PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, NOVEMBER 29, 2019
KEIZERTIMES.COM
McNary student headed to Junior World Cup
Titus will join a team of
19 other skaters considered
to be some of the top junior
roller derby athletes in the
country.
“I really couldn’t believe
that I got in. I started cry-
ing as soon as I found out. I
know that I’m talented, but
I never thought I was at that
level,” Titus said. “I still can’t
describe how excited I am
about it.”
Titus fi rst got into the
sport at the age of eight
when her mom joined a
Cherry City Roller Der-
by adult team. Three years
later, a junior team called
the Cherry Blossoms was
created, which gave Titus a
chance to compete.
Even though she
was only
allowed to
practice at
fi rst
and
c o u l d n ’t
make con-
tact with
other skat-
ers, Titus
fell in love
with the sport.
“I was so excit-
ed when the junior
team started,” Ti-
tus said. “This is my
main passion. I was
always a sporty kid growing
up, but I just fell in love with
roller derby.”
In roller derby, there are
fi ve members of each team
that are on the track at the
same time (four blockers
and a jammer). Each jammer
wears a star on their helmet
and starts behind the op-
posing blockers, otherwise
aggressive sport that allows
full contact, Titus believes
that it’s tamer than what it
used to be.
“It’s not how it was in
the ‘70s with all the punch-
ing and kicking. You do get
some nasty shoulders to the
sternum, but it’s not as vio-
lent as it used to be,” Titus
said.
In her time with the
Cherry Blossoms, Titus has
gotten the opportunity to
compete in bouts with the
Rose City Rollers in Port-
land and even got to go to
Los Angeles for a tourna-
ment with her Cherry Blos-
som teammates.
After seeing growth in her
skill level, Austin encouraged
Titus to go to Portland for
a tryout for the
World Cup team.
In late Septem-
ber, Titus partici-
pated in what she
called a “grueling”
tryout that was fo-
— Anneke Titus cused heavily on
conditioning, fol-
lowed by a two-
strategy during the course of hour scrimmage.
“I was trembling by the
play and set the pace of the
end of it. I was so sore,” Titus
blockers.
“She mostly wanted to be said. “It was very physical-
a jammer and wear the star ly demanding, but also very
on her cap and score all the fun.”
A couple weeks later, Ti-
points. But she also is great at
defense. I know I can count tus got the call to join the
on her to lead the team in team.
“It’s the highlight of
that area,” said Chris Austin,
who has coached Titus for my athletic career. I never
the last two years. “I forced thought I would be up this
her to be a captain because high,” Titus said.
“I really have to credit my
I felt like she was someone
who wanted to build this coaches over the years. I feel
thing up.”
Please see DERBY, Page A12
While roller derby is an
known as “the pack.” Jam-
mers score points for every
opposing blocker they are
able to lap.
Jams last for two min-
utes, with a 30-second break
in-between to make lineup
changes. At the end of two
30-minute halves, the team
with the most points wins.
For the majority of her ca-
reer, Titus has been a jammer.
But over the last two years,
she has been able to show
her versatility as a blocker.
Titus has also recently played
the role of pivot — a blocker
who is allowed to become a
jammer while the action is
going.
The pivot is often the
team’s most experienced
player that can establish
“It’s the highlight of my
athletic career. I never
thought that I would be up
this high.”
Submitted
Anneke Titus has established herself as one of the best junior roller derby competitors in the
world, which is why she will be representing Team USA at the Junior World Cup in August.
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Anneke Titus, a senior
at McNary High, has been
competing in roller derby for
the last six years.
What started as a fun
after-school activity has
turned into a deep passion
for Titus, which is one of
the reasons why she will be
heading north of the border
this summer.
Last month, Titus was no-
tifi ed by the Junior Roller
Derby Association (JRDA)
that she has been selected
to compete for Team USA
at the Junior Roller Derby
World Cup in Saskatchewan,
Canada.
McNary girls basketball preview
Celtics set to reload for 2019-20 season
Doutt was a second-team
By MATT RAWLINGS
all-league performer last sea-
Of the Keizertimes
In each of Elizabeth Dor- son, averaging 12 points and
an’s fi rst two years as the girls 4.5 rebounds per game. She
basketball coach at McNary also led the team in assists
High, the Celtics were one and blocked shots.
With her multi-faceted
of the younger teams in the
offensive ability, Doutt will
league.
But as she prepares for likely be at the center of
her third season at the helm, the scouting report for all of
Doran is thrilled to be re- McNary’s opponents.
“Leah is going to have a
turning eight players that
were on the varsity roster last target on her back, because
she’s such a great player. She
season.
can score the
“For
the
basketball re-
fi rst time in a
ally well and
while, we have “We defi nitely
can
create
a more expe-
shots for her-
rienced group. want to
self, but she
We have been compete for
is also a great
pretty young
distr ibuter
over the past the league
and is really
two
years, title. We feel
good at set-
and now we
ting up her
have a strong like we have a
e a m m a t e s ,”
junior
class
group of girls t Doran
said.
to go along
Despite re-
with two se- that can do
turning
the
niors
that
majority
of
have been in that.”
their
roster,
the program
— Elizabeth Doran,
the
Celtics
for a cou-
McNary head coach
will
greatly
ple years that
miss the ser-
know what to
vices of Abi-
expect from
me and know what to ex- gail Hawley.
As a senior last season,
pect from each other,” Dor-
an said. “It’s a good group. I Hawley was one of the top
love coaching them and I am scorers in the conference at
looking forward to the sea- 13.3 points per game. She
also led the McNary in steals
son.”
The top player out of (30) and three-point fi eld
McNary’s eight returners goals (25), and was named
is junior guard Leah Doutt, fi rst-team all-league.
While Doutt looks to take
who could be a candidate for
Mountain Valley Conference over the bulk of McNary’s
Player of the Year by the time scoring, Doran believes that
the Celtics will have other
the regular season is over.
players that will be able to
step into key offensive roles.
“Losing Abby is hard be-
cause we lose a lot of scoring
and someone who embraced
a leadership role. But there
are a lot of people stepping
up,” Doran said.
Junior shooting guard
Mackenzie Proctor started
for most of the season last
year and proved to be a con-
sistent sharpshooter for Mc-
Nary. Look for her to play
an even bigger role in the
offense this season.
“We have seen a big im-
provement with Kenzie and
her confi dence. When she’s
confi dent, she’s hard to guard
because she shoots the ball
really well and can also go off
the dribble. I think she will
step into more of a scoring
roll for us,” Doran said.
The Celtics will also re-
turn junior guard Kennedy
Buss, who was an honorable
mention performer last sea-
son. Buss led the team in re-
bounding and was arguably
the best on-ball defender in
the league.
“She’s always going to
give us great defense, but I
believe Kennedy is going to
step up and hit more shots
for us this year,” Doran said.
For the second year in a
row, McNary will be a team
that lacks size. But thanks to
their quickness and athleti-
cism, the Celtics are hoping
to make life diffi cult on op-
posing teams with their de-
fensive pressure.
“I think we will be able to
put more full-court defen-
sive pressure on teams. We
want to avoid getting caught
Please see CELTS, Page A13
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary point guard Leah Doutt takes the ball to the rack in a game against Mountain View last season. Doutt will likely be one
of the top returning players in the Mountain Valley Conference.