PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, JUNE 12, 2020
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Donahue receives fi rst Chris Holt Scholarship
File
Regann Donahue looks to attack the West Albany defense in a McNary girls lacrosse game from
last spring. Donahue was the recipient of the fi rst Chris Holt Scholarship on behalf of McNary
Youth Baseball.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Regann Donahue has
taken great pride in being a
student-athlete at McNary
High.
She has played on the
Celtics varsity girls’ soccer
team for the last three sea-
sons and became a stand-
out on the McNary lacrosse
squad in 2019 — Donahue
plans on playing lacrosse in
college at Eastern Oregon
University (EOU).
In the classroom, Dona-
hue is just as fi erce, posting
a 3.7 grade-point-average
with the aim of going into
the EOU nursing program.
These are just some of the
reasons Donahue was select-
ed as the recipient of the fi rst
annual Chris Holt Schol-
arship from McNary Youth
Baseball (MYB).
“I was so overwhelmed
when I found out. I could
not be more grateful,” Do-
nahue said.
The scholarship was cre-
ated in memory of Chris
Holt, a 13-year-old Keizer
resident and youth base-
ball player, who passed away
from leukemia in 2003.
The scholarship will be
awarded once a year and is
for any senior who has been
active in sports at McNary. Indianna, who was one year
Recipients will be award- old at the time, was in need
ed $1,000 to offset costs of of a foster family after it was
continuing education at any determined that her biolog-
post-high school education- ical parents were not in the
al, technical or vocational in- correct mental state to raise
a child.
stitution.
Later that month, the Do-
However, MYB want-
ed to award this scholarship nahue clan went from fi ve
to someone who was about members to six as they de-
cided to take
more than just
in Indianna.
their studies
Right
from
and
sports. “ I was so over-
the start, Do-
Part of the whelmed when
nahue fell in
application
love with her
process
was I found out. I
new sister.
to write an could not be
“The essay
essay
about
was emotion-
what
sacri- more grateful.”
al for me to
fi ce means to
— Regann Donahue write because
them, along
I can’t imag-
with giving a
ine my life
personal ex-
ample of how sacrifi ce has without my little sister,” Do-
nahue said.
played a part in their lives.
However, the next couple
When Donahue was giv-
en this task, she knew exactly years wouldn’t be easy. Since
what she was going to write Indianna was still in the fos-
ter care system, DHS would
about.
In her essay, Donahue stop by their house once a
talked about the process of week and often meander
her family adopting her little through Donahue’s personal
belongings.
sister, Indianna.
“DHS is very meticulous.
In December of 2014,
Donahue’s parents received It was really weird having
a letter from the Depart- someone go through your
ment of Human Services stuff every week,” Donahue
(DHS) saying that they had
a family member in need. Please see DONAHUE, Page A9
Ebbs wins Gatorade Player of the Year award
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Taylor Ebbs has gotten
accustomed to receiving ac-
colades for her outstanding
softball play — she was the
Mountain Valley Conference
Player of the Year last season
as a sophomore.
But on Thursday, May 28,
Ebbs received the highest in-
dividual honor of her career
as the McNary junior was
named the 2019-20 Gato-
rade Oregon Softball Player
of the Year.
“It really didn’t hit me at
fi rst when I found out. After
it settled in, it was just a big
‘wow’ moment for me. I’ve
honestly never felt so hon-
ored and recognized,” Ebbs
said.
Ebbs’ play on the fi eld
speaks for itself. Although
her high school season
got cancelled this year due
to COVID-19, Ebbs was
a standout shortstop for
Northwest Bullets ASA
18-and-under club in the
fall. She batted .414 and had
an on-base percentage of
.528 against elite national
competition.
The stellar play of Ebbs has
been even more profound at
the high school level. With a
career batting average of .596
along with 99 hits, 96 runs
batted in, 73 runs scored and
Keizertimes
Wheatland Publishing Corp.
142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303
Phone: 503.390.1051 • www.keizertimes.com
File
McNary shortstop Taylor Ebbs gets ready to throw out a run-
ner at fi rst base in a game from last season.
MANAGING EDITOR
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Eric A. Howald
editor@keizertimes.com
One year:
$35 in Marion County,
$43 outside Marion County,
$55 outside Oregon
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Matt Rawlings
news@keizertimes.com
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY
COMMUNITY REPORTER
Publication No: USPS 679-430
Lauren Murphy
reporter@keizertimes.com
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
ADVERTISING
Stephanie Wittman
advertising@keizertimes.com
PRODUCTION MANAGER
& GRAPHIC DESIGNER
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Andrew Jackson
graphics@keizertimes.com
LEGAL NOTICES
legals@keizertimes.com
Lyndon Zaitz
publisher@keizertimes.com
2019-2020 President
Oregon Newspaper
Publishers Association
Keizertimes Circulation
142 Chemawa Road N.
Keizer, OR 97303
Periodical postage paid at
Salem, Oregon
BUSINESS MANAGER
Leah Stevens
billing@keizertimes.com
RECEPTION
Lori Beyeler
facebook.com/keizertimes
twitter.com/keizertimes
a .970 slugging percentage,
Ebbs has proven she is one of
the top players in the coun-
try — she gave her verbal
commitment to the Univer-
sity of Kentucky and is con-
sidered the No. 49 recruit in
the Class of 2021 by Extra
Inning Softball.
However, the student-ath-
letes who win this award are
not only excellent in their
individual sport, they are also
people that exude exempla-
ry character and are diligent
about their studies.
“Taylor’s a well-round-
ed person. She’s much more
than an athlete,” McNary
head coach Kevin Wise said.
“She’s an amazing young
lady on and off the softball
fi eld and she is not only in-
volved at her school, she’s
involved in the community,
which speaks volumes about
her.”
Along with being a star
softball player, Ebbs is also an
all-league volleyball standout
for the Celtics. And when
she isn’t competing, you will
often see her supporting her
classmates at other McNary
athletic events.
“I’m appreciative of the
support we get at our games,
so I want to support the oth-
er McNary teams any chance
I get. That stuff is really fun
for me,” Ebbs said.
However, as it relates to
school, Ebbs made it clear
that academics come fi rst.
Ebbs currently maintains a
3.59 grade-point-average in
the classroom and occasional-
ly enrolls in advanced-place-
ment classes.
“I want to play sports but
I need my education. That is
why academics are a priori-
ty for me. It’s all about man-
aging your time well,” Ebbs
said.
Time management is an
important aspect for Ebbs
because it not only gives
her the ability to prioritize
her studies, it also gives her
the bandwidth to serve her
community in a multitude of
Please see EBBS, Page A9