Notebook: Women coaches make mark

TACOMA — The Class 3A state girls basketball tournament has been a celebration of women coaches the past five years.

The championship trophy has gone to teams with a female head coach at in each of those seasons. Twice, both finalists have had women in charge, including last night's showdown between Lakeside's Sandy Schneider and Seattle Prep's Michelle Hall.

Of the four teams in the semifinals, only Black Hills has a male head coach, Paul Dretsch. He loves the trend.

"I hope the day comes when there's no men coaches of girls teams," he said. "It would be nice to see women handling them all."

Dretsch, who has been coaching on and off for 25 years, believes it is important for young girls to have women role models and said he always tries to have one or two female assistants.

"Men can be wonderful role models, too," Schneider said.

Schneider, who won her 401st game last night to earn her fifth state title, never misses an opportunity to point out the successes of her peers. The top four finishers at the Sea-King District had women coaches.

"I mentioned that to my girls," she said. "I want them to notice that women can be successful and have leadership roles in society."

Of the five teams with women coaches that qualified this year, all but one placed in the top eight.

Meadowdale dress code

Meadowdale players dressed in style for their final game of the season yesterday, adorned in the same uniforms the 2000 championship team wore.

Some extra motivation to finish with a win and play like champions, even though this was in the consolation bracket?

"Uh, yeah, that, too," Tara Jacobs said.

Turns out the choice wasn't about tradition, but style. Jacobs and Jacci Baker, the lone seniors on the team, made the call and they love the Columbia baby blue of the 2000 uniforms.

Players also wore throw-back Meadowdale knee-highs for their game with Bellevue, white socks on their left legs, navy on their right. The look worked. The Mavs won 45-35 to earn the fourth-place trophy.

Shaughnessy can't complain

Lauren Shaughnessy has no complaints.

She and her Bellevue teammates never reached the pinnacle at the Class 3A state tournament. But the Wolverines still had impressive climbs with Shaughnessy running the show the past four years: four state tournaments, four state trophies, including a seventh-place finish yesterday.

"I've been blessed, I really have," the senior point guard said. "I couldn't really have asked for much more. Some girls never get to state. It's just been such a ride."

A ride that has defined Shaughnessy, who play at St. Mary's in Moraga, Calif., consumed her.

"It's been my identity," she said. "It's been everything to me. I don't know if I'll remember anything else about high school."

Brewe hopes to avoid surgery

Quinn Brewe's left knee aches after every game.

The Meadowdale junior missed 12 games this season with a knee injury, returning late last month. She said she's scheduled to have the injury re-evaluated this week, but she's hoping to avoid surgery.

"I don't want to miss any more basketball," Brewe said.

The 6-foot-1 Brewe, considered one of the top juniors in the state, averaged 20.3 points and 11.3 rebounds over the final three games.

Notes

• Seattle Prep principal Matt Barmore won $100 for his school in a shooting contest at halftime of the Seattle Prep-Lakeside championship game. Barmore, who played basketball at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, swished a halfcourt basket with a one-handed underhand toss. "I can't reach it any other way," Barmore said with a smile.

• Mary Vandenhazel, Black Hills assistant coach, played on Tumwater's 1981 team that won the 3A (then AA) title.

Correspondent Terry Wood contributed to this notebook.

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