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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
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■
• 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