PAGE A22, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 04, 2022
Grimmer steps up to meet challenges at Chemeketa
BY JEREMY MCDONALD
For the Keizertimes
For a stretch during the middle part of the
women's college basketball season, Chemeketa
had to play with a short bench. Injuries and
COVID-issues had the Storm in some games
with just seven girls during a roughly six-
week stretch between mid-December and
mid-February.
It was during that stretch that the 2021
McNary-grad Rebekah Grimmer started 11
of 13 games, stepping into a starting role for
Chemeketa as her team battled through adver-
sity. Grimmer averaged 8.5 points and 4.5
rebounds per game.
Grimmer also recorded her first dou-
ble-double of her collegiate career against
Portland Community College with an 11-point,
10-rebound performance against the Panthers
on Jan. 26.
Along with South Salem-grad Ellyson
Haytas and South Eugene's Jenna Gienzel, she
helped keep the Storm steady on the court as
two of their leading scorers, Leva Mike and Erin
Counts, were coming back into form after miss-
ing a few games. The mindset was to be as pre-
pared as they can be during this stretch, playing
as one unit.
"It was really hard when we had injuries and
fought with COVID and stuff.” said Grimmer.
“We realized that just a few people don't make
up the whole team and the few people that you
do view as leaders on the team, you have to step
up to that position,"
"We worked really hard in practice,” she
added. “We brought ourselves together and
said that we must try our best no matter what
because we want to win games. We're not going
to give up. We came together and pushed
through. We pushed on and tried our hardest."
Grimmer pointed out that the season has
been a lot of fun. Adjusting to the collegiate
game was one challenge, adjusting to new
teammates was another, with girls coming from
all over the Salem area to put out the best prod-
uct that they can game-in and game-out.
"[Collegiate-level basketball] is a lot faster,”
she explained. “But it's a lot more fun because
there's a little bit more pressure and you're just
working harder constantly because you got bas-
ketball one or two-times a day. You got games
and you got to build relationships with whole
new people you've never met before. It was hard
at the beginning, but it's been a really good
experience and it's been really fun."
Sitting at 10-10 as of Feb. 23, the fresh-
man-heavy Storm will be looking to finish
their NWAC South Region schedule strongly
with the hope of carrying momentum over to
next Winter with those who are returning to
the squad. Grimmer, one of those freshmen, is
excited to see what is to come for the squad.
"It's really nice to see how far we've come
from the beginning of the season to now at the
end of the season with how we're growing and
how much stronger we can get at the end of the
season to go into next season,” she said. “Even
when we lose those older girls, [it will be good
to see] just how strong of a freshman group
we've got right now.”
McNary-Grad Bekah Grimmer(20) reacting during a play during February 23's game against Portland Community College at Chemeketa Community College. Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
obituary
brainfood ANSWERS
Brenda Lavonne Yates
June 11, 1954 – January 15, 2022
Brenda, of Keizer, lost her battle
with multiple health conditions on
Jan. 15 while holding the hand of her
beloved husband of almost 33 years,
David. Brenda was born to William
Hall and Sybel Watts on June 11, 1954
in Portland. A computer expert and an
excellent creative artist, Brenda worked
with students in these areas as well as
tutoring in all academic areas as an
instructional assistant for the Cascade
School District until she retired. After
earning her Associate Degree from
Chemeketa Community College she
continued taking classes to better serve
the students she loved working with. A
diligent worker who held her students to
a high standard, she was also full of fun
and ready to laugh and share fun times
with those she worked with, and tutored.
Brenda is survived by her husband,
David Yates, daughter Kris Simcoe, her
aunt Joan Doyle and many friends. A
private celebration of life will be held at
Brenda and David’s Keizer home. Anyone
wishing to share a memory of Brenda
can send it to Ashley Jo Barnhouse
(Ashley Jo Barnhouse on Facebook)
Brenda will be sorely missed by everyone
who knew her.
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