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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2013)
PRINT: Sports Wednesday, March 6,2013 5 Anna Dempster, a freshman pitcher from Tualatin, unleashes a pitch in Saturday’s game against Bellevue CC. Dempster smashed a home run in her first collegiate at bat in the Cougars 6-2 victory, while pitching three scoreless innings in relief o f starter Breann Morrison. The Cougars have high expectations this season as the defending NWAACC Champions. Andrew Millbrooke Sports Editor The Clackamas softball team opened up defense o f their 2012 NWAACC Championship with three games this weekend at the William V. Owens Sports Complex at Delta Park. The Cougars got two wins and,pne Joss.pver the week- end, defpadiig Northwest Christian "5-4 and Bellevue 6-2, while falling to NAIA power Conpordia 4-1. ‘T’m really proud o f them for the first weekend how they eame out and played,” said 5th-year assistant coach Dustin Bare. “We took care and played great defense all weekend. We hit pretty well, pitched great and caught great. It’s going to be exciting to see as- we- move through the season.” Clackamas’ softball program has a history o f success unmatched by any other program in the NWAACC. The Cougars have won nine NWAACC titles and finished in second place four times in the past 20 seasons. Look for this year’s team to stick to form and be right in the hunt for another championship. “We have high expectations,” said 7-year head coach Jessica Buel, a former star center fielder for the Cougars. “We have a very deep team, a lot of talent and a great pitchingjstaff, O ur expectatiohs are "“to be pack in that championship game and playing for a title again.” Buel enjoys competing-» against four-year schools in the pre-season to prepare herdeam for the,long road ahead, f acing Concordia is a good test this early in the season. “We faced a great team. Concordia is off to a hot, start. They’ve got some really talented players, so it was good for „us to come out and get challenged,” said Buel. “We played some good ball, got on base and did some things. We just didn’t put enough runs on the board.” Samantha Owirka both rapped out two hits. “We got aggressive with the bats,” said Buel. “We were hitting the ball well. We were aggressive on the bases and made some things I was a little happen.” nervous at first, but Stepping up in her first col legiate appearance on Saturday, that went away. freshman Anna Dempsteranswered I had two strikes. the call. Dempster came on in I ju st did what I had relief s staffing pitcher Breann Moiffsori to pitch three scoreless to do. I f felt great. ” innings to earn the save against Bellevue, ibut it was her . turn at Anna Dempster bat that provided ?ffie fireworks. CCG softball pitcher % Dempster smashed a two-strike pitch over the center field wall in her first career at bat for a two-run The Cougars, did let the bats d o ’ home run, pushing the Cougars the talking in wins over1 Northwest ahead 6-2, The Bulldogs center Christian arid Bellevue, as five fielder crashed through the outfield different players each got two fence trying to make a play on the hits. Against NWC, Rachel Ray, ball and was down for a couple Rashaun Sells and Nicole Lehman minutes while the Cougars cele provided the offensive spark brated. She ended up being alright with two hits apiece. In the win and returned to her position in the over Bellevue, Tasha Silvius and field. O “I was little nervous at first, but that went away,” said Dempster. “I had two strikes. I just did what I had to do. It felt great.” The coaches were pleased with her performance, both at the plate and on the mound. “It was a good test for her. She came in and got done what we needed to have done,” said Buel. “She went up with confidence at the plate and came up big for us.” “She took advantage o f the opportunity s h e got,” added Bare. “She cax8^^& aff4i.dh^jiob,threw strikes and made them put the ball in play and we made some plays.” The Cougars will be on die road for most o f March with trips to Pasco and Walla Walla, Washington on March 9 and 10 and a week end in Casa Grande, Arizona on March 15 and 16. Clackamas’ next home game is Saturday, March 30, against Centralia at 2 p.m. “We take it game by game and weekend by weekend,” said Bare. Fall sports teams reload for next season Andrew Millbrooke Sports Editor Community College ended three months ago as the cold winter began, but recruiting for next season’s ros ter is heating up. The Cougar cross country and volleyball squads have both announced multiple athletes who have signed letters o f intent to compete for Clackamas next year. Leading the way is the cross country team, which has already inked four current high school seniors. “We are really excited about the four people we have signed so far,” said head cross country coach Jerret Mantalas. “All four are going to kill it for us and do really well. We’ve got more kids coming soon and we’ll get some more letters o f intents in.” Andrew Duffy from Camas High School and Pake Benthin from Molalla High School will both be joining the men’s squad next fall. Duffy is currently coached by former CCC head track and cross country coach, Mike Hickey, mak ing him a natural fit for Clackamas. “His upside is enormous,” said Mantalas. “I think he will be an immediate impact guy for us next year, which we are really excited about.” Benthin is another guy that has enormous upside. “He’s just starting to figure things out over the last eight months. He had a breakout season in cross coun try and indoors, he’s already ran a lifetime best for 3,000-meters,” said Mantalas. “He’s another guy that we’re expecting to be an immediate impact guy for us and round out our group.” ;< On the women’s side, Mantalas has signed two Oregon girls, Falisha Aho o f Molalla High School and Courtney Repp o f McNary High School in Salem. “Falisha’s run very fast oft the track, but her cross country times are not necessarily equal to that,” said Mantalas. “We are really excit ed to.get her in, trying to get her dialed in on the right page and get those cross Country marks to resemble those track marks. She’ll come in and be right with our front group.” Repp is a standout runner for McNary who has really learned how to train and race in the past year. “She’s got a little more experi ence,” said Mantalas. “She’s got a lot o f consistency running right around the low 20 minutes for 5,000-meters.” Mantalas talked about the impor tance o f recruiting local athletes with the great history o f distance running in the state o f Oregon. “We focus a lot on trying to stay as local as possible and then branch out from there,” said Mantalas. “This area is so good. The more you can get those lads that are local and close to home, it’s a little more o f a comfort thing. We’re in the state o f Oregon, I mean where else is it better to recruit from?” Volleyball Clackamas head volleyball coach Kathie Woods has signed three athletes that will complement her returning sophomores next season All three girls earned all league honors this past season at different positions. Sierra Veracruz is a defensive specialist and libero from Oregon City High School. Celena Maxwell-Paskett, from Reynolds High School, is an out H © Z clg I < ■ • NBA: Portland • CBK: Oregon at Memphis, 5 p.m. CSN / KEX (1190) at Colorado - 6 p.m. ESPN2 Oregon State at Utah, 6 p.m ESPNU • Randall Fitness Center: Open Hours-- 8:30-10 a.m. and 1-8 p.m. ' • Randall Fitness C e n te r: Open,flours Noon - 8 p.m. • NBA: Portland at • CCC San Antonio, 5.30 -, ; Track & Field: p m. CSN / KEX Clackamas Open at OCHS Stadium • CCC Softball: at Columbia Basin CC . at 2 p.m in Pasco, Wash. •' side hitter who will concentrate on the right side. Hannah Olson, from Marshfield High School, is a middle blocker. Woods is already preparing for one o f her favorite days o f the year, as the CCC Cougar Alumni Volleyball Tournament is scheduled for April 27 in Randall Gym. Many former Cougar volleyball standouts will return for a full day o f fun and games with their former coaches and teammates. Play starts at 9 a.m. and goes late into the evening, depending on the number o f teams entered. ' Track and Field The Cougar track and field team announced that javelin standout Andrew Rogers o f Silverton High School has signed a letter o f intent to throw the spear for CCC next year. Rogers placed third at the 2012 5A state meet as a junior with a per sonal best toss o f 193’2”. imda I • CCC Softball: at Walla WallaCC at Noon ■ • CCC Baseball: at Yakima Valley CC at 4 p ity : • NBA: Portland at New Orleans, 4 p.m. "V Randalt Fitness Center: 7-'-. Open Hours 8:30-10 a.m. and 1-6 p.m. ' • Randall Fitness Center: Open Hours Noon - 8 p m
