The Ballard Girls Swim & Dive Team had an amazing 2022 season this year! During the regular season, Ballard's record was 4-2 and of the 21 swimmers on the team, 19 qualified to Metros. At Metros, our 200 Freestyle Relay (Claudia Yovanovich, Alyson Chew, Mia Onkels, Lucy Ahrens) broke the Ballard school record with a time of 1:45.16. Daisy Williams qualified for Districts in the 100 Backstroke, and Claudia Yovanovich won the 50 Freestyle. At Districts, our 200 Medley Relay qualified to State for the first time in at least five years, and Claudia finished second in the 50 Freestyle and third in the 100 Backstroke. At state, the 200 Medley finished 12th and Claudia finished third in the 50 Freestyle and third in the 100 Backstroke.

In Cross Country the program continues to grow as we return to the norm. The team had much success over the year, increasing the number of athletes who qualified for state and culminating in the Girls Varsity Team placing 10th at the State Championship Meet. The boys sent two individuals to the State Meet, and Ballard qualified its first Ambulatory student athlete to state as well! We are looking forward to continued success in the future as the season wraps up and students prepare for future seasons and sports.

In Volleyball, first year Head Coach Zach Wurtz led his varsity team to a first place finish in the Mountain Division of the Metro League. While they lost their District playoff match to Lake Washington, they played tough all the way there, only losing to eventual Metro League champs, Lakeside. Congratulations to Metro League Sound Division MVP Josie Adamson; Sound Division First Team selections Carmella Urrutia and Rachel Dunagan; Second Team selection Violet Martel; and Honorable Mention Francis Vann.

In Football we finished our third season in the top tier of Metro and fell one game short of making the District playoffs! Playing the toughest schedule in the state taught us many lessons that Coach Ross Humphries is confident will carry over to our players' adult lives. One of our biggest successes is that our program GPA was a 3.43! This was the highest GPA we have had since the current coaching staff took over in 2016. We had a small Senior class, but they left a lasting impression on our program. We are excited for some of them to continue their playing careers at the next level. We are also looking forward to the 2023 season. We will be returning nearly 60 players that are eager to hit the weight room and work toward being their best. 

In Girls Soccer, when first year Head Coach Emma Sanders was asked about her season: “Two words that come to mind when describing the 2022 season are dedication and perseverance. At the beginning of the season, the program set team goals — one which included winning a game against an opponent who we had not defeated the previous season. A huge highlight from our 2022 season was defeating Seattle Prep, 2-0, during our first home game under the lights. Although our season did not end as expected, our players were consistently dedicated to building a positive and welcoming culture, where the team strived for greatness both on and off the field. We are so proud of the groundwork being laid and creating a legacy for years to come with Ballard Girls Soccer. Congratulations to First Team all division players Reese Carlisle, Peyton Nakagawara and Jordan Standley, Second Team all division Reese Johnson and Addy Wynkoop; and Honorable Mentions Edie Welch and Eden Murphy."

According to Head Golf Coach Scott Cachopo, “Ballard Golf definitely had some growing pains this season with our largest team in years. With 42 boys and 12 girls, the practice schedule at times was chaotic to say the least.” Overall, the boys ended up with three wins and four losses while the girls finished the season with two wins, four losses and one tie. While the girls are still playing, sending all three girls from Metros on to the District Championships in the spring, our boys are finished for the season. Our future is looking bright with two very young teams. All three of our girls who played in the Metro Tournament will be returning next year and the boys team is only losing four seniors.

Slowpitch Softball Head Coach Dale Griffith had a lot to celebrate this season: “With an incredibly inspiring group of young, talented student-athletes, the Ballard Beavers finish the Fall season 14-4 and bring home the trophy for the 2022-2023 Slowpitch Metro Championship with their victory over Chief Sealth High School.” The young club, led by senior Monse Eckert, took third place in the District Tournament, only one game short of qualifying for the State Tournament. In only the second year of the program, this was a monumental achievement for the school and sets the precedent for years to come. After just coming off a spring season Fastpitch State Tournament appearance, with a nucleus of young talent, this is further proof that the softball program is in great hands. With the trophy already in hand, the championship gym banner is on the way!

In Boys Ultimate Frisbee, our Varsity finished the regular season as the second-seed team, and went on to win the wild card game to take BUF to the state quarter. That's where the season officially ended, with a hard loss against Lincoln. JV had a strong showing with many games going to time cap and universe point — essentially a tie breaker that "let's the universe decide." Come cheer on BUF this winter and check out our Ballard Ultimate Family website for some fun history on BHS Ultimate. Our athletes are out on the fields practicing three times per week, with games on Saturday and Sundays throughout the city. Check us out!

On Nov. 9, we gathered together to celebrate the accomplishments of two of our student athletes who signed letters of intent to play at the college level next year. Rachel Dunagan will be attending UC Davis and playing volleyball, and Cody Lavin will be attending Monmouth University, playing lacrosse. 

Even though the competition season just started, Ballard Cheer’s Black Team has already qualified for State after participating in their first competition in two years at River Ridge High School’s Carnival Classic on Nov. 12.

The Ballard High School Athletic Booster Club is a volunteer group of parents working together to support, promote, and advocate for all BHS athletes. We believe quality athletic programs enrich the high school educational experience. 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.

Questions? Email our Membership Coordinator, Beth Sylves at bhsabcmemberships@gmail.com. Go Beavers!