Sports
A7
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
ON DECK
Monday, May 16
(Games completed
after print
deadline)
PREP BASEBALL
Union/Cove at Dufur/
South Wasco County
(2), 2 p.m.
PREP GIRLS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships,
Redmond
Tuesday, May 17
PREP GIRLS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships,
Redmond
Thursday,
May 19
PREP TRACK &
FIELD
Cove, Elgin, Imbler,
Powder Valley, Union
at OSAA 1A State
Championships,
Eugene, TBA
Union, Enterprise
at OSAA 2A State
Championships,
Eugene, TBA
PREP BASEBALL
Union/Cove at Grant
Union/Prairie City (2),
2 p.m.
Friday, May 20
PREP BASEBALL
Pendleton/Griswold at
La Grande, 4 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
La Grande at
Pendleton/Griswold,
4:30 p.m.
PREP TRACK &
FIELD
Cove, Elgin, Imbler,
Powder Valley, Union
at OSAA 1A State
Championships,
Eugene, TBA
Union at OSAA 2A
State Championships,
Eugene, TBA
Wednesday,
May 25
COLLEGE TRACK &
FIELD
Eastern Oregon
at NAIA Outdoor
Championships, Gulf
Shores, Alabama, all
day
Ron Evans/Contributed Photo
The members of the La Grande High School boys golf team hold up their second-place medals after the 4A District 4 tournament on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. The high
finish earned the Tigers a spot at the 4A state tournament May 16-17 in Banks.
HIGH HOPES
La Grande boys golf team sees season’s efforts culminate at state
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — With an experienced,
close-knit team, the La Grande boys golf pro-
gram is aiming to translate a strong regular
season into postseason success.
Coming off a team qualification into the
Class 4A state championships after placing
second in the 4A Special District 4 tourna-
ment, the Tigers aim to close out the state
meet with a high team placement.
“Our team scores have been improving
over the year and I think we’re lining up to
pop off at state,” golfer Jack Sunderman said.
“We have a strong possibility of doing better
than teams think we’ll do.”
La Grande scored a combined total of 724
at the 4A Special District 4 meet in its sec-
ond-place win, securing the team a trip to
the 4A state championships, which began on
Monday, May 16, and concludes May 17. The
competition is at Quail Valley Golf Course in
Banks.
The Tigers earned two top-five individual
placements as well, with Tristen Shepherd
taking fourth at 168 and John Remily placing
fifth at 174. Remily said his season has been
about consistency and improving from match
to match.
“I think for me, it’s taking everything
shot by shot and working on everything I’ve
learned over the season,” he said.
La Grande performed admirably at the
district meet, but the weather conditions were
far from ideal. The meet, held in Ontario, was
hampered by hail, rain and wind on Monday,
May 9, the first day of competition, severely
skewing the scores and creating difficult
playing conditions.
“The first day was just rough for every-
body,” golfer Thomas Conklin said. “On the
second day, everybody was really starting to
feel it and get in a better rhythm.”
He noted that unpredictable weather
in Eastern Oregon allows the Tigers to be
versatile and play their best game in any
conditions.
“No one else in the state probably saw
weather like that in mid-May,” Sunderman
said. “Going through adversity like that
makes our team stronger and makes everyone
better at golf.”
During the days between the district
and state meets, the team honed in on some
final adjustments. For the majority of La
Grande’s golfers, short game and chipping
were the areas of focus heading into the
season finale.
“We just try to stay really calm and have
the confidence to know you’ve hit enough
shots and played enough golf throughout the
year,” Sunderman said. “I try to treat it like
it’s no different from any other tournament.”
While any given day of golf can vary, La
Grande’s golfers are looking to rely on con-
sistency and teamwork to place highly.
“We’re all going to strive for first, but
we’re just trying to perform our best with
whatever the conditions may be,” Conklin
said.
“I think we’re all going to play really
well,” Remily said. “If we’re all in that 80s
range we’ll be good. Shooting around 350 or
below would be perfect for state.”
A Blue & Gold weekend
Photos by Davis Carbaugh/The Observer
Eastern Oregon University head football coach Tim Camp, right,
runs onto the field with the team for the Blue & Gold spring game
on Saturday, May 14, 2022, in La Grande. During the scrimmage,
George Balowski, above, returns an interception. The annual
spring game capped off a weekend of community events and
fundraisers hosted by the university’s athletic department.
Find up-to-date scores and additional game coverage
for your local high school, available 24/7 at
www.lagrandeobserver.com.