VAGUE RELATIONSHIP POLICY AT
CLACKAMAS RAISES QUESTIONS
BY KATIE ARCHER
Track athletes were upset when they saw a distance coach giving stuff, especially when it comes to relationships and things that
have such volatile capabilities of getting out of hand or causing
a teammate extra practice.
Drew Wasmund was on a one-year part-tim e contract from tremendous pain,” said Rose. “ W e’re not here to cause pain.
W e’re here to help people get going.”
Sep. 2014 to June 2015.
More than one athlete complained about what they thought was
On June 22,2015, an athlete sent an email to head track coach
happening during last year’ s track season between Wasmund,
Keoni McHone.
"... It’s pretty obvious they are dating, and they have been then 27, and Kennedy Rufener, then 19.
“ On a personal standpoint, I don’ t think his decision was
dating all year lon g,” the em ail said. “ I think it’s extrem ely
necessarily wrong,” said sophomore
unprofessional for a coach to date an
J42%s ■ 12:48
runner Devin Sellers. “As a coach, I
athlete ...I hope you do something
feel like it was. I felt like that was a
about this Keoni, because this is just
little unfair that he decided to make
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PHOTO
plain w rong.”
poor decisions while trying to coach
A t C la c k a m a s C o m m u n ity
a collegiate team .”
College, there is no policy against
Becky Ponnay, a cross country and
kennedy_rufener
sta ff m em bers having rom antic
track athlete, told the Clackam as
relationships with students.
Print that athletes w ere told not
Staff and student relationships
to speak to the media about what
have happened before at CCC with
happened with Wasmund.
former political science instructor
Wasmund’s yearlong contract was
Dean Darris and a student, who he
not renewed in 2015.
later married.
A thletic director Jim Martineau
Music instructor Brian Rose first
w o u ld n ’ t say w h y W asm u n d ’ s
met his wife when she was taking
contract was not renewed.
one of his classes. She went on to
McHone told Martineau that he
become a tutor for the music theory
did
not w ant to bring W asm und
program and Rose got to know her
back as a coach because Wasmund
better. They are three weeks apart
wasn’t meeting up to his coaching
in age.
duties, Martineau said. There was
Several m onths after she had
a conversation betw een the three
taken his class, Rose said he talked
of them and Wasmund handed in
to his department chair to make sure
his keys.
it was okay if they began to date.
“ [Coaching] requires quite a bit
He was told she was more of a staff
and I don’ t w ant to say anything
member and she wasn’t his student
negative from there,” said McHone.
anymore.
M artineau said in the athletic
Rose thinks there is some danger
world
it’ s an unw ritten rule that
when getting involved in those types
coaches do not have relationships
of relationships. Rose thought it
w ith their athletes w hile they are
would be good to have a course for
coaching them. Coaches need to be
staff about the dangers of having
professional and need to coach their
romantic relationship with students
athletes.
Coach Keoni McHone emailed these photos to
and the potential outcomes.
“ If som eone w as h a vin g an
athletic director Jim Martineau in June after an
“ It just one of those areas that’ s
inapp
ropriate relatio n sh ip , we
athlete
complained
about
Kennedy
Rufener
and
always been kind o f h u sh -h u sh
w
ould
ask th em not to coach
Drew
Wasmund’s
relationship.
but we can’ t be hush-hush about
Vf ..
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» Clackamas Print MARCH 9,2016t hedacka masprinLcom
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