Sports
Travel
costs
A8
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Local high school athletics facing
gasoline price burden head-on
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — With local
spring sports seasons in swing, a new
hurdle has presented itself to local
high school teams.
The recent increase in fuel prices
in the wake of Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine has pushed the price of gas-
oline to record highs, aff ecting nearly
every local entity. For sports teams
who frequently travel for games and
events, the increase in fuel prices is
creating a mixed bag of eff ects on
schools in Union County.
According to the American Auto-
mobile Association, Oregon’s state-
wide average gas price as of Saturday,
March 26, was $4.72. The mark is
the fi fth highest average out of all 50
states, with neighboring states Cali-
fornia and Washington ranked in the
top four.
Gas in La Grande, as of the same
date, reached upward of $4.73 per
gallon and $4.59 on the lowest end of
Union County.
With most schools sticking to com-
petition within the Eastern Oregon
region, the high gas prices will not
have a major toll on travel this season.
However, some local fi gures in high
school athletics are wary of possible
ABOVE: Students at La Grande Middle
School board school buses after
class on Thursday, March 17,
2022. The recent increase in fuel
prices in the wake of Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has
pushed the price of gasoline
to record highs — if the costs
remain high, it could aff ect
the ability of sports teams to
travel for games and events.
RIGHT: La Grande’s Sam
Tsiatsos tags out J.R. Starr,
of Hermiston, on Thursday,
March 17, 2022, at Weber
Field in Hermiston. Local high
school athletes have not had a
regular spring season since before
the COVID-19 pandemic, and high
gasoline prices may present another
unpredictable hurdle.
impacts in the future.
For Union High School’s spring
sports, no immediate schedule
changes are in sight.
“We have not made any changes
at this time. We are still functioning
as normal,” Union Athletic Director
Chris Dunlap said.
With school set to end in the
coming months, the impact of gaso-
line prices may be a decision that is
EOU baseball team plays first official games
on new turf at Pioneer Park in La Grande
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
taken into consideration by the time
the next academic calendar comes
around.
“To be equitable from what we’ve
done, we would stick to the schedule
we currently have and honor those,”
Dunlap said. “Moving into next year,
if prices stay high, that might dictate
what we’re able to and not able to do.”
Dunlap noted that prior to next
year’s sports seasons, more fund-
ON THE SLATE
Saturday, March 26
COLLEGE BASEBALL
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon 2, Providence 1
Eastern Oregon 7, Providence 3
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Cove, Elgin, Imbler, La Grande,
Powder Valley, Union at Carnival
of Speed, McLoughlin High
School, 10 a.m.
Sunday, March 27
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Eastern Oregon 8, Bushnell 2
Eastern Oregon 16, Bushnell 13
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Friday, April 1
Eastern Oregon University’s McKlane Elgin covers the plate ahead of a Bushnell University runner at
Optimist Field, La Grande, on Saturday, March 26, 2022. The EOU Mountaineers lost 5-1 in game one
and 6-4 in game two on Saturday but rebounded with two victories the next day. The doubleheaders
marked the fi rst offi cial games on the new turf infi eld at Pioneer Park.
PREP BASEBALL
PREP SOFTBALL
Rocky Mountain (Idaho) 9, La
Grande 3
Union/Cove 13, Warrenton 2
Eagle (Idaho) 16, La Grande 2
College of Idaho at Eastern
Oregon (2), 2 p.m.
PREP BASEBALL
La Grande at Astoria, noon
Banks at La Grande (2), 2 p.m.
Elgin/Imbler at Union/Cove (2),
2 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Tuesday, March 29
Invitational, Nampa, Idaho, TBA
La Grande at Seaside/Jewell,
4 p.m.
La Grande vs. North Marion,
7 p.m.
Bushnell 5, Eastern Oregon 1
Bushnell 6, Eastern Oregon 4
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
raising eff orts may be necessary for
Union athletics if gas prices are still
at similar high rates.
“I think as we go forward in the
spring we won’t see much change, but
all school budgets may be negatively
impacted,” La Grande baseball coach
Parker McKinley said.
The La Grande baseball team
recently returned from its annual
trip to Arizona for the Coach Bob
National Invitational at Shadow
Ridge High School in Arizona.
While the La Grande athletic
department pays for the entry fee, the
travel and hotel costs rely on fund-
raising eff orts.
McKinley said the overall cost
for gas during the trip was well over
double, if not triple, the
costs for fuel that it took
to bring three vehicles to
the tournament in years
past.
“It’s hard — the
experience itself is such
Bowen
an invaluable experi-
ence for these kids,”
McKinley said. “It’s not
something I feel like
you can put a price on.”
McKinley also noted
that he is concerned
that high gas prices
McKinley
will impact the
overall experience sports brings
to high school students.
“I hope we don’t see any
experiences taken away
from the kids, since they
already missed so much
over the last two years,”
he said.
Imbler Superinten-
dent Doug Hislop noted
in a previous article by
The Observer that there are
currently no plans to limit
travel for the school district’s
sporting events.
Most of Imbler’s travel for
spring sports is within Eastern
Oregon until state competitions. The
Imbler School District provides its
own bus service, which is budgeted
into yearly expenses.
La Grande softball coach Cody
Bowen hopes to not see a major
impact, seeing as most of the team’s
signifi cant travel is later in the
playoff s.
Local high school sports athletes
have not had a regular spring season
since before the COVID-19 pandemic
— if high gasoline prices persist,
sports teams could be facing another
unpredictable obstacle.
PREP BOYS TENNIS
Pendleton at La Grande, 3 p.m.
Saturday, April 2
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Eastern Oregon at British
Columbia (2), 1 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon at Warner
Pacifi c (2), 11 a.m.
Eastern Oregon at Warner
Pacifi c (2), 2 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S
LACROSSE
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Eastern Oregon at Corban,
1 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at NNU
Sunday, April 3
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Eastern Oregon at British
Columbia (2), 11 a.m.
Monday, April 4
PREP SOFTBALL
Echo/Stanfi eld at La Grande (2),
2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 5
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon at College of
Idaho (2), 1 p.m.
PREP BASEBALL
Union/Cove at Weston-McEwen,
4 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii at Union/
Cove (2), 3 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Elgin, Imbler, Powder Valley
at Small Schools Meet, Grant
Union, 4 p.m.
PREP BOYS TENNIS
Vale at La Grande, 4 p.m.
SPORTS SHORT
Liefke named NAIA Honorable Mention All-American
en route to a fi rst-team all Cas-
cade Collegiate Conference
selection. Liefke shot 42.5%
LA GRANDE — After
from the fi eld and 34% from
a phenomenal season on the
beyond the arc this season.
hardwood, Eastern Oregon
Liefke is the fi rst Moun-
University women’s basketball
taineer
to earn a spot on the
Liefke
player Sailor Liefke earned
NAIA women’s All-Amer-
national recognition for her overall
ican teams since Jane Nelson did so in
performance.
the 2019-20 season. Liefke’s selection
The junior guard from Sunnyside,
marked the 12th overall All-American
Washington led the Mountaineers with selection under Eastern head coach
16.1 points per game this year. She
Anji Weissenfl uh.
averaged 3.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds
The junior was an anchor for
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
Eastern, starting in all 30 games
and totaling 24 double-digit scoring
eff orts.
The Mountaineers fi nished the
season 22-11 overall and 18-4 in con-
ference play. After losing to Southern
Oregon in the Cascade Collegiate
Conference tournament semifi -
nals, Eastern earned an at-large bid
to the NAIA National Champion-
ships. Despite a tight game in the 4/13
matchup, Eastern ultimately fell 73-67
to Sterling College to mark the end of
the season.
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Eastern Oregon’s Sailor Liefke (22) looks to pass around the Oregon Institute
of Technology at Quinn Coliseum, La Grande, on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022.