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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 13, 1998)
Wednesday, May 13, 1998 Men win region title, women place 4th • Clackamas captures the men's Southern Region title after unexpected athletes step up when needed. Clackamas runners Robin Peters [left] and Jaye Wilder battle in the men's 100m dash. JOHN THORBURN Sports Editor .• Championships: Clackamas Head Coach Jack Kegg predicted the men's team to capture this year's Southern Region title. He was right. How they won the championship, however, is a different story. Heading into the final few events jn this past weekend's Southern Region Championships, Clackamas held a slim lead over Mt. Hood in the point stand ings. In the men's 4x 100 relay, Clackamas was leading the pack but faltered on an exchange and dropped the baton — disqualifying the favored Cougars from the race. Clackamas captures men's title • Next up: NWAACC Championships, 5/20-21, Spokane, Wash. "When we dropped that baton," said Kegg, "it really put us in a bind. We had some events coming up that weren't our strongest. "What happened though was pretty awesome. Some of our athletes weren't expected to place higher than fourth in those last events but they pushed them selves and finished in second and third. See Track, page 8 JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print Cougar ¿¿Sidelines Mt. Hood ends Clackamas run JOHN THORBURN Sports Editor Volleyball Camp It's official. There will be a new champion in soft- ball this year. The three-time defending Northwest Athletic Association of Community Col leges' [NWAACC] champion Cougars failed to make the championship tourna ment for the first time since 1987 after los- ing to cross-town rival Mt. Hood 7-1 in a loser-out-winner-to- NWAAACC's play off game on Sunday. • Playoffs: Clackamas [23- 14] headed into the Clackamas 13 Piper Volleyball Camps will be held this year in five locations. Vancouver, Bend, Oregon City, Sa lem and Aloha will be the sites for the nationally known camp. Clackamas will host the camp in Oregon City, Aug. 3-5. For more information, call Irma Penwell at (503) 697-7430. Racquetball The Racquetball Club is spon soring a Racquetball Exchange. Any person from any college is invited for friendly competi tion, including singles and doubles for all levels of racquet ball skill. The players compete at the East Side Athletic Club in Milwaukie Friday, May 15 from 7 p.m.-lO p.m. Contact Kathie Woods at ext. 2418 for more information. game on an emo JOHN THORBURN / Clackamas Print Clackamas will miss the NWAACC tournament for the first time since 1987 after the Cougars' 7-1 loss to Mt. Hood in playoff action on Sunday. Good guys didn't win this time t wasn't supposed to be this way. I Things were supposed to be different. For Clackamas Head Coach Denise Nasuta, that sentiment hurts. Nasuta assumed the head coaching respon sibilities for Paul Fiskum this season as Fiskum was on.a one-year sabbatical. Nasuta assisted Fiskum —who has won seven northwest titles in the More Volleyball The volleyball team is sponsoring the 4th annual Jump Set Summer Classic. The grass, doubles tournament will be held on two days. On Saturday, May 30, men's and women's competition will take place. On Sunday, May 31, reverse co ed competition will be played. Cost is $30 per team. All proceeds benefit the volleyball program. For more information, call Assis tant Volleyball Coach Jake Harwood at ext. 2418. Wednesday, May 13, 1998 7 tional high—surging late in the season with Mt. Hood 7 Clackamas 1 eight straight wins. On a rain-filled day in north Portland, the Saints and Cougars were locked in a 0-0 tie through the first three innings before Mt: Hood jumped on Clackamas pitcher Megan Smythe [7-6, FCA Game Night Clackamas students and their friends are invited to Arrowhead Ath letic Club for the Fellowship of Chris tian Athletes [FCA] Game Night. The cost is $2 per person for the evening event on May 16. Basketball, volleyball, swimming, racquetbali, pool, wallyball, board games, fellowship and food will take place from 8 p.m. to midnight. Centralia John Thorbum Sports Editor past ten years— for the past three years before heading the team this spring. In her season as head coach, she compiled a 23- 14 record. In Fiskum's first season as head coach, he finished with an 18-19 mark. A former Clackamas player, Nasuta did things right —turning a talented roster of 11 fresh men and 4 sophomores into a group of play ers that learned to work as a team. No other college netted as strong a recruit ing class as Clackamas did in the offseason. Guiding 15 standout players is not an easy job. "I'll tell you the same thing that I told Denise Nasuta," said Athletic Director Jim Jackson. "When Paul Fiskum was here, he had Paul Fiskum and Denise Nasuta. Denise took on a totally different role this year and she had to do Paul's job as well as trying to do what she did as an assistant. "A combination of Paul Fiskum and Denise Nasuta is a tough team to beat. "That doesn't mean her assistants are not good coaches, they are excellent coaches. What Denise brings to the field though, complements Paul's knowledge. "She did an excellent job this season. If I had to make the decision to replace Paul again, I'd make the same choice a hundred times." Nasuta will assume her role as assistant coach next season when Fiskum returns to the field as head coach. Despite her team's failure to make this year's championship tournament, Nasuta conducted herself as a true champion. 2.25 ERA] for five runs on three hits. Clackamas answered with one run in the fifth on a hit by Marissa Smith [.406] that scored Billie Williams [.478], The Cougars weren't able to muster an other run. "Their number two pitcher was throw ing against us," said Clackamas Head Coach Denise Nasuta. "She just pitched a heck of a game for them. She pretty much shut us down." Nasuta replaced Smythe with Cortney DuPree in the third but neither of the two pitchers were at top form. DuPree[6-3,1.8 ERA] allowed two runs on one hit and four walks. With players and coaches slipping along the rain-soaked field, sophomore pitcher Kelley Comstock [10-5,1.42 ERA] entered in the fifth to try and suffocate the Saints' offense. After five innings were played, the um pires called the game on bad weather and the Cougars' season was over. "It's a pretty lousy way to end the sea son," said Nasuta. "There isn't much clo sure. 'Tve tried to contact the NWAACC com missioner about trying to schedule those final two innings but she told the Mt Hood coach that the game was official because See Softball, page 8
