And he was right – 2A Evergreen Conference schools are busting the brackets in Selah.
With wins over Cheney (12-2) and Granite Falls (8-1) on Friday, Tumwater is in the 2A semifinals for the first time since 2009.
The Thunderbirds (22-2) play host Selah (24-2) today at 10 a.m. – with EvCo rivals Aberdeen and W.F. West (20-3) playing in the other semifinal.
“Not being arrogant, I am not surprised this year,” Hill said.
“I chatted a little bit with Mike Keen (W.F. West coach) at districts, and it was a chuckle. He said, ‘We might see you at the end of next week.’ ”
Fast starts propelled the Thunderbirds in both games. They scored five first-inning runs against Cheney, then came back and started with three runs against Granite Falls.
The oddity of their first-inning runs in the quarterfinals was scoring twice on Kiersten Smith’s sacrifice fly to deep right center. Gabby Vidallion scored on the play from second base to give Tumwater a 3-0 lead.
“Gabby is that type of player, and she is having a great tourney (7-for-8 at the plate),” Hill said. “She has a way of making things happen.”
GIRLS TENNIS
Somehow, Black Hills singles’ standout Julie Hansen discovered her second wind at just the right time.
After dropping the second set, and going down 2-1 in the final set, Hansen reeled off four consecutive games to pull out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 triumph over Sumner’s Miriam Tuma in the 2A girls quarterfinals at the Nordstrom Tennis Center in Seattle.
“That girl (Hansen) found something extra,” Sumner coach Chris Heacox said.
Tuma will meet Burlington-Edison’s Anna Lefebvre in today’s semifinals.
In 4A boys doubles at Richland High School, the Olympia High tandem of Hunter Wood and John Stormans did not drop a set en route to the semifinals. They take on Newport’s Andrew Choi and Alec Tsutsumoto for the right to defending their state title.
In 1A action at the Yakima Tennis Club, Tenino’s Kirsten Jorgensen lost to defending state champion Michelle Lui, of Forest Ridge, 6-0, 6-0, in the quarterfinals.
TRACK AND FIELD
It might not have been as fast as last year, but Northwest Christian’s Lucas Graham did not have to be – he still won the Class 2B 1,600-meter run in Cheney.
Graham won in 4 minutes, 34.83 seconds, staving off Waitsburg’s Seth Deal (4:37.94).
Northwest Christian’s Elizabeth Weber was the runner-up in the girls 3,200 to defending state champion Morgan Willson, of Colfax. Willson won in 11:05.26 – nearly 40 seconds ahead of Weber.
