Sehome senior to stay close to home, play soccer at Western
Sehome senior Mason Rathkamp last week became the second Bellingham-area soccer player to sign a national letter of intent to stay close to home and play for Western Washington.
Mason Rathkamp out of Bellingham's Sehome School joins the @SoccerWWU family. #WelcometoWestern#GoViks pic.twitter.com/kt4SLi5zrm
— WWU Athletics (@WWUAthletics) February 10, 2017
Rathkamp joined Bellingham’s Alice Hiebert, who signed to play with the Viking women earlier this month.
“I’ve known so many past players and coaches at Western through my soccer career,” Rathkamp said. “I’ve built relationships with them, and I have those personal connections already. Plus I get to stay in town.”
Rathkamp was a first-team All-Northwest Conference selection at midfielder last spring.
He said he will likely play a holding or defensive midfielder for the WWU, “something I’ve been doing my whole career and had pretty good success at.” He’s undecided on a major, though he said he’s leaning toward environmental science.
Whatcom County Class of 2017 signings
Athlete | School | Sport | College |
Anthony Ball | Blaine | Football | Puget Sound |
T.J. Bass | Mount Baker | Football | Idaho |
Peyton Fullner | Lynden | Soccer | Central Washington |
Christina Funk | Sehome | Soccer | Central Washington |
Jessica Ganow | Sehome | Volleyball | Skagit Valley College |
Alice Hiebert | Bellingham | Soccer | Western Washington |
Jacob Hommes | Lynden | Football | Northwestern College |
Matt James | Ferndale | Baseball | Yakima CC |
Maxwell Jeffrey | Ferndale | Baseball | Corban |
Bekah Jensen | Bellingham | Lacrosse | Fort Lewis |
Jocelyn Johnson | Bellingham | Volleyball | Colorado School of Mines |
Morgan Jones | Bellingham | Soccer | Evergreen State |
Buddy Juneau | Ferndale | Baseball | Everett CC |
Austin Kelstrup | Blaine | Football | College of the Canyons |
Rowan King | Squalicum | Swimming | Pacific |
Elisa Kooiman | Lynden | Basketball | Northwest Nazarene |
Jalen Kortlever | Blaine | Football | Benedictine |
Sophia Lawrence | Bellingham | Volleyball | George Fox |
Winterhawk Leighton | Ferndale | Football | Central Washington |
Damek Mitchell | Squalicum | Basketball | Lewis-Clark State |
Ben Peterson | Squalicum | Football | Air Force |
Brisen Pearson | Bellingham | Swimming | Southwest Oregon CC |
Mason Rathkamp | Sehome | Soccer | Western Washington |
Mason Shaw | Ferndale | Baseball | Yakima CC |
Kendra Steele | Squalicum | Soccer | Portland |
Tanner Steele | Lynden | Football | Carroll College |
Whitney Walker | Ferndale | Beach volleyball | Texas A&M-Kingsville |
Ruby Watson | Sehome | Cross country/track | Rice |
Jack Wendling | Squalicum | Football | Central Washington |
Drew Westford | Ferndale | Softball | Fairfield |
Sydney Wong | Squalicum | Swimming | San Diego |
Joe Worley | Bellingham | Soccer | Skagit Valley College |
Jackson Zerba | Bellingham | Lacrosse | Westminster College |
NOTE: To report a Whatcom County student athlete who has or will sign national letter or intent to continue their athletic careers, call 360-715-2286 or email sports@bhamherald.com.
This story was originally published February 16, 2017 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Sehome senior to stay close to home, play soccer at Western."