12
February
Wrestlers grapple for Three Rivers League standing
a
S imon K irsch ______________
Staff Reporter
' -*r>
As rivalries go, West Linn
and Oregon City is one of
the oldest and the Varsity
Wrestling Team added
another win for the Lions Jan.
10 in a dual meet against the
Oregon City Pioneers, 47-23.
The pressure to win was
very strong and according to
Cameron Callaghan, senior,
this was one meet the team
had to win.
The first match of the
night was at 189 lbs. between
Spencer Hansen, senior, and
Nick Shafer of Oregon City.
Hansen won the match by
pin in under two minutes.
Up 23-6 with only a third
of the meet over, West Linn
looked be to winners.
"We didn't want to get too
optimistic, but it definitely
helped us in our matches,"
Ryan Krellwitz, senior, said.
"Whenever [the team] gets a
winning streak going, there's
that pressure to keep it going,
and it helps."
The streak continued with
a 5-2 win by Logan Krellwitz
at 119 lbs., but lost the steam
when Oregon City forfeited
the 125 lbs. match against
Prescott Gamer, senior.
Ryan Krellwitz, senior 171-pound wrestler, locks a head-in-arm on
his Pioneer opponent during a dual meet against Oregon City. He won
his match with a pin, contributing to the Lions' 47-23 win.
Photo courtesy of Tracie Krellwitz
Oregon City made the same
decision to forfeit last year,
apparently fearing a pin by
Gamer.
"They did it so we couldn't
keep the ball rolling,"
Krellwitz said. "If we keep
pinning our opponents, our
morale goes up, and theirs
goes down. They did this
with hope of losing 125 but
winning the next few."
This tactic worked, as OC
managed to win the 130 lbs.
and 135 lbs. divisions against
seniors Geoff McEvers and
Gustavo Bessa.
Blazers rebuild troubled organization;
fans return after lackluster year
u I saac
C allagan ____________
Contributing Writer
21-61. This was the
Blazer's record last season,
the culmination of a slow,
six-year slide that began with
the game seven loss to the
Los Angeles Lakers in the
2000 Western Conference
Finals. However, the team
once known as the Jail
Blazers has made strides this
year to repair its record and
reputation.
The Blazers started by
firing John Nash, General
Manager, and by drafting
two high-quality players in
the 2006 National Basketball
Association draft. These
moves have changed the
attitudes of some people
towards the Blazers.
"This year they brought in
some better players, younger
players who want to play
and don't want to get into
trouble," Nicole Aden, senior
and Varsity girls basketball
player, said.
For the steady fans, the
play has been encouraging
as well. Max Cathcart,
junior, said that he has
been following the Blazers
consistently for as long
as he can remember, and
that the recent changes are
encouraging for the Blazer's
future.
For many fans around the
school, the most encouraging
change has been the change
in the leadership of the
Blazers. "The change in the
coach," was one of the better
moves the Blazers have
made," Cathcart said.
Already around the
school, students such as
Samantha Dewart, junior,
are sporting Brandon Roy
jerseys, showing acceptance
for the Blazers' #7 pick. More
encouraging is that a pre
season poll of NBA general
managers voted Roy most
likely to be Rookie of the
Year.
"The future looks
promising for the Blazers,"
Marcus Mackin, junior, said.
"I believe that the Blazers
have a real chance at making
the playoffs in the next few
years." Cathcart agreed with
him, "Within two years, the
Blazers will be a competive
team again."
There is a strong opinion
amongst fans at school
that the Blazers have the
ingredients to form a
cohesive, dominant team.
Brandon LaDick, senior,
turned the meet around with
a pin over Oregon City's Jake
Morris at 140 lbs. According
to Krellwitz, it seemed for
a while as if Morris might
take the match. But then, the
flexible LaDick countered
Morris and pinned to give
West Linn the lead, 38-14.
That pin sealed a tie for
West Linn and took some
pressure off the later matches.
John Bartlett won the meet
for West Linn in his tough
145 lb. bracket.
"All we had to do at that
point was keep pinning.
[Oregon City] did manage
to win a few more matches,
but we'd gotten in some great
pins, which is what really
counts," Krellwitz said.
Wrestling the last match of
the night, Krellwitz pinned
his opponent in the 171 lb.
division. He is hesitant to
make predictions, though.
Though West Linn looks like
the District favorite, Krellwitz
wouldn't say either way,
instead deciding to focus on
current performances.
On Jan. 20, the Lions won
the Crater Invitational. This
individual weight bracket
tournament is one of the
toughest in the Northwest,
according to Callaghan with
some of the top schools being
invited to attend.
"We competed against 15
others in our weight brackets,
including someone from our
team," Callaghan said. "Then
our points combine for a
team total."
West Linn beat second
place Crater High School by
a large margin and finished
with five finalists. Bracket
hampions were LaDick,
Gamer, Hansen, and finalists
were Callaghan and Lane
Locke.
Freshmen make splash on Swim Team
u
H illary K rippaehne _________
Staff Reporter
There are more freshman
on the Swim Team this year
than sophomores, juniors
and seniors combined. And
the freshmen are doing well
in the meets, according to
Sarah Wilson, senior and
team captain.
"They will have a strong
team for the next couple of
years," Wilson said. Kevin
Sellers, freshman, has been
doing especially well. "He is
really quick," Jessica Houser,
head coach, said.
different people in different
events. We also let different
people swim Varsity."
In a meet against Lake
Oswego High School on
Jan. 4 the team lost to
Lake Oswego, one of the
best teams in the league.
Many of the swimmers
posted personal records.
"Swimming against the best
teams makes us better,"
Houser said.
Houser has just begun
to think about Districts and
State and is trying to figure
out who will swim in each
Sarah Wilson, senior captain, competes in the 200 individual medley
against Lake Oswego. Her second place contribution helped lead to
a strong team showing against one of the Three Rivers League's elite
teams.
Photo courtesy of the West Linn Tidings
At the Jan. 11 meet against
Milwaukie High School,
Sellers was outstanding
according to Houser. "He
was in some different events,
including the 200 Individual
Medley and the 200
Backstroke, but he still was
very fast," Houser said.
"Milwaukie only had
around 12 people on their
team, so we won," Houser
said. "It was a still a very
important meet for us,
though. We got to swim
event. She predicts the team
will do well.
There are several different
events in which swimmers
can participate. They include
backstroke, breaststroke,
butterfly and freestyle. A
point system determines
which team wins. First place
earns six points. Second
place earns four points, third
place gets three points, and
so forth. Those points go
toward a team score.
Breaststroke is very
strong for both boys and
girls, according to Houser.
She mentioned that sisters
Lauren Currey, senior, and
Sara Currey, freshman, are
good at the freestyle. They #
also enjoy being on the team
together.
"It's great. I love getting to
spend time with my sister,"
Sara said.
Thomas Hollingworth,
freshman, also has fun being
on the team with his siblings.
"It's pretty cool. I like getting
to hang out with my brother
and sister," Hollingworth
said.
Practices are not easy
for swimmers according to
Houser. It's also a challenge
only being able to practice
in the water three days a
week. The other two days
swimmers have dry land
practices. During the dry
land practices swimmers
work on their endurance
and are required to mn two
laps as a warm up. They also
work in the weight rooms,
run stadiums and participate
in core training. The team
also tries to have fun and
play ultimate frisbee or
capture the flag.
"Their hard work shows
and pays off," Houser said.
"We work and get through
it together," Wilson said.
Meets are every Thursday
and fans are encouraged to
come and cheer on the team.
The next meet will be held
Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. at the LO
pool. They will be up against
Clackamas High School.
"I have high expectations
and they have risen to them,"
Houser said. "I am really
proud of all the kids."
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