Return to flip book view
THE TYEEDIFFERENCEYOUR SUPPORT. THEIR FUTURE. OUR HUSKIES.INTRODUCING COACH DEBOERPAGE 3CONVERSATION WITH COACH: BEACH VOLLEYBALLPAGE 6 A CHARMED LIFE NEARLY BROKENPAGE 9THE INSPIRATIONAL MILT BOHARTPAGE 1 0HONORING A HUSKY LEGENDPAGE 1 1WINTER 2022HUSKIES SHINE ON NATIONAL STAGEPAGES 4 – 5
WHAT A RIDE! THANK YOU, HUSKY NATION.By Jamie Clark Head Coach, Washington Men’s SoccerWhen our team’s historic run to the 2021 NCAA College Cup nally ended, the magic remained.It had been a spectacular ride through an 18-2-2 season that tied our program’s record for most wins, set the bar for the best start to a season in program history, and saw Husky Men’s Soccer make it to the national championship game for the rst time ever. We took silver to Clemson’s gold in a tough 2-0 nal match, but as disappointed as we were, no one wanted it to end.Together, united as we’d been all season, our team remained on the eld amid and long after the winning team’s celebration. When the grounds crew nally shooed us o to the locker room, we stayed there until they turned the lights out on us. This year, this team, this experience, it was all too special to say goodbye.These are the moments we live for as coaches. We tell our players: persevere, give your all in every practice, play your role, grow, improve, push each other, put the team rst. Then you get an extraordinary group of student-athletes, along with a few lucky breaks, and it all comes together. They believe in each other and in their ability to win. They experience something so rich and meaningful that it becomes part of them forever.One other milestone meant the world to us this season: we broke the record for home game attendance. Our alumni, fans and donors were the extra power behind our kicks. Because of you, we had the resources and support we needed to excel. Add to that a sta and an Athletic Department that did everything possible to make the team feel special and what you get is, well, magic. I’m so fortunate to call this a job. It’s an honor to see these young men fulll their potential. Now, we have a shared belief that we can make it to the championship game. Each season is reinvention. Each student-athlete a success story yet to be written. Thank you all for coming along for the ride!THE TYEE DIFFERENCEPublished by the University of Washington Tyee ClubVOLUME 8, NUMBER 1 WINTER 2022UW Tyee Club members support the academic and athletic experiences of more than 650 University of Washington student-athletes in 22 men’s and women’s sports. Your gifts account for nearly 25 percent of the funding we need to recruit the most sought-after student-athletes, hire the best coaches, develop championship teams and build facilities that make the fan experience second to none. You make all the dierence.WRITING Teresa MooreGRAPHIC DESIGNDavidOwenHastings.comUW TYEE CLUBGraves Hall Box 354070 Seattle WA 98195-4070tyeeclub@uw.edu206.543.2234 uwtyeeclub.orgTHE TYEE DIFFERENCE WINTER 20222
UWTYEECLUB.ORG3INTRODUCING COACH DEBOERKalen DeBoer knows what it takes to build a successful football program. He’s been doing it for two decades.“We want highly talented and skilled players, but that’s just a part of it,” says Washington’s new Head Football Coach, who comes to the UW with a 79-9 head coaching record. “We want guys who have their priorities in order, who have high character and who want to get a great education — team-rst guys who are unselsh and who truly care about the guys next to them more than they do themselves. Those are the qualities you look for that helps you win championships.”Creating that kind of team culture begins with establishing trust. The former Fresno State head coach says he and his sta recognize it will take time and a focused process to win the hearts and minds of the student-athletes on his team.“It’s been awesome getting to know these amazing young men,” he says. “I hope through the way we speak, what we ask of them, how they see us go about our business day to day, they will understand we’re very genuine and looking out for their best interests.”Growing up in a tiny town in South Dakota, Kalen’s most inuential mentors were his high school and college football coaches. At the University of Sioux Falls, his team went from 2-8 his freshman year to 14-0 and a national championship his senior year.“The experiences I had in football made me who I am today,” Kalen reects. “My vision is to give our players one of the greatest experiences of their lives, that their time playing football at the University of Washington will shape them and propel them to the next phases of their lives.”Tyee Club donors, he states, are critical to providing those exemplary experiences and to “winning lots of football games.”“The incredible resources we have at Washington separate us from most schools in the country,” says Kalen. “Everyone we recruit understands there’s a ton of support for this program and that they can be part of something very special here at the UW.”WASHINGTON WELCOMES A NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH EAGER TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH ‘TEAM-FIRST GUYS’
4HUSKIES SHINEON THE NATIONAL STAGEThe Huskies made us proud in NCAA tournaments as 2021 drew to a close, with Volleyball making it to the Sweet Sixteen and Men’s Soccer playing in the College Cup title match for the rst time in program history. Men’s Soccer nished the year 18-2-2 after falling to Clemson 2-0 in the national championship match. The record-setting year included the best start to a season in program history, tied the record for most wins in a season and broke the Husky Soccer Stadium attendance record. Also for the rst time in history, two players — Dylan Teves and Ryan Sailor — were named First Team All-Americans.Volleyball earned the Pac-12 crown and ended the season 26-5, falling to No. 2-ranked Texas in ve sets on the Longhorns’ home court. For the rst time since 2006, Husky Volleyball saw two First Team All-Americans — Ella May Powell and Samantha Drechsel — and one Second Team All-American — Claire Homan.In addition, for just the fth time in school history and the third time in the past seven seasons, both Washington Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country teams placed in the top-15 in the NCAA championships.Thank you, donors and fans, for making all of our fall season achievements possible!THE TYEE DIFFERENCE WINTER 2022
5UWTYEECLUB.ORGA+ FOR LEARNING IN THE FALL QUARTER!Professor Alexes Harris bled purple long before she became a professor of sociology at the UW. A Gareld High School grad, she dedicated her career to exploring and rectifying social injustice while also working to help Washington Athletics stay laser-focused on the academic success of student-athletes.Appointed by UW President Ana Mari Cauce in 2019, Alexes serves as the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR), a position mandated by the NCAA for every Division 1 university.“The aim is to uphold the academic integrity of the university throughout the Athletic Department,” explains Alexes, who earned her Bachelor’s degree in UPHOLDINGACADEMICINTEGRITYIN ATHLETICSLIAISON KEEPS THE FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND COMPLYING WITH NCAA RULESsociology from Washington and a MA and PhD. from UCLA. “I see rsthand the hours student-athletes put into their studies, practices and competition. I want to ensure they get the education the UW is renowned for.”Those hectic schedules sometimes require accommodations that Alexes helps broker between professors and student-athletes. For example: nding secure test-taking options during away-game travel or smoothing schedules to facilitate honors classes that occur during practice times.Alexes also engages in gatherings of recruits and their families, promoting UW academic opportunities. In collaboration with UW administration and athletic leadership, she coordinates the “Coaches Fellows” program, where new coaches and faculty share teaching philosophies and discuss UW resources and educational values.Her role also includes serving as a liaison between Husky Athletics and the Pac-12 and NCAA, meeting with senior Athletic Department sta to review compliance with conference and NCAA regulations.Alexes and other Pac-12 FARs review and establish positions on actions that might impact student-athletes’ physical and mental health as well as proposed rule changes. In addition to recent Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) decisions, one current issue involves football conference expansion and the increased number of national championship playo games. FARs are advocating to ensure that additional games will not disrupt nal exam weeks in December. “We recognize the work that student-athletes do for the benet of the entire UW campus and community,” Alexes says. “I want to be sure they have access to every opportunity that other students have so they receive the education they deserve.”PHOTO: Whole U3.35Overall GPA21 22Teams earned a 3.0 or better; 13 teams earned a 3.4 or better177Student-athletes on the Dean’s List30Student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPAOF
6THE TYEE DIFFERENCE WINTER 2022CONVERSATION WITH COACHBEACH VOLLEYBALL’S DEREK OLSONHow did you get interested in volleyball?I grew up in Eugene, Oregon, with a dad who played and coached volleyball. I was that annoying kid who interrupted his teams and practices. the game — starting late at 19, being short for volleyball, from Oregon — then I knew there was something to this process. I started coaching high school athletes and I found myself focusing more on developing them than developing my own game. That’s when it dawned on me that coaching was becoming my passion.Why did you leave Cal, where you coached for four years, to come to Washington?Very few schools know how to balance academics and athletics to give student-athletes the best possible experience. Washington really supports its student-athletes. And the sport itself is exploding. To make beach volleyball more prominent at the UW, we’re going to have to develop the right way and bring in the right athletes on a skills and character level. Year after year, it’ll be one of the most engaging and promising sports on campus.What do you hope your student-athletes learn from being part of this team?They have a small window of time to take advantage of the resources here and be in a team environment where they can learn skills for the sport that also will help them in life. If we do it right, we’re setting them up to be very successful in whatever they choose to do after four years. The sport is just a vehicle to bigger and better things. And the team has a new mascot?That’s Messi, my wife Steph’s and my 3-year-old Samoyed. He’s like our son and goes everywhere with us. He’ll be at practices and games as an unocial team mascot.PHOTO: Al Sermeno, KLC fotosDerek brings to the UW a decade of experience at club, NCAA and National Team levels. He spent four seasons at California, the nal two as acting/interim head coach, and helped the Golden Bears to year-end Top-20 national rankings. He also was head coach of the U.S. Under-19 Boys and Under-15 Girls National Teams and the Moroccan National Team. Derek earned multiple top-10 nishes in his pro career. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in human physiology from Oregon and a Master’s of Coaching & Exercise Science from Concordia University of Irvine.You went to Oregon, which doesn’t have men’s beach volleyball. How did you develop your skills to the point you could turn pro?I started playing at 19 on an indoor club team at Oregon. But I knew that as soon as I graduated, I was heading south to San Diego for the lifestyle, the sunshine and the challenges of having to be an all-around athlete in a physically demanding sport. I naively set out to nd a place to live on the beach. I was there for almost 11 years and got to travel the world playing professional beach volleyball.What made you decide to pursue coaching?Through years of hard work and dedication, I was able to do some pretty incredible things in my sport. If I could reach the highest point of
7UWTYEECLUB.ORGMIGHTY ARE THE WOMENIt’s become their mantra: Mighty Are the Women. Year after year, it helps fuel victories on the eld, tenacity in the classroom and camaraderie in the locker room. The mighty team spirit of UW Softball also engenders passion and loyalty among fans and donors, who stepped up in 2021 to provide the program with a place of its own for indoor practice.As the rst UW women’s athletic facility funded solely by donors, the new Washington Softball Performance Center (SPC) stands as a testament to the team’s historic competitiveness and to the generosity of those who believe in their mightiness.“This is a game-changer for our program,” states Head Coach Heather Tarr. “It provides student-athletes with 24-hour access to hit or pitch on their own, using incredible technology to monitor their progress. The SPC will denitely boost our competitiveness and our recruiting.”Three full-length batting cages with cutting edge Rapsodo and HitTrax units help “game-ify” the practice experience, Heather explains. Hitters can measure launch angles, the ball’s velocity o the bat, and other factors to help them perfect their swings. Pitchers also use the technology to analyze their performance. And every student-athlete can use a new Peloton bike and Joovv red-light therapy device for injury recovery.Softball players appreciate the facility and everything donors provide.“I would like to thank everyone who made the SPC a reality,” says pitcher Gabby Plain. “It has become an integral part of the UW Softball community and gives us the opportunity to get better and strive toward our goals every day, no matter what the weather throws at us.”NEW INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY GIVES HUSKY SOFTBALL A COMPETITIVE EDGE AND A LEGACY TO AIM FOR “Seeing timely improvements in our environment is a reminder of how blessed we are to be able to have such an amazing place to train every day to become the best versions of ourselves. We are forever grateful for our new facility and the impact it has on our organization and for the generations to come.” Outelder Sami Reynolds
THE TYEE DIFFERENCE WINTER 20228DAVE AND RUTH COHN ALUMNI MERIT AWARD2019 Pete Shimer2018 Mary Whipple Murray2017 Bruce Harrell2016 Eric Cohen2015 Patricia “Trish” Bostrom2014 Blake Nordstrom2013 Jim Lambright2012 Mike Rohrbach2011 Bob Houbregs2010 John Wilcox2009 Denise Ashbaugh2008 Steve Hawes2007 Andre Riley2006 Lorenzo Romar2005 Tom Turnure2004 Bruce Richards2003 Greg Lewis2002 Bill Douglas2001 Warren Moon2000 John Buller1999 Bruce Kramer1998 John Meyers1997 Bob Flowers1996 Rick Redman1995 Norm Dicks1994 Charles Mitchell1993 Dick Sprague1992 Frank Orrico1991 John Nordstrom1990 Rich Worthington1989 Torchy Torrance1988 Jim McCurdyFRANK ORRICO AWARD2018 Herb Mead2017 John Runstad2016 Jim Houston2015 Jim Rose2014 John & Kathy Connors2013 Dave Rost2012 Kristie Forrest2011 Neal Dempsey2010 Nick Keller2009 Col. Don Wiethuechter2008 Anne Gittinger2007 LaGayle Sosnowy2006 Maxine Barnard2005 Jack Rhodes2004 Gertrude Peoples2003 Dave Torrell2002 Bob McMillen2001 Tom Porter2000 Tom Wolthausen1999 Mike Malone1998 Don Barnard1997 Ron Crockett1996 Dave Cohn1995 Wayne Gittinger1994 Bruce NordstromTWO VOLUNTEER LEADERS HAVE EARNED THE TYEE CLUB’S HIGHEST HONORS FOR THEIR LONGSTANDING, DEDICATED SERVICE AND SUPPORT FOR WASHINGTON STUDENT-ATHLETES.AND THE AWARD GOES TO… LOYAL AND GENEROUS HUSKIES! Ingrid Russell Narcisse, a standout Women’s Basketball player for the Huskies in the 1980s, received the Dave and Ruth Cohn Alumni Merit Award. The honor was established in 1988 to recognize a former letter winner who exemplies integrity, leadership, sportsmanship and community involvement paralleling UW Athletics’ core values.The Seattle Mariners’ Senior Director of Partnership Strategy and Activation, Ingrid serves as a member of the Boundless Futures Board and also mentors Women’s Basketball student-athletes.Native Washingtonian and 1959 UW grad Jim Kenyon earned the Frank Orrico Award, established in 1994 to recognize Tyee Club members who represent extraordinary dignity, courage, commitment and generosity to UW Athletics.A California real estate developer and investor, Jim has committed more than three decades to supporting coaches and student-athletes as a volunteer and through his philanthropy. A Tyee Club member since its inception, Jim also served on the Tyee Board of Advisors and as a liaison to the Big W Club.
UWTYEECLUB.ORG9A CHARMED LIFENEARLY BROKENTRACK STANDOUT BEATS THE ODDS AFTER CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTCarley Thomas was on top of the world before that summer day on Lake Washington.She had a supportive family in Australia, where she’d excelled as a teenage world-class runner. Her scholarship to Washington was advancing her educational and running dreams. And, despite a world cloistered by COVID in 2020, she was having a blast with her friends on a speedboat.“I’d gone home to Sydney for a while during the pandemic, but I really wanted to come back and train with the team and enjoy the Seattle summer,” recalls Carley, a junior biology major and 800-meter runner. “We were going pretty fast, and I was on an innertube being pulled behind the boat. I vividly remember coming o the tube and thinking, ‘Oh, this is scary.’ When I hit the water, I went down deep and looked over my life jacket and my leg was bobbing and really big.”Her left femur was broken in two places. On the ambulance ride to Overlake Hospital, Carley wondered what it might be like to never run again. “My heart was aching,” she says.“She was lucky to come out of the water at all,” notes Track & Field/Cross Country Director Maurica Powell, who describes Carley as “the most talented and most decorated athlete we’ve ever recruited to our program.”Within an hour of Carley’s arrival at the hospital, orthopedic surgeon Christopher Boone had inserted a 13-inch titanium rod into her leg. Separated from her family by distance and the pandemic, Carley needed round-the-clock care for weeks. She went to live with her coaches, Maurica and husband, Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach Andy Powell, and their two sons. “Everything that makes her great athletically fueled her recovery,” marvels Maurica. “She was resilient, positive and never moaned, ‘Why me?’. She makes everybody around her better. Now, her light is even more powerful.”Carley credits her intensive rehab for being able to run again just four months after her accident. Thanks to Tyee Club donors, she had access to leading-edge technology like anti-gravity and underwater treadmills along with massage and cupping. Later that spring, she made the Pac-12 nal and qualied for the NCAA regional meet.“I learned a lot about life from this experience,” concludes Carley. “Growing up, I felt untouchable, undefeatable. It was humbling to have to start from scratch and chase just to be in a race. I have high expectations, but I’m still trying to be patient with Carley 2.0. I know a challenge like this will only make me stronger and more resilient.”
10THE TYEE DIFFERENCE WINTER 2022AN INSPIRATION IN LIFE AND LEGACYA HUMBLE HUSKY HALL OF FAMER GIVES BACK TO SUPPORT THE STUDENT-ATHLETES WHO FOLLOW IN HIS CLEAT-PRINTSYou can leave a legacy by making an estate gift to Husky Athletics. Contact us at forevwa@uw.edu or 206.543.2234 to learn more about Forever Washington.Milt Bohart lived his life through his values. Work hard and always do your best. Actions count more than words. Honesty above all. Give back, but don’t trumpet your philanthropy.So, sharing the story of Milt’s generous spirit might seem out of character, until you consider the totality of his inspirational life and how its example might encourage others to support the University he held so dear.“He would want people to understand that if it weren’t for the University of Washington recognizing his athletic ability with a scholarship, he could never have achieved what he did in his life,” Milt’s son, Corbin, says of his dad, who passed away last March at the age of 89. One of Milt’s nal acts was to leave a generous bequest to benet Husky Football, fullling the promise his teammates recognized when they bestowed him nearly 70 years earlier with the Guy Flaherty Award for being the most inspirational player on the team. The military pilot, mechanical engineer and forestry industry innovator also made a legacy gift to UW Engineering.A self-professed “dirt farmer from Wenatchee who married a debutante from Seattle,” Milt and his wife, Ann (who passed in 2015), met on campus. Their three children — Corbin, Don and Kelly — grew up with tailgate parties, football games and their parents’ unending gratitude for their UW education.“The most important thing that he wanted to get across to us was that education was paramount and sports were secondary,” Corbin recalls. “He would always talk about the benets of graduating from college and what that means to you later in life.”Season ticket holders for six decades, the Boharts would often treat friends and business associates to Husky games in the Don James Center. Sometimes, the All-American would wear his Husky Hall of Fame jacket and ring — not to show o but to start conversations about what the UW helped him achieve.Humility, generosity and inspiration: The legacy of Milt Bohart.
UWTYEECLUB.ORG11A SPIRIT UNDAUNTEDJUNIOR COFFEY’S SPIRIT LIVES ON IN ENDOWMENT TO BENEFIT HUSKY FOOTBALLHe went on to play seven seasons in the NFL, where he won a Super Bowl ring with Coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. After retiring from the NFL, Junior turned a love for horses into a long and successful career as one of the rst Black thoroughbred trainers on the West Coast.“I wouldn’t be where I am now if it hadn’t been for the opportunity to come here and play,” Junior told interviewer Jim Caple for The UW Magazine in 2018. When Junior passed away at age 79 in August 2021, his friends and fans decided to create an endowment in his name to benet Washington Football.“Raising money to honor Junior was one of the easiest things I’ve done in my life,” says classmate, longtime friend and horseracing colleague Ron Crockett, who spearheaded the 24-hour eort to raise more than $115,000 in commitments. “I asked 19 people and 18 said yes. Now, Junior’s widow Kathy will have a forever connection to Husky Football.”His friends were largely unaware of how tough it was for a small-town Texas kid to trek halfway across the country to a big city and University with relatively few Black students. According to both Rick and Ron, Junior didn’t talk about racial inequities until many years later.“Junior knew that there had to be people who came before to pave the way for those who come after,” says Kathy Coey. “This fundraising eort brings everything full circle. He would have been so pleased that people are remembering him in this way.”Everyone who remembers Husky running back Junior Coey mentions his smile. The way his face lit up on every play. The joyful grin in even the hardest practices. A spirit undaunted by the everyday hardships of being a Black student-athlete in the turbulent 1960s.“The best feeling that I ever had in a huddle was looking across at Junior’s smile. He was a wonderful teammate you knew you could count on, very genuine and very competitive,” describes Husky Hall of Famer Rick Redman. A star high school player in rural Dimmit, Texas, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder dreamt of attending one of the big Southwest Conference colleges. But the SWC, along with most other conferences, was not yet integrated.Fortunately for the Huskies, the Pac 8 welcomed Junior. He led Washington in rushing and total yards in 1962 and 1964, helped the team to a Rose Bowl victory, and earned countless All-everything honors (including being inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2015).PHOTO: Meryl Schenker/University of Washington MagazineYOU CAN CREATE AN ENDURING LEGACY at Washington Athletics by creating your own endowment. Contact us at 206.543.2234 or tyeeclub@uw.edu.
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTONBox 354070 Seattle WA 98195-4070tyeeclub@uw.edu 206.543.2234 uwtyeeclub.orgOne day to put your passion for the Huskies into action. One day to make a dierence for your favorite team. One day to support the competitiveness, education and future of Washington student-athletes.MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR HUSKY GIVING DAY ONAPRIL 7! This year, Husky Giving Day takes placeon Thursday, April 7. You can make a gift to The Competitive Edge Fund to support all 650 student-athletes and 22 teams and programs. Or, donate to your favorite team or program to help them top the leaderboard for number of donors and gifts.Stay tuned for more information as we get closer!