GoHuskies Dec. 1222

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EDITOR: Dick Stephens

WRITERS: Bob Sherwin, Mark Moschetti

PHOTOGRAPHERS : UW Athletics

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ART DIRECTOR : Robert Becker

FROM

DESK OF

As a program, we value having a growth mind set! This value means taking pride and striving to be better every day! It means approaching the day with an attitude that is always seeking improve ment. It also means putting the team first and how as a group we grow together throughout a season and year. This year’s women’s soccer team epito mized this core value. We grew with every win, loss, and challenge. Although, we didn’t finish the season as we had hoped, we hit some big mile stones, improved, continued building our culture and the standard at which we compete. We can’t wait to get back to work, and I’m proud to share that our young, returning group have already start ed training and preparing to compete next season.

Washington women’s soccer has a tradition of excellence. It’s an honor for our women to step on the pitch and compete where so many great players have played. In our final game, we played

Women’s Soccer Head Coach Nicole Van Dyke

in the Apple Cup at Washington State. The day be fore the game, I was made privy that we had not won in Pullman since 1996. We decided to not tell the team before the game. However, we did tell them what we were playing for. We were playing the game for our Alums and for Husky Nation! We were tied at half, and at the end of the halftime talk, we shared the statistic and encouraged them to ‘Be the team!’ While finishing our season with an Apple Cup victory was rewarding, it reminded us that we play for something bigger than our selves. Thank you for your continued support.

Go Dawgs!

Goal-Oriented

UW Hall of Famer Tina Frimpong Ellertson brings her global grasp of the game every day to the Husky pitch and her players

MARK MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Afive-year member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, with 34 caps. Valuable minutes on the field during the 2007 Women’s World Cup. An illustrious, productive career at the University of Washington, during which she racked up goal-scor ing and total points records that still stand — 18 years after her final game as a Husky.

Opportunities in the soccer world have always been there for Tina Frimpong Ellertson. Doesn’t matter whether it was playing at the highest levels of the game, evaluating national- and world-caliber talent or coaching — a particular passion that she is currently pursuing as an assistant on Nicole Van Dyke’s UW staff.

Yet, during the celebration of the 50th year of Title IX, Frimpong Ellertson is fully aware that those opportunities are there for her because of trailblaz

ing women before her time: Women who didn’t have such abundant opportunities, but who worked to knock down barriers and open doors so future generations — including Frimpong Ellertson’s — would have them.

“I had my dad as a coach (in club soccer), but in high school, I had Tammy Perkins (at Hudson’s Bay in Vancouver, Washington), and then I got into UW and I had Lesle Gallimore,” Frimpong Ellertson said. “When I ask some of our players now, there’s not a lot of women who have been coached by females. In our generation (Frimpong Ellertson is now 40), it was few.

“I was actually really fortunate to have had two female coaches along the way — they’re the rea son I got into coaching,” she added. “They’re the women who showed me what it looks like.”

From the time she was a growing up in Vancou

ver, seeing her brother play (“I remember watching him and I was like, ‘I want to do that”) or watching her dad play pick-up games, Frimpong Ellertson has been in soccer’s grip. But as more and more choices became available for young girls to do sports her par ents, who both emigrated from Africa (dad from Gha na, mom from Nigeria), encouraged her to go for it.

“They threw us into all of it,” she recalled with a laugh. “It was, ‘Tina, do you want to play volley ball?’ ‘Tina, do you want to run track?’ Sports is a community, and my parents really pushed us to be part of a community.”

No surprise that Frimpong Ellertson became a three-sport athlete at Hudson’s Bay, with soccer, basketball, and track. Clearly, though, her future was in soccer.

“Soccer had my heart, it was in my family blood — I just kept it going,” she said.

Second Chance To Be A Husky

Initially leaning toward Washington, Frimpong Ellertson changed her mind and went to Santa Clara instead. But she never took the field for the Broncos, sitting out the 2000 season while pregnant with MacKenzie, the first of her three children.

Frimpong Ellertson looked back toward home, back toward Washington, and joined legendary coach Lesle Gallimore’s squad.

“We told her, ‘Being a parent always comes first, so whatever concessions you need from us or from me, you will have,’” Gallimore recalled of a conversa tion she had with Frimpong Ellertson. “But that is knowing you have to toe the line with everything else. That just means you have to work extra hard when you are being an athlete.”

Frimpong Ellertson put in the work. As a freshman, she played all 20 games and led the Huskies with seven goals. Of those seven, three of them came in just the fourth game of her career, a 4-0 preseason rout of Idaho.

“My grandma had come from Nigeria. I remember her being in the stands and me scoring three goals – and one was a banger from outside (the penalty area),” she said. “That was a game where everything worked out and what made it so special was my grandma was there.”

The goals kept coming – seven more as a sophomore, 13 as a junior, 16 as a senior. The accolades started to come, too – Pacific-10 Player of the Year (twice) and an All-American honorable mention.

Eventually, Frimpong Ellertson’s success – her 43 goals and 99 points still sit atop their respective all-time UW lists – led to numerous opportunities af ter the Huskies. She got the chance to play professionally, earned a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team and playing time in the 2007 World Cup.

“That was a moment that was really special because I got to thank (my family) and I got to stand up at my alma mater,” she said. “Because I believe if it wasn’t for the UW, I wouldn’t be where I had gotten. There was a lot of grati tude, and that was proud (moment).”

Coach Frimpong Ellertson with Cori Sullivan (left) and Kala McDaniel (right).

Lesle Gallimore

Husky coaching legends Gallimore (left) and Amy Griffin (right) with Frimpong Ellertson.

Nothing We Can’t Do’

All those accomplishments as a player give Frimpong Ellertson plenty of credibility as a coach.

“She has had a good smattering of different environments that inspired her,” Gallimore said. “I think people who got to watch her play, look at her re sume’, look at her career – that’s an inspiration also. You don’t get to be Pac-10 Player of the Year by accident. You don’t make a World Cup by accident. And she did it while being a parent.”

Van Dyke, who just completed her third year as Washington’s head coach, added, “We have someone on our staff who has lived the Husky way for many years. She got the opportunity to come here and play in the state of Washing ton, and represent the state, but also really thrive at the pro level and the na tional team level.”

Speaking of the national team, the United States women are getting ready for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, next July and August in Australia and New Zealand. Frimpong Ellertson can hardly wait for the opening kick as the fourtime defending champion Americans go for their fifth title.

“Any time it’s a World Cup, I’m the person who’s glued, sitting on my couch,” she said. “It’s a big deal because of what it takes to get there in blood, sweat, and tears – and I can relate to that.”

For Frimpong Ellertson, it’s all a matter of opportunities – those that have come her way that previous generations of girls and women didn’t have, and those she is always urging today’s generation to take advantage of every time they can – on or off the soccer field.

“We as females, Title IX has given us an opportunity to play and express ourselves,” she said. “I feel like we as women are the strongest people on the planet, and there’s nothing we can’t do.

“I believe Title IX is at the forefront of all of that, and I think that has driven the narrative that you see now, and I’m really grateful for it.”

‘There’s

All smiles on the bench with assistant Cole Schmit.

22-23 Men’s Basketball PREVIEW

MEN’S HUSKY HOOPSTERS

BOB SHERWIN • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Remember all the naysayers who warned in 2005 after the NCAA authorized the ‘oneand-done’ rule, that it would ruin the college game. While the rule, which gave stu dents-athletes the opportunity to declare for the NBA after just one year, has had mixed results over the years, it now might be recalled as the good old days.

The college basketball game still has that rule, but it is utilized annually by just a handful of ‘elite’ programs not burdened by the task of re-engineering a roster every season. The rest of the college programs are less transient. However, since 2018, every program has had to deal with a sort of a bargain one-and-done portal.

The five-year-old NCAA Transfer Portal procedure allows college athletes in any sport to trans fer out for any reason, after any season, after one year, or any year with eligibility remaining. That has had a noticeable impact on the stability and success (as well as failure) of virtually every pro gram in America.

“Where we were a couple years ago, the transfer portal really saved us, saved several programs, too,” University of Washington sixth-year head coach Mike Hopkins said. “You still want balance, getting the right players.”

bring in new talent far and wide to bolster a core of talent ready to hit the hardwood

Franck Kepnang

Two years ago, the Huskies were at an ebb, struggling to a 5-21 record and losing six players to the transfer portal. Understanding that it’s a two-way pathway, Hopkins and his staff went to work. They added four quality trans fers, all former Seattle high school players. Two of the transfer guards, Terrell Brown Jr., and Daejon Davis, both one-time Garfield stars, immediately estab lished themselves as team leaders last season.

Brown led the Huskies and the Pacific-12 Conference in scoring at 21.7 points per game as well as steals at 2.2 per game. Davis was second to Brown in steals and assists. It was just a one-year boon for both, as they used up their eligibility.

Another transfer last season, forward Emmitt Matthews, Jr., was second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points, and second in rebounds at 4.7. But the former star from Tacoma’s Wilson High School was one-and-done in another fashion. He left Montlake, not to the NBA but returned to West Virginia, where he played his first three seasons.

The portal also can whip and whirl back and forth and back again.

Matthews was one of eight players who left the program after the Hus kies 17-15 season. Hopkins and the staff again returned to the portal this past spring to bring in more prominent players, including one each from rivals Or egon and Washington State.

The most noted transfer is 6-7 junior forward Keion Brooks Jr., from Ken tucky, a school that regularly rotates through one-year players faster than the staff can learn their names. Brooks started all 33 games for the Wildcats last season, averaging 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds.

“He’s one of the highest-profile portal guys,” Hopkins said. “He was a high school teammate with (former Husky) Isaiah Stewart and an All-American out of high school. We lost Matthews. He’s the perfect replacement. He can score, rebound. We love him.”

Another transfer is junior Braxton Meah, a 7-foot-1 center from Fresno State.

“He did not play a ton of minutes, but we believe he’s as good as anyone in the country for his size and athleticism,” Hopkins added.

Seeing eye-to-eye with Meah will be Frank Kepnang, a 6-11 junior center transfer from rival Oregon. He averaged 4.7 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Ducks, playing in all 35 games. Also, 6-5 senior guard Noah Williams trans ferred in from another conference rival, WSU. He averaged double figures in 19 games last season.

The Huskies also added three quality recruits: 6-7 forward Tyler Linhardt (King’s), a prolific 3-point shooter, 6-1 guard Keyon Menifield (Flint, Mich.) and 6-2 guard Koren Johnson (Garfield).

“With that recruiting class and the portal,” Hopkins said, “we’ve upgraded our size, we upgraded our toughness, rim protection and we got really experi enced players, proven at the highest level.”

Cole Bajema

Franck Kepnang

Keion Brooks Jr

“With that recruiting class and the portal,” Hopkins said, “we’ve upgraded our size, we upgraded our toughness, rim protection and we got really experienced players, proven at the highest level.”

22-23 Men’s Basketball PREVIEW

“Where we were a couple years ago, the transfer portal really saved us, saved several programs, too,” University of Washington sixth-year head coach Mike Hopkins said. “You still want balance, getting the right players.”

Emmitt Matthews Jr.

Terrell Brown Jr.

PJ Fuller

Braxton Meah

Samuel Ariyibi

He added that the difference between last year’s portal class and this year’s is that he has players with more eligibility beyond this sea son. This will allow his team to develop a stron ger nucleus, growing together so perhaps the por tal won’t be needed as much as an annual lifeline.

Jamal Bey, a fifth-year 6-6 forward, is the only returning starter for the Huskies. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Hopkins said Bey will be part of his eight- or nine-man rotation. Two past transfers, 6-7 senior Cole Bajema (Michi gan), from Lynden, Wash., and 6-4 guard P.J. Fuller (Texas Christian) also will vie for minutes.

“They all could be starters. We might be better when the subs come in,” he said.

The Huskies’ biggest non-conference test will be Gonzaga in Spokane, sitting prominently in the middle of their schedule (Dec. 9).

“We have a lot of talent. We have one of the deepest teams we’ve had since I’ve been here. We have good rim protection. Defense should be at a high level. I really like our team,” Hopkins said. “We’re going to go through growing pains. That’s part of the journey. But we have maturity, kids who have been in it, done it.”

The Pac-12 also has kids who have been in it, done it. The conference returns a record 14 allconference players this season. UCLA, two years removed from its Final Four appearance, is once again considered the favorite, just ahead of peren nial power Arizona. The Huskies open conference play with Oregon State (Dec. 1) and Colorado (Dec. 4), ahead of the Gonzaga matchup.

Follow the Huskies all season long on Go Huskies.com for player updates, results and latebreaking news.

Jamal Bey

Keyon Menifield

Koren Johnson

Culture Club

Haley Van Dyke

2022 • 23 Women’s Basketball PREVIEW

Crafted by Head Coach Tina Langley, the Huskies practice and play selflessly for their teammates, team and university

BOB SHERWIN • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

While the University of Washington women’s basketball team long will savor the memories of its mid-August team trip to Italy, the coaches and players hope that what they brought home can inspire them deep into this basketball season. The Huskies, heading into their second season under Coach Tina Langley, vis ited Rome, Florence, and Como (with a stop in Switzerland) Aug. 12-21. They played three games and had a variety of cultural experiences, making olive oil, pasta, and bread with the locals, visiting Roman ruins, the ancient Accademia Gallery, and swimming in the Mediterranean off Camaiore Beach.

All that cultural immersion doesn’t seem like it would do much to sharpen the players’ on-court skills, but there’s more to a team’s potential than backdoor cuts and crossover dribbles. There’s also the inside game, the emotional connections among their disparate teammates.

“I’ve never seen a group come together so quickly as that group experienced throughout the trip,” Langley said. “They were learning and growing together. They really got to know each other on a deep er level. They spent so much quality time with each other.”

“It’s less individual thinking about ourselves,” Van Dyke said, “but serving our teammates and the staff. It’s much more fun to play. I think everyone has bought into that culture.”

Haley Van Dyke

Lauren Schwartz

Coach Tina Langley

Emma Grothaus

TT Watkins

Women’s Basketball PREVIEW

What that can lead to, Langley believes, is a greater appreciation for their teammates and buildup of trust for each other as the season evolves. This is especially important on this year’s Husky roster because the team lost eight players from last season. The staff replaced the roster with six new play ers, while returning six.

It’s also an eclectic mix of players with five seniors (one fifth-year gradu ate), just one junior and seven freshmen or sophomores.

“So almost half our team is new,” Langley added. “Experiencing that togeth er does bond you, even when you’re just starting to get to know each other.”

Haley Van Dyke, the Huskies 6-foot-1 senior forward, said the biggest take away from the trip “was getting to know each other, more off-the-court con nections we were able to form with each other.

“It really brought us closer together,” she added, “and a big reason where we are right now. It is a new group and on that Italy trip we were together for 10 days. We experienced so many cool things and got to know each other. It was easy for us to build those connections.”

As a rule, for most athletic teams, leadership gravitates down from the up perclassmen, a top-down approach. But Langley said her program is different. “We believe in service leadership. So, every player’s voice on our team mat ters,” she said. “We want to lead by giving and helping each other to be better as people and players.”

Van Dyke said that “servanthood” has evolved under Langley.

“It’s less individual thinking about ourselves,” Van Dyke said, “but serving our teammates and the staff. It’s much more fun to play. I think everyone has bought into that culture.”

Langley, hired away after six seasons at Rice, brought that culture to Washington. When she began her UW coaching career, she didn’t have the most solid foundation. She inherited the program after Coach Jody Wynn’s four-year stint finished with a .336-win percentage (41-75). The Huskies were 7-14 during Wynn’s final season in 2020-21 while Langley, with few personnel changes, started with a 7-16 campaign.

Yet Langley has been in this position previously. In her first season at Rice, her team finished 9-22. That was followed by five straight 20-plus win seasons (best season was 28-4 in 2018-19) to finish with the highest win percentage (.674, 126-61) in school history. Her teams won three C-USA Conference titles, made two NCAA appearances, and won a WNIT championship.

She understands what elements it takes to build a winner.

“You focus on the process,” she said. “We want to establish our culture, which we made a great foundation last year. Our Italy trip continues to build on that. And teach six new people (that culture).”

Lexi Griggsby

Lauren Schwartz

Dalayah Daniels

Women’s Basketball PREVIEW

Trinity Oliver

The team does return three starters who are go ing to be the banner-carriers. They are Van Dyke, the team’s leading scorer last season at 11.7 points per game, 5-9 senior guard Trinity Oliver, and 5-11 junior forward Lauren Schwartz. Graduate senior Lexi Griggsby also started the first seven games last winter before an injury ended her season.

Oliver, who transferred from Baylor before last season, is one of three players who have come from other schools making the cultural transition to the Husky method. The others are senior 6-4 center Emma Grothaus, who came to Washington from Le high a year ago, and former Garfield High standout, 6-4 sophomore forward Dalayah Daniels, a transfer portal addition this spring from California.

“Those things just don’t happen overnight. There is a commitment, bringing in the right people who believe in our culture,” Langley added. “And want to be a part of it, live it and fight for it.

“I’m really proud of the staff, the coaches and the players who have committed to it and the work it’s going to take to put us in that direction.”

The Huskies, who have an eight-game nonconference schedule, begin Pac-12 play on Dec. 11 at home with a special Apple Cup game against Washington State. The conference’s top three pre season selections – Stanford, Arizona and Oregon, three culturally established programs – do not test the Huskies until well into the season. UW plays at Oregon on Jan. 13, at Arizona on Jan. 29, and at home against Stanford on Feb. 5.

Stanford is the preseason favorite, but the Hus kies play the Cardinal just that one time before the Pac-12 Championships on March 1-5 in Las Vegas.

To follow the team all season long, visit GoHus kies.com for updates, news and game results.

Haley Van Dyke WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

A CONVERSATION WITH BOB SHERWIN FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Throughout two difficult seasons deal ing with the pandemic restrictions, the transition to a new coaching staff and dozens of teammates moving on and off the roster, there has been one constant in the University of Washington women’s basketball program.

Senior Haley Van Dyke. Count on her. The Huskies 6-foot-1 forward has been unfail ingly reliable to the UW program. Van Dyke, from Walnut Creek, Calif., is on pace to play in as many basketball games as anyone in Husky history. She is in her fifth season – an extra year granted by the NCAA to compensate for athletes who may have been deprived of playing opportunities during the impact of COVID-19.

Entering the season, Van Dyke had played in all 105 of a possible 105 games in her career. Over the past two seasons, she started 43 of a possible 44 games.

During her first three seasons, she played under head coach Jody Wynn’s staff. When Coach Tina Langley and her staff took over last season, Van Dyke started all 23 games, led the team in scor ing at 11.0 points per game and was named to the Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Team.

She has been dependable — someone the coaching staff can count on again this season as the floor and locker room leader. Here’s a 10-ques tion insight into Haley Van Dyke.

HARDWOOD HERO

Accountable. Dependable. Reliable.

Haley Van Dyke will go down in Husky hoops history as an all-timer

How did it all start for you back in your hometown of Walnut Creek?

“Actually, I played pretty much every sport growing up: swim team for a while, softball, volleyball, soccer. I started basketball in eighth grade, pretty late into it. I wasn’t like super into basketball until I realized I could do it. I happened to be pretty good at it and stuck with it. It was the only sport that didn’t really get boring for me.’’

Who influenced you the most in high school?

“My AAU coach was my high school coach, Art Toms. He was the big reason I am where I am right now. He saw my potential and pushed me to be that player. ’’

You went to Campolindo High in Moraga, Calif. Were there other D1 athletes you played with who accepted a D1 scholarship?

“Art Toms’ daughter, Ashley Toms. She plays for the University of Ha waii now. She was in my grade and a big reason why I stayed playing. She was my best friend growing up and we pushed each other to be better.’’

When you arrived at UW in 2018 as a freshman, what was your reaction?

“There were so many rude awakenings. It was hard. It was a very big transition for me … just the level of play, especially the Pac-12. Everyone has a high IQ on the court. It’s more strategy. I wasn’t used to that. I was just used to using my athleticism. Coming to this level, everyone was as good or better than me. I had to use my mind a little more.’’

You’ve been a big part of the program for all four years. How has your leadership transition been through the years??

“It’s been a big transition. Coming up, I was shy, I wasn’t very confron tational, I wasn’t loud. But I think with our new coach (Langley) I’m now using my voice as much as I needed to. I think she’s a big reason why I've gotten out of my shell and am able to lead the younger girls. Coach Tina kind of instilled that in me. I’ve got more confidence in that area. I’ve come full circle.’’

Who do you play for now?

“I play for my team and my staff. I want to play well every day for them. I want to be consistent every day for them. I want to come in and set an example for them so everyone will do the same. I think we all play for each other, honestly. One of our values is servanthood. I think that’s definitely the reason why I play, to serve my team and my coaches.’’

Why UW?

“Kelsey Plum (UW’s all-time scoring leader, 3,527 points). And I love the colors and I also loved the team. I had a good connection with the coaching staff. This is my dream school. I was really excited to come here.’’

Away from the court, what keeps your interest

I’ve been into cooking recently, nutrition, making things from scratch. It feels good to do that.’’

Tell me about the social media ‘cleanse’ all the players went through from Oct. 1-14?

“The whole team agreed to do it. It wasn’t the coach that made us do it. She brought it to our attention and we said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ It really helped us all. We had lots of time to figure out what we’d like to do other than basketball and being on our phones. I did a lot of reading and cook ing. We all came back refreshed, more mentally prepared. More time with ourselves than our phone. It worked out for everyone for the better.’’

Are you solidly a member of Gen Z, or a blend of generations?

“I might be, I don’t know. I feel less Gen Z because it’s so social mediabased, although I am still on social media a lot. But I still love old movies from the 90s. And I love Disney movies.’’

Fantastic Finishes

UW soccer and XC teams pour it on in Pac-12 and across the U.S. in 2022

MOSCHETTI • FOR GO HUSKIES MAGAZINE

Illijah Paul

Shae Holmes Brian Fay

MARK

Women’s Soccer

Fast start to season, then big finish at WSU

The Huskies kicked off in fine style, going undefeated in their first eight games (6-0-2). That included a 5-1 rout at home against crosstown rival Seattle University, with four of those goals scored during the second half. But a week later, that undefeated opening run was halted in the Pacific-12 Confer ence opener by Oregon, as the Ducks took at 2-0 decision. Washington got back on track with home victories against Utah and Colorado, outscoring those two sides by a combined 7-3.

A six-game dry spell that netted just one victory and one tie knocked the Hus kies out of Pac-12 contention. However, UW closed the season on a most positive note, earning a 3-2 decision at Washington State on Nov. 5 to finish with a 10-63 record. That was the first ‘W’ in Pullman for the Huskies since 1996. Freshman Kelsey Branson got the game-winner, and fifth year forward Summer Yates tallied her 27th career goal, tying her for No. 3 on the all-time Washington scoring list.

Yates led the team in scoring with seven goals. Branson finished with five, as did grad student forward McKenzie Weinert and fifth year forward Karlee Stueckle.

For the fifth time in five seasons, Yates was voted All-Pac-12, earning a spot on the first team. That was the third year in a row for her on the top squad. Grad student defender Shae Holmes was voted to the second team, her first all-con ference honor. Branson gained a spot on the All-Freshman team, the first Husky to do so since Yates in 2018.

Men’s Soccer

UW’s amazing 2022 season ends with second round NCAA loss

The Washington men's soccer team's season came to an end Nov. 20 after falling 3-1 to Creighton in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies concluded the 2022 season with an overall record of 15-2-3 and the program's fourth Pac-12 Championship.

The Huskies, who were No. 1 in the national coaches’ rankings from Oct. 4 through the end of the regular season on Nov. 10, headed into the NCAA Tour nament in mid-November as one of the teams to beat. They gained that dis tinction through a 15-1-3 mark in the regular season, including a win and a tie against Stanford (ranked No. 5 for both games).

That record also includes a sweep of UCLA. The Bruins were ranked No. 21 at the time of the first game, a 1-0 Washington victory in Los Angeles. The re turn game was in Seattle on Nov. 3, and the 3-2 victory for the Huskies clinched the program’s fourth Pacific-12 Conference championship. (The others were in 2000, 2013 and 2019.) The only nick was a 1-0 loss to Oregon State in the regu lar-season finale, but it still finished 7-1-2 in conference play.

Leading the way to that lofty ledger were sophomore forward Ilijah Paul and redshirt senior midfielder Lucas Meek. Paul knocked in 11 goals, three of which were game winners. Meek also had three game-winners among his 10 tallies.

While the Huskies knocked in 47 goals through 19 regular-season games, they allowed just 13, thanks in part to the goalkeeping tandem of junior Sam Fowler and sophomore Jadon Bowton. Fowler was 11-1-1 with four shutouts and an 0.62 goals-against average. Bowton was 4-0-2 with an 0.81 GAA.

Kelsey Branson

Lucas Meek

Sam Fowler

Summer Yates

Men’s XC

There’s no stopping Bryan Fay. At the NCAA West Region Cross Country Championships, there was no catching him, either.

The senior from Ireland raced to the victory on Nov. 11, leading the Huskies to a third-place finish in that meet and a trip to the NCAA nationals, as well. Fay completed his 10 kilometers at Chamber Creek Regional Park in 28 minutes, 17 seconds. He was the third straight UW runner to capture the regional title, following in the footsteps of Andrew Jordan in 2019 and Kieran Lumb in 2021. (The 2020 season was canceled because of the pandemic.) Prior to that, no Husky had ever won the regional crown.

Washington finished with 105 points in the team standings. Stanford won easily with 45, and Gonzaga was second with 92. While only the top two teams were automatic qualifiers to the nationals in Stillwater, Okla., on Nov.19, the third-place Huskies were awarded an at-large bid.

Just two weeks earlier on the course at UC Riverside Fay came through with an eighth-place performance at the Pacific-12 Championships, and the Huskies also finished third in that meet, totaling 81 points. That was an 8K race, and Fay posted a time of 22: 57. Senior Isaac Green (11th) and sophomore Luke Houser (15th) joined Fay in the top 20, and Houser had a strong performance at Regionals, placing ninth.

The trip to Stillwater will be the second of the year for Washington. On Sept. 24, they ran at the season-opening Cowboy Invitational. Houser was the front runner for the Huskies, placing 26th.

Continued on page 28

Luke Houser

Who’s up front? Of course, it’s Fay

Brian Fay

Isaac Green

The senior from Ireland raced to the victory on Nov. 11, leading the Huskies to a third-place finish in that meet and a trip to the NCAA nationals

Women’s XC

Sophie O’Sullivan and Andrea Markezich were moving on up — in a big way – for Washington during the cross country postseason.

O’Sullivan raced to a top-10 finish on Nov. 11 in the NCAA West Region Championships at Chambers Creek in University Place. Her ninth-place run, completed in 19 minutes, 34 seconds for 6 kilometers, and Anna Gibson’s 13thplace spot, led the Huskies to third as a team with 114 points. That was enough to earn them a spot on the starting line for the NCAA nationals on Nov. 19 in Stillwater, Okla.

Markezich had finished 23rd in each of her first two Pacific-12 Champion ships. But the junior from nearby Woodinville raced all the way into the top 10 this time, taking eighth place in 19 minutes, 37 seconds for 6 kilometers at UC Riverside. It was her first time ever of leading the purple pack. Australian soph omore O’Sullivan, who was 31st in 2021, climbed to 13th. UW finished fifth in the team standings with 94 points.

The Huskies will be familiar with the national course in Stillwater. Anna Gibson got her season off to a solid start at the Cowboy Jamboree on Sept. 24. It was her first time on that 6,000-meter course, and she wound up leading the way for Washington, placing 19th overall.

At the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 14, Washington finished 16th among a field of 33 teams that included 23 that were ranked in the nation al top 30.

Follow both teams on GoHuskies.com through their postseason run.

O'Sullivan, Markezich make quantum leaps

Andrea Markezich

Anna Gibson

PAC-12 POWERHOUSE

The University of Washington Men’s Soccer team won their fourth Pacific-12 Championship and sat atop of the NCAA rankings from Oct. 4 though the end of the regular season. The title game was a 3-2 victory over UCLA.

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Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES