8
schools
june7
2018
The End of an Era
Senior Clay Sullivan’s
amazing athletic career
at VHS has come to an end
By Scott Laird
three years in a row, won the 300 meter
intermediate hurdles his senior year, and
was part of the State Champion 4x100
relay in 2016.
High School Principal Nate Un-
derwood notes that, in addition to being
a great athlete, Sullivan also is an Honor
Student with a 3.5 GPA, who was part
of the Project Based Learning Class and
was personally responsible for the new
finish and logo on the gymnasium floor.
Sullivan will be heading to
Clackamas Community College next fall
on a full scholarship. He’ll play basket-
ball for the next two years and work to
continue to improve his game, get lots of
playing time, and hopefully earn a spot
on a Division I college team.
“Coach Wegner (Clackmas
Community College coach Cliff Weg-
ner) is really good at helping his players
get into bigger schools,” said Sullivan
League and led the underdog Loggers to
a 3 rd place finish at the State Tournament,
including a first round upset of league ri-
val, and 3 rd seeded, Knappa. His 82 to-
tal points led the three game tournament
and his 13 three-point baskets set a new
2A record. He was once again named
First Team All State and was named
the 2A Player of the Year. His 769 to-
tal points and 25.6 average per game for
the season ranks 6 th all-time for Oregon
If you’ve been watching Verno-
nia High School basketball during the
last decade you may remember watching
a young elementary aged redhead come
out onto the court during halftime
for the Pop Shot fundraiser to sink
shot after shot and win bottles of
soda pop as prizes. If you were
like me, you might have said to
yourself, “That kid’s going to be
really good one day!”
Well, that kid was named
Clay Sullivan and he did turn out
to be really good. In fact he turned
out to be, not just one of Verno-
nia High School’s best basketball
players of all time, but a great
track and field athlete as well,
qualifying for the State Champi- Above: Clay Sullivan celebrates signing to attend Clackamas Community College with coaches, fam-
onship meet all four years.
ily, and friends. Right: Sullivan cuts down the net following the Loggers’ State Championship in 2016.
On June 2, Sullivan
graduated from VHS and ended an out- “It’s not all that often that you have a stu- during an interview the day before his
standing athletic career with multiple dent that’s the best basketball player in graduation.
State Championships and a host of other the state at his level, but also a multiple
Among Sullivan’s basketball ca-
awards and accolades.
state champion in track and field,” said reer highlights:
Sullivan was a key member of Underwood. “As a fan of high school • In 2016, as a sophomore, he helped the
a very talented 2016 State Champion- athletics I’ve just really enjoyed the last Loggers win their first State Champion-
ship Logger basketball team, and led the four years and watching him compete. ship since the late 1970s and was named
11 th ranked Loggers to an unexpected 3 rd I really appreciate what an elite athlete First Team All State.
place finish in 2018. A four year starter, Clay is. One of my most memorable ex- • In 2017 the Loggers finished 6 th at small schools.
he finished his career with 2,117 points, periences as an educator was watching the State Tournament and Sullivan was
“In addition to being an incred-
good for 11 th place on the all-time scor- the boys team win the state title in 2016 named Second Team All State.
ible athlete, Clay is a virtuous young
ing list of Oregon high school players. In and the way the whole community came • In his senior year Sullivan was named man,” said Logger head basketball coach
track he won the 110 meter high hurdles together.”
Player of the Year for the Northwest David Weller, who coached Sullivan all
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four of his varsity seasons. “He has
strong leadership skills, is smart, honest,
kind, and fun to be around.”
Among his Track and Field ac-
complishments:
• In 2015, as a freshman, he took 4 th place
in the 110 hurdles and finished 6 th in the
long jump at the State Championship.
• In 2016 Sullivan won the 110 hurdles,
won a second gold medal as part of the
4x100 relay team that set a state meet re-
cord, took 4 th in the 300 hurdles, and 8 th
in the long jump at the State Champion-
ship.
• In 2017 he defended his title in the 110
hurdles, while finishing 2 nd in the 300
intermediate hurdles and the long jump.
• In 2018 he won the 110 hurdles for the
third time and also won the 300 hurdles.
He added a 3 rd place finish in the long
jump and a 4 th place finish in the triple
continued on page 14
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