Year after year, high school athletes in Issaquah and Sammamish continue to amaze — and 2009 was certainly no different.

Here’s The Reporter’s list of the five most memorable athletic accomplishments for Skyline, Issaquah, Eastlake and Eastside Catholic high schools.

SKYLINE

1. Football: Skyline won its third consecutive state football championship, and fifth of the decade, with a 45-21 victory over Ferris. BYU-bound quarterback Jake Heaps rounded out a three-year career as a starter with a 40-2 overall record, passing for more than 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns in his senior campaign. Skyline suffered two losses in 2009, falling 28-25 to Oaks Christian of Westlake Village Calif., and 25-20 to Bothell in the KingCo 4A Championship game. The Spartans battled back, however, winning five straight games — including a 31-26 state semifinal victory over Bothell. Head coach Mat Taylor summed the season up after winning the state title: “The media hype in the air, the expectations, losing a couple games … I’ve never been so proud of the character of a team.”

2. Girls soccer: For the second consecutive year, and the second time in school history, the Skyline girls soccer team won a state championship. After battling to a 1-1 tie through regulation and two overtimes, the Spartans defeated rival Issaquah via a shootout for the 4A title. Skyline, which ended the year at 18-4 overall, earned 1-0 victories over Tahoma, Todd Beamer and Kentwood to reach the championship game.

3. Girls swimming: The Skyline girls swim team started their school’s fall championship domination off at the end of November, winning the program’s first ever state championship. The Spartans won five event titles led by senior All-American Andie Taylor’s two individual championships in the 200 and 500 freestyles. The Stanford-bound swimmer ended her career with seven individual championships.

4. Track & field: Both the Skyline boys and girls track and field teams placed in the top eight in the state in the spring. The boys, led by Kasen Williams’ state high jump title, finished eighth overall. Williams also took second in the triple jump and third in the long jump. The girls, who won their eighth straight KingCo title, finished fifth overall at the state meet. The Spartans didn’t have any state champions, but had six top-eight finishes, including two second places.

5. Wrestling: For the second straight season, Skyline’s Lexi Willcher placed second in the 140-pound division of the girls state tournament. She pinned her way to the championship match before being tripped up by Kentwood’s Jolene Crook-Meyers. Skyline’s Nolan Richards placed eighth at 130 pounds in the boys tournament.

ISSAQUAH

1. Lacrosse: The Issaquah boys lacrosse team claimed its second straight Division I state championship, and the second in school history, beating Mercer Island 10-9. Carrying a 10-5 lead into the fourth quarter, the Eagles held onto the championship with a last-second save from goalkeeper Cameron Danforth.

2. Boys cross country: The Issaquah boys cross country team completed one of its most successful seasons ever, finishing third overall at the 4A state meet. The Eagles completed a perfect 12-0 dual meet season, before winning the KingCo team title and taking their first ever district crown.

3. Girls soccer: At the start of the season, Issaquah girls head coach Tom Bunnell downplayed the potential of his team. By the end of the season, the group came up a shootout shy of its fourth state title in the last six years. The Eagles, who ended the year at 17-3 overall, fell 2-1 to rival Skyline in the state championship. Issaquah won the KingCo title, beating the same Spartan team 3-1 a couple of weeks earlier.

4. Volleyball: After losing a heart-breaking match to Kentwood to start the 4A state tournament, the Issaquah volleyball team rattled off three straight victories to earn a fifth-place finish. The Eagles, who won the KingCo 4A tournament, finished with a 15-6 record.

5. Girls swimming: Issaquah didn’t have any state champions, but the Eagles earned their highest team finish since 1990, taking fourth overall at the 4A state swimming championships. Second-place finishes from the 200 medley relay and Helen Liu in the 50-freestyle lifted Issaquah to 131 team points — only finishing behind Skyline, Garfield and Thomas Jefferson.

EASTLAKE

1. Girls cross country: For the second straight year, and the second time in school history, the Eastlake girls cross country team claimed the 4A state championship. The Wolves earned 100 team points, finishing ahead of Tahoma (124) and Stanwood (126). Perhaps most impressively, Eastlake didn’t have one runner in the top 10.

2. Boys golf: Golfer Kevin Penner claimed his second state championship, doing it in dramatic fashion at Kennewick’s Canyon Lakes Golf Course. The current UNLV golfer finished regulation in a three-way tie, before taking the title in a playoff. It was the second state title for Penner, who won as a sophomore and finished second as a junior.

3. Girls swimming: The Eastlake girls swim team finished 11th overall at the 4A state tournament. Sophomore Katie Kinnear defended her state title in the 100 butterfly, earning a new state record of 53.10 seconds. She also won the state title in the 200 IM, while the 200 free relay finished in second place.

4. Girls basketball: The Eastlake girls basketball program broke a 12-year drought by making the 4A state playoffs in 2009. The Wolves earned a state victory over South Kitsap, but fell one game shy of placing. Eastlake ended the season with a 17-9 record.

5. Football: Despite numerous injuries, including the loss of five offensive tackles, the Eastlake football team pushed through the KingCo playoffs and into the state-qualifying round of the 4A playoffs. The Wolves jumped out to a fast start over Jackson, before succumbing to turnovers in a 38-15 state-qualifying loss. The Wolves finished the year at 6-4.

EASTSIDE CATHOLIC

1. Boys swimming: Ethan Hallowell won his third and fourth individual state championships last year, repeating in the 50 and 100 freestyles. He earned All-American times in both events, helping the Crusaders to 111 points and eighth place overall.

2. Lacrosse: In the third year of having a program, Eastside Catholic came up just one win shy of a Division II state lacrosse title. The Crusaders fell 17-11 to Overlake, ending their season with an impressive 4-2 overall record.

3. Wrestling: Eastside Catholic’s AJ Hostak captured fifth place at 130 pounds in the 2009 Mat Classic. He entered the tournament 31-0 and a favorite to claim the class 3A division. Two consecutive losses on championship day, however, placed him in the fifth-sixth place match. Competing in his third match in five hours, Hostak earned a 5-3 decision to end his career with a win.

4. Volleyball: Eastside Catholic started its season out in promising fashion, winning its first nine matches. A series of late-season injuries slowed the Crusaders, however, leaving them one win shy of the state tournament. Eastside finished its season with a 13-6 record.

5. Girls golf: Eastside Catholic’s Kimmie Koehler finished fifth overall in the 3A state tournament, shooting a two-day total of 79-79—58. Ashley Danforth finished 21st overall, helping the Crusaders to a tie with Mercer Island for fourth place overall with 55 team points. Metro rival Holy Names won the team title with 107 points.