COLUMN: Top stories to come in 2011? Vandersloot, Hague head our list

Is it really 2011?

It’s hard to believe 2010 is now several days old. The year brought us state titles (Kentwood in boys tennis, boys basketball, baseball and girls soccer alone), tremendous individual achievements and considerable coaching turnover among the four local high schools.

This time of year, however, I prefer to look ahead rather than back.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Kent’s Top 10 sports stories (or potential ones) for the year to come.

10. Will former Kentridge goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who has played in the English Premier League and the Barclay’s Championship League, wind up with the expansion Portland Timbers in 2011? Portland is currently putting together a roster for its first season and Hahnemann, a who was an MVP at KR during his junior season in 1989 and later transferred to Newport, seems like a perfect fit. He has spent the bulk of his playing days overseas, but has indicated he’d prefer to return to the Northwest to finish up his career. Seems like a no-brainer, but we will have to wait and see.

9. How will 2010 Kentwood High graduate Max Manthou, one of the greatest tennis players in state history, fare in the rugged Pac-10 at the University of Washington? Manthou, a four-time state champion and one of the most recruited tennis players in the nation, and the Huskies don’t open Pac-10 play until March 25 against Arizona. It will be interesting to watch his game unfold at the collegiate level. Nobody could handle him – or come even close – during his prep days. Something tells me the freshman is going to enjoy good success with the Dawgs.

8. Will Kentwood product Josh Smith, the 2010 Class 4A boys basketball player of the year, be able to lead UCLA back to the NCAA tournament? The newest Bruin reportedly toned up since last winter, shedding a little more than 40 pound before his first season at UCLA. Aside from consistent foul trouble, the big guy (6-10, 290) has enjoyed immediate success. Smith right away moved into UCLA’s starting rotation and, entering this week, was averaging 10.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Look for Smith to get better as the season progresses and be a key cog in helping the Bruins earn a postseason berth.

7. Streaks, streaks, streaks. Will the Kentlake fastpitch team advance to state for the seventh time in eight years? How about the Kentwood volleyball team earning its eighth straight state berth? And, of course, the KW girls soccer team will be in search of its seventh straight state berth. Meanwhile, quietly, the Kentridge High boys tennis team has formed into a dynasty, winning five straight league crowns. Can Bob Armstrong and the boys continue that trend? If all of the above repeat in the next year, I can’t say I will be too surprised.

6. Will Kent-Meridian junior Joanna Wu finally strike gold? Wu, one of the state’s top swimmers, established a pair of personal records at the Class 4A state meet in the fall grabbing second-place medals in the 100 free and another in the 200 free. In the 100 free, Wu touched out in 51.86 seconds, just behind Thomas Jefferson star Amber Cratsenberg (50.96). In the 200 free, Wu cruised to a time of 1:52.21, which was just short of winner Fiona Majeau (1:49.98) of Garfield. Kent-Meridian hasn’t had a state champion in girls swimming since 1997, when the 200-yard medley relay team of Emily Woodworth, Hannah Jo, Melissa Rockwell and Susan Larson bagged the title with a time of 1:53. Can Wu break through? If so, there won’t be a classier state champion in the state.

5. Can Kentridge basketball star Gary Bell break his own scoring record? Bell, a senior, went off for 55 points in a 93-82 double-overtime loss to Auburn Riverside a little more than a year ago. The 55 points established a new South Puget Sound League record, breaking the mark of 52 previously held by Curtis High product and current UW star Isaiah Thomas. While I believe Bell, who will play at Gonzaga University next year, could probably accomplish the feat, I don’t think it will happen. There isn’t a more unselfish player in the league than Bell, who appears more content in getting his teammates involved than he is taking 30 jumpers a game.

4. Repeats on the horizon? Kentwood boys basketball, girls soccer, boys tennis and baseball all won titles in 2010. Can any – or all – repeat? The boys basketball team is off to a fantastic start behind first-year coach Brian Davis and certainly is one to watch going forward. The girls soccer team has been in “reload” mode for a few years now, so a deep state run is likely. The baseball team was as deep as ever last year as many players who saw little to no action for the varsity likely would have started elsewhere. Look out for a Safeco return. Tennis is a bit more unpredictable and without Manthou, the Conks are a longshot to repeat, however, success should continue.

3. Will first-year football coaches Chris Paulson (KL) and Brett Allen (K-M) be able to build off their recent successes? Both coaches entered programs that had either struggled (K-M) or simply not gotten over the hump in recent years (KL). In a very short timeframe, both teams were making some noise in the SPSL North. Kent-Meridian finished with a 4-5 mark in league and just missed the postseason. The four league wins was the most by the K-M football team this decade. Meanwhile, Paulson and the Falcons quickly became division contenders and advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 2003. Nice work on both fronts. Allen will be challenged next fall with the loss of star David Jones (2,455 yards, 22 touchdowns). However, the team showed a lot of resilience in the fall, something it lacked in past years. As good as things were at KL this past fall, things could get even better next year. Much of last year’s team is returning and Paulson now has a year under his belt. Anything less than a playoff berth would be a surprise.

2. Will Matt Hague, a 2004 Kentwood High graduate, make his major league debut in 2011? Hague, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of 2008 out of Oklahoma State, has done nothing but produce in three years of minor league baseball. A third baseman who has been converted to first base, Hague tore up the Double-A Eastern League with the Altoona Curve last season, hitting .295 with 15 home runs and 86 RBIs. A 6-foot-3, 225-pounder, Hague led the Curve in RBIs and was second in home runs and hits (150) all while leading Altoona to the Eastern League title. More telling, however, might be the Kentwood High product’s plate discipline as he walked (61 times) nearly as often as he struck out (62). If Hague gets a shot this year, it likely won’t be until September. This is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

1. The top story to come in 2011? Look out for 2007 Kentwood High product Courtney Vandersloot, who is currently tearing it up (17.5 points, 10 assists per game) at Gonzaga University. If all goes as planned, by this time next year Vandersloot, a 5-foot-8 guard, will officially be the first Kent female basketball player to star in the WNBA. The WNBA draft is being held in Secaucus, New Jersey in April. As it stands now, many web sites, including www.draftsite.com, have Vandersloot going as high as eighth overall to the Atlanta Dream.