PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, JUNE 9, 2017
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KEIZERTIMES.COM
Claggett Creek 4x100 wins gold
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
If the 50-plus track and
fi eld teams competing in the
Oregon Middle School Meet
of Champions didn’t know
about Claggett Creek before,
they certainly do now.
In its fi rst ever trip to the
state meet, Claggett’s 4x100
boys relay team of eighth grad-
ers Gabriel Martinez, Ethan
Martin, Emanuel Figueroa,
Dyami Rios, brought home
the track program’s fi rst state
championship while setting
another school record, fi nish-
ing in 46.61 seconds.
“This is destiny what we
had,” Figueroa said. “I was
supposed to go to a different
school but something hap-
pened so I came here and
coming here has basically
changed who I am because
without running I wouldn’t
be here. Without these three
people (Martinez, Martin and
Rios) behind me, support-
ing me, picking me up when
I fall, I wouldn’t be here. Ex-
periencing everything, blood,
sweat, tears, soreness, it’s all
changed who I am and I
know it’s changed who these
guys are, too.”
CCMS went into the meet
on Thursday, May 25 at Cor-
vallis High School with the
fastest time but barely made it
to fi nals after fi nishing in sev-
enth in 47.85 during prelims.
“It was very nerve-rack-
ing,” said Martinez, who ran
the fi rst leg of the race. “We
didn’t know what was going
to happen in fi nals. We had
four hours to prepare our-
selves mentally and just win
the race and try to do our
best.”
CCMS wasn’t at full
strength. Just one day before
the meet, Martin, Claggett’s
second runner, had hurt his
ankle falling off the bleachers
at school.
“I didn’t want to let them
down so I just ran through the
pain,” Martin said.
After running the third leg,
Figueroa passed the baton to
Rios to fi nish the race.
“I was just trying not to
lose the lead and run my fast-
est,” said Rios, who also com-
peted individually, fi nishing
ninth in the 100 and 10 th in
the 200 during prelims.
Shirley
Richardson,
Claggett’s sprint coach, put
the four kids together as sixth
graders.
“I like to keep kids togeth-
er because the more you work
together the stronger you be-
come as a team,” Richardson
said.
“They started off as sixth
graders with a 52 (seconds)
and then went 49 as sev-
enth graders and 46 as eighth
KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley
Claggett Cleek eighth gladels Emmanuel Figueloa, Dyami Rios, Ethan Maltin and Gabliel Maltinez won the 4x100 lelay at the
Olegon Meet of Champions in Colvallis.
graders. It’s huge because we
haven’t had a dominant group
of kids so it’s been a real bless-
ing. These kids are leaving a
legacy of what they can do
so other kids here can be in-
spired by what they’ve done.
These guys are good leaders
in the classroom. They’re hard
workers.”
The 4x100 team has already
inspired their teammates.
Despite being seeded ninth
and not even running in the
fastest of the three heats, the
4x400 relay squad of Figueroa,
Torren Hamilton, Juan Diego
Acosta and Elijha Devoursney
placed fourth at the Meet
of Champions, breaking the
school record by nine seconds
in 3:49.83.
Their goal was 3:53.
Please see CHAMPS, Page 13
Witt, Wise voted GVC
Player, Coach of the Year
KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley
McNaly head softball coach Kevin Wise and centel fi eldel Nadia Witt talk duling a game played
ealliel this season.
home runs, 14 doubles, 28
RBI and 38 runs.
Wise and assistant coach
Brad Ulrey weren’t surprised
to see Witt win the award.
They talked about it at the
beginning of the season.
“We’ve just watched her
grow up,” Wise said. “We
knew she had a lot of talent
but she was just so quiet at
fi rst. Even though she’s re-
ally good, she’s still kind of
shy. She’s not a cocky kid at
all. Just to see her get to that
level and her leadership and
the way she carriers herself. If
we need a hit, she just wills it
to happen. You just can’t put
into words what she means
to us.”
Wise was voted GVC
Coach of the Year after lead-
ing the Lady Celts to a 19-4
record during the regular sea-
son, a league championship
and then a trip to the state
quarterfi nals.
Wise downplayed the
honor, giving credit to the
players.
“That stuff doesn’t happen
unless... it’s these guys,” Wise
said.
“That’s not the coach. It’s
the girls. I just focus on them
because it’s just a phenom-
enal group.”
Joining Witt on the GVC
First Team was McNary ju-
nior Haley Ebner, who at fi rst
base hit .465, two home runs,
30 RBI and scored 33 runs.
McNary had four players
on the Second Team, senior
Hannah Carr as an infi elder,
sophomore pitcher Faith
Danner and junior Emma
Kinler and freshman Alexa
Cepeda in the outfi eld.
Keslel signs with Umpqua
Ismay,
Gilbert,
Giest on
1st team
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary baseball
squad had three players voted
to the All-Greater Valley Con-
ference First Team.
Senior third baseman Mat-
thew Ismay was an unanimous
selection, hitting .425 with
two home runs, 11 doubles,
20 RBI and 22 runs scored in
the heart of the Celtics’ lineup.
Senior Josiah Gilbert was
a First Team pitcher. On the
mound, Gilbert was 3-4 with
a 2.67 ERA and 39 strikeouts
over 39 and one-third inning.
McNary senior outfi elder
Jonah Geist was also voted
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
When voting on Greater
Valley Conference Softball
Player of the Year, McNary
head softball coach Kevin
Wise said he looks for “that
kid that really stands out.”
This season one of those
players was McNary junior
Nadia Witt, who along with
West Albany senior Kennedy
Jantzi, were co-recipients of
the award.
“It’s really cool to just
think that the way I play and
the way people see me as a
high player,” said Witt, who
was also voted a First Team
outfi elder.
“I go hard and I’m always
talking. I just try to leave ev-
erything out on the fi eld.”
Leading off for the Lady
Celts, Witt hit .600 with four
KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley
McNaly seniol Matthew Ismay was an unanimous All-GVC Filst
Team selection.
on to the First Team. Leading
off for McNary, Geist hit .349
with four doubles, 19 RBI
and 18 runs scored.
Josh Benson, a senior sec-
ond baseman, and Jacob Jack-
son, a sophomore outfi elder,
both represented McNary on
the Second Team.
McNary seniors Riley Hays
and Brenden Frizelle as well as
sophomore Tyler Covalt were
all honorable mentions.
McMinnville senior Wyatt
Smith was voted both Player
and Pitcher of the Year.
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
After an injury ended Wy-
att Kesler’s high school wres-
tling career early, the McNary
senior was determined to keep
on competing.
“I wasn’t done,” Kesler said.
“Even if I had to pay to go to
school, I would’ve gone and
wrestled.”
Thanks to a scholarship
from Umpqua Community
College, Kesler won’t have to.
“It was frustrating not be-
ing able to fi nish and then
to get this opportunity just
meant the world to me,” Kes-
sler said. “I was so excited.”
McNary head coach Ja-
son Ebbs fi rst met Kesler as a
5-year-old at the Celtic Mat
Club.
“That set back with his in-
jury not letting him wrestling
at districts and state probably
turned him into one of the
most responsible and best per-
KEIZERTIMES/Delek Wiley
McNaly seniol Wyatt Keslel will get the oppoltunity to con-
tinue wlestling at Umpqua Community College.
forming kids in seeking out a
college that I may have ever
coached,” Ebbs said.
“He handled that process
very well and most of it on his
own. He made his door open
for his chance to wrestle in
college.”
Ebbs noted Kesler still has
plenty of room to develop.
“Some of us who have
been around the sport for a
long time know you’re not
done developing in the sport
of wrestling until you’re
somewhere near your 30s,”
Ebbs said.
Please see KESLER, Page 13