Kent’s top sports stories of 2025

It was a year full of upsets and heartbreak across Kent athletics this past year. Here are some highlights from professional and high school sports in 2025.

• Suarez delivers Mariners salvation with eighth inning slam: It was a roller coaster ride for the Mariners in 2025 as they came closer than ever to their first World Series in franchise history. In the biggest game of his career, Eugenio Suarez delivered with a grand slam in the eighth inning to send Seattle into chaos and put the Mariners up 3-2 in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was no doubt the biggest swing of the Mariners’ season and possibly one of the most clutch moments in Seattle sports history. The grand slam led to a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 17, allowing the Mariners to lead the series 3-2. The Mariners ultimately lost the ALCS in seven games.

• Shannon Mclain sets Kentlake record for career goals: On a cool Wednesday night, Lauren Tripp sent an in-swinging corner kick toward the direction of Kentlake junior Shannon Mclain. The goal scoring expert leaped in the air above the Todd Beamer High School defense and headed the ball into the back of the net as she has done 34 times before. But this goal was different, a historic one. One that would set a new high for Kentlake girls soccer — Mclain’s 35th career goal. Her reaction? Pure elation. “The first five seconds I was pumped up because I scored a good header. Then I started high-fiving my teammates. I was like ‘Wait I just broke the record,’ it didn’t click in my brain. I was even more pumped up about it,” Mclain said.

• Records smashed as local driver wins at Pacific Raceways: Kentwood High School alum Dallas Glenn showed up and showed out in his Pro Stock RAD Torque Systems machine. Glenn began his weekend breaking a 10-year record with a run of 6.484 in his first run of the race weekend set by Chris McGaha in 2015. Although in Q2, Glenn was behind his teammate Greg Anderson, who broke his track record with a 6.472. Glenn also improved his time on his second run, but still was behind Anderson by .005 seconds.

• Royal Rumble: KM soccer wins first state game since 1981: Back when Phil Collins was blasting through boomboxes and “Start Me Up” was playing through the radio waves, Kent-Meridian won its only state playoff soccer game in school history. The Royals defeated then Woodway High School 5-1 in the first round of the state tournament on May 15, 1981. This year, the Royals were tasked with taking on the Ballard Beavers in the opening round of the 2025 state tournament. Kent-Meridian broke its 42-year state drought back in 2023, and were faced with the exact same task two seasons ago. The two sides went to overtime level at 1-1, but the Royals won the match in the shootout, 4-2, on May 20 at French Field this time around.

• Moore brothers equal more runs on the Kentlake Diamond: The Moore brothers haven’t played on the same team since they were 11-year-olds playing Little League baseball, but they have pushed each other to become some of the top young prospects in the state. “It’s been pretty cool. We haven’t played together since we were 11 years old, so it’s been a while. It’s the first time we have practiced together. It’s pretty cool to challenge each other,” Christopher said. The two are extremely competitive players, striving to bring success to a school that hasn’t seen much baseball success in previous years. Playing with a direct family member is a special experience for the Moore family.