Is anyone interested in forming a team of septuagenarians for the HOTS triathlon July 25? I’ve already got a team name: Old Enough To Know Better (OETKB).

I will take the bike or run leg. A swimmer and another bicyclist/runner are needed.

Our objective would be to finish in a vertical posture, being faster than a few young teams would be a bonus.

Octogenarians or even a mature sexagenarian are welcome.

If you are interested see www.hotstriathlon.org for information on the race and e-mail me at rik4sch@mac.com.

My calendar says six more days until summer and that means I should have been training for the Bill Burby Run, coming up July 17. Actually I have been getting out on the road for short runs between World Cup games.

June 26 is the first Vashon Ultra 50K and 10-mile run. Limited to 120 entries, it was full a month before the race. See www.vashonultra.com for information. The race starts and finishes at Paradise Ridge Park.

The Heart of the Sound triathlon returns to Jensen Point July 25. See www.hotstriathlon.org for information.

Will the hydroplanes be out on July 4? I hope so. It’s hard to know ahead of time as most of the drivers pull their boats out of the blackberries about a week before. I know some people think we should ban the hydros and be quiet and genteel. After all, who ever heard of making noise on the Fourth? Ask my dog, Bogey. He is a bundle of nerves for two or three days as islanders set off all the fireworks that they can’t bring to the Island or use in King County.

For quieter water sports there is the rowing race, quieter but the competitors are more serious than the hydro folks.

Have fun this summer, and don’t just watch.

Congratulations to Pirate Tyler Stoffer. The Vashon runner took seventh place in the 110-meter hurdles at the State Track Meet at Eastern Washington University in Cheney today. Stoffer stopped the clock at 17.13, a tad slower than his 16.40 in yesterday preliminary heat but fast enough to earn the Pirates’ only medal at this year’s meet.

Corrected at 9:15 p.m.

Just looking at the results from day one at the State 1A Track Meet.

Vashon’s Tyler Stoffer high jumped 5 feet, 10 inches for seventh place to earn his first state medal today.

Correction: Applying the tie-breaker for the high jump, Stoffer placed ninth in the event, based on the number of missed jumps before clearing the final height.

Stoffer also guaranteed himself another a medal by qualifying for tomorrow’s final in the 110-meter hurdles. Stoffer’s time in his preliminary heat was 16.40 seconds, making him the 8th fastest qualifier. All eight finalists will get medals.

Vashon’s other State entrants, Kate Straube in the 100 hurdles and James Spencer in the 400, didn’t qualify for the finals.

Three serious Pirates are ready for State. From left, James Spencer, 400-meter dash; Kate Straube, 100 hurdles and Tyler Stoffer, high jump and 110 hurdles.

They ran, they jumped, and two of them did both to earn a trip to the State Track Meet at Cheney next weekend.

Vashon senior Kate Straube and juniors James Spencer and Tyler Stoffer qualified for State at Saturday’s Tri-District final meet and freshman Landon Summers is an alternate.

Stoffer was the first Vashon qualifier of the day with a fifth-place finish in the 110-meter hurdles. The top five boys in each event qualified for State. After the hurdles, Stoffer returned to the high jump pit to register a vertical leap of 5 feet, 8 inches for a three-way tie for second in the event.

Straube followed up with a sixth-place in the 100-meter hurdles. The top six girls qualified for State.

Spencer concluded the Pirate run with a blazing 51.5-second PR in the 400-meter dash for third place.

Summers was the last high jumper to be eliminated when he missed his third attempt at 5-8. His successful 5-6 jump earned him sixth place and the alternate spot. If one of the top five should scratch before Thursday Summers will join his teammates for the trip to Cheney.

Landon Summers cleared 5 feet, 6 inches to earn an alternate State spot.

Vashon track and golf athletes are still competing while it looks all other sports are wrapped up for the school year.

Congratulations to Scott Smith and Cole Devereau, who qualified for the State Golf tournament. The pair of Pirates tee off for the first round next Tuesday, May 25, at Columbia Point Golf Club in Richland. Golfers who make the cut play the championship round the next day on the same course.

James Spencer, right, competes in the Sub-District Meet at Orting last week.

Four track athletes compete tomorrow, Saturday, May 22, in the Tri-District Meet at Kings High School. Still alive in the quest for a State berth are James Spencer, 400-meter dash; Tyler Stoffer, 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles and high jump; Kate Straube, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles; and Landon Summers, high jump.

The top five boys and top six girls in each event qualify for the State Meet next Friday and Saturday, May 28 and 29, at Eastern Washington University in Cheney.

Good luck to all the Pirates tomorrow and next week.

Will O'Neil shoots for Vashon's only goal.

The Pirate boys soccer season ended Wednesday when Meridian beat Vashon 2-1 in a Bi-District game at Whatcom Community College.

The Trojans struck first with a looping shot from about 20 yards that just cleared goalkeeper Robert McGinnis’ fingertips. Meridian carried the 1-0 lead into the break.

Pirate coach Paul Beytebiere’s half time talk got the Pirates fired up and they answered the second-half whistle running. In the third minute of the half Will O’Neil took a feed from Elias Weston and beat the Trojan keeper to even the score.

Neither team could gain an advantage until late in the half when a Meridian player won a foot race with a Vashon defender and put the ball low in the right side of the net.

The win qualified Meridian for State. They play Coupeville, winners over Orting, on Saturday to determine third and fourth state seed. Charles Wright, the only surviving Nisqually League team, plays Kings for first and second seed.

While Vashon’s season is over the Pirates won’t hang up their cleats until after the June 5 Alumni Game. The game is 1 p.m. at Vashon High School Stadium. The season wraps up with the annual awards banquet and potluck at 6 p.m. Sunday June 6.

Elias Weston beats a Meridian player near the touchline.

May 8, 2010.

Vashon 4, Port Townsend 1. Two goals each by Will O’Neil and Elias Weston. Goalkeeper Robert McGinnis got an assist on one of Weston’s goals.

More details and a picture later.

The Pirates advance to Bi-Districts playoffs. The next game is 4:40 p.m. Wednesday at Whatcom CC, Bellingham against Meridian.

Boys soccer May 6: Port Townsend 2, Cascade Christian 1

Port Townsend may have one of the last politically incorrect mascots, but they can still play soccer.

Next game for Vashon is 1 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, at Orting Stadium. Vashon plays Port Townsend for the #3 seed to the Bi-District Tournament. Winner goes on to play the #2 seed from the Northwest District (north of Seattle) at a NWD site on Wednesday, May 12. Both games are loser out. Winner of Wednesday’s game earns a trip to State.

GO PIRATES!

Boys Soccer:

Nisqually League 1A final league standings

May 4 — End of regular season

W   L  T   Pt

Charles Wright      10  0  0   30

Orting                         6  2  2    20

Vashon                       5  3  2    17

Cascade Christian    2  4  4    10

Life Christian            2  8  0     6

Chimacum                  0  9  1      1

Sub-district playoffs West Central District (WCD):

Thursday May 6:

Cascade Christian @ Port Townsend 5:30 p.m. (loser out)

Saturday May 8 @ Orting Stadium:

Vashon v CC/PT winner, 1 p.m. (winner #3 seed to Bi-District, loser out)

Charles Wright v Orting, 3 p.m. (#1 & #2 seed to Bi-District)

Bi-District — Northwest District (NWD) & (WCD):

Wednesday May 12 @ higher seed:

Game 1: WCD #2 v NWD #3 (loser out)

Game 2: WCD #3 v NWD #2 (loser out)

Saturday May 15 @ Orting:

Winner #1 v Winner #2, 1 p.m. #3 & #4 seed to State

WCD #1 v NWD #2, 3 p.m. #1 & #2 seed to State

Baseball:

May 4 (Pigtail game):

Vashon 3, Charles Wright 0

Friday May 7 @ Charles Wright:

Vashon v Seattle Christian, 3:30 p.m. Sub-district