S PORTS
www.hoodrivernews.com
Hood River News, Saturday, February 21, 2015
A7
HRV ski team still unstoppable in league racing
Photo by Mark Crompton
CLAIRE DAVIES cruises down the mountain on her way to
second place finish in Saturday’s GS race at Meadows.
Mt. Hood Ski League action
continued on the slopes of Mt.
Hood Meadows last weekend,
where the resort’s grooming
staff has done a commendable
job keeping courses up-to-
speed despite an extremely
limited snowpack.
As has been the theme all
season, Hood River Valley
High School ski team domi-
nated league action Saturday
in a sunny day of racing that
included two giant slalom
runs and one slalom run. Both
HRV boys and girls teams won
the race handily, with Lucy
McLean and Austin Keillor
setting fastest times for their
fields in both disciplines.
Complete results are below.
The team continues racing
through February in prepara-
tion for the state champi-
onships, scheduled for March
4-6 at Meadows.
Girls GS
Lucy McLean, 1st, 53.28
(26.48, 26.80); Claire Davies,
4th, 58.08 (29.14, 28.94); Sarah
Hall, 5th, 59.41 (29.71, 29.70);
Nicolette Paulus, 12th, 1:02.87
(31.60, 31.27); Hannah Berge-
mann, 17th, 1:04.58 (32.35,
32.32); Avrie Van Tilburg, 30th,
1:08.53 (34.33, 34.20); Sophie
Caldwell, 39th, 1:11.47 (36.19,
35.28)
Boys GS
Austin Keillor, 1st, 51.88
(25.62, 26.62); William Lamer,
2nd, 53.74 (26.31, 27.43); Patrick
Crompton, 8th, 56.15 (27.90,
28.25); Colson Zack, 10th, 57.81
(28.50, 28.68); Charlie Suther-
land, 18th, 1:02.66 (34.61, 28.05);
Bryce Donald, 20th, 1:03.64
(32.03, 31.64); Sam Stevenson,
26th, 1:06.80 (33.33, 33.47); Onar
Smith, 27th, 1:06.88 (33.89,
32.99); Reese Carroll, 28th,
1:08.07 (35.06, 33.01)
Girls slalom
Lucy McLean, 1st, 25.15;
Claire Davies, 2nd, 38.69; Sarah
Hall, 4th, 41.10; Nicolette
Paulus, 10th, 48.28; Hannah
Bergemann, 11th, 48.68; Avrie
Van tiburg, 17th, 50.95; Sophie
Caldwell, 20th, 52.20
Boys slalom
Austin Keillor, 1st, 31.60;
Patrick Crompton, 5th, 36.81;
Charlie Sutherland, 7th, 41.90;
Oskar Anderson, 9th, 42.72;
Onar Smith, 14th, 45.48;
Thomas Mixon, 18th, 49.88;
Reese Carroll, 22nd, 54.64.
Hook project provides great new river access
Should be done by
the end of the month
By ADAM LAPIERRE
News staff writer
A welcomed addition to the Hood
River Waterfront is quickly taking
shape, and with a finish date of the
end of February, the new river ac-
cess at the west end of the Hook
will be ready for windsurfers,
kayakers and stand-up-paddlers
who come out of the woodwork in
droves as winter winds down and
the river-recreation season rapidly
approaches.
Crestline Construction was con-
tracted for the $130,000 improve-
ment project, which was funded by
the Port of Hood River ($60,000), the
Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Asso-
ciation ($50,000) and the Hood River
Valley Parks and Recreation Dis-
trict ($20,000).
The project creates a gently slop-
ing ramp from the top of the Hook
down to the Columbia River, pro-
viding easy access to a well-used
section of water that has excellent
wind exposure but is safely out of
the main channel of the river. The
small path weaving between large boul-
ders has been replaced with a concrete
ramp wide enough for people to carry
kayaks, SUP boards and rigged-sails
down with ease.
Although a multi-use access, kite-
board launching and landing will not
be allowed from the site.
A second phase of the project will in-
clude a manicured seating and rigging
area at the top of the ramp, with two
patches of turf for people to set-up and
break-down gear. This phase (contin-
gent on funding) will be completed fol-
lowing the City of Hood River’s sewage
outfall relocation project, which was
originally planned for 2014-15 but has
been delayed at least a year. That project
will route the new sewage outflow pipe
under the Hook road and into the river
facing Wells Island. Once the road is re-
paired, the Port’s plan is to extend the
waterfront trail to the end of the Hook
and the new launch site.
QUICK
WO R K :
Crews are nearly done
with the Port of Hood
River’s latest water-
front improvement
project. Funded by
the Port, Columbia
Gorge Windsurfing
Association and HRV
Parks and Rec Dist.,
the $130,000 project
creates much-needed
improved river ac-
cess at the west end
of the Hook.
Photos by
Andrew Jansky (above)
and Adam Lapierre
Luchsinger replaces Munk as
head HRV boys lacrosse coach
HRV boys
bumped to
CRC No. 2
By ADAM LAPIERRE
ing them, and helping them, grow up a little
more.”
Luchsinger brings more than ten years of
With spring weather already in the air,
high school athletes are about to gear-up and lacrosse experience to the post; he grew up in
central New York – graduate of
hit the great outdoors for the final
Tully High School – where the
season of the school year. New to the
sport is wildly popular.
lineup of coaches for Hood River
“It’s definitely way more serious
Valley High School, Matt
over there,” he said. “For some
Luchsinger will replace Jon Munk
kids, that’s all they do. We used to
as head varsity boys lacrosse coach.
take our sticks everywhere, even in
Munk, a three-year head coach,
our classes. It’s definitely another
completed his teaching degree last
level over there.”
spring and is living in the Portland
Luchsinger says he’s expecting
area. Luchsinger, who was Munk’s
good things from this year’s line-
assistant coach for the past three
seasons, was hired from a pool of MATT LUCHSINGER up. Last year the team finished 8-8
overall and 2-4 in the Columbia
applicants to take over the reins.
League, which was just out of
“I’m excited for the opportunity
to work with these kids,” said Luchsinger, reach of a playoff spot.
“I’m expecting to give the division a good
who owns and operates Northwest Balanced
Dog Training in Hood River. “I love lacrosse run for its money this year,” he said. “We
and coaching is a way for me to get back into lost some good players last year, but have a
the sport and give back to the community. lot of talented players ready to fill the gaps.”
Assisting Luchsinger will be last year’s JV
I’ve gotten to know these kids over the past
few years and am looking forward to watch- coach, Gorge Dolac, and filling in for Dolac
News staff writer
S TATE S HOOTERS
Headed to state
The Knights of Columbus held its annual district free
throw contest earlier this month at Wy’east Middle
School. Competitors at the contest qualified by winning
their respective age groups at an event last month at
Hood River Valley High School. Pictured here are district
winners, who earned a chance to compete at the state
championship March 15 at Marist High School in Eu-
gene. From left to right are Grand Knight Jim Dummer,
Dylan Santee (11), Jack Siekkinen (12), Izaiah Adams
(front, 9), Robert Rowan (10) and coordinator Frank
Wall. Not pictured is Greyson Losee (13).
Submitted photo
Final games of regular
season are next week
By ADAM LAPIERRE
News staff writer
submitted photoo
STREET CRED: New HRV lacrosse coach Matt
Luchsinger grew up playing the sport in central
New York. As seen in this junior high portrait found
on Facebook, he took the sport very seriously
as JV coach will be Dave Bigelow. Anyone
else interested in assisting is encouraged to
contact Luchsinger at nwbalanceddogtrain-
ing.com
The Pendleton Buckaroos scored early
and often to win a pivotal matchup Tues-
day night on their home court against
the Hood River Valley varsity boys bas-
ketball team. The 72-60 outcome, fueled
by Buckaroo Wes Persinger’s game-high
22 points, breaks the tie for the lead and
establishes the pecking order in the Co-
lumbia River Conference with a week
left in regular-season action. At 4-3, the
Eagles sit in second place, behind
Pendleton (4-3) and ahead of Hermiston
(3-4) and The Dalles (2-5).
HRV is one the road again Tuesday
night, where the team plays a key game
against the Bulldogs before returning
home Thursday to host The Dalles. The
Eagles look to close out the season either
in second or third place in the confer-
ence, which will ensure a play-in game
on Tuesday, March 3. If HRV finishes
second, it will host the March 3 game
against Northwest Oregon’s No. 5 team;
if HRV is third, it will travel to challenge
Northwest Oregon’s No. 3 team.
Noah Noteboom and Dallas Buckley
had a team-high 12 points each in Tues-
day’s game, but a slow start and a lop-
sided quarter proved to be insurmount-
able. After falling behind by three (18-15)
in the first quarter and 11 by halftime
(35-24), the Eagles matches paces with
Pendleton for the rest of the game but
were unable to recover from the deficit.
Scottie Ziegner chipped in with 11, Colin
Tegman had seven and Austin Clark had
six to lead the team in scoring.