The Cutting Edge: Derek Yang’s Legacy

A look at a 2025 alumni’s impressive past and promising future.

By: Shiloh Van Bussum, Copy Editor/Entertainment Lead

January 27, 2026

Derek Yang handles the puck.

The chances of playing college hockey are slim. The probability of playing in the NCAA is only around 13%, according to data from the organization. Derek Yang, 2025 alumnus, beat the odds. Yang is a freshman at the University of Washington and plays for their Division 2 team, the Huskies. He wears number 12, which he also donned during his time at Timberline.

Yang played for Timberline’s hockey club for four years. He was a valued skater. He was the captain of the team during his junior and senior years. He was speedy and intelligent when making plays and was a truly great captain.

Photo by: James Mares
Yang and his family on the 24-25 senior night.

I went to numerous games last year, and as a spectator of the sport, I vividly remember Yang as a quick and powerful skater. He has an excellent arm and eye for passing and shooting.

So far at UW, he has played 26 games. He has five goals and 15 points.

Yang is an awesome forward. Timberline was proud to have him, and UW is lucky to get him.

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About the Contributors

Shiloh Van Bussum, Copy Editor/Entertainment Lead

My name is Shiloh Van Bussum, and I am a sophomore. I am pursuing a future in sports journalism. This is my first year on the newspaper team, and I am excited to grow my experience and potential through this program. I joined the newspaper staff to further my journalism education and build my resume. This year, I would like to advance my photography skills alongside writing, reporting, and editing. I have roughly a year of photography experience. I have been writing for nearly my whole life, in and out of school. I am good with statistics, which comes in handy when reporting athletics. I would like to deepen my knowledge and talents. I hope to be a reliable and entertaining sports reporter. I want to be the next Helene Elliott. She was a famous hockey journalist for the LA Times. I aspire to be like her when I grow up.

James Mares, Lead Away Sports Reporter/Training Lead

My name is James Mares, and I’m a senior here at Timberline High School. I have never missed a day of school in my life and have never been tardy in my life. Hopefully they make an award and Pawprint has a student spotlight post about me at the end of the school year because that’s a hard thing to do for 13 years straight. I’ve always been obsessed with sports journalism, which led me to join the Pawprint staff this year. I’m new to photography and have always wanted to be on the sidelines of football games taking professional photos. I bring a wealth of football knowledge and sports background that I hope to share through this outlet. This year, I hope to improve my journalistic skills and contribute to making our Pawprint a must-read for everyone. Outside of journalism I am involved in the Timberline “Wolf Pack” Marching Ensemble and Timberline Concert Band. I have been playing trombone since the fifth grade and have fallen in love with marching band. Marching band is the reason why I still love band and have continued it all the way through high school.