PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, AUGUST 26, 2016
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Hunter commits to
to U. of San Diego
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Incoming McNary senior Sydney Hunter dribbles the ball up the court at an AAU tournament
played earlier this summer in Oregon City.
Blue Day
2016
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Sydney Hunter only need-
ed to hear from one school to
make her college decision.
The incoming McNary se-
nior has verbally committed
to play basketball at University
of San Diego.
Hunter, who is still receiv-
ing calls and text messages
from other colleges, didn’t
plan to commit so early in the
process.
“Maybe it was the beaches.
I don’t know. But I loved it,”
she said.
Hunter has been in contact
with the coaches at San Diego
since the eighth grade.
“I’ve known their coaches
for a lot longer than any of
the other coaches that have
talked to me,” she said. “I went
on my offi cial visit and I got
to meet the whole team and
B
I just think I fi t in super well.
I loved it. That was a big part
of it.”
San Diego plays in the West
Coast Conference with the
likes of Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s
and Santa Clara. The Lady To-
reros fi nished 25-8 last season,
which was the second most
wins in program history, and
lost to Michigan in the Sweet
16 round of the Women’s Na-
tional Invitation Tournament.
Hunter isn’t completely
sure what she wants to do aca-
demically but noted San Di-
ego has a top-notch counsel-
ing program.
“You have to be so smart to
go there so it’s going to be a
challenge and I’m so excited
for it,” she said.
Hunter was also busy this
summer playing basketball.
Competing for Oregon
Elite, Hunter traveled to the
Western Canadian Champi-
onships in Vancouver, B.C.,
the Nike National Invitational
in Chicago, the Nike Tourna-
ment of Champions in Atlanta
and the Cal Storm Finale in
Irvine, Calif.
“We had a really good sea-
son,” Hunter said. “I think we
went 34-8. We played a lot of
games and a lot of those girls
I’ve played with since eighth
grade so it was super fun to
end AAU with all of them. It’s
also kind of sad. All July we’re
gone. You don’t really have a
summer but it’s fun. You get
to be with a lot of your close
friends.”
Hunter will now turn her
attention to volleyball before
beginning her fi nal basketball
season at McNary, where she
was a 2015-16 Greater Valley
Conference First Team selec-
tion.
C
A
D
McNary High School had its fi fth annual Blue Day Saturday,
Aug. 20 with the football, soccer, volleyball and lacrosse
programs all holding scrimmages.
A: McNary sophomore Anita Lao kicks the ball past freshman
Caitlyn Kiefi uk-Yates.
B: MHS sophomore Kylee Daulton was in goal for the girls
lacrosse team.
C: Senior quarterback Tyler Ellertson rushed for a touchdown
in McNary’s varsity football scrimmage.
D: Kara Thomas tips the ball over the net as Zoie Warner
attempts a block.
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
For sale: the love of my boating world
My fi rst boat was a WWII
rubber survival raft. It was
built to hold eight men. It was
comfortable for two.
We salvaged the raft on a
fl oat trip down the Middle
Fork of the Salmon River in
Idaho. Robert Kennedy and
his entourage had set out to
fl oat the river, at near fl ood
stage, against all warnings.
The trip was aborted in less
than two miles after all boats
capsized. They hiked back out
with only the clothes on their
backs.
A few weeks later, our
group, staff from a Boy Scout
camp, made the fl oat, and sal-
vage what is left of the gear.
My share of “the spoils” was
Big Yellow. I brought the raft
to Oregon in 1967. Assorted
patches give it that camou-
fl age look. My young son and
I had fun fl oating rivers and
fi shing for salmon in tidewa-
by G.I. Wilson
ter of the Salmon River. (This
was before the hatchery on
the Salmon. There were very
few boats on the river.)
We needed more boat and
power. I bought a 12-foot alu-
minum car topper for $100.
It looked like it had been
dropped off a cliff or two.
Lots of dings and gashes, but
it fl oated, with a minimum of
leaks.
Year end sale on boat mo-
tors, I come home with a shiny
new 6 horsepower Evenrude
motor for $199.
Now we can fi sh lakes, troll
tidewater for salmon and go
crabbing.
Next comes a driftboat. A
couple of trips with a friend
fl oating the Santiam and Nes-
tucca Rivers and I had to have
a driftboat. There is no boat-
ing experience quite like the
peace and solitude of fl oating
a river and being in control
with oars.
Driftboats are expensive. A
friend and I decided to buy
one together. We found one
that had lost the owner over
the side, and gone down a few
rapids of the Clackamas River
without him. Some rather no-
ticeable dents gave testimony
to the trip. It had been the
“fi rst, and last attempts” at
rowing, for the owner.
The boat didn’t leak, and
the dings,”gave it character.”
Please see WILSON, Page 13
Submitted
Keizer resident G.I. Wilson fi shes from his last remaining boat, a Fishcraft drfi tboat that Wilson
calls “the love of my boating world.”