SNOHOMISH, Wash – The unfortunate aspect about talent-rich Chiawana girls basketball is the program hasn’t been to the WIAA championships since Talia von Oelhoffen spent her last season at the school in 2020 before enrolling early at Oregon State University.
The recent good news? It revolves around history from its holiday break.
Every champion from the prestigious “Top of the Peak” tournament at Glacier Peak High School has not only gone on to make the state-tournament field in Tacoma or Yakima (or in the case of Lake City, Idaho last year … Boise) – it has also brought home a state trophy.
The Riverhawks defeated Mead, 59-56, in the tournament finals Saturday, and moved up to No. 4 in SBLive WA’s latest Class 4A top-10 rankings,
“Getting (to Tacoma),” said Chiawana standout forward Malia Ruud, “is definitely the goal.”
Does this set up to be their breakthrough season?
Ruud came as a ninth grader in two seasons after Chiawana’s last state trip in 2021-22, and the team was surprised by Sunnyside in the regional round of the WIAA tournament.
And over the past two seasons, the Riverhawks were knocked out of their own district tournament – both times by Gonzaga Prep.
“I wouldn’t say it has weighed on me,” said Ruud, a recent WSU signee. “But I do feel it’s been more motivation for this year … and to work as hard as we’ve ever worked.
“This year, there will be a change.”
Based on its roster makeup under second-year coach Gary Jonas, Chiawana might be the most talented team, in the classification.
With program all-time leading scorer Ruud and New Mexico signee Kaia Foster, also a 1,000-point scorer, the Riverhawks have the best high-low post-playing tandem in Washington.
Add in junior Baylee Maldonado, a playmaking point guard who is in her second season coming over from Sunnyside, and dead-eye shooting guard Gianna Medelez, the Riverhawks’ core group puts immediate pressure on opposing defenses.
“The offensive side is something I don’t worry about because they are skilled enough,” Jonas said. “It is the defensive side where they are continuously growing.”
And in big moments, Jonas thinks this group is growing up.
“Talent won’t be a problem,” Jonas said. “It will be, ‘Can we get it all together and moving in the right direction at the right time?'”
