Karen Blair
Basketball Coach

Karen had a passion for basketball at an early age and after her playing days at Meadowdale High School and Seattle University, she returned to Meadowdale as an assistant coach. She became the head coach in 1994 and the Mavericks, under her leadership, began an outstanding eleven year run. From 1994 through 2005, the team recorded 255 wins and 39 losses. Her teams’ WESCO League record was 163 wins and 9 losses. Her teams qualified for the state tournament ten times during that eleven year period and placed eight consecutive times, from 1997 to 2004. Her 1999-2000 and 2003-04 teams were the WIAA 3A State Champions. The 2003-04 team went 26 and 1 losing only a non-league game to 4A Snohomish, which finished 5th in the 4A State Tournament that year.

In eleven seasons, Karen’s teams won twenty games nine times. Her 1999-2000 state championship team had a record of 19 wins and 9 losses – one of only two times her team didn’t win twenty games. Her 1998-99 team lost only once – the state championship game to Bainbridge. Her 2002-03 team lost only one game, a second round loss in overtime to Black Hills at the state tournament. Meadowdale’s remarkable run included 9 South Division WESCO Championships and 6 NW District Championships.

Following the 1999-2000 State Championship season, the Washington State Senate passed Resolution 2000-8786 which stated (in part) “That the members of the Washington State Senate do hereby recognize Coach Karen Blair and the Meadowdale Mavericks for demonstrating skill, determination, and courage in winning the 2000 3A High School Girls’ Basketball Championship”. This is a great commentary regarding Karen Blair and her coaching career at Meadowdale High School.