By Doug Petrowski

Nalin Sood, head coach of the Mountlake Terrace boys’ basketball team, has been named the Grand Marshal for this year’s Tour de Terrace parade.

“To say I am sincerely humbled would be quite an understatement,” Sood said on Tuesday. “I feel very fortunate to be recognized with this tremendous honor as a representative of Mountlake Terrace High School and the boys’ basketball program. It is simply reflective of the great assistant coaches and athletes that have been the reason for our success this recent year and past seasons.”

Sood coached the Hawks to a record of 23-3 in the 2011-2012 season, tying a school record for most wins in a season. The team was champions of both the Wesco League and the Northwest District, earning a spot in the WIAA 3A State Tournament where they succumbed to the eventual state champions, the Rainier Beach Vikings.

Sood, a MTHS alumni, has been the head coach of the Hawks since 2001, taking the squad to the post-season nine times and on to the state tournament six times. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Sood teaches business classes at the high school.

The Sood family has been very active in the area for many years. Nalin’s father, Vic, has served on the Mountlake Terrace City Council, the Planning Commission, the Farmers’ Market Steering Committee, and the Civic Facilities Task Force. He’s taken a leading role in transportation issues, founding Community Transit and working with Sound Transit and the State Regional Transportation Committee. Nalin’s mother, Manu, was a member of the Mountlake Terrace Arts Commission and the Mountlake Terrace Garden Club before her passing in 2009. The annual Manu Sood Art Scholarship awarded by the Arts Commission is named in her honor.

The Tour de Terrace parade is set for Friday, July 27, with the Seattle Police Motorcycle Drill Team leading the way at 6:45 p.m. The parade runs north down 56th Avenue West starting at 234th Street Southwest and ending at 224th Street Southwest.