by Mike Lengel, assistant director of athletics

Part of my job as assistant director of athletics is to act as the creative lead for our department. I'm in charge of designing our post-game score graphics, shooting and editing photos and videos, keeping our Twitter feeds running, and a bunch of other tasks. All of that means I get to work closely with our expansive athletics photo library, which includes hundreds (maybe thousands) of photos taken by our athletics photographer, Clayton Christy, as well as photos taken by me, by parents and guardians, and anyone else in our community that snapped a few pictures at an athletic event. I'm often sorting through these libraries daily, choosing photos for various tasks that tell stories, capture important moments (or seconds), and show the spirit of Lakeside Athletics.

As 2018 wraps up, I thought I'd share some of the photos that caught my eye for those reasons. Enjoy!

Danny T. '19 tees off at Jackson Park Golf Course in a Metro League matchup. Danny would go on to win an Metro League individual title that season. This photo sticks out to me because of the stillness and clarity of the image, which is usually hard to capture considering how fast golf clubs move during a typical swing. (Clayton Christy) 

Crystal Xu '18 leaps to return a serve in a matchup against Bishop Blanchet High School. Again, another great photograph by Clayton, capturing a split-second's worth of action. (Clayton Christy) 

Anna K. '20 leaps over three Mercer Island opponents to put a shot on goal. This one stuck out to me for a few reasons: one, great action photo of a Lakeside athlete doing something cool; two, if you look close, an opposing player's stick is hitting her in the face, and she's still getting the shot off. (Clayton Christy) 

Sydney Horn '18 passes the baton off to Iman Lavery '18 in the 4x400 relay. They were part of Lakeside's 4x400 state-qualifying team that ran the second fastest time in school history in that event: a blazing 3:58.56. (Clayton Christy) 

Members of the girls soccer team hoist the 2018 Metro League championship trophy, after a stunning upset over Seattle Prep. These are the kinds of photos I love seeing come back from Clayton: lots of emotion, lots of action, and a moment to be remembered. (Clayton Christy) 

This beautiful shot was taken by a parent/guardian of a crew team member as the teams entered the water for the Vashon Dual. Crew photographs consistently come back with stunning visuals, and this one tops them all. (Kathryn Helde) 

Members of Lakeside's girls swim and dive team huddle together before the WIAA 3A state championship meet. I love this angle, as it puts you in the huddle with the team. It also captures the spirit of this team, who had smiles on their faces as they paced their way towards their 5th-straight Metro League championship, and second-place state finish. (Clayton Christy) 

Olivia S. '20 competes in the 100 yard breaststroke event at the WIAA 3A state championship meet. Similar to crew, swimming photos always come back looking great. I love Olivia's reflection in the water, the symmetry all throughout the photo, and the chaotic splashing in the background. (Clayton Christy) 

Alright, I took this one, but that's not why I included it here. The 2018-2019 boys basketball team's motto is "BROTHERS," which aims to help them play togethe and to trust one another. I thought this was a cool angle to shoot from during a timeout in their game versus Roosevelt, and shows how they implement their brotherhood into every aspect of their game. (Mike Lengel) 

Wren H. '19 pins an opponent during a team dual with Chief Sealth High School. This one struck me for a few reasons: it may be somewhat minimal, but Wren is a pin machine, aiming for a school record 50th career pin, and also the captain of a new-look wrestling squad, who doubled their roster size from last year and won their first team dual in five years. (Clayton Christy) 

Members of the boys cross country team pose with their newly claimed Metro League championship trophy, for some reason wearing newspaper hats. We were fortunate to have a parent/guardian taking photos at the meet. Humor aside, we can't have too many league championship photos in our database. (Mike Mathieu) 

Members of the volleyball team celebrate a crucial point in their state championship matchup with Mt. Spokane High School. This one is special for a few reasons: one, I love that Clayton was able to get our family section, who traveled all the way to Kennewick, WA to cheer on the team, in the background; and two, he told me when he returned that he wasn't able to get courtside for the tournament, so he was photographing from the stands, and STILL got amazing shots like this one! (Clayton Christy) 

Zane Baker '18 lines a hit into the outfield in a game against Kennedy Catholic High School. Another great action shot here, freezing time to show detail and clarity. Zane would go on to be recognized as the Metro League's Most Valuable Player, and this photograph serves as a great way to honor one of Lakeside baseball's most prolific players. (Clayton Christy) 

The boys lacrosse team huddles together before a playoff matchup with Seattle Preparatory High School. Similar to the boys basketball photo above, I like the "togetherness" of this photo - one of those special moments that sports offers. It's also got some artistic value: I like that Coach Davidheiser's maroon hat sticks out of the all-white layer of helmets. (Clayton Christy) 

Elise K. '21 lines up a free throw in a home matchup against Interlake High School. There's a lot more to this photo than can be seen. Sinking a free throw is one of the harder things to do in the game, as it requires ultimate mental focus. That's  captured here both in her facial expression and in the environment of the photo. I like that Elise looks totally alone on the court here, even though there's probably a lot of action happening around her. (Clayton Christy) 

Will Barton '18 celebrates his fourth (!!!) goal in a state playoff game against Stadium High School. I really love getting these kinds of photographs back. Our student-athletes do a lot of great things on the field, and often times have pretty awesome reactions and celebrations to follow. (Clayton Christy) 

Speaking of celebrations, here's junior football players Jack D. (#3) and Eli T. celebrating after they connected for a touchdown in a game versus Bainbridge High School. This whole series has some cool photographs, thanks to the mixture of the stadium lights and the foggy marine air coming off of the Puget Sound. (Clayton Christy) 

This is both a humorous photo, and a photo of courage in action. Jake Korman '18 attempts a difficult dive in a dual meet with Bishop Blanchet, with zero previous diving experience. The team needed the diving points, and Jake stepped up as a volunteer, despite knowing he might not be great at it. I was there when this was happening, and I loved seeing his teammates (seen behind him) react loudly and proudly at each attempt. (Clayton Christy) 

These are just 18 of hundreds of amazing photos taken by Clayton and others in our community. But the best way to see our student-athletes in action is to come see them live! Make sure to check out the athletics calendar to see all of our 2019 games, competitions, meets, and other events.

GO LIONS!

Follow Lakeside Athletics on Twitter at @LakesideLions.