OIHS sends baseball team to state; softball season concludes; track has strong state showing
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026
by Declan O’Malley
Sounder contributor
Postseason baseball continued last Thursday for Orcas Island Vikings at the district tournament at Skagit Valley College, as the Vikings secured a spot in the state tournament with a split in two postseason games.
Orcas Island opened the day with a 5-3 victory over the Friday Harbor Wolverines in a noon matchup. The win guaranteed the Vikings a berth in the state postseason tournament and kept their season alive in district play.
Later in the afternoon, the Vikings faced the Mount Vernon Christian Hurricanes and fell 13-2 in the second game of the day at 3 p.m.
Despite the loss, Orcas Island advanced to the state tournament following its earlier postseason win over Friday Harbor.
The Vikings enter state tournament play with an overall record of 11-9. Orcas Island finished second in the 1B/2B Northwest League district standings with a 9-5 record. The Vikings posted a 5-4 mark at home and went 6-5 on the road.
OIHS softball saw its postseason run come to an end Thursday, May 14, in the Northwest 1B/2B district tournament action.
In the opening game, OIHS fell to Friday Harbor High School 15-5, ending the Vikings’ season while sending Friday Harbor into the next round of the bracket.
The Vikings finished the season 9-9 overall and 5-4 in district play, placing third in the 1B/2B Northwest league. Orcas Island went 3-4 at home, 6-4 on the road, and 0-1 at neutral sites, scoring 191 runs while allowing 174. The team ended the year on a four-game losing streak.
Friday Harbor advanced through the bracket and faced Coupeville High School for the district championship, where Coupeville earned a 7-4 victory to claim first place. Friday Harbor finished as district runner-up after advancing through elimination play.
The district tournament concluded with Coupeville securing the title, Friday Harbor finishing second, and Orcas Island wrapping up its season following the opening-round loss.
Orcas Island athletes turned in a strong overall performance at the Coupeville track and field meet, picking up event wins, podium finishes, and several personal-best marks across both boys and girls Northwest 2B competition.
Orcas Island’s standout male athlete on the track was Jaxon Silver, who captured the NW 2B 200-meter title in 23.20 before returning to win the 400 meters in 51.94, leading a strong sprint showing for the Vikings.
In distance events, Gabriel Chapman earned a win in the 800 meters with a time of 2:04.36, helping set the tone for Orcas Island’s middle-distance group. Chapman also contributed on the relay side as part of a strong 4×400 performance.
Joaquin Shanks-Morales added a podium finish in the 400 meters, placing fourth in 55.10, while Elijah Griffith followed Chapman’s lead in the 800, placing third in 2:06.91.
In the 1600 meters, Connor McCullough (4th, 5:13.82) and Ossian Merkel (5th, 5:25.82, PB) both scored key finishes. McCullough also returned in the 3200 meters, placing 6th in 13:28.96, while Kai Park added a strong 3rd-place finish in 11:11.98 (PB) in the 3200.
In field events, Orcas Island picked up key points from Chase Connell, who placed 3rd in the shot put (42-00.50) and won the NW 2B discus in a standout throw of 154-08 (season best). Angelo Vaccarella added a 5th-place finish in the high jump (5-06 PB), and Gus Carpenter contributed in both the high jump and long jump with consistent placements.
On the girls’ side, Orcas Island delivered several strong distance and field performances led by Flora Compton, who won the 1600 meters in 5:48.38 and later added a 3200-meter victory in 12:56.82, controlling both races from start to finish.
In the 800 meters, Neave Gilliam placed third in 2:37.46 (PB), continuing her season-long improvement.
In the sprints, Margo Winter-Lamphear posted a strong 200-meter performance, placing fourth in 28.35 (SB).
Field events provided additional scoring as Sofia Mahony-Jaureg won the NW 2B javelin with a throw of 107-06, while Isabelle Villard placed second in the shot put (28-05.50) and added a fourth-place finish in discus. Lola Walker also contributed in the javelin with a 9th-place finish (64-01).
