Chapple Gymnasium at Lake Washington High School has been the site of many high school games, dances and other momentous events. It was even the site of Doug and Emmary Chapple’s wedding in 1993. The gymnasium was named for Doug Chapple in 1992, when he retired from coaching. This year is the last for Chapple Gym since it will be demolished in May as part of the modernization of Lake Washington High School.
On Feb. 5, one week before the last official basketball game in Chapple Gym, Lake Washington High School alumni and friends are invited to say “Farewell to Chapple Gym.” In addition to JV and Varsity Boys and Girls basketball games versus Bothell, there will be a chance for alumni to reconnect and to say hello to Chapple. Chapple will be honored between the girls’ Varsity game and the boys’ Varsity game, which begins about 8 p.m.
Chapple was a teacher, coach, athletic director and administrator for more than 48 years, including teaching business education at Lake Washington High School from 1963 to 1991. During his coaching career he was head football, head boys and girls track, head boys and girls Cross Country, and head wrestling coach at Lake Washington High School. In wrestling, the sport for which he is most known, he had 43 state competitors while at LWHS.
His 1989 and 1992 teams were the State AAA Academic Champions and Chapple was awarded the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association “State AAA” Coach of the Year in 1989. Chapple was awarded Coach of the Year honors in the Kingco Conference five times. Two sportsmanship awards have been named after Doug Chapple. He was inducted in to the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame in 1994.
A new gym will be built this summer, to open next fall. The rest of the new Lake Washington High School is currently under construction behind the old high school building, which will be used through the next school year (2010-2011). The new Lake Washington High School will be opened in the fall of 2011. This project was funded by district voters who passed a modernization bond for the district in 2006. For more information on the modernization of Lake Washington High School, go to www.lwsd.org/News/New-Lake-Washington-High.
