SPORTS
By Neil Macdonald

Becky Riddle: Outstanding
Becky Riddle was named Outstanding Girl Athlete at the Nooksack (Tisdale) Invitational on April 27, putting the shot a career-best 38’11 and throwing the discus a season-best 124’7 for a pair of wins.
The University of Utah-bound Becky tossed the discus for a career-best 126’11 at the Junior Olympic Nationals in July, 2001.
Grace Coulter won the girls 1600m in 5:19.7, and Nik McGee, who took the boys shot with a 55’4 put for Blaine. Both Borderite teams finished fourth at Nooksack, the girls tallying 69 points; the boys, 56.
Riddle also won the shot (38’10) and discus (120’11), McGee, the shot (52’10) and the boys relay teams, the 4x100 (45.5) and 4x400 (3:36) at a five-team NCC meet at Sultan on April 23. Blaine boys finished second with 84 points; the girls, third with 65. .

Fakkema head football coach
David Fakkema was hired as Blaine’s new head football coach on April 22. He replaces Jim Rasar, who resigned in December with a 51-32 record. Fakkema has been the Borderites offensive and defensive line coach for nine years and has helped coordinate Blaine’s offense.
He played offensive and defensive lineman at Oak Harbor High, graduating in 1984. A redshirt freshman in ’84 at Washington State, Fakkema missed the ’85 season due to a knee injury. He played tackle in ’86 for Jim Walden’s Cougars and center for Dennis Erickson in ’87 and ’88. The latter team enjoyed a 9-3 record and a 24-22 Aloha Bowl win over Houston in Honolulu.
Fakkema graduated from WSU with a degree in criminal justice and pursued a Master’s degree at Western Washington. He was offensive line coach for Rob Smith’s Vikings for four years.
Turnout size is expected to be Fakkema’s biggest challenge at Blaine. The Borderites had approximately 35 hopefuls out last year. Some opposition NCC schools have had a steady diet of 50 to 60. Considering Fakkema’s experience teaching young people both academic subjects and athletics, his knowledge and passion for football and his enthusiasm for life and willingness to work hard could be a formula for solving such problems.

Scoreboard...
Fastpitch hit fests for Lady B’s
Blaine dropped a 7-6 NCC girls fastpitch decision to Lynden Christian at the Pipe on April 29. Holly Steckler went 3-for-4, including an RBI, and Alisa Burk was 2-for-5 with a triple for the Lady B’s.
Krista Walter got the win, starting the week with a 6-4 NCC victory over the Tigers at Granite Falls April 23. Steckler went 3-for-3 and Francis, 3-for-4. Jynessa Trennepohl went 1-for-4, hitting a two-run single in the fifth to break a 3-3 tie.
The Lady B’s got 18 hits in defeating La Conner 16-1 and 12 hits in stopping Squalicum 11-1 at the Blaine Invitational April 27 at the Pipe.
Freshman Sirita Lawson, starting her first varsity game, struck out 11 and threw a 1-hitter at La Conner. Blaine’s 18-hit parade included Lawson going 2-for-5, 1 RBI; Burk, 3-for-4, and a triple; Steckler, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs; Trennephol, 3-for-5, 2 RBIs; Kaylyn Bird, 2-for-3, 2 RBIs; and Kristina Francis, 2-for-5, 2 RBIs.Krista Walter (8-6) threw a 4-hitter in to win the Squalicum contest as Steckler went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and Trennepohl 2-for-3, including a triple and 2 RBIs.

Farmer Leads Borderites
Blaine’s boy’s golf team was third with a score of 226 in a four-team NCC golf get-together at North Bellingham Golf Club on April 25. South Whidbey won with 208.
Borderites Kevin Farmer and Doug Goldsby shot 41’s; Matt Wiens, 45; Adam Dolan, 47; and Kyle Goddard, 52.
Farmer carded 42-39 – 81 to earn low medalist honors and lead Blaine to a 429-468 five-man team with over Mt. Baker in a NCC boys dual meet on April 23 at Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club.
Doug Goldsby carded 44-40 – 84; Matt Weins, 39-46 – 85; Adam Dolan, 43-46 – 89 and Kyle Goddard, 45-45 – 90 and sixth man Travis Black went 60-53 – 113 for the Borderites.
Jenni Armstrong, Blaine’s lone entrant in a NCC girls six-team 9-hole meet at Homestead on April 23, shot a 66.

Borderites blank Pioneers
Blaine blanked Nooksack Valley 2-0 in NCC boys soccer at NV on April 25. Borderite Chris Crane opened the scoring at 35 minutes and passed to Alden Walcon for Blaine’s second goal at 60 minutes.

Blaine edges South Whidbey
Grant Sanders went 6 and a 1/3 innings to win his third game in four decisions as Blaine edged South Whidbey 5-4 in NCC baseball action at Langley April 25. Craig Anderson, went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, to get the save.
Nooksack’s Tyler Marshall went the distance, striking out 10 and letting up two hits as the undefeated Pioneers (12-0) blanked Blaine 3-0 at the Pipe April 22.

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