The Chronicle Sports

06/17/2026

The Hub City Track and Field Club announced their picks for the 2026 Lewis County All-Area Track and Field Team last week, and many of the selections met for a photo at Tiger Stadium in Centralia.

The team was picked based on season-best marks (using Fully Automatic Timing for track events and distances for field events) throughout the 2026 spring season.

Times and marks listed are Lewis County’s best marks of the spring, according to athletic.net.

The year’s tea included an even dozen boys and 11 girls, including seven state champions.

https://chronline.com/stories/hub-citys-2026-lewis-county-all-area-track-and-field-team,404202

The Hub City Track and Field Club announced their picks for the 2026 Lewis County All-Area Track and Field Team last week, and many of the selections met for a photo at Tiger Stadium in Centralia. …

06/15/2026

When Taylor Tobin was a freshman for the W.F. West High School softball team, she was going toe-to-toe with some of the best pitchers in the Evergreen Conference. Tobin’s sophomore year? Same story.

Yet the right-hander didn’t wilt when needing to match zeroes with the likes of Lilly Camp, Annika Hollingsworth and Ella Ferguson. Even though Tobin was going against the lineups of Aberdeen and Tumwater, she knew she had another battle.

“I had never faced that good of pitching before,” Tobin said.

That trio of Division I arms departed in 2025. There was a vacancy for the top arm in the league for 2026.

“I definitely felt like, once they left, I could do this,” Tobin said. “I had a little bit more confidence, too.”

You can say that again.

The junior was the workhorse arm for the Bearcats en route to a Class 2A state runner-up finish by throwing 2,399 pitches, 196 strikeouts to just 24 walks. She was named as the EvCo’s Most Valuable Pitcher, a different type of MVP.

She was named as the real MVP of The Chronicle’s 2026 all-area team that had at least one player from eight different schools in SW Washington.

When Taylor Tobin was a freshman for the W.F. West High School softball team, she was going toe-to-toe with some of the best pitchers in the Evergreen Conference. Tobin’s sophomore year? Same …

06/15/2026

When it took the floor at the Hub City Classic in Centralia over the weekend, the Napavine girls basketball team looked a little different than it has in recent memory.

Gone are five seniors, Napavine’s entire starting lineup, including Hayden Kaut and Taylen Evander, the C2BL’s 2026 Co-MVPs, all of which graduated only a few weeks ago.

Instead, taking the floor was a younger bunch that had some time at the varsity level, but naturally not nearly as much as the group that departed.

“It’s about experience, because we lost a lot,” Napavine coach Shane Schutz said.

That lack of experience didn’t keep them from impressing at times in the tournament, though, as the Tigers went 3-2 to finish fourth in the tournament.

When it took the floor at the Hub City Classic in Centralia over the weekend, the Napavine girls basketball team looked a little different than it has in recent memory. Gone are five seniors, …

06/15/2026

Both the W.F. West and Toledo boys basketball teams impressed at the Hub City Classic in Centralia over the weekend, winning their respective pools to reach the tournament semifinals.

Both teams lost those semifinals, but there were still some positives to take away from those matches and the run to get there.

https://chronline.com/stories/wf-west-toledo-reach-semifinals-at-hub-city-classic,404098

06/12/2026

Almost two weeks after celebrating on the field with the state championship trophy, bleached hair visible for everyone to see, one thing stuck with Napavine’s Cal Bullock the most.

“Just the constant support every game,” Bullock said. “Everyone came to our championship game, and that was crazy. Other than our fans, I don’t think anyone thought we would win that game. It was a huge confidence boost, and we had nothing to lose … We did it for the community.”

The state title was the final stamp on an extraordinary senior season for Bullock, who helped Napavine win a co-league title, a district title, and the state title while winning Central 2B League MVP honors and All-Area MVP honors.

Almost two weeks after celebrating on the field with the state championship trophy, bleached hair visible for everyone to see, one thing stuck with Napavine’s Cal Bullock the most. “Just the …

05/30/2026

YAKIMA — Losing isn’t a word printed in Ethan Thayer’s dictionary.

So when the Onalaska High School star took second place in the discus and fourth place in the shot put at the Oregon Relays, it didn’t sit well with him. Even though his discus competitor was Mead’s Simon Rosselli, the all-classification leader in the discus and an Oregon recruit.

As Thayer left Eugene and went back home, he was blunt to describe his day at Hayward Field.

“I remember the embarrassment of losing,” Thayer stated. “I didn’t prove myself.”

Those days are a thing of the past.

Thayer avoided some early hiccups in the discus to post a winning toss of 174 feet, 10 inches and a handful of hours later, uncorked a new Class 2B state record of 63-02.50 and secure a sweep of the throws at the state track and field championships held at Zaepfel Stadium.

https://chronline.com/stories/state-boys-track-and-field-thayer-completes-state-title-sweep-in-dominating-fashion,403294?

YAKIMA — Losing isn’t a word printed in Ethan Thayer’s dictionary. So when the Onalaska High School star took second place in the discus and fourth place in the shot put at the Oregon …

05/30/2026

YAKIMA — Challenge: Compete in all six field events during the 2026 season.

Challenger: Onalaska High School’s Emalie Jacoby.

Side quest: Qualify in four field events for the state track and field championships.

Jacoby, to her own admission, is not a bad runner. Just last year she was a part of the Loggers 11th place 400-meter relay. She just enjoys what the field events have to offer.

“They’re more my comfort zone,” Jacoby stated.

She’s found a cozy corner in Eastern Washington.

Jacoby became the first girls discus state champion in Onalaska history with a winning toss of 127 feet, 4 inches on Friday’s day two of the Class 2B state meet at Zaepfel Stadium on the campus of Eisenhower High School.

https://chronline.com/stories/state-girls-track-and-field-star-in-the-field-jacoby-triumphs-in-discus-takes-second-in-long,403295?

YAKIMA — Challenge: Compete in all six field events during the 2026 season. Challenger: Onalaska High School’s Emalie Jacoby. Side quest: Qualify in four field events for the state …

05/30/2026

SELAH — With one out in the bottom of the seventh in a 2B State Semifinal, it looked like time was up for Napavine. The Tigers had managed just three hits and scored just one run through six and a third, and they trailed Toutle Lake by four.

About half an hour later, though, it was Napavine sprinting onto Wood Field at Carlon Park to celebrate.

“I’m still comprehending what just happened,” Hudson Chambers said through a laugh and a smile.

Napavine rallied to score four runs in the seventh to force extra innings, and a Grady Wilson walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth gave the Tigers a 6-5 victory, one that puts them into the state championship game for just the second time in program history.

https://chronline.com/stories/napavine-rallies-to-stun-toutle-lake-advance-to-state-title-game,403286?

SELAH — With one out in the bottom of the seventh in a 2B State Semifinal, it looked like time was up for Napavine. The Tigers had managed just three hits and scored just one run through six and a …

05/30/2026

When Luke Overbay was in middle school, he watched his brother, Alex, and his dad, Tumwater coach Lyle Overbay, win back-to-back 2A state championships.

“I remember the last inning,” the younger Overbay said. “I wanted to do that.”

Thanks to an incredible performance on the bump and some timely hitting from his teammates, the Overbays and the Thunderbirds will have the chance.

Luke Overbay struck out 13 batters and allowed just one run in a complete-game outing, leading No. 2 Tumwater to a 3-1 victory over No. 11 Selah in a 2A State Semifinal at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham, putting them in the state title game for the third time in the last five years.

https://chronline.com/stories/luke-overbay-shuts-down-selah-sends-tumwater-back-to-state-championship-game,403290?

When Luke Overbay was in middle school, he watched his brother, Alex, and his dad, Tumwater coach Lyle Overbay, win back-to-back 2A state championships. “I remember the last inning,” the …

05/29/2026

YAKIMA — From the moment Adam Kruger landed in the sand pit on his final jump last May, his goals for his senior season were already set.

The Toledo High School senior envisioned a state championship in the triple jump. Three straight wins in March only raised the confidence meter. Even when his league and district marks were just over 42 feet, Kruger wasn’t concerned.

“It motivated me even more,” Kruger said. “Underperforming at those two meets fueled the fire.”

And Kruger left no doubt on Thursday.

Kruger became the first SW Washington athlete to stand atop the podium at the Class 1B/2B/1A State Track and Field Championships, claiming his elusive state title with a winning leap of 49 feet, 3 inches at Zaepfel Stadium.

It beats the school record set by Niles Jones in 1995 by one-quarter of an inch. And on his last attempt to boot.

https://chronline.com/stories/state-boys-track-and-field-kruger-accomplishes-state-title-school-record-in-2b-triple-jump,403241?

YAKIMA — From the moment Adam Kruger landed in the sand pit on his final jump last May, his goals for his senior season were already set. The Toledo High School senior envisioned a state …