Sports
OSAA
committee
supports
wrestling
changes
By NIK STRENG
The Oregonian
PORTLAND — Oregon’s
wrestling state tournament
could soon be separated into two
venues, a goal that the Oregon
School Activities Association’s
State Championship Committee
made clear during a meeting on
Monday, March 14.
The committee’s update fol-
lowing the meeting states that
the goal is to have two locations
for future wrestling state tourna-
ments — a venue for 6A and 5A,
and a second venue for 4A, 3A
and 2A/1A.
The OSAA has been holding
the culminating wrestling events
simultaneously at the Memo-
rial Coliseum in Portland since
2007. For the 2021-2022 season,
the tournament had to be split up
due to COVID-19 policies at the
venue, which would have made
the tournament unfeasible to
hold at one location.
Increased participation was
sparked by the start of the offi-
cial girls wrestling tourna-
ment four years ago. This tour-
nament would also move to
two locations, splitting girls
wrestling into a 6A/5A and a
4A/3A/2A/1A classification.
For the 2021-2022 season,
the girls wrestling state cham-
pionship was held at Culver
High School and had 12-person
brackets. The new proposal
would make it so there are two
classifications with each get-
ting an eight-person bracket.
The tournaments would be
held at the same venue as the
boys.
The big schools accounted
for nine of the state champions
in the 2021-2022 season, while
the small schools took home five
titles. Tillamook was the high-
est-scoring small school, fin-
ishing fourth.
The state championship com-
mittee again stated that it does
not support holding a dual meet
state championship.
The next meeting of the
OSAA State Championship
Committee will be on April 18.
None of the changes made by the
state championship committee
are final, and all changes must
be approved by the OSAA Exec-
utive Committee.
A8
Saturday, March 26, 2022
ON THE SLATE
Hitting the links
March 23 results
PREP BASEBALL
Dakota Ridge, Colorado, 5, La
Grande 2, Surprise, Arizona
March 24 results
Wildhorse Resort
& Casino will host
an Epson Tour
event in September
at Wildhorse
Golf Course
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande 12, Apollo, Arizona, 1,
Surprise, Arizona
Friday, March 25
(Games completed after print
deadline)
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Providence at Eastern Oregon (2),
2 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
East Oregonian
ENDLETON — Wild-
horse Resort & Casino
will host an Epson Tour
event Sept. 2-4 at Wildhorse
Golf Course.
Epson Tour is the official
qualifying tour of the Ladies
Professional Golf Association.
The Wildhorse Ladies
Classic will be the 17th stop
on the Epson Tour’s 2022
schedule, welcoming profes-
sional female golfers from all
over the United States and
more than 40 countries from
around the world.
The Epson Tour, in its 42nd
competitive season, annually
awards the top-10 players on the
season-long “Race for the Card”
money list with LPGA Tour
membership for the following
season.
The main event is pre-
ceded by two pro-am tourna-
ments beginning Aug. 31. This
is when amateur golfers get to
team up with professionals from
the Epson Tour to compete in a
scramble.
The pro-am also will be at
Wildhorse Golf Course.
“Wildhorse Resort & Casino
and the Confederated Tribes of
the Umatilla Indian Reservation
are excited to showcase and wel-
come some of the most talented
young professional golfers from
around the world to our Tribal
and local communities,” CEO
Gary George said in a news
release.
When asked why Wildhorse
joined the Epson Tour, George
explained, “This event aligns
with the Tribes’ efforts to pro-
vide meaningful opportunities
for Tribal youth and to grow the
game of golf in our region.”
The Epson Tour is hosted by
other tribal venues throughout
the season, including Cir-
cling Raven Golf Club in Idaho
and Morongo Golf Club in
California.
La Grande vs. Timberline, Eagle,
Idaho, 11 a.m.
Warrenton at Union/Cove, noon
Burns at Union/Cove, 2:15 p.m.
La Grande vs. Skyview, Eagle, Idaho,
3 p.m.
P
Saturday, March 26
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Bushnell at Eastern Oregon (2),
11 a.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Providence at Eastern Oregon (2),
11 a.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S
LACROSSE
Eastern Oregon at Puget Sound, 1 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Wildhorse Golf Course/Contributed Photo
Wildhorse Golf Course will host an LPGA Epson Tour event Sept. 2-4, 2022.
Tamástslikt Cultural
Institute fundraiser
The eighth annual Mammoth
Cup Golf Tournament, pre-
sented by Wildhorse Resort &
Casino, will be May 13 at Wild-
horse Golf Course.
The scramble format tourney
is the premiere fundraiser for
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
and an excellent opportunity to
play one of the region’s top golf
courses.
Foursomes (and singles) can
register for the Mammoth Cup
through May 6. The entry fee is
$95 per person or $380 per four-
some (tax-deductible, member
discounts apply) and includes
green fees, complimentary range
balls, tee prize and sack lunch.
The shotgun start is at 1 p.m.
There will be several prizes
to be won, beverage carts
throughout the day, a raffle for
merchandise, golf items and
rounds, and lots of side bets,
including a $10,000 hole-in-one,
wrong hand putting contest, lon-
gest drive and more.
The Mammoth Cup is
Tamástslikt’s major fund-
raising event and is named in
recognition of the two mam-
moth teeth excavated when
the Wildhorse Golf Course
was being built. Designed
by legendary golf architect
John Steidel, Wildhorse Golf
Course features 18 holes,
beautiful lakes, long fairways
and deep bunkers.
Guardian Care Center
fundraiser
Golfers can help children in
Umatilla County by teeing off
in the Guardian Care Center
Charity Golf Tournament on
April 30 at Wildhorse Golf
Course.
Entry fee for the four-person
scramble is $85 per person or
$340 per team.
Lunch is at 11 a.m., and there
are prizes to be won throughout
the day.
The tournament also is
looking for event sponsors. For
more information, call 541-276-
6774 or go to www.guardiancar-
ecenter.org.
Proceeds from the event
cover the cost of each child
abuse assessment in Umatilla
County.
La Grande vs. Rocky Mountain,
Eagle, Idaho, 1 p.m.
Bonanza at Union/Cove, 1 p.m.
La Grande at Eagle, Idaho, 3 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
La Grande, Powder Valley at Hawk Invite,
College Place, Washington, 10 a.m.
Sunday, March 27
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Bushnell at Eastern Oregon (2),
11 a.m.
Tuesday, March 29
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
College of Idaho at Eastern Oregon
(2), 2 p.m.
Friday, April 1
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon at Warner Pacific
(2), 2 p.m.
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Eastern Oregon at NNU Invitational,
Nampa, Idaho, TBA
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande at Seaside/Jewell, 4 p.m.
La Grande vs. North Marion, 7 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Banks at La Grande (2), 2 p.m.
Elgin/Imbler at Union/Cove (2),
2 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Cove, Elgin, Imbler, La Grande,
Powder Valley, Union at Carnival of
Speed, McLoughlin High School,
10 a.m.
PREP BOYS TENNIS
Pendleton at La Grande, 3 p.m.
SPORTS SHORT
Eastern’s Phillip Malatare selected as NAIA Honorable Mention All-American
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — In his first year with the program,
Phil Malatare made quite the impact on the Eastern Oregon
University men’s basketball team.
The junior capped off his season by being named
NAIA Honorable Mention All-American,
as announced by the league on Thursday,
March 24. Malatare is the first Eastern men’s
basketball player to earn All-American
status since Max McCullough did so at the
conclusion of the 2019-20 season.
“His overall efficiency made him spe-
Malatare
cial,” Eastern head coach Chris Kemp said.
“I was really glad he got that recognition.”
Malatare led the offensive charge for the Mountaineers
this season, posting 19.2 points per game, 5.9 rebounds per
game and 3.3 assists per game. The Arlee, Montana, native
shot 48% from the field and 39.2% from three-point range.
He tallied five double-doubles on the year and scored a
season-high 29 points against Whitman College on Nov. 5.
The transfer from North Idaho College made his mark
on the program throughout the year, earning Cascade Col-
legiate Conference first-team honors as well as conference
newcomer of the year.
When all-time program leading scorer Max
McCullough suffered a season-ending injury just five
games into the season, Malatare saw his role increase to the
team’s primary scorer. Kemp noted that Eastern’s win total
would likely have taken a significant dip had Malatare not
been on the roster to provide consistent scoring.
“I think he filled in a lot of our holes and could create
his own shot,” Kemp said. “We really relied on him for a
lot. He stepped up and was big for us.”
Malatare helped lead Eastern to an 18-13 record overall,
while the team went 12-10 in conference play. The Moun-
taineers were tough to beat at Quinn Coliseum, going 10-3
in home games. Eastern finished its regular season on a
four-game winning streak to finish sixth in the conference
standings, before falling in a narrow season-ending loss to
Lewis-Clark State in the conference tournament.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
The Mountaineers’ Phillip Malatare (0) drives to the basket in
Eastern Oregon’s 67-61 win over Montana Western at Quinn
Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.
Find up-to-date scores and additional game coverage
for your local high school, available 24/7 at
www.lagrandeobserver.com.