From the Diamond
The North Tahoe High baseball team won its first regional title in 33 years with a gritty win over number-one seeded Yerington. The Lakers last won the NIAA 2A Northern Regionals when Kurt Cobain was still alive and as Barry Bonds was having his first MVP season as a San Franscisco Giant.
The Lakers went 22-3 in league play and despite a loss to Needles in the state playoffs, they finished the season 25-8 overall. The Lakers featured a ferociously balanced offensive attack that saw four players hit over .400 and seven hit over .300.
They were led at the plate by Brody Mitchell’s .460 batting average and .564 on-base percentage. Everett Coughlin paced the team in extra-base hits with 14 doubles, two triples, and a home run en route to his .447 average and 1.206 OPS. Noah Somer hit .437 and led the team in RBI with 35 while also showing a knack at doing the little things that good baseball players do, sacrificing his body for a team-high 10 hit-by-pitches.
Jessie Glickman tied Caughlin for the team lead in hits at 42 on his way to a .424 average, coincidentally equal to Rogers Hornsby’s 1924 season average, the highest Major League clip of all time.
North Tahoe was a collective demon on the basepaths, totaling 161 total stolen bases, with Mitchell and Glickman both tallying a team-high 23 thefts.
A similar cast of characters led the Lakers from the mound, with Glickman posting a stingy 1.26 ERA, and Coughlin and Mitchell shouldering a heavy load as well. The workhorse, though, was Peter Rusek, who posted a 3.35 ERA during his team-leading 14 appearances.
On the defense side, the Laker squad produced a stout .926 fielding percentage and turned seven double plays on the season. In 189 total chances, Glickman showed tremendous consistency, only committing three errors all year for a .984 fielding percentage.
North Tahoe was guided by Head Coach Martin Legarza, whose staff included Adam Sanford, Sean Whelan, and Matthew Sonka.
From the Oval
For the first time in school history, North Tahoe High School’s Boys Track & Field has won the state championship. The 2026 team captured the NIAA 2A State title with elite performances from all distances and disciplines at Reno’s Hug High School May 15 and 16.
Max Avril won state in both the 1600 and 3200-meter long-distance races, while on the sprint side Jack Brokaw took home the 300-meter hurdle state crown. Field events were led by Nico Casci, who bested the state roster in both shot put and discus.
The NTHS Girls Team also advanced to the state meet and competed at a high level, with Lucia Avril winning both the 1600 and 3200 meters and the team winning the state title in the 4×400 relay; the relay team consisted of Avril, Tessa Pierce, Addison Jones, and Delaney Gonsalves.
State medalists for the boys (second, third, or fourth in an event) included: Delyan Steves in long distance, Brokaw and Emerson Norbutas in sprint hurdles, Nathan Powell in high jump and long jump, Bridger Berry in long jump; and Enrique Trinidad-Castellanos, Cody Berry, Chema Estrada Ruiz, Bridger Berry, Mako Covell, David Lu, Brokaw, Ezra Schnieri, Chemo Arrieta-Villanueva, and Augie Varisco in various relay events.
Girls medalists at the state meet included: Belinda Little in the 100-meter dash, Avril in the 800 meter, Addie Rusek in the 1600 meter, and Piper Rose in high jump and long jump.
The team of Emma Silver, Rose, Quinn Zerrenner, and Little took third in both the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relay. Third place in the 4×800 was garnered by Maya Salke, Rusek, Pierce, and Gonsalves.
Per the school’s Facebook athletic page, it was an “incredible” season and an “unforgettable” state meet for the athletes, coaches, and community.
