a little more jokey than my mom and often reminds me that I’m doing good and that the game doesn’t have to be too serious and I should relax and enjoy the game.”

Next Snyder up

Olivia, an eighth grader at Lighthouse Christian, said she was “super excited to win the WJGA, knowing that all of my hard work was starting to pay off.”  She lists the three best aspects of her game as her putting, approach shots and chipping near the green. Her goal is to play college golf and beyond.

When asked about the double victory with her brother she said: “It was so amazing to win with him! We always push each other to be the best we can be, and I was happy to have been able to watch the last few holes of the tournament when I was done. He works really hard and I was so happy to see him win it.”

Toglia touches ’em all, three times in one game

Former Gig Harbor Tide Michael Toglia also has enjoyed a sensational summer with the Colorado Rockies. Toglia hit three home runs in a game on July 14 against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York.

The 6-foot-5, 225 pound bomber launched three balls over the outfield fence to give the Rockies a 8-5 win over the Mets. The Rockies game announcers repeatedly called Toglia, “Big Mike” as he lumbered around the bases with a smile as big as New York City.

He became the first switch hitter to hit three home runs in one game for the Rockies.

Gig Harbor grad Michael Toglia just before he hit his third home run during a July game with the Colorado Rockies.

The outburst capped off a phenomenal week for Toglia, who homered in three other games that week before the Sunday afternoon outburst against the Mets. He has 21 home runs on the season, tied for the team lead and 14th in the National League.

Toglia, a 26-year-old first baseman, starred at UCLA before being selected No. 23 in the first round of the 2019 draft. He previously hit three homers in a game on Aug. 27, 2022, while playing for Triple-A Albuquerque. The Rockies took notice and called up the first baseman just a couple weeks later and now Toglia is firmly a part of the big club.

Big night in the Big Apple

Toglia told Bill Ladson of mlb.com that he could hardly contain his excitement after the three-homer game.

“I’m not going to lie, it was pretty awesome. That’s something that is extremely rare, so when it does happen, all you can do is enjoy it,” Toglia said.

For Toglia, the feat was even more special because it happened in New York, where his father, Angelo, was raised. “Doing it against the Mets felt pretty good, I know my dad was extra happy. He is from New York and grew up a Yankees fan.”

Rockies manager Bud Black told MLB.com that Toglia is a complete player who moves well and plays great defense. He credits Toglia’s aggression at the plate as the reason for his long ball success, saying, “because of his power, he is dangerous. In the big leagues, (the pitchers) are going to come at you and you have to be aggressive. He has been doing that, and I think the results are showing.”

Not the Olympics … this year

Topping off the sensational summer was Aiden Hammer, a Gig Harbor Tide swimmer who competed in the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this summer. He didn’t quite make the Olympic team, finishing 15th in the 800-meter freestyle. But his times there were fast enough to be selected for the U.S. Junior Pan Pacific Swimming team that swam in Canberra, Australia, Aug. 21 through 24.

The quadrennial championships feature swimmers under 18 years old. Hammer made the team as a freestyle specialist and competed against other top swimmers from countries including Australia, Japan, Brazil and South Africa.

Aiden Hammer of Gig Harbor won a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific junior swimming championships. Photo courtesy Aiden Hammer

The meet is considered one of the toughest international swimming competitions outside of the Olympics and features powerhouse swim teams. The United States and Australia routinely finished near the top of most swimming events during the summer Olympic Games.

Hammer won bronze in the 400-meter freestyle event in an explosive time of 3:52.

“Australia was an incredibly fun experience,” Hammer said. “I would have to say my favorite moments of the trip were cheering on all of my teammates from the side of the pool and being able to represent the stars and stripes as part of team USA. It was a life-changing experience.”

Hammer will swim for the Tides during his junior season after missing his sophomore year to train for the Olympic Trials. He will look to add to the two state titles he won as a freshman. “I’m really looking to this upcoming high school season with my teammates and really looking forward to competing at state.”

Aiden Hammer with his medal. Photo courtesy of Aiden Hammer