A8 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANuARY 25, 2019 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Gary Henley | Sports Reporter ghenley@dailyastorian.com facebook.com/ DailyAstorianSports BOUNCING BACK A return to competitive gymnastics for local gymnasts By GARY HENLEY The Daily Astorian Clatsop County is back in the gymnastics game. Infinity Gymnastics Academy (IGA) of Astoria sent its competition team to its first-ever meet, last Satur- day and Sunday in Eugene. The team took part in the United States Gymnas- tics Academy’s Arctic Rush, where IGA received a first- place team award. Coached by program director Douglas Oldham and Kayla Stubbs, the IGA has 11 girls on its competi- tion team — four from Sea- side, two from Knappa and the rest from Astoria and Warrenton. Each athlete competed on bars, vault, beam and the floor exercise, and all received medals for these events and an All-Around medal as well, according to IGA executive director Nancy Taylor. It has been more than 20 years since the North Coast has had recreational and competitive gymnastics, Taylor said. Oldham and Stubbs “have created a great team program,” she said. The IGA’s competition team consists of a Bronze Xcel team, which includes Karli Gantenbein (7), Kalista Giles (7), Lily Schaelling (9) Coach Doug Oldham talks to gymnasts. IGA photos The IGA’s competition team. Front row, left to right: Karli Gantenbein, Kalista Giles. Second row: Jocie Steele, Adelaide Maher, Alex Valdez, Lily Schaelling, Audrey Steele. Third row: coach Doug Oldham, Sofia Shipley, Calista Valdez, Maevri Bergerson, Annie Rehnert, coach Kayla Stubbs. and Sofia Shipley (12), and a Silver Xcel team: Maevri Bergerson (12), Adelaide Maher (8), Annie Rehnert (12), Audrey Steele (8), Jocie Steele (6), Alex Valdez (10) and Calista Valdez (11). At the Arctic Rush meet in Eugene, Schaelling had first-place marks in the vault (8.90) and beam (8.775), on her way to second in the all- around (34.075) in the age 7-10 division, behind the USGA’s Charlee Bozeman (34.700). Competing in the same division, Giles was fourth (32.325) and Gantenbein fifth (31.950). Shipley was fourth in the all-around in the junior age 11-plus division, with a sec- ond-place showing in the bars (9.050). Maher and the Steeles competed against each other in the same division (age 6-8), with Audrey Steele tak- ing first in the vault (9.20), the bars (9.550) and the floor (8.70), on her way to first in the all-around (36.40), ahead of Maher and Jocelyn Steele. In the senior (age 10-plus) Xcel Silver division, Reh- nert had the second-place all-around score (34.175) behind Kylee Stinger of the USGA (35.300). Rehnert was second in the floor, while Berger- son was second in the vault and the beam (and third all- around), Calista Valdez had the top score in the bars (9.575) and was fourth over- all, and Alexis Valdez was second in the bars and fifth all-around. Future meets for the IGA team include the “Tum- ble By the Bay” at Gym- nastics Plus in Coos Bay Maevri Bergerson displays her medals won in Eugene. The gymnasts at a recent meet. (Feb. 9-10), the Anne Pat- terson Riverside Classic at the Douglas County Fair- grounds in Roseburg (Feb. 23), and the Oregon Xcel State Championships, March 22-24 at the Beaver- ton Hoops YMCA. Lillard leads Trail Blazers win over Suns Seaside grapples in double dual at Estacada By BOB BAUM Associated Press The Daily Astorian The Seaside wrestling team took part in a three- way dual meet Wednes- day at Estacada, facing the Rangers and Woodburn in head-to-head matches. Estacada defeated the Gulls 64-9, with Sea- side’s two victories com- ing from Gio Ramirez (pin over Damon Pine) at 170 pounds, and Andrew Gastelum (7-3 decision over Landin Vittetoe) at 120 pounds. The Gulls were more competitive with Wood- burn, which defeated the Gulls in the team scoring, 46-34. In addition to scoring two wins by forfeit, Sea- side picked up victories at 106 pounds, where Johna- thon Kenenounis scored a technical fall (17-0) over Yajaira Reyes. At 152, Everett Rollins pinned Jose Sanchez in 4:34. Ramirez won by fall (1:12) over Keven Mendoza at 170. And Lawson Talamantez had a technical fall (18- 3) over Axel Avendano at 182. SCOREBOARD PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE TODAY Boys basketball — Valley Catho- lic at Astoria, 6 p.m.; Seaside at Tilla- mook, 6 p.m.; Knappa at Neah-Kah-Nie, 7:30 p.m.; St. Paul at Jewell, 5:30 p.m. Girls basketball — Valley Catholic at Astoria, 7:30 p.m.; Seaside at Tillamook, 7:30 p.m.; Knappa at Neah-Kah-Nie, 6 p.m.; St. Paul at Jewell, 5:30 p.m.; Ilwaco at Raymond, 7 p.m. SATURDAY Boys basketball — Ilwaco at Raymond, 7 p.m. Wrestling — Ilwaco Beach Brawl, 10 a.m. PHOENIX — Damian Lillard scored 24 points, CJ McCollum and Jake Lay- man added 20 apiece and the Portland Trail Blaz- ers pulled away in the sec- ond half to hand the short- handed Phoenix Suns their sixth straight loss, 120-106 on Thursday night. The Trail Blazers beat Phoenix for the ninth straight time. Portland has won four of five and eight of 11 overall. Devin Booker scored 27 points for the Suns but only nine after the first quarter. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 18 on 6-of-18 shoot- ing. Dragan Bender, forced into the starting center role due to injuries, had 17. The Suns were with- out rookie center Deandre Ayton (sprained left ankle) and backup Richaun Holmes (right foot sprain) for the third straight game. T.J. Warren also sat out with a sore right ankle, and Suns starting point guard De’Anthony Melton left in the third quarter with a sprained right ankle. Seth Curry scored 17 and Jusuf Nurkic 16 for Portland. AP Photo/Matt York Blazers guard Damian Lillard drives past Suns forward Mikal Bridges. What was left of the Suns stayed with the Blaz- ers through the first half and much of the second. Booker shot 6 of 9, including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers, in his 18-point first quarter and the Suns led 31-30 after one. With McCollum on the bench with three fouls, Phoe- nix stretched the lead to 47-41 on Josh Jackson’s coast-to-coast drive with 5:52 left in the half. Portland, though, responded with a 12-1 run to go up 54-48 on Lillard’s two free throws with 1:17 remaining. Booker sank four free throws, his only points of the second quarter, and the Trail Blazers led 56-52 at the break. Elie Okobo made a pair of 3s in a 14-1 spurt that cut the Blazers’ lead to 73-72 with 4:21 left in the third quarter, but Port- land finished the period on a 15-4 run. Layman scored twice and Lillard sank three free throws — one on a technical against Jackson — as the Blazers scored the last seven points of the quarter to take an 88-76 lead entering the fourth. The Blazers opened the final quarter with a 12-4 surge and Phoenix never challenged again. OSU eases past Washington State Associated Press CORVALLIS — Ste- phen Thompson Jr. had 22 points, with four 3-point- ers, six rebounds and seven assists as Oregon State defeated Washington State 90-77 on Thursday night. Tres Tinkle had 21 points and four steals and Ethan Thompson added 20 points and six assists for the Bea- vers (12-6, 4-2 Pac-12). C.J. Elleby scored 21 points, all in the second half, and Robert Franks Jr. had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (8-11, 1-5). rebounded the Cougars 39-24 and grabbed 15 offen- sive boards. The Beavers took a 49-33 lead after a 9-0 run, capped by a Stephen Thompson Jr. Euro step and lay-in with 1:32 left in the first half. Oregon State led 52-36 at the break. Elleby got hot and helped whittle the defi- cit early in the second half. AP Photo/Amanda Loman A 7-0 Cougars surge, with Oregon State’s Ethan Thompson slides around Washington Jervae Robinson scor- State’s Ahmed Ali. ing five points, trimmed the margin to 67-58 with Oregon State shot 52 ton State shot 50 percent 12:35 remaining. But that percent and 10 for 27 on and 12 for 28 from long was as close as Washing- 3-pointers, while Washing- range. But the Beavers out- ton State would get. Washington holds off Oregon’s late rally Associated Press EUGENE — Jaylen Nowell scored 20 points, capped by three free throws with 1.6 seconds left, and Washington weathered a furious Oregon rally to escape 61-56 on Thursday night. Nowell was fouled on a desperation 3-point try after Payton Pritchard lost the ball as the Ducks were trying to set up for a final shot with the score at 56-56. Pritchard then hit Nowell on the arm as he rose to shoot from about 30 feet. Oregon’s last posses- sion ended with Paul White throwing the length of the court out of bounds, and Matisse Thybulle added two more free throws for the final points. David Crisp added 18 points and Noah Dickerson 11 for the Huskies (15-4, 6-0 Pac-12), who won their eighth consecutive game. It’s also Washington’s best start in conference play in 35 years. Louis King had 19 points to lead the Ducks (11-8, 2-4), and Miles Norris added 10 off the bench. Oregon lost a fourth home game in Matthew Knight Arena for the first time since it opened in 2011. The Huskies led 51-42 before Pritchard led the Ducks on a 14-0 run over 6 minutes to go up 56-51, but Oregon never scored again. Washington answered with five straight points by Nowell to tie. Washington led by as many as 12 in the first half and was up 27-19 at the break largely because of Sam Timmins’ seven consecutive points off the bench. King had nine for the Ducks, who committed 10 turnovers and had three starters go score- less in the first half.