The Clackamas Print Page 7
Wednesday, Feb. 22,1995
SPORTS
Clackamas wrestlers prepare for final test
by Jesse Sowa
Sports Writer
The Clackamas Wrestling
team finished an impressive sec
ond place at the Region 18 Wres
tling Championships at Lower
Columbia College in Longview
on Feb. 11.
The Cougars’ placing among
the eight teams was their best in
seven years. Clackamas had six
wrestlers that qualified for the
national tournament which will
be held in Bismarck, North Da
kota this Thursday and Friday.
Clackamas Head Coach
Mike Haluska was named the
Regional Coach of the Year in
only his second year at Clacka
mas.
The tournament was set up
so that the top three wrestlers in
each weight class advanced to the
national tournament. Those that
reached the championship finals
qualified for nationals. Any wres
tler that lost in the previous
rounds was placed in a single
elimination consolation bracket to
determine the third and final seed
for nationals.
Of the four Clackamas wres
tlers that competed in the cham
pionship
finals, J Damon
McPherson at 158 pounds was the
only Cougar to come away as the
regional champ.
McPherson had a.bye in the
first round before defeating Jared
Lancaster of Highline CC (6-2)
in the semifinals to qualify for na-
tionals. McPherson beat last
year’s national champ at 167
pounds.Ray Routh of North
Idaho College, by a score of 8-5
to win his weight class.
Clackamas wrestler Travis
Rollins, last year’s regional and
national champion at 118 pounds,
lost a 5-4 decision in the champi
onship match to Kirk Hartzell of
North Idaho College, but still
qualified for nationals. Rollins
for nationals. Whisenhunt de
feated Scott Byer of Yakima Val
ley. CC (11-1) in his opening
match, but lost in the second
round to Alex Lavell of Big Bend
CC, which moved Whisenhunt
Unseated Jeff Vowell (167
lbs.) had a great tournament run,
but lost 8-3 to Corey Anderson of
Ricks CC in the consolation final
to end his own chances of a trip
to nationals.
Photo by Jesse Sowa
Clackamas grapplers will travel to Bls narck, North Dakota for the NJCAA
Championships. Six wrestlei î will represent Clackamas.
defeated Ben Doss of Colorado into the consolation bracket.
Northwestern CC (13-4) and Ja Whisenhunt received a bye in his
son Bosshart of Highline CC (5- next match before beating
1) during the first two rounds of Gappmeyer.
Damon Martindale (142 lbs.)
the tourney.
“Travis Rollins just keeps suffered a tough 8-6 loss to Tim
getting stronger every day,” Kitchen of Big Bend CC in the
third place final in his vie to reach
Haluska said.
Jake Whisenhunt (126 lbs.) nationals.
Martindale defeated Kitchen
of Clackamas was beaten in his
championship match by Matt in the first round of the tourney,
Paulsen of North Idaho by a 3-1 but couldn’t accomplish the task
count. Whisenhunt had a bye in the second time around.
Martindale lost to Mitch
the first round and defeated Bryan
Holman of RCC (18-1) to reach Stevens of Ricks CC (6-4) in the
.semifinals, forcing him into the
the finals.
Josh Whisenhunt (134 lbs.), consolation round. Martindale
Jake’s twin brother, beat Brett beat Shannon Gettman of Colo
Gappmeyer of Ricks CC (13-5) in rado Northwestern CC to reach
the third place match to qualify the consolation final.
Vowell pinned Seth Kemodle
of North Idaho College in the first
round, but was defeated by Sam
Ortega of Yakima Valley CC in
the second round. He advanced to
his final match as he beat Aaron
Bagwell of Big Bend CC.
Jeremy Braun (177 lbs), also
an unseated competitor, suffered
a 13-11 loss to Luke Stradinger
of Ricks CC in the consolation fi
nal.
Braun was defeated by Nate
Kamp of Highline CC in the first
round. After having a bye during
the first round of consolation,
Braun reached the third place
match by getting by Rusty Jordan
of Lower Columbia College in the
consolation semifinals.
Jason Marshall (190 lbs.),
last year’s regional champ and
sixth-place finisher at nationals at
his current weight, reached na
tionals after defeating Simon
White of Lower Columbia Col
lege, in the third-place final.
White, who was national
champion at 190 pounds last year,
found himself in the consolation
bracket after losing to Travis
Hughes of North Idaho College in
the semifinals.
Marshall defeated White 6-
1 to send the national champ
home empty-handed.
Marshall defeated Justin Poe
of Highline CC (10-0) in the first
round, but was pinned by Dave
Quimby of Big Bend CC in the
semifinals to fall into the conso
lation bracket. Marshall beat Jory
Dalling of Ricks CC to advance
to the third-place final.
Heavyweight wrestler Steve
Santoni advanced to nationals
with a second-place finish after a
7-1 loss in the finals to Mike Rob
erts of Ricks CC.
Santpni had a bye in the
opening round and pinned Jeremy
Cronenwett of Yakima Valley CC
in the first round of his semifinal
match to reach the championship
round.
Haluska believes that his
team has as good a chance as any
other team competing at the na
tional tournament to come home
as national champions.
But he also thinks that his six
wrestlers that are competing must
all wrestle at their highest level
of potential in order for the team
to be in the running for the team
title.
Clackamas finishes a 6-8 season with two big wins
Cougars end sour season on a sweet note
by Jesse Sowa
Sports Writer
The Clackamas Women’s
Basketball team ended a sour sea
son with a few sweet touches that
helped them complete the season
on a winning note.
The Cougars defeated Port
land CC on the road last Wednes
day and Linn-Benton at home on
Saturday to finish league play
with a 6-8 record.
“We finally relaxed and
started to have fun,” said Clacka
mas Head Coach Karen Twain of
the win over Linn-Benton. “We
did all the things we know we can
do.”
In the game against L-B, the
Cougars built an early 16-6 lead
on four baskets by Rachel
Ferguson and another by Melanie
Sharp.
The Roadrunners scored 12
consecutive points to take a 18-
16 run until Clackamas went on
a run of their own to gain a 26-24
halftime advantage.
The first ten minutes of the
second half was nip and tuck as
Clackamas held the lead, but was
never ahead by more than two.
Linn-Benton took its first lead of
the second half at 39-37 on a drive
to the hoop by Darci Powell with
10:40 remaining.
Linn-Benton led by four (47-
43) with under three minutes to
go until Denise Haselwood nailed
a three-pointer to pull Clackamas
within one.
Laura Stahl hit two free
throws at 1:34 to keep the Cou
gars within one.
Stahl hit the go-ahead basket
with 15 seconds left for a 50-49
advantage. L-B missed an outside
shot and Ferguson grabbed the re
bound. Ferguson was fouled and
sank two free throws with five
seconds left to seal the victory.
Ferguson led Clackamas with
22 points, 12 rebounds, and five
blocked shots. Sharp added six
points and 13 rebounds.
The Cougars defeated Port
land 82-62 as Clackamas out-
scored the Panthers 46-27 in the
second half to win easily.
Ferguson scored 22 to lead
the Cougars while Sharp had an
other big night with 15 points and
14 rebounds.
Clackamas Print
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Photo by Chad Patteson
Melanie Sharpe puts up a jumper In their victory over
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