12
schools
march21
2019
VHS Spring Sports Preview continued from front page
lacking athletes in the hurdle events.
For the girls distance runners, sophomore Jen-
na Handegard and freshman Sadie Gump will lead the
way. Both are coming off a strong cross country season
and will look at running the 800, 1,500, or 3,000, along
with sophomore Emma Hahn.
Lauren Ely, another versatile athlete, is trying
the 400 and maybe the 800.
Sophomore Hailey Reynolds will lead the
sprinters. Also competing in sprints will be sophomore
Zoe Whiteman and juniors Abby Coleman and McKen-
zie Pickering; Pickering is also trying the 400.
Roady is looking to focus on the 4x400 in
the relays for the girls, with a team that could include
Handegard, Ely, Gump, Reynolds, Abby Coleman, and
Hahn.
Reynold and Abby Coleman and
Isabelle Coleman may try the hurdles.
Exchange student Barbora Kvapi-
lova, the Colemans, and Handegard will be
competing in the high jump and long jump.
In the throwing events look for
senior Alexa Cook, junior Star McKinnis,
sophomore Anika Suppes, and senior first
year athlete Jenna Watson to all compete in
the shot put and discuss. Ely will be strong
in the javelin.
At the first meet of the season, the
J-Town Small School Classic at Jefferson
High School on March 16, a few Logger
performances stood out, even though they
were missing several of their top athletes.
For the girls, Loren Ely took 2 nd in
the 400 with a time of 1:10.94, and took
4 th in the javelin with a throw of 96-0. Sa-
die Gump finished third in the 3,000 with a
time of 13:20.48. Star Mckinnis took 7 th in
the discus with a throw of 84-07.
For the boys Abram Martin took 6 th
in the 400 with a time of 57.83 and Abraham Kpirkai
took 9 th in 59.22. In the 1,500 Wyatt Jones finished
11 th in 5:00.05. Dustin Carreon took 8 th in the shot put
with a throw of 35-09.5. Kale Sullivan took 2 nd in the
javelin with a throw of 145-04.5 and Radek Zikmund
finished 4 th with a throw of 139-10; Sullivan also fin-
ished 10 th in the long jump with a leap of 18-01.5. In
the high jump Pete Crystal took 6 th clearing 5-06 and
Martin took 8 th with a jump of 5-04. Crystal finished 2 nd
in the pole vault clearing 9-00.
This season the Loggers will compete at the
NWL relay meet on March 21 and will get a look at
their Northwest League competition at meets on April
4 at Portland Christian, April 11 at Knappa, April 18 at
Nestucca, and April 25 at Neah-Kah-Nie; they will host
a league meet on May 2. They will also participate in
the Lower Columbia Invitational at St. Helens on April
13 and the Banks Invitational on April 20. The District
Championship is scheduled for May 10-11 at Portland
Christian with the State Championships at Western Or-
egon University on May 17-18.
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Softball – The Lady
Loggers have a large
group of very talented
athletes, and should
compete at the top of
Special District 1 this
year.
Head coach
Ernie Smith and as-
sistant Katie Poetter
have just one true se-
nior on the 16 player
team, Joyce, Everett, a
strong class of juniors,
and several under-
classmen who will get
Clockwise: Joyce Everett,
Gunnar Harral, Jordan Walters,
and Jake Handegard.
a lot of playing time this year.
Pitching for the Lady Loggers will be Ever-
ett, along with junior Jordan Walters, and freshman
Brooklynn Walters. Jordan Walters will play behind
the plate, and Smith can also use Tommi Ota, who is
starting at second base, along with freshmen Audrey
Hill and Averie Hough to catch.
Defensively in the infield, Brooklyn Walters
will start at first base, Ota starts at second, talented
freshman Nita Cook plays shortstop, and sophomore
Jessica Whiteman starts at third base. Everett will play
some first base, along with Hill. In the outfield sopho-
more Natalie Groshong starts in left field, sophomore
Jayden Hartman will play in center field, and junior
Jessica Butcher covers right.
Smith says it’s still early to tell where the of-
fensive production will come from this season, but he
expects Everett, Ota, and Jordan Walters to be leaders.
He said Hartman has been hitting the ball well in prac-
tice, that Groshong has really improved and has great
form at the plate, and Cook looks like she’ll be a solid
hitter.
Smith says he plans to be aggressive on the
base paths this year. He says he’s also working to get
players comfortable playing in several positions on the
field, which gives the team more flexibility.
OSAA has rearranged their leagues this year,
so the Loggers will now compete against several of
their previous Northwest League foes in Special Dis-
trict 1, which includes newcomers St. Paul and Perry-
dale.
The Lady Loggers opened league play with a
three game series against Neah-Kah-Nie, sweeping an
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away doubleheader on March 18,
16-1 and 20-2, and then winning
20-4 at home on March 19. Verno-
nia will compete in the Pilot Rock
Tournament on March 22-23. The
Lady Loggers’ home schedule in-
cludes Portland Christian on April
2, St. Paul for a doubleheader on
April 12, Knappa for a double-
header on April 19, Nestucca on
April 23, a doubleheader against Gaston on May 3 and
Perrydale for a doubleheader on May 10.
Baseball – Logger head coach Joe Walters has a very
young squad this season, so it will be a bit of a rebuild-
ing year for Vernonia. With just 11 members on the
team, some talented young players will see a lot of
playing time.
Junior pitcher Gunnar Harral will be the ace of
the pitching staff this year, and will share the mound
with junior Hunter Nordahl, freshman Shayne Lardy,
and junior Derek Johnson.
On defense, behind the plate senior Sean Cof-
fey will handle the catching duties, with Lardy back-
ing him up. Nordahl will play first base, Johnson is at
second, Lardy will play shortstop, and freshman Levi
Walters is at third; freshman Aydan Poetter will also
see some action. In the outfield junior Rylan Pond is
in left, senior Hepner Forster holds down center, and
newcomer Luke Thompson, also a freshman, is playing
right field.
Forester has been the lead off batter in the ear-
ly season and coach Walters expects Harral and Nor-
dahl, along with Levi Walters and Johnson, to feature
in the offense.
The Loggers opened league play in Special
District 1 with a 15-8 home loss to Neah-Kah-Nie on
March 19. The Loggers are scheduled to play at the
Ridgefield Tournament on March 28-29. The Loggers
home schedule includes Portland Christian on April 2,
a doubleheader at St. Paul on April 12, Knappa for a
doubleheader on April 19, Nestucca on April 23, and a
doubleheader against Gaston on May 3.
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