High School Sports
Flashback: Sue Turina Sammamish, Class of 1977

	Sue Turina Bangasser
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Sport: Basketball

High-school rewind: Turina, a 6-foot post player, helped Sammamish to back-to-back, big-school state titles in 1976 and '77. Totems went a combined 46-2 during that stretch. She also participated in track and volleyball.

After high-school: Starred at Seattle University from 1977-81, where she still holds records for rebounds in a game (28), rebounds in a season (380), and games played (119). Ranks fourth all-time in points (1,648) and third all-time in rebounds (1,071). Earned All-America honors as a senior and became the first women's basketball player in school history to have her jersey (No. 44) retired.

After athletics: Graduated from college in 1981 with a degree in fine arts. Dabbled in coaching — basketball, track and volleyball — at both junior-high and high-school levels. Worked at Eddie Bauer for 10 years. Now stays busy helping raise three children.

Personal: Turina married Pat Bangasser, a teacher at Inglewood Junior High and coach of the Redmond girls basketball team, in 1982. They reside in Sammamish with their children, Alli, 15, Stuart, 12, and Madison, 4.

Fast forward: Turina played competitively on the AAU circuit for about 10 years after graduating from college, but has since broadened her athletic pursuits.

She did triathlons for a while, and is now giving rowing a try.

Though her husband heads one of the state's top girls programs, Turina says she stays mostly out of his way, preferring to watch from the stands.

"One (coach) in the family is enough," she said, joking.

Turina says she sometimes misses playing — mostly because of the camaraderie — but she'll get at least one more chance on Saturday in an alumni game at Seattle U.

"The thing you remember are the friendships," Turina says, "just hanging out with your friends and being a team."

— Matt Peterson

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company