Sports Archives - Page 2 of 52

New look Hawks soar in 30-18 win over Concrete

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

In high school sports, a world of change can occur from one season to another. Change, positive change to be exact, is just what Tulalip Heritage athletic director Lonnie Enick is attempting to manifest this year when it comes to the boys’ football program.

“This season is going to be all about growth. Growth by our players and growth by our coaches,” said Lonnie pregame. “We’ve worked so hard all offseason to prepare for this season. And all last week, in practice, we could see just how much that hard work was paying off. Our players and coaches are really seeing each other, they are hearing each other, and most importantly they are believing in each other.

“This team has so much talent. The only thing that can derail them is lack of belief. That’s why its so important for our community to fill this stadium seating every home game. To bring their energy that we know only Tulalip can. That will fuel these boys competitive fire and give them even more confidence knowing how many are rooting for them to succeed.”

Success has been a difficult thing to come by in recent years. Heritage hasn’t had a winning football team since the 2017 squad went 5-2. The program went into a major funk after that, largely due to the student-athletes being unable to keep themselves academically eligible.

Now, in 2024, the winds of change have blown in a fresh crop of Tulalip boys eager to build something worthwhile, to build something successful. After a number of incoming transfers, and even more on their way, plus uber-athletic basketball players looking to test out their physical gifts on grid iron, the Hawks coaching staff expects to have no difficulty fielding a team with depth at every position.

The new-look Hawks played their season-opener on Friday, September 6. Their opponent? The Concrete Lions. The same Concrete team that ran all over the Hawks last year and handed our boys a 24-point loss.

But that was last year. This is a new year with a new team. And this time around Tulalip was the home team, playing under the bright lights and in front of a mass of adoring fans. The Heritage boys were eager to let everyone know this year would be different.

Senior player James Diaz led the charge on both sides of the ball, playing admirably on offense and defense. He rushed for two touchdowns and then came up with a massive 80-yard interception return for a touchdown right before halftime to give Heritage a 24-18 lead.

“Playing DB, I read the tight end split perfectly,” shared James while catching his breath on the sidelines, following the pick 6. “My uncle Dee is always telling me to stay on the tight end’s hip, to not allow separation, and on that play everything went perfectly. I knew the QB was going to pass it to the tight end, I didn’t give any separation, and the pass basically came right to me. I knew right when I caught it that I had a chance to run it back for a touchdown. Hearing the crowd and my teammates yelling in excitement as I ran it back was pretty cool, I can’t lie.”

James went on to add yet another rushing touchdown early in the 4^th quarter, his fourth score of the game, that put the home team up 30-18. The Hawks defense descended on any Concrete ball carriers, gang tackling at its finest, and didn’t yield a single point in the 2^nd half.

The 30-18 season opening win puts Heritage at 1-0. It’s only one win, but a huge mission statement in the locker room as the team looks to continue to find even more success. For their next game, the Hawks travel to Crescent High School on Saturday, September 14, in a matchup with the Loggers.

M’s come up clutch during Native Night

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

It’s impossible to know exactly how many Native Americans attended the Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays baseball game on Monday, August 26. But what we do know is the game’s official attendance was announced as 29,755 and, based on pure observation, one can safely say that a good percentage of that was proud Indigenous culture bearers from across the Americas who journeyed to T-Mobile Park to celebrate ‘Native American Heritage Night’.

Knowing full well how chaotic evening traffic can be, citizens of the region’s Coast Salish tribes hit the road early to ensure arrival into the Emerald City prior to the game’s 6:40pm opening pitch. Additional incentive to arrive early came in the form of a highly coveted, limited-edition jersey created by Muckleshoot tribal artists. Jerseys were only made available to the first 10,000 fans.

Last year, Muckleshoot and the Seattle Mariners announced a long-term, multi-faceted partnership allowing the organizations to work together to impact the broader community throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“This partnership is the result of two organizations coming together who share common values and beliefs. We’re excited to celebrate the Tribe’s culture and traditions with fans at T-Mobile Park, while providing enhanced baseball and softball access to more children throughout our region,” stated Catie Griggs, Seattle Mariners President of Business Operations.

“To be able to assert … our place and our identity within the city, within the region, with organizations like the [Mariners and Kraken], it’s hugely important and it’s hugely meaningful and really a powerful step for our tribe, for our people,” added Muckleshoot tribal councilman Donny Stevenson at the time of the announcement.

Prior to Monday night’s first pitch, the Muckleshoot Canoe Family took to the always stunningly manicured green grass of T-Mobile Park and shared their culture though dance and song.

The Mariners’ 11,000-square-foot scoreboard routinely displayed facts about Indigenous tribes of Washington State throughout the evening. The monstrous digital screen even showed Tulalip tribal members on multiple occasion. The first being 7-year-old Anthony Jefferson Jr. saying “Let’s play ball!” in Lushootseed. Then again, when the cameras panned to Morning Star Creations founder Nina Gobin-Scott hard at work sewing a ribbon skirt. She was asked by members of the Mariners’ public relations team to represent Indigenous entrepreneurs on the center field foyer, where her custom-made ribbon skirts were being sold and auctioned off to benefit Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services.

“It’s a huge deal for me as an Indigenous woman and small business owner be asked to setup and display my work for so many people and communities to see. I feel so honored,” shared Nina while taking a brief break from her devout sewing machine. “An underrated part of opportunities like this are being able to impart insight and expand perspectives of non-Indigenous people who may be curious about our cultures, arts and businesses, but unsure of who or how to ask.

“One of my favorite moments from the night was being able to sell a skirt to a First Nations relative from Canada attending her first Native Night,” continued Nina. “It’s truly breathtaking. There are so many places someone can go to buy a ribbon skirt and recognizing this, I don’t take it for granted when someone sees one of my designs and is excited to purchase from me.”

Turns out that Canadian purchaser was Councillor Morning-Star Peters of Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc. Think of her as a tribal councilwoman of her First Nation. Morning-Star graciously shared, “My family was determined to not miss out on Native American Heritage Night this year, so we got the specialized tickets and got here early for the jersey and hat. I definitely did not expect to find a ribbon skirt, but that’s the beauty of our people – they always find a way. I’m so excited to bring this ribbon skirt back home with me. It’ll be a precious memento of this special night.”

During actual gameplay, the Mariners gave their adoring fans much to cheer about for 9 full innings. Second baseman Jorge Polanco (Dominican Republic) hit a 341-foot homerun in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1. In the following inning, recently acquired outfielder Randy Arozarena (Mexico via Cuba) smashed a 376-foot, 3-run homer that gave the home team the lead for good. Starting pitcher Bryce Miller went 7 strong innings and tied a career-high with 10 strikeouts.

Ultimately, the M’s won an excitement-filled game, 5-1, in front of the largest Monday home crowd they’ve had all season. Only adding to the growing legend that is ‘Native Night.’

Nothing but Day light

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Multi-sport athlete and Tulalip tribal member, Tucker Day, has taken up the grid iron challenge. Having already found early success on the baseball diamond as both a pitcher and hitter, the inspiring 11-year-old has swapped his glove and baseball for shoulder pads, a helmet, and a nifty forearm play sheet as a two-way player for the Concrete Lions youth football program.

“After I saw Tucker’s athletic potential and grittiness displayed playing baseball, I asked his parents if he could play football,” explained Lions head coach Arthur Sanchez. “He never played organized football before, but both he and his parents were on board with him playing. He’s shown a lot of potential already. He’s our starting wide receiver on offense and starting cornerback on defense.

“He’s got great hands. He’s got speed. He’s got height. All things any coach would love to have in a pass catcher,” added the longtime football coach. “On defense, he doesn’t shy away from contact, he’s a great tackler. Having never played before, there is still so much for him to learn, but it’s obvious he’s a willing learner and wants to develop his technique on both sides of the ball to benefit his team.”

Tucker’s innate skill and ability on the football field was on full display during a recent jamboree hosted outside Burlington-Edison High School. Youth programs from across Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties were invited to the fast-paced football extravaganza. Games typically lasted only 15-20 minutes before teams would rotate and immediately begin playing a new opponent.

The quick turnaround and lack of prep for their opponents made the stakes low and competition high; yielding plenty of moments for Tucker to shine. Casual sideline observers could easily distinguish Tucker from the myriad of other players and teams because of his signature twin braids.

“I’m proud of Tucker for embracing his Native American heritage through his hair,” shared Tucker’s mom, Jerry Davis. “He’s known as the boy with the braid by other baseball teams in our area because he’s a pretty good baseball player and having a braid is something that stands out. I thought it would be cool if he went with two braids for football.”

Living in Sedro-Woolley, one could imagine a boy with a braid is a rare sight, let alone two braids. As Tucker continues to develop his athletic potential in multiple sports, traveling near and far, his braids are something that can always serve as his connection to tribe and community.

In fact, that connection will take on an entirely new meaning come September 7. On that summer morning, Tucker’s Concrete Lions will host the Tulalip Hawks.

“Baseball is my favorite sport. I really wanted to try out for football because it’s a cool sport and some of my teammates from baseball play on this team. I also love running and in football I get to run around, a lot,” said Tucker following the jamboree. “Playing wide receiver is fun because I get to run on almost every play. There are so many routes to run, like posts, slants, and go routes.”

Regardless of which route he’s runing, the desired result is always the same – a catch in the open field with nothing but day light in front of him.

RaeVolutionary Buckets

By Micheal Rios

The RaeVolution that is RaeQuan Battle’s evolution from a rez kid with a basketball to a professional bucket getter was celebrated in the traditional Tulalip way on Tuesday, August 13. A meaningful, community-led event to celebrate RaeQuan and his most recent basketball accomplishment – signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets – was organized in the days following a breaking story by The Charlotte Observer. It’s just the latest development in the lifelong pursuit of Tulalip’s favorite baller as he lives out his hoop dreams.

Let’s clear up the confusion around what exactly an Exhibit 10 contract is. In the simplest of forms, it’s a training camp contract. It allows for RaeQuan to continue to build off his NBA Summer League momentum, dawn the Hornets’ signature teal and purple colors, and gain further exposure training with and playing under the tutelage of an actual NBA team. The structure of the contract offers the Tulalip icon a chance to make an NBA roster during training camp or to stay within Charlotte’s development system through the G League.

According to Alex Kirschenbaum of Hoops Rumors, “[RaeQuan] could also see his training camp contract converted to a two-way deal with the Hornets up until the day before the regular season begins (October 22). Charlotte currently has one open two-way slot available, with the other two committed to point guard K.J. Simpson and center Moussa Diabate. It’s more probable that [he] will be cut prior to the start of the year and will then become an affiliate player with their G League Squad, the Greensboro Swarm.”

So essentially, in RaeQuan’s case, the signing of an Exhibit 10 contract with the Charlotte Hornets means that while he wasn’t drafted, he still has an opportunity to compete for a spot on the team. If he doesn’t make the final Hornets’ roster, the contract could be converted to a two-way deal, or he could join Charlotte’s G League affiliate. His community supporters will have to wait until October when the ’24-’25 NBA season begins for confirmation on his NBA status.

Alas, that’s over two months from now. Let us refocus on the present and the hundreds of Coast Salish tribal members, of all ages, who journeyed to the Youth Center on short notice to celebrate the 23-year-old hoops legend before he returned to Charlotte.

“This is something we needed to do because he deserves all the love and medicine we as a community can wrap him in. It’s like we always say, ‘If one of us makes it, then we all make it,’” explained grass-roots organizer Sara Hart. “I had support from Kim Kalliber who made the flyer, Jessica Bustad with getting this facility to host, and Chuckie Jones with organizing the coastal jam. I didn’t know what the turn out would be with only a few days to make this happen, but seeing the gym full now makes my heart so happy. Our community really came through.”

Kicking-off the cultural get-together, RaeQuan was blanketed by sisters Theresa and Shawnee Sheldon before being gifted a hand carved spirit mask necklace and custom paddle created by artist Ty Juvinel.

The 6-foot-5-inch RaeQuan was impossible to miss throughout the coastal jam that went well into the evening hours. He was either front and center with his mom and grandfather Hank Williams taking in all the glorious spiritual energy, on the court dancing with his fellow culture bearers, or, as was often the case, basking in community fandom by taking photos and signing autographs.

Youth, adults, and elders alike beamed with pride as they stood in the presence of the Tulalip trailblazer of the hardwood. RaeQuan was gracious enough to autograph any items they presented to him and didn’t say no to a single photo request. This seemingly simple act was not lost on Marlin Fryberg, who has known RaeQuan since before he could dribble a basketball.

“He definitely has the heart to give back to his community, supporters throughout Indian Country and the kids who idolize him. His desire and willingness to give back is an often-overlooked part of his story,” said Marlin. “He’s had challenges, some big, some small, but every challenge he’s managed to rise to the occasion. The whole community is proud of him. We hope he maintains this trajectory to reach heights none of us have seen before. He has a lot of work still to do, but he enters this next stage of his journey knowing he has the support of his Tribe every step of the way.

Tulalip Boys & Girls Club. Marysville Pilchuck High School. The University of Washington. Montana State University. West Virginia University. NBA Summer League. All of these are stages of RaeQuan’s basketball journey. As he’s journeyed through the world of basketball, he’s illustrated determination, adaptation, resiliency, and cultural pride.

He never shies away from telling people where he’s from and who he is as a proud Tulalip tribal member. That intention to never forgetting his roots, instead to showcase them whenever possible, is a big reason why so many from throughout Coast Salish territory showed up to shower him with all the positive vibes.

“This means the world to me that people not just from our reservation but other reservations and Canada, too, came together to sing and drum and really send me off on this next journey in the best possible way,” shared RaeQuan. “Tulalip and the game of basketball have been my whole world. For them to come together in this way, at this moment is just surreal to me.

“Everywhere I go and everyone I meet, I try to represent the Tribe in the best way that I can,” he continued. “I wouldn’t be here today with the opportunity I have before me if it wasn’t for my mom, my grandparents, and all the coaches and community supporters who have been courteous enough to help me along the way. All this support gives me the strength to kick down the door of the professional world.”

Breaking down barriers and getting buckets. In true RaeVolution style.

Savage Sage takes first place at Huckfest competition

Submitted by Christina Parker, Tulalip tribal member

Our 11 year old son Sage Parker aka “Savage Sage” has been competing in the UTV Takeover events for a few years. In April, Sage was at a race competition and ended up having a pretty intense roll, he flipped 3 times and totaled his cage and caused other damage on his car. We had to scramble to get his car rebuilt for the UTV Takeover Event that he practices for year around that started June 25.

Thankfully we were successful in getting his car repaired and ready for the events. Sage competed in the “Huckfest” competition on June 29. There is not a youth class for Sage to compete in, so he’s competing against grown adults.

There were so many cars that showed up to compete, they were able to break the competition into two classes, one for cars with Turbo and a NA Class (non-turbo). All of his hard work paid off and Sage won 1^st place in the non-turbo class and jumped 82 feet. The 2^nd place winner in non turbo class got 64 feet.

I have a lot of videos of it from the inside of his car, outside of his car and my perspective of the video, it’s fantastic! Sage is the youngest in the history of this sport to compete and win this competition and we believe he’s the only Native American competing in this sport.

Sage is an athlete/ambassador with the UTV Takeover Team and has two more events for 2024. September 3thru September 8 at Winchester Bay Dunes in Oregon and October 15 thru October 20 at Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane Utah.

Golfing fore a cause: Leah’s Dream Foundation celebrates 10th annual Golf Tournament

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

It was a gorgeous sunny day on July 13, and the clear blue skies accentuated the vibrant colors of the fairways and greens of the Battle Creek Golf Course. Over 100 golfers tee’d off for a great cause that afternoon to help raise funds and highlight the efforts of a local nonprofit, Leah’s Dream Foundation.

Established in 2015, Leah’s Dream has made a huge impact for the special needs children and young adults of Tulalip and Marysville over the years. Through their work, they have built up a strong community for the kids and their families, resulting in many lifelong friendships, core memories filled with entertaining activities and events, and countless smiles as the kids are afforded the opportunity to simply enjoy being their selves in a safe and fun environment.

Leah’s Dream hosts bi-monthly activity nights, which are a big hit and something their families always look forward to. Leah’s Dream Foundation is a major advocate for inclusion for the students with special needs who attend the Marysville School District. The foundation utilizes their funds to provide supplies, learning tools, snacks, and curriculum for the special needs classrooms within MSD. During the 22-23 school year, the nonprofit also provided funds for sensory playground equipment, that is wheelchair accessible, at the Grove and Marshall elementary schools. And recently, the foundation established an activity club, where karaoke reigns supreme during their get togethers.

The majority, if not all, of the funds used for activity nights, school supplies, and their famous Christmastime gathering, are raised at the foundation’s annual golf tournament. Though it is their one and only fundraiser, the golf tournament continues to grow in popularity each year and generates donations in the thousands. From the sponsors to the golfers, and we can’t leave out the volunteers from the Marysville Getchell Native American and Friends Club, everyone chips in to make this summertime event a hole-in-one. And that of course includes the foundation’s namesake and star of the course, Leah Stacy.

Leah, who is diagnosed with apraxia, was just a toddler when the first tournament was held in 2014, and throughout the years, she has been very hands-on in preparing for the annual fundraiser. From the first to the eighteenth hole, there were yard signs placed alongside the tee boxes and greens, that displayed the names of each sponsor. Every year, Leah looks forward to riding in the golf cart with her parents and personally placing the signs all throughout the course.

Leah’s mom and the nonprofit’s founder, Deanna Sheldon, shared, “Every single sign she puts out, she’s running across the course and standing by it with a permanent smile. She gets so pumped up! She loves Battle Creek so much because she’s been around it since she was very little – we come from a family of golfers, my dad goes out here every single day, my husband is the head pro here at Battle Creek, my nephews golf, I used to golf. And it’s been so great because we have so many people who participate and volunteer, who come every year and have seen her grow up. And they’re always amazed because she was four when we first started it and now, she’s fourteen.”

In addition to the main competition, the tournament also features a number of mini games at select tee boxes where golfers can try their luck, for a small donation, for various prizes. This year, Deanna worked a mini game station, at hole 3, where she was able to connect with the golfers and share in detail about Leah’s Dream Foundation. Upon learning more about the nonprofit, one golfer donated $1000 on the spot, through the Venmo app. Deanna also witnessed history, as the very first Leah’s Dream Foundation hole-in-one shot occurred at hole 3 this year.

The event also features a silent auction, and several themed gift baskets go up for bid. This year, the baskets included items such as golf attire, official Leah’s Dream Foundation branded gear, snacks, dog toys/treats, wine, and a nights stay at Angel of the Winds.

All told, with the help of 63 sponsors, 136 golfers, and numerous volunteers, the 10^th annual Leah’s Dream Foundation Golf Tournament raised a record breaking $51,000.

Said Deanna, “It was a very successful tournament. We had a total of 34 teams. Our sponsorships were really great this year. I ran the final numbers, and we raised over $51,000! It was a great way to celebrate 10 years. Our very first tournament, we had only 60 people sign up. Five years ago, we were excited when we had 100 players. It just really shows how far we’ve come, from raising $12,000 to now, it shows the importance in what we do.

“When we first started off, we just wanted to make a small impact, we never thought we were going to raise a lot of money. But as the years have gone on, I feel that in so many ways, by being able to give back to the community through our events and outreach, and our ability to raise awareness about autism and the special needs community, it shows everyone the importance of supporting each individual. The classroom feedback we got this year was great, we got cards from students and teachers saying how good it feels that they are being thought of. And we’re just happy that we’re able to do a lot more now. Because we are able to raise more money, we’re able to give back more than we were able to in the past. It’s a great accomplishment for a small nonprofit and it makes such an impact knowing that all the money goes to areas that are well-needed.”

To make a monetary donation, volunteer your personal time, or to simply learn more information about the nonprofit organization, you can visit their official site, www.LeahsDream.org. And to stay up to date on all of their ongoing events and activities, be sure to follow their two Facebook pages, Leah’s Dream Foundation and Leah’s Dream Activity Club.

Tulalip youth among 12,500 fans who showed out for Storm Kids Day

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Back in early April, the Seattle Storm announced the return of their third annual ‘Storm into STEM Kids Day’ presented by the Pacific Science Center and Washington State Department of Health. Shortly thereafter, leadership within Tulalip’s education division made the quick decision to add the kid-centered WNBA game to its lengthy list of summer activities.

When it comes to holding the attention of Tulalip’s wide-ranging youth, sports remain the best option. So many local middle school and high school-aged children routinely demonstrate their athletic prowess at the Youth Center’s multi-sport complex. From softball, kickball, soccer and football on the ball fields to volleyball and basketball in the airconditioned gymnasiums. Those families reliant on the Tribe’s youth-based programs and services to keep their kids active during summer break know just how much work and dedication goes into keeping this generation of teens engaged for an hour or two, let alone an entire day.

A memory-making excursion to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena to watch the some of the best women bucket getters in the world compete is something youth of all fitness levels can get excited for. Which is why an estimated 50 teens were shuttled from the rez to Seattle Center on Wednesday, July 10, to watch WNBA’s reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, take on the Storm.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a leadership team who thinks of our kids and coordinates activities and field trips, like this one, during the summer when our kids are out of school. As adults, we understand that not all kids have opportunities like this, but being Tulalip affords us a lot of benefits, especially as it comes to our children,” said youth enrichment manager Sarah Murphy.

Official game attendance was announced to be a tad over 12,500 for the 12:10pm tip-off between the Seattle Storm (14-7) and Las Vegas Aces (13-7). During the game, especially during timeouts and intermission, kids and families were able to engage in multiple activities aimed at boosting child interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics via activity booths located throughout Climate Pledge’s concourse.

“We love the atmosphere that Kids Day brings to Storm games, and that our Storm platform can provide a fun and educational experience for youth during a Seattle Storm game in the summer,” stated Alisha Valavanis, Storm President and CEO. “We are grateful to our partners at the Department of Health and Pacific Science Center for helping create a memorable and meaningful day for these kids.”

Among the many activities planned, highlights from Pacific Science Center included a full-sized model human skeleton that participants could build and take apart, earthquake shake tables to build and test different structures on, and a hand battery, in which kids used their hands to complete a battery circuit. Delta Dental was on hand as well, offering volt green sunglasses and toothbrushes to motivate the young tikes to take proper care of their eyes and teeth.

During halftime, with the Storm up 36-30 over the defending champs, 14-year-old Daylen Jones said, “This is so cool! Being able to watch the best players play their game and be so fundamentally sound is definitely cool. I hope to be able to do the things they do on the court. I’ve watched by older sisters get buckets against boys and men my whole life, so watching these ladies get buckets is, like, normal to me, I’d say.”

Following the ultra competitive ball game that nearly yielded an epic Storm comeback, the Seattle venturing group of Tulalips were welcomed onto center court for a picture. Several of the kids took the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imagine themselves as professional basketballers and shoot imaginary buzzer-beaters at the Storm baskets. Of course, their imaginary shots hit nothing but nylon. Swish.

Proud mama bear, Sheena Oldham, has witnessed her two boys take untold numbers of basketball shots, real and imagined. No way were they going to miss out the opportunity to watch professional basketball players do their thang.

“It’s just so inspiring in so many aspects because I grew up on the court and in a sports world that didn’t like women’s basketball,” shared activities specialist Sheena Oldham. “If I got on the court back in the day, I had to learn to play with guys at their speed and meet them at their level, meaning their physicality and especially their criticism. So to see the joy on our kids’ faces as they watch women’s basketball is beyond cool. And hearing my son Keoni say “Caitlin Clark!” as he’s shooting a 3-pointer is truly amazing. It shows just how far the women’s game has come and proves we can all appreciate women’s sports.”

Summer League Battle

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

RaeQuan Battle continues to be a trailblazer for his legion of Tulalip supporters, fans, and eager viewers who watch his game and hardwood opportunities continue to evolve, whether that’s attending his games in-person or through use of a digital screen.

He’s gotten buckets on all levels. From the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club recreational leagues and Marysville Pilchuck’s 3A high school competition to the NCAA stage; first at the University of Washington, then at Montana State where he averaged 17.7 points per game, before finally leading West Virginia as a 5^th year collegiate standout scoring 16.1 points per game.

Now, the 23-year-old Tulalip icon is soaring to new heights as a paid professional on the Charlotte Hornet’s Summer League squad.

“Just being here is a surreal thing,” shared RaeQuan. “Growing up on the rez and being a basketball player, I learned at a young age the importance of hard work, commitment, and to always keep pushing to be better. To be where I am now with the opportunity to earn an NBA roster spot, it just means the world to me. Knowing that I didn’t settle just on my talent, but kept working and sacrificing to build my skills and that got me here, it’s really a joyous thing. And knowing I have the support of my Tribe, friends and family, and so many young hoopers on not just our rez but many others, too, continues to push me and my game to new heights.”

For those unfamiliar, NBA Summer League is an annual event that showcases the talents of young basketball players in a competitive setting. Summer League provides an opportunity for NBA teams to evaluate potential prospects, determine roster depth, and gauge the development of their current players. For RaeQuan, this high-profile opportunity to showcase his skills against top tier talent could result in a two-way contract with an NBA team or a bona fide, fulltime call up to the Association.

The July-wide Summer League slate started with the California Classic in Sacramento from July 6-9 before proceeding to the NBA2K25 in Las Vegas from July 12-22. At the California Classic, the Hornets competed against the San Antonio Spurs, Chinese National Team and Sacramento Kings.

Here are RaeQuan’s most notable stat lines from those three games.

Charlotte Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs: Played 14 minutes. Scored 12 points on 4/7 shooting with 1 rebound and 1 steal
Charlotte Hornets vs. Team China: Played 13 minutes. Scored 9 points on 4/8 shooting with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

In their most recent posting, NBA Scouting Live described RaeQuan as an agile, skilled swingman that can knock down shots to help his team on offense. Indeed, he got enough burn in two of those California Classic games to create eye-popping moments that trended on social media throughout Indian Country.

Dawning the classic white, purple and teal colors of the Charlotte franchise, he buzzed around the 3-point arc and stung San Antonio with his long-range marksmanship with four made 3-pointers. Against the Chinese national team his athleticism was on full display during two separate rim rattling moments, both resulting in an aggressive, two-hand jam.

“Knowing so many of our Tulalip youth are following Rae on social media and keeping note of the Summer League tv schedule so they can root for him from home is so special,” said RaeQuan’s mama bear, Jacquie Williams. “It brings so much joy to my heart because not being in a big metro area, like Seattle where Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas, and others are examples of how life changing basketball can be, instead our kids have one of their own to be their hoops hero…they have RaeQuan Battle.”

Summer League Battle intends to maximize his time court time as competition moves to Las Vegas. Those wanting to tune in and catch him wearing the iconic Jerry West logo on his chest can find his upcoming games broadcasted on ESPN2 or NBATV.

Airbender at work: Kendra Miller coaches BYU Ultimate to Top 12 ranking

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Ultimate Frisbee, often simply called “ultimate”, is experiencing a surge in popularity across college campuses nationwide. With more than 18,000 student-athletes competing on 800-plus teams, the college division is ultimate’s largest demographic, according to the sport’s national governing body USA Ultimate.

The popularity of college sports in America is not limited to NCAA varsity programs. Ultimate has proven that club sports can establish a rich tradition and elicit the same excitement and emotion from players, fans and alumni alike. Tulalip tribal member Kendra Miller checks all those boxes – player, fan, alumni – and one more, coach.

The 29-year-old played for Brigham Young University’s ultimate team for four years as a featured player. After her head coach departed following her senior season, Kendra was approached by school officials and asked if she was interested in filling the vacated head coach position. She graciously accepted and has been leading BYU ultimate for the past six years.

In her most recent stint patrolling the sidelines, Kendra witnessed the BYU Cougars skyrocket up the national rankings and sustain their early season success well into the postseason. The 2024 regular season lasted from early January through mid-April and resulted in a set of national rankings. BYU climbed as high as #10 in the entire country during the season and entered the Northwest Regional round of the postseason as #11, out of 800 eligible teams.

In an opportune twist of fate, the Northwest Regionals were hosted at the Skagit River Sports Complex (45-minutes north of Tulalip) in early May. This playoff tournament brought together the best of the best ultimate programs from the Northwest Region, which included the University of Washington, Oregon, University of British Columbia, and BYU.

After routing Montana by the score of 13-5 and then coming up just short to Oregon 10-13, BYU had an hour-long break before taking to the field again to face-off with U.W. During rest period, two BYU upperclassmen and team captains shared how much Kenda means to them as players and to their collegiate program.

“It’s been such a great experience being coached by Kendra. Something I really admire about her coaching style is she is strict and disciplined but in a way that motivates us to push ourselves to achieve the greatest things,” reflected BYU senior captain Madison Robinson. “For example, at our team camp that occurred before the season, she asked each one of us what are goals we wanted to achieve this year. She didn’t tell us what goals we should have or what goals she wanted for us. Instead, she listened to all of us and then worked with each player individually over the course of the season to progress towards achieving those pre-season goals we set for ourselves. That’s the best part for me, I think, is because she is such an outstanding ultimate player herself that she’s capable and willing to demonstrate to us what it takes to excel on the club and pro level.

“Something else that’s so amazing about Kendra is you have to realize our coaches aren’t paid to understand how insane it is the hours she puts in to make sure we have every opportunity to be the best team possible,” continued Madison. “For example, between practices she’s watching game film and cutting us reels to show what we did well, what we could do better, and adapting game strategy for our next opponent. She puts in so many hours behind the scenes just because she cares about our team and is committed to seeing us do well.”

Added junior captain Autumn Porter, “I couldn’t agree more. Watching Kendra play and then being coached by her is such an inspiration. She’s always pushing us to strive for reaching our full potential, which means always being open to learning new skills and never settling for anything less than 100% effort. Everything she does as a coach comes from her experience as a former BYU player and current pro. She also has the experience of playing with and against some of the best ultimate teams out there, plus she’s won nationals. So, for me, as someone who dreams of playing in the pro level, it’s like she’s teaching us how to play, practice, and act as pros even though we’re still in college. It’s a really unique experience and a welcomed one for those us who feel like we’re being prepared to play at the next level.”

Following the two BYU captains’ interviews, they reconvened with the rest of their team and got in a proper warmup before taking to the field to face-off with the purple and gold wearing Dawgs. BYU put up a valiant effort, losing by a close score of 11-13. They rebounded superbly by absolutely destroying their day’s final opponent, Oregon State, by a whopping margin of 13-3.

“I’m so proud of this team, not just for how much they achieved on the field but also for how much each player has grown and embraced their roles on our team,” said coach Kendra. “We made school history by making it to the Regional round. This is an amazing accomplishment! Especially when you consider we were without one of our top players for this Northwest Regional Tournament. Making it here, earning wins against Montana and Oregon State, and battling to the very end vs. Oregon and Washington… there’s so much for these ladies to be proud of.”

Upon the completion of BYU’s season, Kendra now shifts her focus from coaching collegiately to airbending on the most prestigious platform ultimate has to offer, Team USA. After an extensive series of workouts and qualifications where she performed with the nation’s best ultimate players, she was named to the 24-woman roster who will competing at the upcoming World Ultimate Championships hosted in Australia this summer.

Heritage Hawks golf team shines at Tri-Districts

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News

On Wednesday, May 14, the Tulalip Heritage High School golf team hosted the 2b/1b Tri-District Golf Tournament for the first time at Tulalip’s Battle Creek Golf Course. The weather was perfect as 62 girls and boys, including Tulalip Heritage seniors Tieriana Mclean and Lincoln Pablo, competed, aiming to qualify for the highly anticipated WIAA State Tournament.

To qualify for the 18-hole match, boys needed to shoot under 55 and girls under 65 on the first nine holes. This target posed no problem for Pablo as he managed to stay in the top 3 at the turn. Although he lost a few strokes on hole ten, Pablo maintained his composure, rallied back, and finished the match with a score of 89. With this score, Pablo would finish tenth out of 34, making the 17-spot cut-off and stamping his ticket to the state tournament.

“Last year, I made tri-districts, but it didn’t go well,” Pablo said. “This year, I worked hard to improve. On hole 5, I hit a great approach shot from the tee box and put the ball within 120 yards of the green. Then I took my nine-iron and hit the ball about 8 yards from the pin, finishing the hole with a par. This tournament has been amazing; the growth I have seen in myself over the last couple of years has been incredible. My family here supporting me has been wonderful.”

With some fantastic shots, Mclean kept it close to the players on the leaderboard. One such shot was on hole number 6, where Mclean sank a ten-foot-plus shot to save a bogey. With a par on hole 9, Mclean would end the front nine with a 54, battling for a tournament spot on the back nine. After a rough start and putting up a 13 on hole 13, Mclean dug deep, strung together a few suitable holes, and shot a 112, putting herself in 12^th place out of 28 contestants, placing in the top 14 ultimately qualifying for the state tournament.

Coaches J.T. and Dinesha Kane closely followed the players. Playing on Tulalip’s home turf was a bonus.

J.T. said, “It was a big doing bringing the tournament to Tulalip. We wanted to be the hub for the tournament because we wanted the teams from down south and up north to meet us on our tribe and represent our inaugural season. We’ve worked hard; our kids are ready to show that we are a golf high school and community.”

When asked what he was most proud of, J.T. remarked, “Mindset; if I had one word, it would be mindset. Their ability to overcome the course’s multiple obstacles was remarkable and I can’t wait to see what they have at state.”

The match at Battle Creek Golf Course showcased the talent and determination of the Tulalip Heritage golf team. The team’s ability to host and compete at such a high level marks a significant achievement for Heritage and sets a new standard for the school’s golf program, ensuring that the team will be formidable in future tournaments.