[ Fall prep sports preview: What to watch as favorites emerge ]
BELLINGHAM
Jacob Kuhn, Boys tennis, Singles
What are your goals for this season after reaching state last year? Probably just to make it again. It’s going to be harder this year because there’s only two people from our district going instead of three [like] last year. But once I’m there, I don’t know, probably to win it.
How did you first get into playing competitive tennis? My mom plays. She’s pretty good, like a pretty good amateur player. She won a Bellingham citywide tournament a while back, so she got me into it. I only [played] seriously for like two and a half years. Before that, I just hit balls like once a month or something.
What’s something most people don’t know about you? I’m pretty open, I think. I kind of just play tennis and I sleep.
Chayse Flick-Williams, Senior, Volleyball, Outside hitter
How much has having a legendary college volleyball coach [WWU’s Diane Flick-Williams] as a mother helped you as a player? Oh, so much. It’s been really, really cool just being surrounded by the sport ever since I was really, really little. So, seeing it kind of develop into what it is now, it’s really cool. She’s also helped me in a lot of my skills and all that kind of stuff ever since I was a little kid, so it’s really helped me.
As a state champion in track and field, what sport do you prefer and why? I play three sports: volleyball, softball and track and field. I prefer volleyball [and] softball because I like the team aspect of the sport, and that’s actually what I’m going to be doing for college — I’m going to be doing volleyball. But I do really like track, I like the competitive aspect of it. Volleyball and softball I’ve been doing for a lot longer, so I kind of just have fallen in love with those. I didn’t get to fall in love with track as much as I would have wanted to.
What are your plans for after high school? I’m committed to Western Washington [University] to play volleyball.
BLAINE
Teyana Zaddack, Senior, Volleyball, Middle blocker/Outside hitter
This year’s team is senior-heavy. What’s your relationship like with your fellow seniors? A lot of them, we’ve played [together] since middle school Boys and Girls Club. We’ve pretty much grown up together, so I’d say a lot of us are really close.
What’s the most difficult part of your position on the court? I’d say for middles, it’s a lot of communication with the other teammates — like the sets have to be good, the passes have to be good. A lot of stuff that’s just on the dot, pretty much.
In your mind, what exactly is the school’s mascot, a Borderite? I don’t really know, to be honest. I feel like it’s just because we’re so close to the border, I feel like they just tried to jazz it up and have something fun to connect where we are.
Conner Dalry, Senior, Football, TE/EDGE
As a senior, how are you hoping to help establish a winning culture in Blaine’s football program? Really just working hard, always doing the best that you can. Knowing what to do on what plays and knowing certain situations like fourth and short, third and short. If we’re on defense, third and short, knowing what down it is, just knowing what’s going on in the game at all times.
What would personally make this a successful season for you? I think improving from last season, being a better leader and just playing better, being better. I mean, switching positions has been huge. I was a tight end and outside linebacker last year. This year I moved to H-back and edge, so it’s kind of a change for me, but I always love change and it’s always good for a team.
What do you deem as your best athletic trait? Probably being able to catch the football is easily my best.
FERNDALE
Katie Manly, Senior, Cross country
What goals do you have this season after reaching the state meet each of the last two years? I want to get my time down to sub-19 [minutes] and just get higher places in state.
How did you get into running competitively? I’ve always liked to run and ever since middle school — seventh grade cross country — I just really liked being on a team. I’ve met a lot of people and friends doing cross country.
What are your plans for after high school? If I’m fast enough, I want to get to a college. I don’t know what college yet, but I want to make it.
Conner Walcker, Senior, Football, SS/Wing
You recently committed to Eastern Washington University to play football. What drew you to that college? I just love the coaching staff. They have a great linebackers coach that I really connected with, and it’s close to home so my grandparents can watch me, which is nice. I just love the atmosphere there.
Your team lost a lot of key seniors after last season, how are you embracing a role as a leader this season? I’m trying to do it the best I can. I feel like me and Bishop Ootsey are trying to step up and be the leaders of the team — which he’s doing a great job — and I’m trying to do my best … but it’s definitely a challenge because of all the seniors that we lost.
What interests do you have outside of athletics? I like fishing. I really like fishing. I try to fish as much as I can, honestly … I don’t catch very much, but once in a while, I get one. It’s fun.
LYNDEN
Weston Vandalen, Senior, Football, WR/S
What kind of pressure exists when you’re on a team that has won two straight state championships? I mean, of course, it’s always in your head that you don’t want to be the team to end the streak, but we don’t really think about it too much. We just go out there and play for each other.
What’s it like playing high school football with your father as the head coach? I mean, he doesn’t treat me really any differently. So, I don’t know anything else.
What are your plans for after high school? I won’t play sports, but I’ll go to college somewhere. I don’t know for sure yet. Maybe, like, WSU or Central [Washington] or somewhere in Arizona. [I might study] something to do with sports, and maybe numbers. I don’t know exactly what type of majors there are.
Mya Vanderyacht, Senior, Volleyball, Libero
What do you enjoy most about playing with a similar group of teammates the last three years? I think. I enjoy the joy that we share together. Every day that we show up to practice, we just have so much fun — I enjoy it so much. And we’ve been playing — the six of us seniors have been playing — together since we were in, like, fifth grade. So, to share our final season together, we just want to have fun and we just want to let it loose kind of.
You all have reached state the last two seasons but fallen short. How important is it to win a state title this season? I think, obviously, it’s the goal, and it’s the thing we’re striving for every day. I think we are all [such] competitive people that it’s already in us — we don’t have to worry about trying to become competitive people. I think that’s the goal and trying to raise our standards every day to become that team and have fun through it all.
What has you most looking forward to your senior season? I would say my teammates, just having one last season with them because I enjoy it so much, and I enjoy being around them. And the joy and passion they all have on the court, I just love it so much. It’s definitely going to be the best season and the [most fun] season.
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN
Eliza Kamphouse, Senior, Girls soccer, Left wing
How has your role developed since your sophomore season post-COVID? I’ve had to kind of adjust to this team a little bit and play a few different positions, just depending on the year. I think it has kind of really helped make me a versatile player and just helped the team out more. Coming into my senior year, I feel like I have a lot more experience in different positions, so I’m really excited to be able to help out the team with my different skills.
How has losing last year’s state championship affected your outlook on this season? Have you channeled it into motivation? I am pretty happy with how we did last season. I mean, it sucked to lose, but we worked really hard, and I’m really excited to use that energy. We made it really far, so I think that we can use that and just channel it into [this] year.
What hobbies or activities do you enjoy outside of athletics? Mostly just soccer. I hang out with my friends, I’m on the cheer team — that’s about it.
Kayden Stuit, Senior, Football, TE/LB
You recently committed to Eastern Washington University to play football. What drew you to that college? The coaching staff … It was consistent talking to me, excited for me to come to team camp, and then came team camp. They’re all welcoming; I balled out, talked to like almost all the coaches, every position group. It just felt like a home, felt like a community, a family. That really drew me in.
What do you plan to study in college? I’m planning on majoring in data and analytics, minoring in finance, and then going into the financial advisory field … I just want to know what I can do with my money.
After a disappointing exit last season in a tiebreaker, how is your team approaching this season? We want to win a [state] championship. There’s a lot of hype around the Northwest Conference and all the good teams. We’re stacked: [Mount] Baker, Nooksack [Valley], us. We’re just ready to prove what we can do.
MERIDIAN
Allie Richter, Senior, Girls soccer, Center midfielder
After making it to the bi-district crossover last year, what do you believe is the ceiling for Meridian girls soccer this year? I think we can make it pretty far this year. We have a lot of the same returning players. So, it should be the same team, which means that we can build off of what we did last year. I think we can come back even stronger than we did.
How has your role on the team evolved since your sophomore year? I’ve become more involved in the midfield and getting the ball through to the forwards, and just pushing the ball up and getting back on defense. It’s been pretty much the same, just making more of an impact now than I did when I was not as strong and not as fast.
What hobbies do you have outside of soccer and athletics? I don’t have many … I am very into sports and working out and all that.
Jackson Miller, Senior, Cross country
You’re one of four returning Meridian seniors who ran at state last year. What’s your relationship like with those teammates, and how do you help motivate each other? We’re all friends beyond the sport, [and we are] really close so we can always push each other. We’re not afraid to yell when we need it to really just push each other to our best.
What has you most looking forward to your senior season? I’d say just going back one more time and giving it all that I’ve got. After the last three years, and even in middle school, I really know what I can do.
What do you want to do after high school? I plan to go to college. I don’t know which one, or what for yet, but yeah.
MOUNT BAKER
Natalie Horsmon, Senior, Volleyball, Middle blocker
Last year was your first season with the varsity team. What’s your volleyball background? I’ve been playing volleyball since, I think, fourth grade. Then, freshman year, I took a break and did football cheer, and I ended up very much missing volleyball. So, I came back in, started again sophomore year and then last year — junior year — I played on varsity.
As a senior, how are you hoping to help establish a winning culture in Mount Baker’s volleyball program? Just having a good team atmosphere, I guess — like making sure everyone feels involved and everyone likes what they’re doing, and just focusing on trying our best and doing our best to get where we want to be and accomplish what we want to accomplish.
You worked for Mount Baker’s student newspaper, The Summit, as an underclassman. Is journalism something that interests you? What do you want to do after high school? It was a class I got put into, but I actually ended up really enjoying it. I’ve worked for the yearbook team also, and that has been a lot of fun. I just like knowing where everyone is in the school and what everyone’s involved in … I’m keeping my options open as of right now. It’s something I could fall into.
Alex Maloley, Senior, Football, DE/OT
As one of the top linemen in Whatcom County, do you prefer offense or defense? Defense. You get to attack people and hit people. I mean, I like them both, but definitely defense.
How are you and your team approaching this season after falling one win short of a state championship last season? Well, we did lose a lot of seniors … If we keep working hard, and there’s only a couple more things we’ve got to work on, then I think we will shock everyone, to be honest.
What are your plans for after high school? I still haven’t decided. I probably will [decide] at the end of the football season … I’m not sure yet [about college] because I also like to work.
NOOKSACK VALLEY
Dalton Hickey, Senior, Football, OT/DE
What has you most driven after last year’s state semifinal loss to an in-county rival? Probably the way we lost, I guess — how it went. We could have done more, and it’s really driven us to basically put that in the past, and we’re going to just prepare how we prepare, prepare for every game and just move forward.
How long have you played football? What’s the most challenging part of your position as a lineman? I’ve been playing football since probably third grade, when we could start playing. [The] most challenging part … is just to stay focused. There’s so many things happening that you’ve got to focus on just your part. And to trust everybody that they’re doing their job, and that you’ve got to do yours.
What have you learned about yourself while playing a team sport like football? That you have to work together. It’s not just you, it’s a family thing, basically. We’re all one family.
Lainey Kimball, Senior, Volleyball, Outside hitter
You’re already a two-time state champion in basketball and softball. How important is it to you to win a title in all three of your sports? This year for volleyball, we have a very new-to-varsity kind of team. We have girls playing positions they don’t normally play … This year we’re really kind of focusing on having fun, giving our best effort 100 percent of the time and trying to take that as far as we can.
What does it mean to you to be a major part in the “golden era” of Nooksack girls sports? It means a lot, especially because it’s the girls that I’ve been playing sports with … since we were like, literally, 3 years old. It just means so much that the whole county, and even state, is recognizing that because what they didn’t see is the countless hours that we put in from, like, 10 to 15 years old. That got us here in the first place.
What’s the biggest challenge of being an all-in, three-sport athlete? People don’t realize how mentally hard it is. I don’t get a single day break in between my three seasons. Last year, we got home from volleyball state on Sunday and had basketball tryouts on Monday; got home from basketball state on Sunday, had fast pitch tryouts on Monday. People don’t realize how mentally grueling it is, especially at Nooksack, when our female athletics are at a high standard right now … but I have a lot of support around me.
SEHOME
Zach Chai, Junior, Boys tennis, Singles
What are your goals for this season after winning a state championship last year? I definitely [want to] get a third district title and I think a second state title.
How do you stay focused on the season when the postseason isn’t until the spring? We have the tennis club, so I’m playing 24/7 all throughout the year. That’s one of my main ways, and it’s like finding other ways to train that aren’t tennis. Like cross training, going to the gym and doing other stuff like that.
What do you like to do outside of athletics? I like hanging out with friends, I do a lot of [playing] tennis, that’s about it. I snowboard. I started a couple seasons ago, so it’s a newer thing.
Laurel Hirsch, Senior, Girls swim
Most of your state-qualifying relay team is back from last season. What’s your relationship with those teammates and how do you motivate each other? A lot of my teammates are my really good friends — like most of the team, the seniors anyway, I’m friends with. I don’t know, I guess we’re all really close as a team. We really just try to encourage each other to meet our goals. If someone gets a really good thing that they’ve been really working towards, [we’ll] all celebrate them, and we’re all happy for each other as a team.
How did you get into competitive swimming? I’ve always really liked swimming ever since I was really little, and I thought, like, why not just do what I really like and make it a sport, too?
What are your plans for after high school? I’m thinking about doing community college for the first two years and then maybe transferring somewhere else. I don’t really have a concrete plan yet.
SQUALICUM
Chase Bartlett, Senior, Cross country
You’re one of five returning Squalicum seniors who ran at state last year. What’s your relationship like with those teammates, and how do you help motivate each other? We’ve been running together for all of our high school careers, and I almost think of them as brothers more than teammates now. All our training [has] been together through injuries and through sickness and all that. We’ve had a couple of setbacks, especially last year, but we motivate each other to the max every time it gets tough. Just thinking about those guys and just wanting to work hard for them because we all want to get better, we all want to get to the next level and we’re pushing each other there.
What goals do you have for the upcoming season? A state championship is definitely the main thing that we’re all thinking about. Unfortunately, last year it kind of broke apart with some injuries actually during the state race, but our team’s really healthy right now. Personally, just getting the times and the recognition to move on to run [Division I] in college is what I’m working on right now, and same for my teammates.
What are your plans after high school? To run at the [Division I] level for track and cross country. I’m more of a mid-distance runner so track is more my specialty. I’ve been on visits this summer going to Colorado to work on that. So, yeah, just find the program that fits me and fits my goals … I was with the Air Force Academy, working with them, and I’ve worked with Colorado State a lot and the University of Miami, Villanova and Gonzaga.
Olivia Swayne, Senior, Volleyball, Middle blocker
What’s your favorite thing about playing for Squalicum? I love the program, in general. Having all the coaches really care about the students, not only coaching, but also knowing everything that’s happening and [being] really involved in the players’ lives is really nice.
What’s most difficult about the middle blocker position? It can be hard. A lot of the time you’re not touching the ball, so you’re having to trust the people around you and you’re really just there to mess with the other team, trying to psych them out. So it can be hard to not get the points on the board and not have that confidence booster.
How has your role with the team evolved during your three years on the roster? It’s changed a lot. My freshman year, I was the little one taking a senior’s position, [which] was really hard because it was just a hard dynamic kind of thing. Sophomore year, I was a little more confident and by junior year I kind of found my groove with the team, trying to step into a leadership role but not crowd the seniors and just make myself known without being in anyone’s face.
