Redmond High looking for new softball coach after Bloom resigns

Redmond High is on the search for a new softball coach after Jackie Bloom announced her resignation last week. In her three seasons at Redmond, Bloom compiled an astounding record of 44-12 (.786) in guiding Redmond to the playoffs for the past three years, including a third-place finish at May’s Class 4A state tournament.

June 16, 2008 4:58 pm

Redmond High is on the search for a new softball coach after Jackie Bloom announced her resignation last week.

In her three seasons at Redmond, Bloom compiled an astounding record of 44-12 (.786) in guiding Redmond to the playoffs for the past three years, including a third-place finish at May’s Class 4A state tournament.

In her first year, she led the Mustangs to a perfect 16-0 record in 4A Kingco on the way to winning the league title and the Kingco coach of the year honors.

In 2007, Bloom led the ‘Stangs to the bi-district pigtail game, after a 15-5 regular season.

This spring, the team finally achieved their goal of qualifying for the 4A state tournament for the first time in the fastpitch era of girls’ softball at Redmond. Outscoring their opponents 20-1 during the first day of competition, Bloom’s team won four of five games at the tournament and emerged victorious in the consolation bracket with a 4-0 victory over Tacoma’s Wilson High School, to finish in third place and bring the team’s first fastpitch trophy home to Redmond.

Bloom’s team showed resilience this season in particular. At one time, the team’s record dropped to 8-6, but the Mustangs overcame the adversity of losing their starting pitcher to an arm injury and surviving three loser-out games in the district playoffs, including a pigtail game in Vancouver, just to make it to state.

Bloom will continue her biology teaching position at Redmond High, but has chosen to resign as coach to “move on and focus on other aspects of my life.”

Bloom is leaving a team that will return all but two seniors and should be a serious threat at the 4A Kingco and state levels once again.

“Jackie has been a valuable asset to the Redmond Athletic Department,” said John Appelgate, Redmond High’s Athletic Director. “Her positive attitude on a daily basis definitely influences her student athletes. I wish her the best of luck.”

The job opening will be posted on the Lake Washington School District Web site, www.lwsd.org. Interested candidates may contact Appelgate at jappelgate@lwsd.org to inquire.