The Clackamas print., May 23, 2007, Page 7, Image 7

The
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Clackamas Print
7
bows out, looks ahead
Mike Guidice
Sports Editor
Photo by Sam Krause The Clackamas Print
»shman pitcher Nate Reif whinds up as he prepares to
me correct. Reif was a solid contributor to the team’s
tation all season.
All good things most come to an end.
Unfortunately for the baseball team, their
season ended seemingly premature after
splitting their series with Southwestern
Oregon CC last Thursday.
In game one, Clackamas was handed a slim
defeat, losing 6-5 in a sloppy game that saw
the teams combine for nine errors. Freshman
Jeff Bjorklund took the loss despite pitching
strong all season.
“We made a solid run late, but offensively
we didn’t get it done. Too little, too late,” SS
co-captain Eric Renander said.
The team needed to win both games to
have a real shot at controlling second place
in the South and playing themselves into the
postseason.
“You have to play every game like it’s
your last. In the first game, we came out like
we had 20 games left. We didn’t play with
a sense of urgency,” Co-Captain 3B Tony
Stutevoss said.
Game two saw Clackamas win the close
game this time, 4-3. Nate Reif was victo­
rious as he continued to do work for thé
Cougs. Freshman pitcher Kyle Burright got
the save.
Upon finding out their misfortunes later
in the day, the team experienced all the emo­
tions one would associate with missing out
on the playoffs and coming up short in their
efforts.
“We heard the news and everyone just
got quiet. We hung around for a while and
took some last team photos; that was a good
memory,” Renander said.
A team that held the ‘second seed in the
division for the majority of the season
wholeheartedly expected to be in the play­
offs come the end of the regular season. The
news was not an easy pill to swallow.
“We were disappointed. We thought there
was no doubt that we were the second-best
team in the division; finding out we didn’t
make it was a real shock,” Bjorklund said.
The team experienced great moments of
success on the field, but maybe even more
encouraging were the friendships that were
forged over the course of the year.
“The thing I’ll remember the most is the
individuals. We developed a lot of good
friendships over the year that will hopefully
last forever,” Bjorklund said.
The Cougars finished the season third in
the South with a record of 14-16 in league
play, 22-20 overall.
“Looking back, it’s weird. We started
with 60-some-odd guys and ended up with
25. There were some things I would have
done differently, but I’m satisfied overall.
I made a lot of good friends,” Renander
relayed.
Looking towards the future, the program
has reason to be optimistic.
“We’re bringing a lot of guys back, so we
will have the talent. It’s just a matter of if
we get the job done,” Bjorklund said.
ack à field team prepares for NWAACC championships
The track and field athletes look forward to later
this week, when they will participate in the NWAACC
championships, on Thursday and Friday.
For the men, there are a lot of people to keep an
eye on. Kenjamine Jackson will be running the 100
and 200-meter. Look for Mike Simmons in javelin and
Chris Dilly in the discus; Dilly will attempt to con­
tinue his dominance in the hammer. The men’s 4x100-
meter relay team of Jackson, Joe Gobel, Wesley Keller
and Stan Wester, along with the relay team of Gobel,
Jackson, Keller and Matt Tweedy, are also headlining.
For the women, standouts include Rachel Hemphill
in the 200 and 400-meter dash and Lyndsey McKillip
LEFT: Freshman sprinter
Ime Ntehpere streaks
towards the finish line.
shman Rachel Hemphill runs like the wind as she
es past the competition.
in the 3000-meter steeplechase. Watch out for Meaghan
Durand in the high jump and Tricia Bollier in the
pole vault, as well as the 4xl00-meter relay team of
Hemphill, Durand, Jamie Burg and Stefani Dittmar,
and the 4x400 relay team of Hemphill, Dittmar, Burg
and Allison Body.
The final meet of the year will take place at Mt.
Hood CC, in Gresham.
- Compiled by Jesse Dees, The Clackamas Print