2 Sports
Clackamas P
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008
Clackamas’ teams
finish winter season
Megan Koler
Editor in Chief
Clackamas basketball made the
cut, while wrestling finished their sea
son.
Both the men’s and women’s bas
ketball tearfls will compete in this
year’s Northwest Athletic Association
of Community Colleges (NWAACC)
championship. The women placed
third and the men placed second in the
NWAACC standings.
Last weekend, Clackamas’ wres-
tling team placed seventh nation
ally in the National Junior College
Championships. Three wrestlers
(Derick Bartiemay, John Bates and
Vance Beeson) made All-American.
Bates was the national runner-up
and the first Clackamas finalist since
1997.
With the basketball champion
ships still looming ahead, the men
and women each played a hard game
against their Chemeketa counterparts
during last Wednesday’s home game.
The women’s team had to beat
Chemeketa in order to even qualify
for the NWAACC championships, so
last Wednesday’s
game was a pas
sionate one.
“We were down
17 in the second
half and wound up
winning by six,”
said
Women’s
Basketball Coach
Jim Martineau.
“Rachel Copeland
hit five straight
threes and got us
back in it”
The women’s team ended up
defeating Chemeketa 64-60. That
left the women’s standings at 9-5 in
league play and 19-9 in season play.
The men’s team also won their
home game against Chemeketa,
106-105. Missing two players at the
beginning of the game, including a
starter, the men faced an uphill battle.
Clackamas was down 13 points with
a minute and a half left in the game.
“Basically, we were shooting
threes to get back in the game,” said
freshman J.C. Cook “We ended up
winning on a buzzer beater.”
This leaves the men’s standings at
9-5 in league play and 17-12 in season
play.
The women will start out playing
Centralia at 8 pan., while the men
will face off against Puget Sound at
10 pan.
Information
regarding
the
NWAACC championships - hosted
in Kennewick Wash., from Feb. 28
to March 2 - can be found at the col
lege’s athletics Web site, http7/depts.
clackamas.edu/athletics/Basketball.
Games This Wee
Men’s Basketball
Feb. 28 through March 2
2008 NWAACC championship at Toyot
Center
Kennewick, Wash.
Women’s Basketball
Feb. 28 through March 2
2008 NWAACC championship at Toyot
Center
s
Kennewick, Wash.
J
Baseball
March 1 against Spokane CC in The Dall
at 10 a.m.
March 2 against Grays Harbor CC in
The Dalles at 3 p.m.
Track and Field
March 1, Linfield Icebreaker at Linfieli
College
All photos by Mistymarie Wilks-Salguero Clackamas Print
ABOVE LEFT: Ashley Cunningham, 24, jumps to block an opponent from Chemeketa CC,
ABOVE RIGHT: Scott Martin, 22, left, holds off a defender from teammate Adam Brickley, 32.
JENSEN: On motivation and bouncing back stro
Continued from JENSEN, Page 1
He is finally learning what it you wouldn’t believe.”
means to win. After two seasons of
But Jensen’s goals involve more
competing, he has won back his self- than simply wrestling. He aspires to
respect and earned the admiration of secure a career through the automo
his teammates. Most important, how
tive program and perhaps receive a
ever, he came back
scholarship.
from the devastating
In addition, he
edge over which too
hopes to become a
“Once you hit
many drug addicts
motivational speaker
bottom, you have
fall.
and be able to share
Despite being 37
his insights on drugs
to decide for
years old and com
and redemption. He
yourself that you
peting in a sport
wants the oppor
dominated by men in
tunity to counsel
want something
their early twenties,
younger people fac
different.”
Jensen placed second
ing their own hard
in his weight class at
dfeoices.
this month’s regional
“Once you hit
Richard
Jensen
finals. With his team
bottom, you have to
Clackamas
Wrestler
making third place
decide for yourself
overall in the Region
that you want some
18 Championships,
thing different,” he
he ¡^already a winner
said. “Nobody can
in the eyes of his teammates and fans
decide for you, and nobody can make
for the long road he has traveled.
you do it.”
“Not everybody can do this (com
It is this drive gained from his
petition ^ports), and especially not experiences that makes Jensen push
at his age,” said Men’s Wrestling himself to achieve. Despite a mis
Coach Josh Rhoden at the teams’
spent youth, the scars still visible on
final practice before the champion
his face and body, he has an indomi
ship match. “This guy has heart like table will and a positive attitude
that cannot help but motivate
around him.
“We have a lot of exce]
students in our sports pro;
said Athletics Director Jim Ja
“Some of them stand out in
ways than one.”
To be fair, not all attention il
tive attention. According to JI
now that he has received sol
coverage from the local mel
sometimes feels like he has a
on his back during competitioi
“Some of these guys I’m fai
just know they want to take me
hard,” Jensen said with a laugh
ESPN is featuring
story on Richard Jens
It will be aired shoi
For more informati
e-mail Head Wrestl
Coach Josh Rhoden
j oshr@clackamas. ed