POULSBO — The North Kitsap Vikings girls basketball team is in the state basketball tournament for the first time since 1988.
The Vikings defeated the Fife Trojans 53-48 at Wilson High School on Feb. 18 in the West Central District 2A tournament, and play River Ridge for fifth or sixth seed in the state tournament on Feb. 21, 1 p.m., at Curtis High School.
The Vikings will play in the first round of the state tournament on either Feb. 27 or 28 at a regional site. If they lose, their run is over. If they win, they advance to the Hardwood Classic on March 5-7 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
“It was a very team-oriented game,” NKHS athletic director Chris Franklin said. “They played very well as a team.”
The result was huge: their state appearance comes on the 30th anniversary of the Vikings’s last state title win.
In the district tournament, North Kitsap — 7-5 conference, 14-8 overall during the regular season — handily defeated Evergreen 55-18 on Feb. 11. The Vikings lost on Feb. 13 to White River, 61-31, but extended their postseason hopes by edging out Renton 49-48 on Feb. 16 and, then, Fife.
Others going to state tournaments:
WRESTLING
Peyton Reece, 125, of Kingston High School is the No. 1 seed at the Mat Classic, which begins Feb. 20, 10 a.m., in the Tacoma Dome. She’s 20-0 and, at the subregional tournament, beat last year’s state champion.
Also going to state: Dawson Johnson, 182, of Kingston High School; and Nikitta Weston, 145, of North Kitsap High School.
GYMNASTICS
The WIAA State Gymnastics Championships begin Feb. 20, 9 a.m. in the Tacoma Dome.
From Kingston High School: Mikka Yamane, all-around; and Kaelin Williams, beam.
Yamane qualified for state as the sixth all-around with a 32.725. Williams qualified on beam with a 7.1 and came close to qualifying on bars and vault.
From North Kitsap High School: Carah Brown, bars, beam, floor; and Chloe Seferos, all-around.
BOYS SWIMMING
North Kitsap and Kingston’s boys swim teams advanced to the WIAA Swim & Dive State Meet, which begins Feb. 20, 9 a.m., at the King County Aquatics Center in Federal Way.
In addition, North Kitsap’s Thor Breitbarth set a school record in the 100 fly at the West Central District Swim Meet on Feb. 13-14, and qualified in that event, Franklin said.
BOYS BASKETBALL
In the West Central District 2A Boys Basketball Tournament, North Kitsap (10-2, 17-7 regular season) lost to Clover Park 78-65 on Feb. 12 in the district opener. The Vikings kept their postseason hopes alive by defeating Evergreen 64-41 on Feb. 14. The Vikings’ postseason ended on Feb. 17 in a 72-53 loss to Sammamish.
