The 2023-24 season was packed with spectacular moments worth remembering. Athletes’ hardworking, spirited attitudes across sports once again proved what it means to be a bulldog.

Fall:

• Football: The Garfield football team closed out a solid season finishing fourth in the Metro League with a 7-3 record. Led by Berkeley bound-quarterback EJ Caminong, Washington commit Rashawn Clark, and All-American track star Reggie Witherspoon III, the team boasted lots of top-tier talent.

• Volleyball: The Volleydawgs only lost one league game in 2023, closing out an outstanding season by finishing first in metros. Although primarily composed of a young core of Sophomores and Juniors, the team also had impressive senior talent, including UC Davis bound Nicole Kwatz and Regis University commit Taya Poydras, each of whom dominated the court and contributed to the Volleydawgs’ success.

• Cross Country: As usual, the cross country team made camaraderie a priority, building community through sleepovers and pre-meet pasta feeds. The team stayed competitive through intense competition. Three runners qualified for the state meet in Pasco: seniors Aaron Johnson, Colten Ladd, and Phoebe Bryar. All three athletes ran personal bests in the district meet beforehand and performed well in the state meet.
• Girls Swim and Dive: Even with a season record of 3-5 the Bullfrogs had tons of fun and an impressive postseason. The team sent their only diver to states, sophomore Sunshine Teplitsky. Three swimmers competed in individual events at the state meet: Junior Maddie Rivard, senior Cole Liffman, and sophomore Sophie Pham. Pham notably achieved second place in the 100-yard butterfly and broke the school record. Rivard broke both the school and the Metro league record in the 100-yard breaststroke and got fourth in the event at state. Additionally, the Bullfrogs’ 200-yard free relay placed second, their 200-yard medley relay placed third, and both broke the school record.

Winter:

• Girls Basketball: The Girls Basketball Team narrowly defeated Mead 62-59 to win an unprecedented fourth straight 3A state championship. Led by Oregon bound 4-star Katie Fiso, along with help from senior Maya Davis, and juniors Jayda Lewis and Sarah Lessig, the team romped to a 15-2 regular season performance before going undefeated in districts and the state tournament. Too easy…

• Boys Basketball: After losing four starters from last year’s state championship team, boys basketball leaned heavily on junior phenom Legend Smiley to carry them to a 16-5 regular season record and victory over O’Dea in the Metro League finals. Unfortunately, the lack of depth caught up to them at state, and the team fell to O’Dea in the quarterfinals. A talented young core will return next season.

• Wrestling: With a bigger group than in previous years, the wrestling team performed respectably in metros and is well-positioned for future success. Notably, senior Lily Collet placed first in both metros and regionals, easily qualifying for state, with sophomore Hadley Carscaddon also securing a bid.
• Bowling: The newly founded Bowldawgs took a massive leap forward at the lanes this past year, winning an impressive six matches and sending senior Mia Thomas to the state tournament. Team members described a unique and unwaveringly positive sense of team spirit that carried them through the season. 
• Boys Swim and Dive: The swim team was strong as a whole this year, and stood firm in the competitive metro league, earning a 4-4 season record. Every member of the team qualified for metros, a rarity in the league. Garfield’s powerful 200-yard medley relay placed 18th in states. Seattle Academy recruit, senior Liam Mahoney, also gave an especially impressive performance in the 100-yard butterfly, placing 13th at the state meet. The team sent one diver, sophomore Luke Lendevay, to the district meet.

Spring:

• Baseball: Even with a talent-loaded lineup, Garfield baseball struggled to score runs against strong teams this season. Despite their difficulties, the Bulldogs did pick up a big win against Lakeside – a notoriously strong baseball program. The team looks forward to building up their promising young core of players for next year. 

• Softball: The fastpitch team established their dominance on the diamond this year. After a brief rocky start to their season, the team picked up eighteen consecutive wins heading into playoffs. The Bulldogs were consistently ranked a top-five team in the state and ended Roosevelt’s two-year winning streak in the Metro League. After advancing through metros and districts, the dawgs are looking forward to a competitive run at state. With a talented young core, the team has much to be excited about in the coming years. 
• Boys soccer: Recovering from a slow start, boys soccer went on to finish the regular season 11-7-3 and position themselves well for Metro playoffs. Unfortunately, as time expired in the opening round, Seattle Prep managed a late goal to send the Bulldogs into the losers bracket. Unable to lose any more games, the team went undefeated against Blanchet, O’Dea, Roosevelt, Silas and won in penalty kicks in a rematch versus Prep. They now face Auburn Riverside in the 3A semi-finals. 
• Track and Field: Garfield’s largest sport was bolstered by many powerful athletes this season. Standout performances included senior Tawaf Aboudou’s district wins in the 100-meter dash and the long jump, and senior Jonathan Sadler’s school record in the discus. Eleven members of the team are competing at the state meet from May 23 to 25.

• Tennis: After dominating the lower division last year, the tennis team struggled to find the same success against upper division teams, picking up only three wins. Nevertheless, they advanced boys and girls doubles teams to metros, where the girls (with a little luck from their opponents getting into a car wreck on the way to the match), won three straight games to advance to districts.
• Boys lacrosse: Despite failing to get a win, boys lacrosse finished off the season with their heads held high. In looking to the future, the team hopes for increased school engagement, which could lead to more players and potentially more success against powerhouses like SAAS and O’Dea. 
• Girls lacrosse: Girls lacrosse finished their season with a winning percentage significantly higher than boys lacrosse, despite only winning one game. While the state of Garfield lacrosse may not be as strong as some of the other bulldog sports, senior Abby Nakamoto points to teamwork as what sets the group apart. With members from Bush, Franklin, U Prep and more, the team worked hard to bond, racking up many social wins!