FEBRUARY 9, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B1
KEIZERTIMES.COM
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
McNary senior Brayden Ebbs defeated West Albany senior
Mitchell Sorte in the 160-pound district fi nals.
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
McNary wrestlers Brayden Ebbs (160), left, Enrique Vincent (126) and Blake Norton (220) won district championships on Saturday,
Feb. 3 at McKay High School.
Ebbs, Vincent, Norton
capture district titles
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
SALEM—Down by a point heading
into the third period of the district fi nals,
McNary senior Brayden Ebbs heard the
voice of his father—head wrestling coach
Jason Ebbs.
“Since I was a little kid, my dad always
told me no matter how much time is left,
there’s always time to score in a match,”
Brayden said. “A lot of kids will be down
by points and give up. My mindset, with
my dad being my coach, is I always keep
going no matter what because anything
can happen at any moment in time.”
The match went to overtime when
West Albany senior Mitchell Sorte was
called for locking hands, giving Ebbs a
point and tying it 4-4.
Brayden again thought of his father.
“I was exhausted,” Brayden said. “I was
tired but dad always told me never let
anybody see your emotions on your face
when you’re wrestling, always go in there
and make it look like you’re hungry and
ready for more.”
With time running out, Ebbs put Sorte
on his back to win the 160-pound title.
“It feels amazing to go out my senior
year with a bang and now it’s just getting
ready for state,” Ebbs said. “I’ve got that
state mindset automatically.”
Wrestling in the district tournament at
McKay High School on Feb. 2-3, Ebbs
cruised to the fi nals with three pins, the
longest coming in two minutes and 40
seconds. He pinned McMinnville senior
Noah Spencer in 54 seconds in the semi-
fi nals.
Twenty-six seconds, 35 seconds and
one minute and seven seconds.
That’s how long it took McNary ju-
nior Enrique Vincent to pin his fi rst three
opponents at 126 pounds.
ATHLETE
of the Week
presented by
BRAYDEN EBBS
McNary High School wrestler
McNary senior Brayden Ebbs pinned his way to the
160-pound district championship to earn a team-
high 30 points for the Celtics on Feb. 2-3 at McKay
High School. Ebbs defeated Mitchell Sorte of West
Albany in overtime to bring home the title. Ebbs
pinned his fi rst three opponents in one minute and
38 seconds, two minutes and 40 seconds and 54
seconds. He’ll wrestle in the state tournament with
four of his teammates on Feb. 16-17 in Portland.
Please see DISTRICT, Page B2
Beard twins too legit to quit
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Alex and Bella Beard tried
to quit swimming once.
It didn’t last.
As 7-year-olds, wanting to
be like their older sister, the
Beard twins went to Holiday
Swim Club.
At their fi rst practice, Bella
swam one length of the pool,
got out and quit. Alex made it
about halfway before she fi g-
ured out what her sister had
done and followed.
Their swimming career was
over.
Until the next summer
when their dad gave them an
ultimatum to give it another
shot or enroll in swimming
lessons.
“We knew how to swim,”
Bella said. “We just didn’t want
to do it.”
The twins enjoyed their
second stint at Holiday so
much that they decided to join
a year-round club.
“Were were doing gymnas-
tics and we were really quite
bad at it,” Alex said.
“We realized we sucked and
then joined swim team.” Bella
added.
On the Bearcats, which later
became Mid-Valley Aquatics,
the Beards swam their fi rst state
qualifying times as 9-year-olds.
Bella got her’s fi rst in the
100 breaststroke and then the
50 breaststroke. Not to be out-
done, Alex then qualifi ed for
state in three events—the 50
breast, 100 breast and 50 free.
“We’re super competitive
with each other but with other
people I’m always known as
the gentle giant because I’m so
tall,” Alex said. “I’m really just
racing myself.”
“I think I’m much more
competitive than Alex is,” Bella
said.
That dynamic has worked
for the Beard twins, who as
10-year-olds swam in their
fi rst sectional meet in Federal
Way, Wash. Competing against
swimmers from Hawaii and
Alaska and east to Montana,
they fi nished seventh in the
200-free relay, despite being
seeded 27th.
“I got to swim with my best
friends on this relay and we
were so excited,” Alex said.
Bella has qualifi ed for sec-
tionals four years in a row. At
state, Alex placed fourth in the
500 free when she was 11.
Now as freshmen at Mc-
Nary, the twins will swim in
their fi rst Greater Valley Con-
ference Championships on
Feb. 9-10.
With injuries to seniors
Marissa Kuch and Sarah Eck-
ert, Alex and Bella have led the
Lady Celts this season.
On the gold squad at Mid-
Valley Aquatics, with three
hour practices a day, they are
only able to attend one Mc-
Nary practice a week.
“That’s been a hard thing
getting to know the team,”
Alex said. “It’s been really cool
how some people look up to
me. It’s been cool as a freshman
to be able to do that and be on
the varsity. My main priority
is to always be supportive of
the other swimmers. I don’t
care how fast they are, as long
as they are swimming, they are
just as fast as me, in my book. I
always want to support people
because swimming is such an
awesome sport. I think anyone
should do it, no matter how
fast they are.”
KEIZERTIMES/Derek Wiley
Twins Alex and Bella Beard have led the McNary girls swim team this season as freshmen and will compete in the Greater Valley
Conference Championships on Feb. 9-10 at the McMinnville Aquatic Center. BELOW: Alex swims the butterfl y while Bella does
the freetyle for the Lady Celts.
That sportsmanship and hu-
mility comes from their father.
“Our dad always taught us
to tell the swimmers next to
you ‘good luck’ before the race
and give them a high fi ve after-
wards,” Bella said. “If we beat
the other person or even if we
lose, we always make sure to
congratulate the other people.”
Individually, Bella will swim
the 200 free and 100 breast-
stroke at the GVC Champion-
ships while Alex will compete
in the 200 IM and 500 free.
Their best times would
have been good enough to get
them to A Finals (top eight)
in all four events at last year’s
Please see BEARD, Page B2