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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019
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Locals fi nd success
in big track meets
The Astorian
Photos by North Coast Merchants
The North Coast Merchants’ 10U team, following a tournament championship.
Merchants’ softball brings home trophies
The Astorian
T
he North Coast Mer-
chants’ summer of fun
continued
recently,
when the 10-and-under
softball team went 4-4 in a
weekend tournament at Wil-
lamette Park to bring home
another championship.
“I am so impressed
with their journey,” said
Ian O’Brien, who coaches
the Merchants’ 12-and-un-
der squad. “The success of
this team is the exact rea-
son NCM (North Coast Mer-
chants) is a thing. Show-
ing girls through softball
that they can start with lim-
ited experience and skill
and through hard work they
will show the world they are
champions.”
North Coast Merchants, 16U team.
After pool play, the No. 1
seed Merchants’ 10U team
opened the championship
bracket with an 8-2 win over
the Rose City Darlings.
The Merchants knocked
off the Lake Oswego Rene-
gades 13-10 in the title game.
In addition to the 10U’s,
the O’Brien’s 12U team also
brought home a trophy, fi n-
ishing second in their last
tournament.
The Merchants won two
games, then lost the champi-
onship contest to the Tigard
Blast, 5-4.
The 12U’s placed in every
tournament they took part in
this season.
“How incredible is that?”
O’Brien said. “This group
Seaside baseball team fourth at state
of girls has a bright future
ahead of them, and their
respective high school teams
will be fun to watch in the
near future.”
The North Coast 16U
team (coached by Warren-
ton’s Staci Miethe) recently
placed third in their second
tournament of the year, at
Crater. The Merchants lost
a heartbreaker in the semi-
fi nals, but bounced back
strong in the fi nal game with
a walkoff RBI single to win
in the fi nal inning, 4-3 over
the Lady Dragons.
“They are so fun to
watch,” O’Brien said. “I
couldn’t be prouder of all the
players and coaches for what
they are accomplishing.”
Astoria’s John Clem-
ent took fi fth place in
the 2,000-meter steeple-
chase fi nal at the recent
Junior Olympic (Region
13) track championships,
held July 4-7 in Tacoma,
Washington.
The
freshman-to-be
at Astoria High School
ran the race in 7 minutes,
14.53 seconds.
Clement also placed
11th in the 3,000 meters,
fi nishing in 10:40.48.
In addition to Clem-
ent’s postseason perfor-
mances, a strong show-
ing of athletes representing
Warrenton, Knappa and
Astoria competed at the
TrackTown Youth League
championship, June 29 at
Lane Community College
in Eugene.
Four of the local ath-
letes had top three fi nishes
to earn appearances on the
awards stand.
In the age 13-14 boys
turbo
javelin,
Moses
Peitsch had the fi rst-place
fi nish with a toss of 113
feet, 7 inches. In the 13-14
boys long jump, Xavier
Phanthongphay came in
second with a leap of 17-1,
and Clement placed third
(15-11).
Phanthongphay
also
took third in the 100 meters
(12.93 seconds), and
Ayden Woodby was close
by in fourth place (13.08).
Clement placed sixth
(4:53.34) in the 1,500
meters.
For the 13-14 girls,
Ella Zilli took second in
the 1,500 (5:39.38), while
Lisa Clement
Astoria Middle School
runner John Clement.
Pele Starr-Hollow posted
a fourth-place fi nish in the
400 (1:09.24) and fi fth in
the 100 (13. 85).
Other local athletes who
participated in the meet
were Aleaha Seely (11-12
girls turbo javelin), Baylee
Bishop (7-8 girls 100 and
turbo javelin), Donovan
Daniels (7-8 boys turbo
javelin and long jump),
Ella Smith (7-8 girls 100
and 400), Grady Ayers
(11-12 boys 100), Gunar
Puffi nburger (11-12 boys
100 and long jump), Jack
Colquhoun (13-14 boys
1,500), Mersadies Mira-
valle (13-14 girls 100),
Orrick Evans (9-10 boys
100 and 400), Maximus
Ralston (7-8 boys javelin
and long jump) and Mulu
Starr-Hollow (11-12 boys
javelin and long jump).
The Clatsop County Fair
The Astorian
Seaside’s Junior National
baseball team took fourth
place out of eight teams at
the recent Junior Baseball
Organization (JBO) state
tournament, July 12-14 at
Bob Smith Memorial Park
in Lebanon.
The JBO youth team
(for players in grades 5-6)
opened the tournament with
a 14-8 win over Estacada
early Friday morning.
Later in the day, Yam-
hill-Carlton defeated Sea-
side 11-9, dropping the locals
into the consolation bracket.
Seaside topped Corbett, but
then lost a 15-4 decision to
Mt. Angel, which went on
to place third behind state
champion Stayton and sec-
ond-place Yamhill-Carlton.
In addition, the Seaside
team was chosen for the
Sportsmanship Award.
Elsewhere,
Seaside’s
Senior American team
(grades 7-8) placed fourth
at districts, and was also
selected for the Sportsman-
ship Award by the umpires,
coaches and tournament
directors.
Photos by Seaside Baseball
Fourth place at state for Seaside baseball’s Junior team.
July 29 - Aug 3
10am - 10pm
Adults $5 | 12 & Under $3 | Parking $2
TUES: FREE Hog Roast • 4pm
FRI: Midland Concert, gates open 6pm
SAT: Demolition Derby •11am
Seaside baseball’s Senior American team, fourth place at
districts.
Francis has big hopes as GM
of Seattle’s new NHL club
By CHRIS TALBOTT
Associated Press
SEATTLE — Ron Fran-
cis has all kinds of eye-pop-
ping statistics attached to
his Hall of Fame career. He
averaged more than a point a
game, is second in NHL his-
tory in assists behind Wayne
Gretzky and fi fth in career
points.
When CEO Tod Leiweke
and the ownership group of
the Seattle NHL expansion
team looked at his playing
resume, though, they were
most impressed by another
statistic: Francis was voted
captain by three teams for 14
of his 23 years, fi rst earning
the role at age 21.
That leadership ability
spurred them to hire Francis
on Thursday as general man-
ager of the yet-to-be-named
team — well ahead of their
schedule.
They believe the 56-year-
old Francis is that person,
announcing his hiring at a
news conference that was
attended by the mayor and a
state senator. He’ll have com-
plete control of building the
organization under Leiweke.
He said he’s already drawn
up an organizational chart
that will guide hiring as the
team prepares to open play
in 2021 as the NHL’s 32nd
franchise.
And he’s already started
daydreaming about how his
team will look.
“I think if you look at my
past experience, it’s a team
that’s fast,” Francis said.
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