The Olympic Avalanche, a team of fifth-grade students from various schools on the North Olympic Peninsula, took top honors in the sixth-grade girls division at the Port Angeles Presidents Day tournament in mid-February, going a perfect 4-0.
“This was probably the greatest victory in the history of my Avalanche program,” coach Joe Marvelle said. “Fifth-graders beating bigger, faster, stronger sixth-graders is a big deal.”
In game one, the Avalanche edged Forks 25-22, with Millie Long hitting a key free throw with nine seconds left to clinch the win. In game two, the Avalanche dumped Port Angeles Fierce, 48-29. Long had 13 points while Laila Greene and Camille Stensgard had eight points each. In game three, the Avalanche topped Bainbridge Island 32-26 despite Long, the team’s leading scorer, suffering through an illness.
In the championship game, the Avalanche got a rematch with Bainbridge Island and came out on top, 37-21. Long had 11 points, Courtney Swan had 10 and Sequim’s own Kalli Wiker added eight points.
“Kalli Wiker is one of the smartest players I’ve ever coached and hit some big shots for us in this game,” Marvelle said.
Avalanche tops the field at Seaside
Road trip? No problem for the Olympic Avalanche.
The squad of Olympic Peninsula girls hoop stars dominated all four games at the Seaside Classic in Seaside, Ore., last weekend.
In game one, the Avalanche topped Glencoe 48-12, getting a team-high 12 points from Long. In game two, the Avalanche topped Banks (Ore.) 46-8, with balanced scoring led by Greene (eight points). In game three, Long scored seven points to lead the Avalanche to a 45-11 win against Showtime Portland.
In the championship game, Ruth Moss scored nine points in a 30-11 win against Canby.
Sequim’s Wiker averaged four points per game in the tourney.
The Avalanche have won four of the seven tourneys they’ve entered as fifth-graders. The team is now 25-3 overall.
“We had very balanced scoring and all 10 of our kids contributed in winning this championship,” Marvelle said. “They were relentless on defense and played really efficiently on offense.”
