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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2019)
MAY 10, 2019, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A13 WALLING, continued from Page A16 Walling ended the season with 1,005 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, in addition to two receiving touchdowns. He was named first-team all-league at both positions. According to 247Sports, Walling is the number two in-state recruit and the 14th- ranked inside linebacker in the country. He has also gotten to be interviewed on the 1080 The Fan show Recruiting with Andrew Nemec, along with a number of other media oppor- tunities. Even with all the attention he’s getting, Walling remains humble and thankful. “It’s an honor to talk with a lot of these people and get all these interviews,” Walling said. “It’s just been a fun process.” While he prepares for the 2019 season as one of the top players in the state, Walling is still striving to prepare himself for playing at the next level. “Whether it’s making a hit, or trying to run through guys, I’m always working on how I can be more explosive with my trainer,” Walling said. “I also want to make sure that I’m staying durable. Making sure that I get through the season is huge for me.” National Signing Day for all football recruits is February 5 of next year. But Walling says that he will be ready to make a commitment later this sumer. “I have been talking with my family and I think I’m going to make my commitment right before my football starts for my senior year,” Walling said. File Walling celebrates the Celtics clinching the Mountain Valley Conference title with their win against South Salem last fall. Seven McNary athletes sign with colleges KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Sophia Zielinski, Kara Thomas, Faith Danner, Katy Wyatt, Miguel Bravo, Francisco Rios and Jesus Lopez all committed to continue their education and athletic careers in college during a ceremony on Wednesday, April 17. BY MATT RAWLINGS Of the Keizertimes Seven student-athletes from McNary signed their letters of intent to continue their education and athletic careers in a signing day cer- emony on Wednesday, April 17. While all seven of them have excelled in the sports arena, McNary athletic di- rector Scott Gragg made it a point to mention the dedica- tion that each of them have shown in the classroom. “In order to be able to sign these pieces of paper, they need to be able to at- tend that college, which means they have done some things in the classroom that have given them the abil- ity to play at the next level,” Gragg said. Celtic volleyball players Sophia Zielinski and Kara Thomas each plan to play volleyball next year at Lin- field University. Thomas and Zielinski were both three-year var- sity players for McNary and earned honorable men- tion all-league honors in the 2017 season. They also shared the responsibility of being co-captains this season. “They’re leadership is go- ing to carry onto the next level,” McNary volleyball coach Crystal DeMello said. “I really value that they were teammates here and it’s rare that they will continue to be teammates at the next level.” Katy Wyatt is choosing to play soccer at Pacific Uni- versity. Wyatt was a four-year starter for McNary and was a team captain during the 2018 season. She was third on the team in scoring this season and totaled nine goals and 11 assists over the course of her career. But it was her ability as a defender that re- ally helped the Celtics as she played a role in 22 shutouts over the last four years. “Katy was part of a great class of freshmen four years ago that really came in and changed the culture of the (girls) soccer program,” Mc- Nary girls head coach AJ Nash said. “We call her the ‘energizer bunny.’ She is one of those few people in life that have another gear.” Faith Danner will attend Dakota State University in Madison, SD to play softball. Danner has been Mc- Nary’s top pitcher for all four years of her time as a Celt and has earned all-con- ference honors in the first three years of her career. Last season, she had a record of 16-9 and an ERA of 3.08 in 140 innings, and also batted .361 Her play, both on the mound and at the plate, this season has the Celtics in position for their second conference crown in three years. “I’m really proud of (Danner) because she chose a school where she can go and get a really good edu- cation, and also continue to play softball,” McNary soft- ball coach Kevin Wise said. “I’m so thankful for all she’s done for our program here at McNary and we’re just look- ing forward to her having a great college career.” Miguel Bravo, Fran- cisco Rios and Jesus Lopez all signed to play soccer at Chemeketa Community College. All three were varsity players throughout their four years of high school. Bravo was second-team all-conference during the fall and was voted McNary’s MVP at their awards ban- quet. Rios ended his career with 35 goals and 21 assists and he was named an all- conference honorable men- tion this season. Lopez was a first-team all- conference defender in his final year and also was rec- ognized as the athlete of the week back on September 21, 2018 by the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club. “All three of them have been captains of our pro- gram. I’m very proud of the fact that they all played different roles that made our program rise higher,” McNary boys soccer coach Miguel Camarena said. McNary hosting boys basketball camp in June The McNary boys basketball program will be holding a sum- mer youth camp at Claggett Creek Middle School for kids in 3rd through 8th grade from Monday, June 17, to Thursday, June 20th. The session for 3rd-5th graders goes from 9 a.m. to noon. Camp for 6th-8th graders goes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cost, which includes a camp t-shirt, is $65. Campers should be dressed in proper attire (gym shoes and athletic gear). Please do not bring valuables, money or jewelry. McNary High School will not be responsible for lost goods. For more information, McNary head coach Ryan Kirch at 541-908-1609 or at rkirch@hotmail.com.
