Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2020)
2019 JANUARY 3, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A7 Hawley and Jackson share prestigious honor The Salem Sports and Breakfast Club (SSBC) has been recognizing outstanding ath- letes in the Salem-Keizer area since 1964. And on Friday, May 31, the club added two McNary senior athletes to their historic fraternity. Abigail Hawley was honored with the Harold Hauk Award for Female Prep Athlete of the Year while Jacob Jackson was given the Oliver Huston Award for Male Prep Athlete of the Year. It was the fi rst time since 1999 that two McNary athletes won were given Athlete of the year honors by SSBC. Hawley was a four-year var- sity player for the girls soccer squad and took home fi rst-team all-Mountain Valley Conference honors in 2018. It was the sec- ond straight season she received the fi rst-team all-conference nod. Despite playing a litany of different positions over the course of her career, Hawley was the leading goal-scorer for the Celtics in each of her last File Abigail Hawley (left) and Jacob Jackson were named the Sa- lem Sports and Breakfast Club’s athletes of the year for 2019. three years (2016-18). Hawley was also a four-year varsity player for the girls bas- ketball team and helped the Celtics reach the playoffs in all four years of her career. She led the team in scoring her senior season with 13.3 points per game and was named fi rst-team all-league. Jackson was also a two-sport star for McNary over his four years of high school, competing in football and baseball — he also played basketball for the Celtics until his senior year. As one of the most versatile athletes in the state, Jackson re- ceived three different all-con- ference honors in football last fall. As a free safety Jackson had 62 tackles, fi ve interceptions and was named fi rst-team all- league. On the other side of the ball, he caught 31 passes for 354 yards and earned an honorable mention nod at receiver. He also was recognized as a honor- able mention kicker. Jackson was able to do this all while playing with injuries to his wrist, elbow and knee. The injury bug bit Jackson once again during the spring, forcing the star shortstop to miss the last chunk of the sea- son. But Jackson refused to get discouraged about the situation. Despite being banged up, Jackson still batted .316 with a .443 on-base percentage and nine extra-base hits. He also stepped up as a leader accord- ing to head coach Larry Keeker, and helped the Celtics reach the postseason for the second time in three years. Anneke Titus Titus heading to World Cup Anneke Titus, a senior at McNary High, has been competing in roller derby for the last six years. What started as a fun af- ter school-activity has turned into a deep passion for Ti- tus, which is one of the rea- sons why she will be heading north of the border this sum- mer. 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, Can- ada. 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 Cher- ry City Roller Derby adult team. Three years later, a ju- nior team called the Cherry Blossoms was created, which gave Titus a chance to com- pete. Even though she was only allowed to practice at fi rst and couldn’t make contact with other skaters, Titus fell in love with the sport. “I was so excited when the junior team started,” Titus said. “This is my main pas- sion. I was always a sporty kid growing up, but I just fell in love with roller derby.” In her time with the Cher- ry Blossoms, Titus has gotten the opportunity to compete in bouts with the Rose City Rollers in Portland and even got to go to Los Angeles, Ca- lif. for a tournament with her Cherry Blossom teammates. After seeing her grow in her skill level, Titus was en- couraged to go to Portland for a tryout for the World Cup team. In late-September, Ti- tus participated in what she called a “grueling” tryout that was focused heavily on con- ditioning, followed by a two- hour scrimmage. “I was trembling by the end of it. I was so sore,” Ti- tus said. “It was very physical- ly demanding, but also very fun.” A couple weeks later, Titus got the call to join the team. “It’s the highlight of my athletic career. I never thought I would be up this high,” Titus said. “I really have to credit my coaches over the years. I feel like they have really helped me hone my skills, especially in the last couple years.” Smythe highlights HOF class WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Do you have an item that you’d like appraised? We can do that. Need repairs or cleaning? We can do that too. From minor repairs to full rebuilds, our certifi ed, in-house jewelers will clean and repair your treasured pieces so you can enjoy them for years to come. WE BUY GOLD & SILVER 4965 River Road N, Keizer • 503-393-0701 File Tom Smythe (middle) stands with McNary athletic director Scott Gragg (left) and principal Erik Jespersen. For the second time this year, McNary High School inducted new members into their prestigious athletic hall of fame, led by one of the best football coaches in state history, Tom Smythe. Smythe, along with Luke Atwood, Niki Hayhurst Volz and the 2001 state champion football team were all honored in a ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Quality Inn & Suites. In 34 years of coaching high school football in Oregon, Smythe won 278 games and three state titles in three differ- ent decades (1987, 1997, 2001). Smythe won two of his three state championships with McNary, where he was the head coach from 1995-2006. In his tenure with the Celtics, the 78-year old accrued a re- cord of 105-29 and fi ve con- ference championships to go along with his two state titles. Smythe has had many in- credible moments over his illustrious career, but one in particular that stands out is the ‘97 state championship game, where the Celtics took down Beaverton by a score of 51- 48 — which still holds the re- cord for most combined points in a state championship game. Smythe believes that it was the best state fi nal game ever played. While he was known as an offensive innovator, what Smythe prided himself most on was making sure that his kids were enjoying playing the game of football. Once the ceremony had wrapped up, Smythe grabbed the microphone and gave an emotional tribute to the Celt- ics faithful. “My 12 years at McNary, I can hardly put it in perspective without tearing up and crying. I always told my players that it was okay for men to cry. And now I fi nd myself in that same situation, where I can hard- ly speak,” Smythe said. “I feel so blessed to have coached in Keizer, Oregon for the Mc- Nary Celts. What a beautiful time.” Those in attendance erupt- ed in cheers at the conclusion of Smythe’s speech, with the biggest applause coming from the members of his ‘01 state ti- tle team, who he was happy to share the spotlight with. McNary’s ‘01 football squad — also known as the “Giant Killers” — had one of the most dominating postseason runs in state history, winning each of their playoff games by two touchdowns or more. The Celtics fi nished the sea- son with a 13-1 record, which was capped off with a 35-10 victory over Sheldon in the state championship game. Atwood was an assistant coach on the ‘01 squad. But before that, he was one of the top athletes in McNary history. In 1996, Atwood was the quarterback for the McNary football squad, leading the team to a league championship and helping them earn a berth in the state semifi nal game. He earned all-state honorable mention status and participated in the East-West Shrine Game for the top players in the state. On the hardwood, Atwood was a three-year letterman for the Celtics basketball team, earning all-league honors in his senior season and leading Mc- Nary to a conference title and a fi fth-place fi nish at the state tournament. Atwood also excelled on the diamond as an all-state out- fi elder for the McNary baseball squad. Because of all of his ac- complishments during his se- nior year, Atwood was named athlete of the year by the Salem Sports and Breakfast Club in 1997. Volz was also one of the best multiple-sport athletes in McNary history, and is still the only female Celt to receive All- State honors in two different sports (volleyball and soccer). Volz led the McNary vol- leyball team to three Valley League titles during her ten- ure with the Celts, including a fi fth-place fi nish at the state tournament in 1998. Volz was selected as the Val- ley League player of the year in her senior season, as well as the all-region player of the year in volleyball. In softball, Volz experienced similar success, helping the Celts win a conference title in all four years of her career. And in her senior season, Volz took home the same individual ac- colades as she did during vol- leyball season, once again win- ning all-region player of the year and Valley League player of the year. WorshipDirectory These Salem-Keizer houses of worship invite you to visit. Call to list your church in our Worship Directory: (503) 390-1051 www.KeizerChristian.org
