Come See the Swim Sign at Friday's Meet!

Celebrate the New BHS Swim Record Board

It’s been nearly 15 years since a Ballard High School record board has been on display at Ballard Pool. We are proud to announce the grand unveiling of the new swim record board on Friday, October 4 at the Homecoming Swim Meet! Join the Girls Swim and Dive team as they face Garfield at Ballard Pool at 4 p.m. The record board has been a mission of the swim team leadership for nearly 6 years, and has taken extraordinary efforts, patience, and coordination from coaches, parent volunteers, the Athletics Booster Club, BHS administration, and Seattle Parks and Rec.

Special thanks to Boys Swim and Dive Head Coach Kyle Morean for reconciling the Boys and Girls records and initiating the record board campaign, with additional thanks to swim team rep Kim Courtney; ABC President Suzanne Dale Estey; Seattle Parks Department's Brian Jaeger, Jenette Budrow and Angela Eddy; Athletic Director Eric Ensign; and Principal Abby Hunt who worked together over the past 9 months to make the dream of a record board a reality. The new board is beautiful, and we are very excited to celebrate Ballard’s strong swim history while setting the mark for the Boys and Girls teams' future.

~Tia Keenan, BHS Girls Swim Team Rep

Thank You Robyn!

We are saddened by the passing of Robyn Maddess, a BHS special education teacher for 14 years and champion of Ballard Unified, following a battle with cancer.

"She truly loved her students and colleagues and served as an inspiration to all," wrote Principal Abby Hunt in a community update. "She is truly missed."

Unified programs are a collaboration between SPS and Special Olympics of Washington that partner students with and without disabilities together to practice and compete. Unified is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through activities, shared sports training, and competition experiences.

The Ballard Unified program started in 2011 due to the tireless work of a BHS special needs parent, Ron Wang, said former Principal Keven Wynkoop. SPS had launched a Unified Soccer league the year before and he partnered with then BHS SPED Department Head, Ed Herbert, to launch Ballard's first team. Robyn was an Instructional Assistant at the time, who helped to support the program. When she became a teacher soon after, she became progressively more involved until she became SPED Department Head and took over leadership of Ballard’s Unified Sports program.

"Robyn’s commitment to growing opportunities for students with special needs was legendary," Wynkoop said. In her Life Skills program, she launched a bistro where students designed menus, shopped for ingredients, prepared meals and formally served them to staff members. She also got a professional espresso machine donated that allowed her students to start a coffee business that delivered drinks to staff. These programs gave students invaluable job skills to prepare them for future employment, he said.

The commitment to growing opportunities applied to Unified Sports as well, as Robyn found partners to allow her students to follow their interests, as Ballard added Unified Drama and Unified Robotics to the already established Soccer and Basketball teams, Wynkoop said. Initially, Unified Sports programs had basically no financial or logistical support from the school district or the building, but Robyn’s persistence and advocacy led to coaching stipends, more frequent gym space and overall increased support.

"Robyn was truly the best of us and her passion, persistence and creativity for opening doors for students with special needs made a world of difference in the experience of her students and their preparation for the rest of their lives. I miss her deeply and the entire Ballard community will miss her impact as well," Wynkoop said. She was also honored as a 2020 Educator of the Year by the Ballard PTSA, as nominated by BHS community members.

Principal Hunt added that at the beginning of the year, the school reached out to students and families who worked closely with Robyn and shared that supports were available from Ballard's social worker and school counseling team.

Ballard's Unified program is now led by special education teacher Jeff Hanson. Athletes can sign up through FinalForms for the program's winter basketball season, or email Jeff for more information at jshanson@seattleschools.org. Photo of the 2023 Jam the Dam event c/o and follow @ballard_unified.

We're Hiring a Part-Time Bookkeeper!

Ballard's Athletic Booster Club and PTSA are looking to fill a part-time bookkeeping position to handle non-profit accounting for both organizations. This is a 1099 contractor position paying $800/month (approximately 36-40 hours/month). Hours are flexible, and include 1-2 visits per week to BHS, bank and post office, so living near Ballard is helpful.

A basic knowledge of bookkeeping is required, and familiarity with Quickbooks and basic tax prep is preferred but not required. We would love to have a parent/guardian or friend of BHS who is interested in bringing in some extra income for as long as possible since a steady presence in this position is very helpful.

If you're interested or have questions, please contact ABC Treasurer Tiffany Volosin at bhsabctreasurer@gmail.com

Help ABC Promote Beaver Athletics

The Ballard Athletic Booster Club is looking for volunteers to assist with the following roles:

• Board Secretary
• Website Editor
• Community Outreach Chair
• Assistant Treasurer

We are thankful to our outgoing Secretary Holly Tripp, past Website Editors Nora Paille and Erica Jamir, and past Community Outreach Chair Beth Sylves. In addition, Treasurer Tiffany Volosin will be finishing her term in June, so we are looking for an apprentice treasurer to start learning the role this fall.

For questions or to share interest, please email President Suzanne Dale Estey.

Beaver Gear Offering New Pajama Pants

Beaver Gear Sales - Share your Ballard High pride in the stands and around town! Visit the ABC Beaver Gear table at Curriculum Night, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10. It'll be a great time to stock up on our new plaid pajama pants, tees, hoodies, beanies and much more! Thanks to BHS parent Matthew Dresden for joining us at our September ABC Board Meeting and his assistance finding a new pajama distributor! These plush pjs even have pockets!

You can also place an order at www.ballardathletics.com/beavergear anytime! (The new pajamas are not an online option yet.)

Duffle Bag Update

Also, thanks to all who ordered a Beaver duffle bag through our Fall Sale. A member of the Beaver Gear team will reach out when the order arrives in December. The next, and final option to order a duffle bag this school year, will be in January. All Beaver Gear sales benefit Ballard Athletics programs.

Questions? Email bhsabcgear@gmail.com.

Thanks to our amazing Beaver Gear team of Phoebe Price and Erica Jamir!

Metro Championships Celebrated on New Boys Lax Banner

Congratulations to the Boys Lacrosse team, reigning two-year Metro Public Lacrosse Champs! The team recently celebrated their new banner installation, highlighting their back-to-back 2023 and 2024 Metro championships, in the Ballard Gym.

As a result of Boys Lacrosse team rep Jamie Willis' regular participation at Athletic Booster Club meetings, the ABC Board and Athletic Director Eric Ensign were made aware of the no-cut club program's success, led for a third year by Head Coach Ray Pryphun.

Inspired, the Board approved a purchase of team name banners for both the Girls Lacrosse and Boys Lacrosse programs. This fall, the Boys Lacrosse banner was hoisted. (The Girls Team name banner will also be added soon!)

Check it out, next time you're in the Gym. All part of ABC in action!

Meet New Ballard Girls Swim & Dive Coach Tom Keenan!

We asked new Girls Swim & Dive Coach Tom Keenan to share a bit about his background and perspectives on the sport. He was kind enough to oblige!

What drew you to coach Girls Swim and Dive at Ballard?

First, all three of my kids were/are Ballard swimmers (Addy '20, Finn '23 and Tess '26), and I'm a Beaver parent and fan through and through. Second, swimming has been the vehicle for so many important lessons over the course of my life - goal setting, work, determination, grit, success, leadership, compassion, empathy, camaraderie, forgiveness, and planned quitting. I want to help others find similar meaning. Thirdly, it's just so dang fun. Ballard students are amazing individuals and seeing them evolve over their 4 years at BHS is a privilege.

What is your background in the sport as a participant and/or coach?

I grew up in Wisconsin close to Minneapolis/St. Paul and started swimming at age 8 after some bad experiences in elementary school swim lessons. I swam club and high school and went to State in the 100 Butterfly and 200 IM in my last 3 years of HS. I walked on to the University of Wisconsin swim team and was fortunate enough to swim with them for a cumulative 5 months before I realized I was done with competitive swimming. I coached an age group team in Wisconsin for a year with a long gap before becoming an assistant coach for the Ballard Boys team during the 2021-2022 season.

What is your coaching philosophy?

My primary goal is for the girls to have fun and develop a life-long interest in swimming. I want the team to be fun and inclusive, with something to offer to everyone at all levels of swimming experience. The more the better. That said, this is a competitive swimming program where we expect the girls to have ambitious personal goals, work hard to achieve those goals, and see the fruits of their hard work by the end of the season. We work hard and we play hard.

How’s your season going so far?

The season is going great! We have a big team full of great talent and huge heart. We are establishing a new team culture and really seeing success both in the pool and out.

Interests outside of coaching? 

I love hanging with my family and spending time with my 2 dogs - Sadie and Junie. Outside of my day job and swim coaching, I also race sailboats out at Shilshole and find my Zen carving runs on my snowboard.

Thanks for sharing and welcome, Coach Tom!

Girls Swim & Dive

Girls Swim had a great first meet on Friday, Sept. 13, dominating over Eastside Catholic. Mia Onkels, Alyson Chew, Penelope Guist, Maddie Yovanovich, and Poliya Fong delivered District cuts in the very first meet of the season. On top of that we put 14 Metros cuts in the books thanks to contributions from Bailey Bargfrede, Daisy Williams, Ruby James Madden, Mel Redmond, Tess Keenan, Sienna Johnson, Freya Godwin, and Sabi Yoon. Divers Amelia Curran and London Scott rocked their first 3-dive programs of the year.

Consistency was the theme of our performance against Holy Names on Friday, Sept. 27. Despite losing against the larger-rostered opponent, the team had solid mid-season swims and showed great spirit, camaraderie, and sportsmanship. We had multiple swimmers attempting new events. Sienna Johnson took on the 200IM and Mia Richins showed the 500 free who’s boss with solid technique and grit. Anna Diers and Lily Crum swam their first 100 backstrokes recording PRs for each. We love seeing swimmers taking on new events, conquering fears and anxieties, and seeing success.

On Friday, Oct. 4 we face Garfield at home for our Homecoming meet. Join us to cheer on the lady Beavers and to celebrate the grand unveiling of the new swim record board!

~Tia Keenan, Girls Swim Team Rep

Follow Ballard Girls Swim on Instagram: @bhsgirlsswimanddive. Metro schedule.

Football

It's hard to believe that first-year Head Football Coach Malik Prince is already halfway through his inaugural season. Coach Prince has been impressed with his squad's dedication to each other and to the sport since training camp this summer. Throughout practices and games, the team is living up to their 4 C’s: Commitment, Conduct, Cooperation and Compete.

Being plagued with some unfortunate injuries has not stopped the Beavers from going out every week and leaving everything on the field. You have at least four more opportunities to cheer on your Ballard Beaver Football team this season.

Tonight’s HOCO game vs. Eastside Catholic at Memorial Stadium kicks off at 6 p.m.

Oct. 11 @ Seattle Prep - 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 @ O’Dea 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 vs Bishop Blanchet 7:45 p.m. (Senior Night)

Varsity Schedule | Ticket Purchase Info

Don’t forget about the JV and JVC teams, too. You can find their schedules here.

~Libet Wallblom, Football Team Rep

Photos by BHS parent Mac Jahn. Follow the team @ballardbeaverfootball.

Slowpitch

Slowpitch Softball has captured the Metro Championship for two years in a row! And with four wins this season that look like football scores, the team's bats are still sizzling!

Lead by Head Coach Dale Griffith, the 4-2 squad has topped Ingraham 11-5 Sept. 8, Lincoln 30-23 Sept. 25, Roosevelt 18-8 Sept. 27, and Nathan Hale 22-9 Oct. 2.

There are two more games in the regular season. First is a nonconference game at Inglemoor High School (Kenmore) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9. Finally, make sure to head down and cheer for the team's final Metro League regular-season contest against Holy Names at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10 at Lower Woodland Park.

Photo by BHS parent Mac Jahn. Follow the team @ballardslowpitchsoftball.

Cross Country

Cross Country competed Sept. 25 against Garfield, Franklin, Ingraham, West Seattle, Rainier Beach and Eastside Catholic. It was a rainy fall day but that didn't stop our team from achieving 39 personal or season best times! Junior Cassidy Armstrong ran in the Boys' Varsity race and came in Second Place behind Ballard sophomore Andrade Whisseli-Cote. Freshman Ciana Johnson and Senior Holland Young had standout 1st and 2nd place finishes in the Varsity girls' race.  

Remaining schedule:

Oct. 5 | HOKA 28th John Payne XC Invitational @ Chambers Creek

Oct. 12 | Nike Hole in the Wall Invitational @ Lakewood High School

Oct. 16 | Seattle Academy, Eastside Catholic, Blanchet, West Seattle, Cleveland, Franklin, Roosevelt, Ballard, Rainier Beach @ Lower Woodland (first race 3:40 p.m.)

Oct. 24 | Metro Championship @ Lower Woodland (first race 1 p.m.)

Oct. 31 | 2A/3A Districts @ Lower Woodland (first race 3:30 p.m.)

Nov. 9 | 2024 WIAA State XC Championships @ Sun Willows Golf Course (Pasco)

~Jennifer Wenrick, Cross Country Team Rep

Schedule and Meet Results on Athletic.net | Follow @ballardhsxc

Volleyball

Ballard Volleyball will have a busy 8-game schedule in October, including two more opportunities for home-cooking in the Dam on Oct. 24 against Blanchet and Oct. 28 against Roosevelt. Thanks to everyone who came out for Holy Names' Oct. 1 visit, the Homecoming crowd was electric!

Ballard Volleyball moved up to the 3A Metro Mountain division this year and is rising to the challenge. Under the direction of Head Coach Zach Wurtz, the program also expanded this year by adding a fourth squad, JV9/Freshman. This adds to the Varsity, JV, and JVC teams and allows players to participate and develop. The JV has won 2 matches in the new division, while the JVC has won 5.

Yesterday, Oct. 2, BHS Varsity played Roosevelt (away) in an intense 4 set match. While Roosevelt won, Ballard played strong, winning one set and playing 2 close sets. Varsity Captains are Coco Otto, Violet Martel and Francesca Siciliano.

Here are the remaining matches (home games bolded) for the regular season. The JV/JVC team plays at 5:30 p.m., while varsity starts at 7 p.m. (except the Lakeside matinee).

Oct. 8 at Lincoln

Oct. 10 at Seattle Prep

Oct. 15 at West Seattle

Oct. 22 at Eastside Catholic

Oct. 24 vs. Blanchet

Oct. 26 at Lakeside (12:30 JV/JVC, 2 p.m. Varsity)

Oct. 28 vs. Roosevelt

Oct. 29 at Holy Names

~Erika Goodmanson, Volleyball Team Rep

Schedule | Follow the team @ballardvolleyball.

Golf

Varsity Golf Team has 22 students, 18 boys and 4 girls. Their record is 3-3 and a very big highlight is they beat West Seattle with a score of 155 points … a BHS school record!

The captains are Matt Wesche, Sven Swanson and Tate Livingston. Here's the remaining schedule for both the Boys' and Girls' Teams. Photo c/o and follow the team @ballard.golf.

~Carey Miailovich, Golf Team Rep

Girls Soccer

Girls Soccer enjoyed a spirited visit from the Ballard Pep Band at its Sept. 12 home opener against Seattle Prep. Most recently, under the leadership of new Head Coach Gary Nguyen and hard work on the pitch, the team has enjoyed three wins out of its last four games:

• a 3-2 win against Seattle Academy on Friday, Sept. 20;
• Following a 2-0 loss to Roosevelt on Tuesday, Sept. 24, a 2-1 win over West Seattle on Thursday, Sept. 26;
• and a 1-0 win against Ingraham on Tuesday, Oct. 1.

Go Beavers! Full schedule. Photo by BHS parent Lisa Vanderford-Anderson. Follow the team @ballardgirlsoccer.

Boys Ultimate Frisbee

Ballard Ultimate's Boys Varsity team finished their regular season games this week and is prepping for an annual tradition of a friendly game against Lakeside next week. The team is awaiting their playoff standings. 

Are you new to BHS and interested in playing ultimate frisbee? BUF welcomes players at all skill levels for its remaining seasons:

Winter Season – Coed Ultimate (November through February)

Spring Season – Girls Ultimate (March through May)

Come out and play! Complete this Google Form to express interest. Questions? Email BallardUltimate@gmail.com. For the latest on BUF, visit ballardultimate.org. Schedule. Follow the team @bufballard

~Shelby Reynolds, BUF Team Rep

Dance Winter Showcase December 7

Meet Ballard's Dance Team

The Dance Team is a competitive and passionate group of dancers who are a key part of the Ballard’s athletic and artistic culture. The team showcases a wide range of styles, from hip hop, contemporary, and modern to traditional pom where the team shows their Beaver pride!

The team competes with other area high schools and has qualified for District and State Competitions in the last two years, achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating. Ballard Dance also performs at school assemblies, BHS games, local performing arts events, and with the BHS Marching Band at the Ballard Syttende Mai and Leavenworth parades to amplify our school spirit.

This school year, the team consists of 17 dancers, three captains (Katherine Wenrick, Bria Meurn and Wren Wooten), and a committed coaching team of Bethany Nielcen and Brittany Smith.

One of the team’s biggest events is an evening of original dance performances at the annual Ballard Dance Winter Showcase. This is a truly special evening where dance team members perform original pieces choreographed by team members and coaches including guest performances from others in the dance community. You’re invited to join us for this year’s event in Ballard’s Performing Arts Center on December 7. Mark your calendars for this fun event, more details will be available in our next edition!

Team website | Follow the team @ballardhsdanceteam

Join Ballard Gymnastics

The Gymnastics team is so excited for the season ahead and ready to welcome new faces to the team! Whether a beginner or experienced gymnast, this team is a perfect fit for anyone eager to challenge themselves, work hard, and be part of a supportive, fun, and high-achieving group. Ready to be inspired? Check out this video below!

Reach out to Coach Stephanie Gundel with any questions: ballardgymnastics@gmail.com. Video c/o and follow the team @ballardgymnastics

Join Boys Lacrosse Fall Ball

Registration is now open for Boys Lacrosse Fall Ball! Lacrosse is a competitive, fun, no-cut spring sport with both a Varsity and JV team, coached for the third year by Ray Pryphun, and two-time Metro Public Champs.

Fall Ball includes 10 coach-led practices in November and December. Register here. The players are also now participating in Strength and Conditioning training from 4-5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursday.

Full and partial scholarships available. Questions? Email Coach Ray Pryphun at raypryphun@gmail.com. Follow @ballardlacrosse.

Winter Athletics Registration Deadline Nov. 12

The deadline to submit athletics registration online via Final Forms is Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Ballard offers the following programs:

• Basketball
• Gymnastics
• Boys Swim & Dive
• Boys Wrestling
• Girls Wrestling
• Girls Bowling
• Girls Flag Football
• Mixed Ultimate Frisbee
• Unified Basketball

Updates on the Athletics webpage. Coach contact information is also available on the BHS website.

Winter Sports Night Monday, November 25 in the Gym

Winter athletics parents and guardians mark your calendars for Fall Sports Night at 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 25 in the BHS Gym!

• Learn more about this season's athletic programs and participation requirements from Athletic Director Eric Ensign
• Meet Athletic Trainer Loka Murphy and Strength & Conditioning Coach Colin Matthiesen
• Hear an update from the Athletic Booster Club, followed by breakout sessions for individual teams led by coaches. We will also have a drawing for a few BHS giveaways!

SUPPORT BALLARD ATHLETICS!

ATTEND OUR NEXT MONTHLY BOARD MEETING:

Monday, October 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Online Via Zoom

The Ballard High School Athletic Booster Club is a volunteer group working together to support, promote, and advocate for all BHS athletes. Our focus is on programs that benefit all BHS athletes, and we are especially interested in promoting school-wide community and helping remove barriers to play.

We meet monthly during the school year, alternating between in-person (in the BHS Staff Room) and online via Zoom, and everyone is invited to join us.

Questions? Email President Suzanne Dale Estey. Go Beavers!