Western States High School Finalists Both Seattle Teams!

UPDATE!!

The Western States tournament turned out a strong Seattle contingent in both the High School and the Club.  With the Seattle Women's team winning the club division championship, and the two finalists from the non-CIF team division being Mercer Island and Bainbridge Northwest Lacrosse, again, shows its steel.  Other local teams include Holy Names and Seattle Prep.  Both Mercer Island and Bainbridge are undefeated in their divisions here in Seattle, ironic that they should meet at the finals in the Western States tournament.  Seattle Prep won the Tourney in '02 and '03 beginning the reign on the trophy.  This year, Bainbridge took top honors with a win over Mercer Island 7-4.  Congratulations Girls on your great efforts by bringing the trophy to Washington another year!

Press Release:

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford Women's Lacrosse program is excited to host the 2005 Sling It Western States Lacrosse Tournament for the third year in a row. Tournament games begin Saturday April 2nd, and go through Sunday, April 3rd, after Stanford battles Cal Friday April 1st at 7:30pm to kick off a big lacrosse weekend. The tournament is at capacity with a field of 50 teams entered, reflecting the continued growth of the game. Tournament action features local high schools in the California Federated Division, visiting high schools from Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Ohio, and Colorado in the other high school division, and collegiate and post-collegiate competition in the open club division.
Close to 1000 players, referees, and fans will visit the Stanford campus for this weekend's tournament. Games will be played on the athletic fields adjacent to El Camino Real, including Maloney Stadium, Maloney practice fields, IM South fields, the Varsity Turf Field, and Stanford Stadium.

Similar in theory to the deBeer East/West Challenge, the Western States Tournament allows Stanford to continue to play a major role in promoting lacrosse in the community. Head coach Michele Uhlfelder , along with her players and assistants Sarah Hughes , Kylee Reade , and Jim Moss, have worked hard to fulfill the program's mission of being the hub of lacrosse on the west coast. By Stanford Lacrosse hosting large events, scheduling big games, and earning a #14 national ranking last year, the game's exposure has sky-rocketed. Uhlfelder says, "Our team will put on our volunteer hats versus our cleats this weekend so that we can continue our dedication to hosting events where we can give players, coaches, refs, and fans a great experience in the game. We have been inspired by so much positive feedback from our camps and other events...it's kind of contagious."

The tournament will feature lacrosse equipment and apparel sales from some of the games top local, national, and international retailers. Sling It will serve as the tournament's title sponsor for the first time.