Lauren Sandelin, a graduate of Sedro-Woolley High School, recently concluded her collegiate softball career at University of the Pacific.
Sandelin, who graduated from Sedro-Woolley in 2004, had a batting average of .225 and saw action in 33 of the Tigers’ 59 games, including 13 starts in the outfield. She scored six runs, had nine hits, a slugging percentage of .333, on base percentage of .279 and an .895 fielding percentage.
For her career, the business administration major averaged .226 from the plate and played in 140 games, 50 as a starter.
The Tigers season ended with an overall record of 25-34 and were 7-14 in Big West conference play.
Hard-hitting Wildcat
Nate Rylaarsdam career on the diamond for Central Washington University concluded with the hard-hitting first baseman being named first-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference as a designated hitter.
Rylaarsdam graduated from Mount Vernon High School and spend the next two seasons playing for Skagit Valley College before becoming a Wildcat.
While in Central’s lineup as a first baseman, Rylaarsdam boasted an average of .293 with three home runs and three doubles. He had a slugging percentage of .500 and an on base percentage of .328. He had 18 multiple-hit games and 14 RBI.
It was in the designated hitter slot, however, where Rylaarsdam really did his damage this past year. For the season, he hit .348 with 46 hits in 132 plate appearances. He smashed 14 doubles and drove in 39 runs. He had a slugging percentage of .523 and an on base percentage of .409.
As far as single-season records are concerned, his 190 at-bats and 17 doubles this past season both rank eighth all-time, while his 53 RBI rank fourth.
For his career, he finishes eighth all-time in doubles with 26 and ninth in career RBI with 84. He was also seventh in defensive putouts with 360 and eighth in strikeouts 70. Central Washington finished the 2008 campaign with an overall record of 30-21 and were 20-12 in GNAC play.
Full Boat
It didn’t take Laura Coe, a 2006 graduate of La Conner High School long to get into the stroke of it while attending the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.
After playing soccer for the Braves, Coe decided to put the ball away and pick up oars for the Loggers, joining the rowing team.
This year, the Loggers, with Coe anchoring stroke on the second-varsity boat, finished third at the 2008 NCAA Division III Rowing Championships on Lake Natoma near Sacramento, Calif. Both the varsity and second-varsity boats competed at the event for the University of Puget Sound.
Coming into the event, the Loggers were ranked fifth in the CRCA/USRowing Division III poll. The third-place finish in the highest for the Loggers since the 2003 Championships, when they finished second to Ithaca.
Coe was also named a 2008 National Scholar Athlete.
In the team standings, Williams College tallied 25 points and took home the national championship for the third consecutive year. Behind the Ephs was Trinity College with 21 points. Puget Sound and Ithaca tied for third with 15 points but, by virtue of a higher finish in the grand finale, the Loggers collected the third-place trophy.
A stroke short
Rower Kyle Larson, a 2006 graduate of the University of Washington and 2001 graduate of Mount Vernon High School, came up short in his bid to garner a spot on the U.S. Rowing team Friday.
Rowing in the men’s pair races on the waters of Lake Mercer in West Windsor, N.J., Larson, along with David Worley of Oak Harbor, were beat across the finish line by one second by Ben Harrison of Dedham, Mass., and Alex Hearne of Princeton, N.J.
On June 9, Larson and Worley finished second in their heat race, moving on to the semifinals where the duo was eventually eliminated from Olympic contention.
Recently inducted into the Mount Vernon High School Hall of Fame for his post high school athletic accomplishments, Larson was a four-year lettermen for the Huskies.
Vince Richardson can be reached at 360-416-2181 or by e-mail at vrichard .
