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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2018)
8A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2018 CONTACT US FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com WINTER OLYMPICS Russians earn their 1st gold As of Friday morning, Feb. 23 TOP 10 MEDAL WINNERS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Norway Germany Canada United States Netherlands Sweden France Austria South Korea Switzerland B T G S 13 14 10 37 13 7 6 26 10 8 9 27 8 7 6 21 8 6 4 18 6 5 0 11 5 4 6 15 5 2 6 13 4 4 4 12 3 6 4 13 Germany tops Canada in hockey By DENNIS WASZAK JR. and DAVID BRANDT Associated Press Olympics coverage at bit.ly/DAOlympics SPONSORED BY: J&S Appliance & Home Furnishings JandSappliance.com 2nd Russian athlete tests positive for doping Associated Press GANGNEUNG, South Korea — A second Russian ath- lete failed a doping test at the Pyeongchang Games, a day before the International Olym- pic Committee’s executive board is to decide whether to reinstate the country for Sunday’s closing ceremony. Russian Bobsled Federation President Alexander Zubkov told The Associated Press on Friday that a drug-test sample given by Nadezhda Sergeeva on Sunday was positive. The Russian delegation said in a statement the substance was trimetazidine, a medication used to treat angina. It affects metabo- lism and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. SCOREBOARD PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE TODAY Girls basketball — Astoria at Molalla, 6:30 p.m.; Warrenton at Coquille, 7 p.m. Boys basketball — Reedsport at Knappa, 6 p.m. GIRLS BASKETBALL Northwest All-League Player of the Year: Maddie Lambert, Neah-Kah-Nie Defensive Player of the Year: Maddie Lambert, Neah-Kah-Nie Coach of the Year: Nicole Damazio, City Christian First Team Maddie Lambert, Sr., Neah-Kah-Nie Katie Fajer, Sr., Faith Bible Sarah Fajer, Sr., Faith Bible Charity Hall, Sr., Gaston Emilee Owens, So., City Jordan Walters, So., Vernonia Second Team Joyce Everett, Jr., Vernonia Shasta Faria, Sr., City Holly Ishibashi, So., City Lilly Johnson, So., Gaston Olivia Leslie, So., Nestucca Paris Vanderburg, Sr., Knappa Honorable Mention Courtney Barklow, Sr., Vernonia Sophia Carlson, So., Knappa Delilah Carter, Sr., Columbia Nene Castillo, Jr., City Shamilee Chatelain, Fr., Nestucca Anna Goodloe, Fr., Faith Bible Diana Lewis, Sr., Gaston Aiko Miller, So., Knappa Yatzari Ozuna, Jr., Nestucca Yolanta Penn, So., Faith Bible Avery Smith, Jr., Neah-Kah-Nie Mara Soans, Jr., Neah-Kah-Nie Izzy Steerman, Fr., Faith Bible Madelynn Weaver, So., Knappa Sportsmanship: Nestucca BOYS BASKETBALL Northwest All-League Player of the Year: Clay Sullivan, Ver- nonia Defensive Player of the Year: Isiah Mariscal, Columbia Coach of the Year: Bart Valentine First Team Clay Sullivan, Sr., Vernonia Ben Gregg, Fr., Columbia Isiah Mariscal, So., Columbia Riley Marshall, Jr., Gaston Cole Strober, Sr., Nestucca Dale Takalo, Sr., Knappa Eli Takalo, So., Knappa Second Team Dominic Blake, Jr., Columbia Chase Dorsey, Jr., Neah-Kah-Nie Jakob Handegard, Jr., Vernonia Ian Knox, Jr., City Blake Lambert, So., Life Mitchell Richwine, So., Nestucca Colton Weirup, Sr., Knappa Honorable Mention Ethan Bishop, Sr., Columbia Dylan Carpenter, Jr., Faith Bible Max Fox, Jr., Gaston Sam Holm, Sr., Neah-Kah-Nie Tristan Lund, Jr., Gaston Luca Marrazzo, Jr., Delphian Elijah Munyan, Fr., Columbia Caleb Predmore, Jr., Faith Bible Joe Ramvick, So., Knappa Nik Rex, Jr., Faith Bible Ytbarek Solomon, Jr., City Kale Sullivan, So., Vernonia Wayne Yang, Sr., Delphian Sportsmanship: Nestucca Photos by Krissy Barendse-Goodman/For The Daily Astorian Knappa’s Eli Takalo, left, and Dale Takalo were both first-team all-league selections. Knappa hosts Reedsport in Sweet 16 game of playoffs The Daily Astorian I t will be the state playoff vet- erans against the postseason rookies Friday night at Knappa, where the Loggers are set to host the Reedsport Braves in a Sweet 16 game of the Class 2A boys bas- ketball state playoffs. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m., $6 for adults, $4 for students. And the Braves (16-6 overall) are facing a near-impossible task — beating Knappa on the Log- gers’ home floor in a state playoff game. Knappa (22-4 overall) is 11-1 at home this season, including wins over No. 1-ranked West- ern Mennonite and No. 2-ranked Columbia Christian. Their only loss was to Toledo in the season opener, when the Loggers had less than a week of practice following the football season. Knappa lost three games at home last season, to Columbia Christian, Astoria and 4A state champion Seaside. The Loggers’ playoff record is also just plain impressive. Knappa has missed the post-season just once in the last 14 years, with six trips to the state tournament since 2006-07. “That’s just something when you play or coach for Knappa — you expect to be in the playoffs,” said Knappa coach Chris Spencer. “Our players have that experience. Even Dale as a freshman saw sig- nificant time his first year and has been there.” Reedsport’s state playoff his- tory? The Braves lost a first-round game at Westside Christian on Feb. 22, 2005. That was Reed- sport’s last appearance in the state playoffs. Even more daunting for the Braves — the Loggers have not only won their last four Sweet 16 playoff games at home, the scores have been 70-45 over Union, 86-47 over Yoncalla, 95-34 over Monroe and 84-67 over Heppner. From left to right, Knappa sophomores Aiko Miller, Madelynn Weaver and Sophia Carlson all earned all-league honors. Knappa’s Paris Vanderburg was selected to the all-league second team. Still, “(The Braves) have three good guards and a couple of good posts,” Spencer said. “They have an athletic point guard (Tyreece Gardner), a good heady player (Marc Chaney, son of coach Alan Chaney) and another (Korde Par- menter) who shoots well and plays good D.” Knappa has not played since a 64-44 loss to Columbia Christian last Saturday, in the league playoff tournament at Forest Grove. The Loggers did come away with their usual handful of all- league players. Knappa placed four players on this year’s all-league squad. Their fifth starter also would have been included, but missed three weeks of the league season. Senior Dale Takalo narrowly missed the league’s Player of the Year award, which went to Verno- nia senior Clay Sullivan. Takalo was joined on the first team by sophomore (and brother) Eli Takalo. Senior Colton Weirup earned second team honors, and sopho- more Joe Ramvick was selected honorable mention. The Knappa girls also had four starters named all-league. Senior Paris Vanderburg earned first-team honors, while sophomores Sophia Carlson, Aiko Miller and Madelynn Weaver were all selected honorable mention. The NWL Player of the Year was Neah-Kah-Nie senior Mad- die Lambert, while league cham- pion Faith Bible had all five start- ers earn all-league honors. Silent Shani: Davis finishes 7th in 1,000 at 5th Olympics By BETH HARRIS Associted Press GANGNEUNG, South Korea — Shani Davis let his skating do his talking in his last event at the Pyeongc- hang Olympics. The four-time Olympic medalist finished seventh in the 1,000 meters on Friday, waved to the fans inside Gang- neung Oval and disappeared below the ice. Whether Davis had just skated in his fifth and final Olympics at age 35 remains to be seen. He declined to speak to media when asked to by a U.S. Speedskat- ing spokesman and instructed his sometime-coach Tom Cushman of the American staff not to talk to reporters either. Davis’ time in Pyeongchang involved a mix of controversy and public silence. He declined to attend the opening ceremony after losing a coin toss to decide the U.S. flag bearer in a process he said was handled “dishonorably.” His tweet about it implied race might have been an issue, but he chose not to explain further. Davis was assailed online in what became one of the few controversies of the games. He finished 19th in the 1,500, his only other event in South Korea. He briefly talked to reporters after that race, saying, “The ice is super-fast. Unfortunately, I wasn’t.” However, when questions turned to his tweet about the tie-breaking pro- cedure used to choose the flag bearer, Davis said he only wanted to focus on skating queries. Davis skated his signature dis- tance in 1 minute, 8.78 seconds. He still holds the 1,000 world record of 1:06.42 set nine years ago in Salt Lake City, Utah. After coming off the ice Friday, Davis dodged waiting reporters and took another route to the locker room. Athletes are required to walk through the media mixed zone after their events whether they talk or not, and those who don’t can be subject to sanction by the International Olympic Committee. PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — The Russians finally won a gold medal at the Pyeo- ngchang Olympics. The Cana- dian men’s hockey team won’t even get the chance after losing to Germany. Alina Zagitova edged train- ing partner Evgenia Medvedeva on Friday in figure skating, giv- ing the Russians a reason to cele- brate a 1-2 finish. “I haven’t fully realized yet that I’ve won,” the 15-year-old Zagitova said. “I think I need some time to understand that I won the Olympic Games.” She and Medvedeva tied in the free skate with 156.65 points, but Zagitova had won the short program Wednesday — giving her the edge by only 1.31 points. “I can’t believe I am the cham- pion,” Zagitova said. The Russians’ gold drought had been one of the ongoing story lines of the games, and they were running out of time to get one — although those concerns were eased a bit by Zagitova and Medvedeva coming into the day in prime position to win. Now, the Russians should have a great shot at another gold medal with the men’s hockey team advancing to the final after a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic. They’ll face the Ger- mans, who shocked two-time defending champion Canada 4-3 to advance to Sunday’s title game. Germany jumped out to leads of 3-0 and 4-1 before Canada rallied to get back in the game during the third period. They came close, but will do no better than bronze when they face the Czech Republic on Saturday. “We deserve to be there and the best team will win,” Russian forward Ilya Kovalchuk said. “We will be ready for the game, for sure.” Switzerland topped Canada to win the bronze medal in men’s curling. The gold-medal game between the U.S. and Sweden is Saturday. Kelsey Serwa of Canada won the gold in women’s skicross, adding to the silver she won four years ago in Sochi. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands took the men’s 1,000 meters in speedskating, edging Havard Lorentzen of Norway by 0.04 seconds. Nuis also won the 1,500 last week. Martin Fourcade fell short in his bid for his fourth Olympic gold medal in South Korea as France finished fifth in the men’s 4x7.5-kilometer biathlon relay, won by Sweden. In Gangneung, Zagitova skated first and she nailed every- thing during her program to “Don Quixote.” The 18-year-old Med- vedeva matched Zagitova — but that wasn’t good enough to bring home the gold. “I put everything out there that I had,” Medvedeva said. “I left everything on the ice. I have no regrets.” Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, who had considered retirement, won the bronze. A few hours later, Vasily Koshechkin stopped all 31 shots he faced to help the Russians advance in men’s hockey. Nikita Gusev and Vladislav Gavrikov scored goals 27 sec- onds apart in the second period, and Kovalchuk added an emp- ty-netter with 20.9 seconds left to seal the Russians’ first trip to the final since 1998. “It is huge for us and the play- ers and for the country,” Russian forward Mikhail Grigorenko said of playing for the gold. “It would mean everything to us.”
