TAC Newsletter V6.7 (Mar. 26, 2026)

Join us on April 9th for the Tacoma-Pierce Athletic Commission's monthly meeting! Our guest speaker will be Mark Hendrickson. Mark Hendrickson is one of only 13 athletes ever to play in both the NBA and Major League Baseball. He is the only one to do it in the past 40 years and the only one to play at least four seasons in each league. A 6-foot-9 forward on the basketball court and a left-handed pitcher in baseball, Hendrickson exhibited two-sport stardom back to his high school days when he led Mount Vernon to two state basketball championships (1991, 1992) and two state baseball championships (1990, 1992). He was a 13th-round baseball draft pick in 1992 but headed to Washington State University focused on basketball. He was a two-time, first-team all-Pac-10 selection. When he concluded his WSU basketball career in 1996, he was second for career rebounds (927) and third for points (1,496). He was the 31st overall pick in the 1996 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He played 114 NBA games with four teams. He had pitched eight games at WSU as a junior, and MLB scouts kept drafting him. He signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, playing some minor league ball while still in the NBA. In 2002, he made his Major League debut. He was a full-time starting pitcher for three seasons with Toronto and Tampa Bay. He continued for 10 seasons in the majors, winning 58 games. He also hit the first home run by a pitcher in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays. Social hour will be from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM, followed by the meeting from 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM at Cheney Stadium.

Click here to register now!

Winter Athlete of the Year was a Success!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the TAC's Annual Winter Athlete of the Year Program! We are extremely proud of all of our decorated student-athletes for how they performed and represented Tacoma-Pierce County. Here are some exciting stats about this past Winter Athlete of the Year Celebration!

Stats:

145 Student-Athlete Nominations (New Record!)
24 Individual State Champions
5 Team State Champions
510+ People in Attendance

The link to view and download the photo album from the Winter Athlete of the Year Luncheon is listed below!

Click here to view the Winter Athlete of the Year Photo Album!

With our final season on the way, if you are interested in registering for the TAC's Spring Athlete of the Year (Salute to Sports Celebration), please use the link below to register today! This event will take place at McGavick Conference Center on June 9th, from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Click here to register for the TAC's Spring Athlete of the Year (Salute to Sports Celebration)!

If you are interested in donating to help support the TAC and your Tacoma-Pierce High Schools, please use the link below to donate today!

Click here to donate to the TAC and your Tacoma-Pierce High Schools!

Thank you again for your continuous support of the TAC and our mission. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!

Buy Tickets for 2026 Tribute to Champions

Mark your calendars and purchase tickets for the 2026 Tribute to Champions on Tuesday, May 19th, at the McGavick Conference Center!

Please use the link below to find more information and secure your spot!

https://event.auctria.com/3cb2de2b-a609-4bcb-ae15-e49aea27f117/a809178051b511ea91bae14d12592328

Save the Date! Doug McArthur Golf Classic

Please save the date for our Annual Doug McArthur Golf Classic Tournament on July 21st, 2026, at Highland Hills Golf Course! Check-ins begin at 3:00 pm, and the shotgun start begins at 4:00 pm, followed by a reception at 6:00 pm.

WIAA 2025-2026 Week 28 - Jaycee Kemp

Freshman Jaycee Kemp made an impressive high school debut, throwing a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts against Seattle Christian. Her dominant performance highlights a bright future ahead in the circle.

2025-2026 Team Winter State Champions

2A Boys Wrestling Team State Champions

3A Flag Football State Champions

1A/2A/3A Non-Tumbling Small

Cascade Christian

1B/2B/1A Game Day Small

Cascade Christian

2A Game Day Small

Steilacoom

2025-2026 Winter Individual State Champions

BOYS:

Boys 1A 157 lbs: William Moran Life Christian Academy

Boys 2A 113 lbs: Nery Rivas Orting

Boys 2A 120 lbs: Arcadius Cruz Orting

Boys 2A 126 lbs: Trevor Anderson Orting

Boys 2A 150 lbs: Dakota Anderson Orting

Boys 2A 165 lbs: Michael Fritz Orting

Boys 3A 120 lbs: Adrian Windsor Silas

Boys 4A 120 lbs: Hoyt Harshman Sumner

GIRLS:

Girls 2A 105 lbs: Kyler Menza Washington

Girls 2A 135 lbs: Amayrany Rodriguez Franklin-Pierce

Girls 2A 190lbs: Ashley Rodriguez Clover Park

Girls 3A 125 lbs: Amanda Lillie White River

Girls 3A 130 lbs: Kendall Griffin Lakes

Girls 3A 155 lbs: Bailey Parker Peninsula

Girls 3A 170 lbs: Lindsey Shipp Peninsula

Girls 4A 100 lbs: Elise Albeso Emerald Ridge

Girls 4A 120 lbs: Winter West Bonney Lake

Girls 4A 130 lbs: Lindy Strowbridge Rogers

Girls 4A 135 lbs: Madison Watts Sumner

Girls 4A 140 lbs: Saige McCleery Sumner

4A Men 200-yard Freestyle: Jack Andrew Stadium

3A Boys 50-yard Backstroke Adaptive Seth, Balderson Silas

1A/2A Boys 500-yard Freestyle Kale, Nordyke Fife

4A Bars: Gabi Steiner

What is the Youth Sports Fund?

What is the Youth Sports Fund?

The Youth Sports Fund is a new program for the Tacoma Athletic Commission (TAC) that provides assistance to programs or individuals in need of support. With the leadership of the Executive Board and a Youth Sport Committee, we receive requests from all Pierce County Schools and individual students’ requests. We review all requests and make decisions on which ones we will support. The funds that support this program come from our annual golf, betting pools from the Apple Bowl, Super Bowl, March Madness, and individual donors.

With recent gifts, we funded a young lady who desperately needed a pair of new basketball shoes because she would have probably hurt herself playing in the old pair. It was fun to watch this young person receive new shoes with a smile and be more confident playing in her new shoes. Another gift went to a 13-year-old girl who has always had an interest in golf, but with Youth Sports funds, we were able to purchase her golf lessons. This recipient currently lives with her grandparents, and they are overjoyed to see their granddaughter fulfilling her dream.

This year, the TAC received a large gift from the Cheney Foundation, and the Executive Board agreed to use some of those funds in the Youth Sports Fund. So, we funded several Middle and Senior high schools with new uniforms. This isn’t the largest fund, but if you know of any youth in need of support, please contact Phil Carter.

Click here to donate to the Youth Sports Fund!

2025-2025 Scholarship Portal is Open!

Clay Huntington Sports Communications Scholarship

Click here to apply and learn more about Clay Huntington's story

Stan Naccarato Sports and Civic Betterment Scholarship

Click here to apply and learn more about Stan Naccarato's story

2025 Dues are Due

Invoices for the 2025-2026 year have gone out. Please don't forget to pay your dues and keep your membership with the TAC current!

Payment by check or online Click here to pay

Discount Partners

As a valued member of the Tacoma-Pierce Athletic Commission, you have access to exclusive discounts from local businesses that support our mission and community. Our discount partners are companies that have generously offered special pricing and perks to all TAC members. Our members receive a Membership Card, which may be presented at TAC’s growing list of business partners to receive special discounts.

If you are interested or know anyone who would be interested in joining our discount partner program, please contact Makana Murashige (@mmurashige@rainierdmm.com) for further details. Thank you for continuing to support the TAC and its athletes!

Click the link below to find out more information about discounts specific to each of our partners

https://tacomaathletic.com/page/discount-partners

Donate Old iPhone or iPod

If you have an old iPhone or iPod that you don't use, please feel free to donate it to the TAC! We are looking for an older generation device with the headphone jack at the bottom of it to play music during our social hour at Membership Meetings!

Have any questions?