Mike Cranston (1979) - Basketball, Track

Growing up the son of a coach, you might say it was inevitable that Mike Cranston would be an athlete.  He spent his three years at R.A. Long as an outstanding athlete in both basketball and track.  Mike was a varsity starter on the basketball team his junior and senior years at R.A. Long.  In his junior year he averaged 14 points per game which made him the leading scorer on the team and he averaged 6 rebounds and 4 assists.  He was named to the second team All Conference – SWW Conference his junior year.  1979, his senior year he again was the leading scorer with 19.3 points per game, 8.3 RPG and 3 assists and named to the first team All-Conference-SWW Conference.  Mike was also chosen to go on the American U-17 Southwest Washington Tour.  The team toured Australia for a 14 game exhibition, they went 12-2, the tour included the cities of Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmania.  Mike was a varsity discus competitor his sophomore, junior and senior years at R.A. Long.  He took 2nd place at the St. Helens League District Championships.  Mike received an athletic scholarship in basketball to play for the Eastern Washington University Eagles, he stayed at EWU from 1979 to 1981.  As a freshman he started on the varsity basketball team and was voted to the All Freshman team – NAIA District 4 in 1980.  He held the EWU Freshman single game scoring record of 26 points from 1980 to 1994.  Mike transferred to Pacific Lutheran University in 1981 after receiving an athletic scholarship to play basketball there.  After graduating from PLU in 1983 Mike began his coaching career as an assistant to PLU head coach Bruce Haroldson for two years when the basketball teams had 20 win seasons.  After getting his start as a coach under the tutelage Bruce Haroldson, Mike accepted the varsity assistant coach position at Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon, under the legendary Oregon High School coach Ken Harris.  1988 to 1991 Mike accepted the position of Head Boys basketball coach at Hermiston High School in Oregon.  He lead a team that had no wins in 1987 to an 8-14 record in 1988.  The year he concluded his career at Hermiston the team had a 14-8 record and just missed the regional playoffs.  Mike spent 18 years as Head Boys basketball coach at Mountain View High School in Vancouver.  Under his leadership the Thunder were able to reach post season play in 17 seasons.  This included GSHL Districts, West Central Districts and the WIAA 4A State Tournament.  During his tenure as a coach at Mountain View, Mike was able to coach some amazing young athletes such as; Derek Raivio; Brandon Johnson, Carson Payne, Austin Dunn, Taylor Dunn, Matt Raivio and the list goes on and on.  Mike and his wife Sally have been married for 20 plus years and they have three children; Amica, who attends LCC and is on the girls basketball team, Cameron and Courtney.  Mike admits that his children are the joy in his life.  Mike was raised in Longview by his parents Dwight and Marilyn Cranston.