SPORTS
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016
US swimmers use
therapy dogs at trials
By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP National Writer
Submitted Photo
Members of the Clatsop County 4-H shooting sports team, Clatsop Claybusters, participated for the first time in the
2016 4-H competition at the Albany Rifle and Pistol Club June 20-22.
Clatsop Claybusters shooting sports
team brings home ribbons from state
The Daily Astorian
After practicing since Octo-
ber, the Clatsop County 4-H
shooting sports team, Clatsop
Claybusters, participated for the
irst time in the 2016 4-H com-
petition at the Albany Rile and
Pistol Club June 20-22.
All youth who participated
in the mail-in-tournament Jan-
uary through March qualiied
to compete at the state compe-
tition, which included shooting
one round of trap from 16 yards,
and one round of ive stand. The
team had competitors in all age
divisions.
On June 20, senior division
members Andrew and Aaron
Hollenbeck competed. Aaron
received a blue ribbon in trap by
breaking 23 of 25 targets and a
red ribbon in ive stand. Andrew
received a red ribbon in trap and
white ribbon in ive stand.
The largest group, the inter-
mediates, competed June 21.
Alyssa Hollenbeck received
white ribbons in both trap and
SCOREBOARD
SPORTS SCHEDULE
SATURDAY
Baseball — Dallas at Asto-
ria Ford (2), 1 p.m.; Warrenton
Alumni Day, Noon
SUNDAY
Baseball — Dallas at Astoria
Ford, 1 p.m.
GOLF
Astoria Golf & CC
Men’s Club Championship
(Friday-Saturday)
Open Division Gross
1, Jeff Canessa, 74-72—146
2, Pat Wood, 79-71—150
Open Division Net
1, Dennis Sturgell, 70-71—141
2, Jimmy Cartwright, 73-71—
144
3, Matt Chappell, 75-70—145
4, Christiaan Thorne, 70-76—
ive stand; Kory Constantine
received red ribbons in both trap
and ive stand; and Andrew Ped-
ersen received a red ribbon in
trap and a white ribbon in ive
stand.
146
Senior Division Gross
1, James Ihander, 78-73—151
2, Barry Greenberg, 79-77—
156
Senior Division Net
1, Walter Yeaw, 66-72—138
T2, Chris Hayward, 70-72—
142
T2, B.K. Srinivasan, 65-77—
142
4, Ron Williams, 72-71—143
Super Senior Gross
1, Larry Allen, 74-79—153
2, John Garbutt, 79-77—156
T3, Mike Graham, 78-80—158
T3, Russ Taggard, 75-83—158
Super Senior Net
1, Roy Latham, 65-64—128
T2, Bill Brooks, 64-74—138
T2, Larry Perkins, 71-67—138
T4, Jim McNeeley, 71-69—140
T4, Bill Weed, 73-67—140
To top the day off, Michael
Williams received blue ribbons
in both trap and ive stand, break-
ing 23 out of 25 targets in trap.
He earned Overall Champion,
High Point and a Sportsmanship
Award, and was appointed to the
state team to compete in the 4-H
national competition in June
2017 in Grand Island, Nebraska.
The junior division took
to the ield June 22, and both
Alex Bond and Isaiah Rodri-
guez received white ribbons in
trap and ive stand. Charlie Wil-
liams broke 23 of 25 targets and
received a blue ribbon in trap, a
red ribbon in ive stand, and was
Overall Champion and High
Point in trap.
Among those supporting
the team are the Oregon Hunt-
ers Association, Clatsop County
Chapter, BKS Sportsmen Club,
Alan Johnson, Allan Schumacher
and John and Kristen Webb.
Clatsop Claybusters is
always interested in new mem-
bers, and the 4-H year starts in
October. Those interested in
learning responsible gun han-
dling and irearm safety, while
having fun shooting shot-
gun or riles, should contact
the 4-H extension ofice at
503-325-8573.
OMAHA, Neb. — Kacey
Oberlander is missing her dogs
back home, and she’s more
than a little stressed compet-
ing in the high-pressure envi-
ronment at the U.S. Olympic
swimming trials.
That’s where Holly comes
in.
The adorable, 4-year-old
Havanese is available for pet-
ting and furry hugs.
“It just calms me down a
lot,” said Oberlander, who
swims for York YMCA in
Pennsylvania and will be
attending the University of
Alabama in the fall. “It’s nice
to see the happy puppy dogs
running around when every-
thing is so intense and every-
one’s so serious. The dogs
are very happy all the time. It
makes me calm.”
Yep, these Olympic trials
have gone to the dogs — and
the athletes are loving it.
USA Swimming, in an
effort to ease some of the
anxiety accompanying such
a major meet, has partnered
with Domesti-PUPS — a
nonproit organization based
in Lincoln, Nebraska, that is
providing four-legged com-
panions for the athletes lounge
at CenturyLink Center.
In a section of the arena
that is generally off-limits to
everyone except the swim-
mers, dogs such as Holly and
Larry, a Goldendoodle who
will readily pose for a picture
or pause for a pat on the head,
have been welcomed with
open arms.
If anyone doubts their pur-
pose, each pooch wears a col-
lar that says, “Please ask to pet
me. I’m friendly.”
“There’s a lot of pressure,”
said Leah Braswell, a team-
mate of Oberlander’s. “Hav-
ing the dogs here is a great
distraction, a way to take a
break from all of that. They’re
happy all the time. It just
makes you happier. You can
forget about whatever race
you just had.”
Given their gentle, sooth-
ing nature, “therapy dogs”
have become more and more
familiar around hospitals,
retirement homes, hospice
centers and disaster areas.
They’ve provided comfort to
veterans and those suffering
from autism. They’ve even
done time in prisons, nudg-
ing inmates along the road to
rehabilitation.
There’s no judgment from
these animals. Fido merely
wants to love and be loved.
For someone in pain or
anguish, they can be an invalu-
able companion.
At the Olympic trials, their
role is a bit different.
But it’s really in keeping
with the extensive training that
Domesti-PUPS puts its ani-
mals through before sending
them out into the world.
“Anywhere there’s an
elevated level of stress, we
can take our dogs and try to
de-stress them,” said Sandy
Ludwig, who works with the
organization. “These dogs are
just lying there, waiting to
have their bellies rubbed or
their ears scratched.”
That’s what Morgan Wein-
berg had in mind for the trials,
an all-or-nothing meet that not
only determines the power-
ful American team for the Rio
Games, but also serves as a
chance for many up-and-com-
ing athletes to get their taste of
a big-league atmosphere.
There are more than 1,700
swimmers in Omaha, most of
whom have no chance of qual-
ifying for the Olympics.
Yet the burden of compet-
ing weighs on all of them to
some degree.
“This is the irst time we’ve
ever done it,” said Weinberg,
the program and services man-
ager for USA Swimming.
“I’m an animal lover myself,
and I was trying to think of
different ways in the athlete
lounge that they would calm
down and kind of just relax
and have fun. I like dogs, I
thought about dogs, and it just
kind of evolved into therapy
dogs.”
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