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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2016)
AHS PREVIEWS 10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016 Senior Halie Korff returns as a state- placer in the discus, shot put and javelin. Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Astoria’s Kaylee Mitchell competed in the OSAA 2015 Track and Field State Championships. Darian Hageman competed in multiple events at last year’s OSAA Track and Field State Championships. Astoria JirOs OooNinJ to maNe tracN and ¿eOd history By GARY HENLEY The Daliy Astorian At the very least, the Asto- ria girls track team will be a state title contender. If everyone remains healthy (and even if they don’t), the Lady Fishermen will be set- ting school records all season, and scoring points at the state meet that haven’t been seen for years. Scenario No. 2 sounds better, and a LOT more realistic. In all likelihood, the Astoria girls track team will be posing with another state championship trophy on the in¿eld of +ayward Field in Eugene, the afternoon of May 21. The Lady Fishermen are the big favorites to repeat as the Class 4A state champs. The only question is: +ow many points will they score" Astoria could be racking up his- toric numbers at +istoric +ayward. The target number will be 151 — the points scored by the Summit girls in last year’s 5A meet. If Asto- ria can’t reach that, then it’s 87.5 — the record for the most points in a state meet at the 4A level (Philo- math girls, 2010). Either way, “their ability is some- what limitless,” Astoria coach Gar- rett Parks said. “It’s a great group of girls, ¿rst and foremost. They’re incredibly coachable, and they put a lot of time in during the off-season. “At this point, the name of the game is just keeping them healthy and progressing.” AHS GIRLS It’s no secret where the Lady Fish will score most of their points. The No. 1 producer will be sophomore 'arian +ageman, a converted softball player who competed in track for the ¿rst time last year, and ¿nished as the state triple jump champion, ahead of six seniors. If she’s healthy, +ageman could be unbeatable this season. She was already setting unof¿cial school records in the indoor season, and is ranked No. 1 in the state in the high jump, long jump and triple jump. Kaylee Mitchell returns for her sophomore season, when it was ¿rst thought she would just have one year at Astoria. Instead, Mitchell gives Astoria state title points in any event she decides to run. She is ranked No. 1 in the 800 meters, after placing second in both the 800 and 1,500 at state (and helping the 400-meter relay to second) in 2015. The sprints are covered with the Cummings sisters, Natalie and freshman Gracie, who is No. 2 in the state in the 200 meters. Natalie placed fourth at state in the 100 (top three were seniors), ¿fth in the 200 (top four were seniors). Basically, every area on the track is covered, with state champi- on-caliber athletes in all the throw- ing and jumping events. Said Parks, “We have slots across the board that are looking pretty strong.” Astoria’s 400-meter relay of Victoria Kee, Mitchell and the Cummings sisters is also ranked No. 1. Kee and freshmen Andrea +ar- ris and Nara Van De Grift are set to score big points in the hurdles. One of the few seniors is +alie Korff, returning state placer in the discus (2nd), shot put (7th) and javelin (3rd). The throws are even stronger, with the addition of junior Skadi Freyr, the No. 1-ranked shot putter in the state. Freyr and Korff are both ranked in the top three statewide in the dis- cus and shot put. If that wasn’t enough, senior Daisy Gayral (currently sixth in state in the long and triple jump), sophomore Taylor Cosner (throws) and junior Shrida Sharma are capa- ble of scoring points in the big meets. In short — it’s going to take a major upset for anyone to ¿nish ahead of the Astoria girls at state. AHS BOYS For the Astoria boys, “we’re still trying to ¿gure out who’s who,” Parks said. “We have a large number of ¿rst-year track kids. We have some senior boys (Bron- son +olthusen, Chris Williams) who kind of came out of nowhere, which is great.” Senior shot-putter Zander Arnold is ranked third in state, and sophomore Tim Barnett is seventh. “Our boys are improving by leaps and bounds. Our throw- ers are holding on strong in most areas; the sprinters are improving; and Lucas (Caruana) is obviously a strong athlete,” after placing fourth in the state 800 ¿nal last year. “There’s all kinds of talent there, we just need to learn how to develop it.” Prediction: A league title for the Astoria girls is pretty much a given. If everyone stays healthy for the Lady Fishermen, they’re the favorites at state as well. Year 2 of the Astoria track dynasty is under- way. State Champions. Lucas Caruana competed in the 800 meter race in last year’s OSAA Track and Field State Championships. Junior takes over Astoria softball By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian It’s Junior’s team now, as Kent Israel Jr., takes over the coaching reigns of Asto- ria +igh School softball. Lou Marconeri stepped down as the head coach after seven years, but remains on the staff, along with Alan Barendse and Brittany Israel. After assisting Marconeri in the past, coach Israel likes what he sees on the roster in his ¿rst year as coach. The Lady Fish have several key returners, and are com- pletely healthy for the ¿rst time in a few seasons. THE COWAPA It’s the usuals, Israel said. And that usually includes Banks and Scappoose at the top. Both ¿nished with 23-5 records last year. Banks lost to McLoughlin in the state cham- pionship game, after defeating Scappoose in the quarter¿nals. “Scappoose has three teams this year, and Banks has 28 kids, so they’re both going to be good. They also both have new coaches (James Wise at Banks, CiJay Koler at Scappoose). “Tillamook also has a new coach (co-coaches Erin Photos by Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Astoria’s Abi Danen watches a fly ball during the softball game against Corbett. ASTORIA SOFTBALL Coach: Junior Israel, 1st year 2015: 6-19 (3-12 Cowapa) Key Loss: Miranda Dietrichs Key Returners: Mykka Abrahams, Rylee DeMander, Caitlyn Hougham, Taylor Mickle, Kelsey Wullger Mathews and Kelsey Petty), so there were four new coaches at the meeting.” Israel wasn’t on the coach- ing staff last season, and did not see much of Seaside, “but it sounds like they played fairly well,” including a dou- bleheader sweep at Astoria. “Seaside’s going to be good, and you never know what Til- lamook has.” THE LADY FISH The pitching staff is at full strength … no leftover injuries from basketball, experience at every position … on paper, Astoria softball is due for a breakthrough season. Astoria has a nice 1-2-3 punch at pitcher, with senior Libby DiBartolomeo sharing time in the circle with junior Rylee DeMander and soph- omore McKailyn Rogers (a transfer from Knappa). The in¿eld is also one of Astoria’s strongest in years, with senior Kelsey Wullger at ¿rst (Wullger has already signed a letter-of-intent at Centralia College); DeMander at second, senior Taylor Mickle at short- stop and senior Mykka Abra- hams at third. Behind the plate is junior Caitlyn +ougham, one of the best catchers in the Cowapa. The out¿eld features junior Abi Danen, Rogers in center and sophomore Sarah Lertora in right. Freshman Jenna Barendse has also seen action during the preseason. “One of my goals is to see us play good defense,” Israel said. “Libby will do most of the pitch- ing, but I’m not going to run her into the ground. McKailyn throws good in practice, and we’ll see what she can do. All I want her to do is throw strikes, and have DeMander come in for an inning or two and throw strikes. “We have almost the whole team back, except for Miranda (Dietrichs),” Israel said. “And Rogers should ¿ll in that spot in center. “Libby will be in center when McKailyn is pitching. We’ll try to keep the middle in¿eld the way it is, with Mickle ! O G AN M R E H S I F G o Fisher m en DEL’ S Hours: Mon-Fri 8-6 • Sat- 8-4 503-325-2861 35359 BUS 101 • ASTORIA KLEMP FAMILY DENTISTRY Dr. Dennis Klemp, DMD, FAGD 1006 West Marine Dr. Astoria, OR (503) 468-0116 klempfamilydentistry.com Astoria’s Libby DiBartolomeo scores during a softball game against Corbett. DiBartolomeo will share time in the circle with junior Rylee DeMander and sophomore McKailyn Rogers and DeMander. Then we’ll have Abrahams at third, Kelsey Wull- ger at ¿rst and Caitlyn catching. Abi Danen has a lock on left.” Prediction: +ow ’bout a breakthrough year for Lady Fish softball" Through six games, Astoria was ranked No. 2 in the OSAA rankings. The Lady Fish are good enough this season for a top two ¿nish in the Cowapa. A S T ORIA Y OUT H A T H L ET I C S would like to thank M C DONA L DS, FUL T A NOS P IZZA , VA N DUSEN BEVERA G ES, C L A T SOP DIST RIBUT ING & the Astoria community for their continued support of youth athletics. AY A is a no n-pro fit a thle tic bo o ste r c lub c o m m itte d to suppo rting a nd pro m o ting yo uth spo rts, k -12 in Asto ria , thro ug h vo lunte e r se rvic e a nd fina nc ia l a ssista nc e . “ G row ing C om m unity through Y outh Athletic s ”
