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Sehome wins prestigious statewide Scholastic Cup for back-to-back titles, BPS high schools each place admirably once again

In the foreground, three logos are displayed: SHS with an anchor, a red hawk, and Squalicum with a lightning bolt, all set against a light gray background, while a green banner with %222A SCHOLASTIC CUP%22 stretches across the top.
Two posters celebrate state championship wins for Sehome High School, with the left featuring a large track and field team on a podium and the right showcasing tennis and volleyball champions.
Two posters, one for girls' golf and one for boys' golf, list academic state champions by division, with school names and logos filling the foreground and a plain white background.
A group of girls in athletic wear poses with a trophy in front of a blurred background of a stadium, while a separate graphic lists academic state champions for girls' flag football.
Two posters celebrate academic state champions in boys track and dance/drill, with lists of winning schools and their divisions in the foreground against a plain background.
Two posters celebrating academic state champions for boys' cross country and boys' tennis are displayed against a light background.
Two posters, one for volleyball and one for soccer, list academic state champions by division, with team logos filling the background.
A list of academic state champions for girls' cross country is on the left, while a photo of a triumphant tumbling team with their coach and trophies is on the right.
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Sehome wins prestigious statewide Scholastic Cup for back-to-back titles, BPS high schools each place admirably once again

Sehome's latest 2A title is record-tying 11th title for Mariners in 24 years of the Scholastic Cup program while Squalicum (8th) and Bellingham (12th) also net strong placements among 65 schools statewide 

Sehome High School scored its most points ever in an academic year on its way to earning a record-tying 11th 2A Scholastic Cup title in recognition of athletic, academic and sportsmanship excellence. 

Squalicum High School’s 8th-place finish and Bellingham High School’s 12th-place finish marks five straight academic years of all three comprehensive high schools in Bellingham placing within top 12 statewide among 65 classification 2A peer institutions.  

“This achievement is truly remarkable and stands as a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many individuals across our district,” BPS director of activities and athletics James Hayes said. “We extend our sincere gratitude to our coaches and athletic coordinators for their tireless efforts. Their commitment has not only driven success in athletics but has also reinforced excellence in academics, making our entire community incredibly proud.” 

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) oversees athletics and fine arts for schools statewide and its most prestigious annual award is the Scholastic Cup. 

Schools finishing at the top of their respective classifications in state athletic competition receive points, as do schools finishing at the top in team academic performance. Sportsmanship is also a factor in the point system. The results take into factor each WIAA-affiliated program at a school throughout the entire year.   

The Mariners scored 2,084 points, eclipsing the 2,000-point mark for the second time in school history to post the best 2A point total in the award’s history. The total is also the fourth-most points scored in an academic year all-time across all classifications. 

Now with 11 titles over 24 years that the WIAA has been awarding the Scholastic Cup, Sehome is tied with King’s as the all-classification statewide leader for Scholastic Cup titles. The Mariners have finished as champion or runner-up every year since 2015-16. Sehome has won back-to-back titles and three times in the last four years. 

“This speaks volumes about the incredible coaches, student-athletes and teaching staff we have here,” Sehome activities and athletics coordinator Colin Cushman said. “Our coaches, athletes and teachers have set an incredibly high standard and our kids always strive to meet that standard – and try their best to exceed it.” 

The 2025-26 school year saw Sehome claim 10 state titles between athletic and academic honors to lead the scoring from many programs. Girls cross country, boys tennis and girls track & field were state champions in competition while academic state titles came from boys cross country, dance/drill, flag football, boys golf, girls golf, boys tennis and boys track and field.  

Citywide Scholastic Cup excellence 

Every school year, more than 60 schools across the 2A classification compete and score points for the Scholastic Cup.  

And every academic year over the last five years (since 2021-22) Bellingham, Sehome and Squalicum high schools have each placed among the top 12 in the 2A standings. 

Squalicum’s 8th-place finish this past school year was led by academic state titles from boys soccer and girls volleyball.  

“I am so proud of our student-athletes,” Squalicum activities and athletics coordinator Patrick Brown said. “We are very fortunate to have kids and teams that excel in the classroom and in athletic competition. This happens with the support and mentoring of our coaches, school staff, and community. The high schools of the Bellingham Public Schools have set a standard that we all can be proud of.” 

Bellingham’s 12th-place finish was led by a winter cheer state title and an academic state championship from girls cross county. 

“The Scholastic Cup results are a direct reflection of the great parenting and community support our schools and programs receive,” Bellingham activities and athletics coordinator Chad Larsen said. 

All time, Squalicum is a one-time Scholastic Cup champion with five top-five finishes while Bellingham boasts 9 top-five finishes. Sehome’s 11 titles are among 15 top-five finishes for the Mariners.  

Across Bellingham Public Schools, that totals 29 top-five finishes across the three comprehensive high schools.  

Those numbers represent outstanding achievements of thousands of student-athletes supported by coaches and teachers performing exceptionally well at the state level as evaluated by athletic, academic and sportsmanship performance over more than two decades since the award’s inception.  

 

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