Different season, same ending: Girls' Golf Team
crowned State champion for second straight year
T y C larke
Sw
Champion is a word
interspersed throughout the
Girls' Golf team's legacy over
the past few years. Champion
as in team State champion
for the second year in a
row. Champion as in 2009
individual champion Sharon
Shin, senior. Champion as
in this year's individual
State champion, Morgan
Thompson, senior.
"I am so happy for our
girls. The girls have practiced
very hard in preparation for
that moment, so I was very
excited for them," head coach
Bob Turnquist said. "You
have no idea if you will ever
win a state championship,
you just try to be in a position
to be prepared to win."
Shin and Thompson's
careers as Lions can’t be
described as anything less
than historic. Each of the four
years the pair has been on
the team, they have finished
in the top five at State. As
a sophomore, Shin won an
individual championship
at State. This year, it was
? 0
-
i f
,
r
s
., j H
Photo courtesy of Morgan Thompson
Morgan Thompson, senior, admires her shot at Districts. The Lions
won Districts and finished first at State while Thompson was crowned
individual State champion.
Thompson's turn to be
champion.
"It was really exciting
and emotional," Thompson
said. "This year winning the
individual title was really
special and walking the last
few holes with my coach
for the last time was very
bittersweet."
"I can't even describe how
proud I am of the two of them
and all of things they have
accomplished over the last
four years," Turnquist said.
"I am excited for their future
as college players and I know
they will accomplish great
things. It has been truly a
pleasure to get to know them
so well."
In the past three years, the
runners share close bonds,
and spend much of their free
time with each other.
"As good friends, we
exercises."
One of the circumstances
that each member of the crew
shares in common is that
State match has ended with a
West Linn individual or team
in first place, culminating this
year when the Lions had both
an individual and team State
champion. It was the first time
since 1994 the individual and
team champion hailed from
the same school. Turnquist
says multiple factors
contributed to the successes
"We have a ton of talented
kids in the West Linn area
that have decided to make
golf their focus," he said. "It is
not rare to have one talented
player on a team, but to
have 8-10 kids every year is
unbelievable. The girls have
learned to make the sport
very fun and social in their
own way. Golf can be very
isolating, and these girls have
learned to work through that."
Shin and Thompson were
the only two returners from
last year's team. Joining
them were three freshman:
Kristin Elich, Sarah Archuleta
and Tiffany Lee. Archuleta
finished seventh in the
tournament. Overall, the
Lions set a State record with
a two day score of 627. The
team beat second place Jesuit
by 25 strokes.
"To go back-to-back at State
was awesome. I hope West
Linn Girls' Golf continues
to be a strong force in Girls
Golf," Thompson said.
At Districts, the Lions
took first, as was the case
for most of the season. Over
the two days of Districts, the
Lions shot an astounding 599,
beating the second place team
by 80 strokes.
With three returning
golfers, the Lions could
potentially be a force again
next year. Meanwhile, it is
on to college for Shin and
Thompson. Shin will be
headed to California State
University Northridge and
Thompson will be attending
University of California
Berkeley.
"The four years on the team
are four years I will never
forget. I've made some of
the best memories and best
friends as well," Thompson
said. "It's been an amazing
run and I'm looking forward
to having another great four
Wannarka said. "It was really
disappointing for me."
Wannarka hasn't been the
only one to have his season
marred by injury or illness.
West is currently battling
a torn anterior cruciate
ligament suffered when he
was moving furniture.
"Tearing my ACL about a
month ago and wrecking my
senior track season has been
challenging. It has honestly
just been a great reflection
time to know what I want to
pursue in life," West said.
Through the highs and
lows the runners have stuck
together, remaining the
guiding force for younger
athletes aspiring to be on
Varsity. All of them are
pursuing distance running
as part of their life after high
school, with some going on
to compete for prestigious
running universities. Boyd-
Helm and West will each be
attending Southern Oregon
University in the fall.
"(Zach) is our best track
runner, having run the second
fastest 800 meter in school
history. He will have a great
college career," Linman said.
"(Taylor) is our best cross
country runner, having won
the district cross country
meet this year."
Others will be competing
in distance running out-
of-state. Frank will run for
Colorado College, while
Chandler will travel to the
east coast to compete for
Southern Virginia University.
Recently, Wannarka
committed to Iowa State
University on a running
scholarship.
"(Graham) is our hardest
worker, and will just get
better as time goes on,"
Linman said. "(Jefferson) has
had a great senior year in
both cross country and track."
Donnelly is the only
member of the group who
will not be competing at the
next level, but he still expects
to run and sustain his fitness
outside of school. He will
be studying engineering at
Purdue University.
"Tim is the best team
athlete we have," Linman
said. "When I ask him what
distance he wants to race, his
response is always 'whatever
the team needs'. He has been
the easiest runner to coach of
all our seniors."
After the team placed third
overall in the State Meet last
season, the runners have only
to improve this season to
leave a lasting legacy in the
West Linn distance program.
y e a rs w ith co lleg iate g o lf."
Six distance runners battle adversity, develop bonds
to bring stability throughout their four years on Varsity
S ean P ebler __________________
It's not often that a
group of young athletes can
command an entire division
of its track team throughout
four consecutive seasons.
However, Taylor West, Cullen
Wannarka, Timothy Donnelly,
Graham Frank, Jefferson
Chandler and Zachary Boyd-
Helm, seniors, have directed
the Boys' Distance Crew to
triumph and success during
their respective high school
careers.
"It was fun to watch these
runners grow up," John
Linman, head coach, said.
"They come to us as 14 year-
old freshmen and leave four
years later ready to pursue
college."
For four straight seasons,
these six runners have
dominated their particular
sport, pushing each other
to new personal bests and
challenging each other for
Varsity spots.
"We're all pretty
competitive, so we'll usually
work pretty hard to beat each
other in workouts and races,"
Wannarka said.
The group has been able to
constructively foster growth
due to its friendships on and
off the track. Many of these
Photo by Laurel Massaro
Timothy Donnelly, Graham Frank, Zachary Boyd-Helm and Jeff erson
Chandler, seniors, jog along West A Street during a practice in
preparation for the District Meet. The four runners, along with Taylor
West and Cullen Wannarka, seniors, have competed with each other
on the Varsity Distance Crew for four years.
always want each other to
do well," Chandler said.
"Healthy competition
between ourselves is one way,
as well as sharing tips about
form, rest, nutrition and
they have all faced extreme
adversity in their selective
careers.
"When I got walking
pneumonia last year during
track, my season fell apart,"