DECEMBER 13, 2019, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A13
McNary swimmers compete
at Salem-Keizer Relay event
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
LEFT: Lanah Metz swims in the girls 200-yard breaststroke relay. RIGHT: Gavin Eisele swims the backstroke leg of the boys
400-medley relay.
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary swim team
kicked off their season on
Thursday, Dec. 5 by compet-
ing in the Salem-Keizer re-
lays at the Kroc Center.
While this meet was treat-
ed as an exhibition, McNary
head coach Casey Lewin
appreciated that the event
helped ease his kids back
into competition mode.
“I liked the relay meet.
It’s a low-key and relaxed
way to get back into racing.
I thought the kids enjoyed it
as well,” Lewin said.
Both the boys and girls
Celtic teams experienced
their most success in the
200-yard freestyle relay, as
McNary swept the event on
each side.
The girls 200-free team
of Paris Boyd, Alex Beard,
Bella Beard and Alyssa Gar-
vey touched the line at the
1:51.01 mark while the boys
team of Kaleb Bergh-Grav-
en, Gavin Gaperini, Bryce
Junker and Kyle Hooper fi n-
ished the event in 1:45.64.
The McNary girls end-
ed up with six second place
fi nishes, while the boys were
runners-up in three races.
“It’s exciting to see relays
swimming fast to begin the
season. We still have work to
do, and need to be faster, but
with where we are at in the
season I feel like we are in a
good place. We will continue
to improve,” Lewin said.
But even though Lewin
felt good about his team’s
outing, he knows the Celtics
will face some stiff competi-
tion to face during the dual
season.
“I thought that West (Sa-
lem) and South (Salem)
looked strong at the meet. It
will be exciting racing them
in the upcoming weeks. The
girls 200 medley from McK-
ay swam well too,” Lewin
said.
McNary’s fi rst dual meet
will be on Thursday, Dec. 19
at 4:30 p.m. against West Sa-
lem.
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D1,
continued from Page A16
not only because of the high
level of play, but I think it’s
also helped me learn how to
manage my time.”
Both players are excited to
to go be a part of it for real.”
One of the driving forc- begin their college careers,
es for Cepeda that has con- and already have individual
stantly pushed her to get goals in mind for when they
better is her dad, Jose, who head to their separate insti-
played in the minor leagues tutions.
“I defi nitely want to be in
for fi ve seasons in the Kan-
sas City Royals and Atlanta the starting lineup as a fresh-
Braves organizations and man and play with consis-
owns a hitting facility in Tu- tency, but I also want to be
a good teammate,” Cepeda
alatin.
“Ever since I was little, said,
Ebbs, however, has even
he’s just always been that one
person that will care for me bigger aspirations for her
and help me to get better. He college career.
“I want to be an
just wants the best for me.
All-American.
He’s very in-
That is my
tense, and he
biggest goal,”
doesn’t allow “ I have been
Ebbs said.
me to give up
When she
on myself and fortunate in
was younger,
not reach my my time at
Ebbs looked
full potential.
up to Jenna
He’s a really McNary to be
Lilley, a four-
good motiva- able to coach
year star for
tor for me,”
the Univer-
some excellent
Cepeda said.
sity of Ore-
Part
of
players. With
gon softball
what
has
team. In her
made Cepe- that being said,
senior season,
da and Ebbs
Lilley earned
great athletes I would put
third-team
is their ded- these two at
All-American
ication
to
status, which
their
craft. the top.”
inspired Ebbs
Both girls play
— Kevin Wise,
to strive for
softball year-
McNary head coach
that same ac-
round for the
complishment
Nor thwest
one day.
Bullets
—
“I started watching (Lil-
arguably the top club team
ley) when I was in middle
in the Northwest.
The Bullets can have a tu- school. I really looked up to
multuous travel schedule at her and thought if she could
times, going to tournaments do it, I could also do it,” Ebbs
in California, Colorado and said.
Even though they’re look-
even New Jersey.
“I can’t remember the last ing forward to the future,
time we played in Oregon,” Cepeda and Ebbs still have
some unfi nished business at
Ebbs said.
But both girls believe that the high school level.
The McNary softball
playing for the Bullets has
better prepared them for squad returns all but one
starter from last year’s league
college softball.
“I think it’s given us a championship team, which
lot of exposure, because gives both Cepeda and Ebbs
we’re always around college have high hopes for the up-
coaches. We’re around girls coming season.
“We would really like to
that are going to big schools
and we’re always getting make it to the state (cham-
challenged. It makes us bet- pionship). That’s our biggest
goal, but we got to take it
ter prepared,” Cepeda said.
Ebbs added: “I feel like it one step at a time,” Ebbs said.
has prepared us for college,