S PORTS
www.hoodrivernews.com
Hood River News, Saturday, February 28, 2015
A7
Hard work pays off for Nordic standouts
Teacup Nordic standouts Nils Engbersen
and Sam Wiley were on the road last weekend
for a Junior National qualifier race in
Spokane. Both skiers placed high enough to
represent the Pacific Northwest at next
month’s Junior Nationals race at Donner Pass,
Calif.
Engbersen placed fourth in the U18 classic
race and sixth in the skate race, while Wiley,
who is in his first year of college in Bozeman,
Mont., placed third in classic and fourth in
skate to qualify in the U20 division. The two
will be joined by Daniel Fischer, who qualified
in the U18 class earlier in the season.
This has been a challenging season for the
racers. Due to lack of snow, the team has had to
significantly modify its training and competi-
tion schedule, making extra trips to Bend and
training on a short loop generously created by
Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort on the Sunrise
parking lot. With the recent warm and sunny
weather the team has resumed some of its fall
training routines like rollerskiing, running
and
strength
training.
HRV Nordic teammates Valerie Fischer, Con-
nor Traux, Jesse Wiley and Leif Bergstrom ac-
companied the two to the Spokane qualifier.
Fischer finished ninth in both skate and clas-
sic; Truax (in his first year skiing) was 12th in
classic and 17th in skate; Wiley was fourth in
SAM WILEY and NILS ENGBERSEN
skate and second in classic and Bergstrom (an-
other first-year Teacup racer) is showing great
potential placing seventh in classic and 11th in
skate in the U18 class.
The skiers will all represent Hood River Val-
ley High School this weekend at the high
school state race Feb. 27-28 in Bend.
HRV defeats TD,
claims second in CRC
News staff writer
For seniors Dan Kuech-
mann, Austin Clarke, Scottie
Ziegner, Kam Walker, Bran-
don Campos, Kaydin Gibbs
and Colin Tegman, it turns
out Tuesday’s senior night
matchup against The Dalles
won’t be their final home
game in the Eagle uniform.
In a thrilling and pivotal
end to the regular season,
the Hood River Valley varsi-
ty boys basketball team de-
feated The Dalles – for the
third time this year – 82-76 to
end its Columbia River Con-
ference schedule with a 5-4
record. That same night,
Hermiston lost to Pendleton
(45-38), which bumped the 4-5
Bulldogs to the conference’s
No. 3 slot and the Eagles to
No. 2, thus giving them a
home play-in game for the
upcoming OSAA 5A state
championships. The boys are
scheduled to host Northwest
Oregon Conference’s No. 5
team, Parkrose, at 7 p.m.
March 3.
“It was a very satisfying
victory,” Coach Steve Note-
boom said of Tuesday’s
game. “Our goal since the be-
ginning of the year was to be
able to get at least third place
in our league. After we de-
feated Pendleton in the
league opener, we revised
that goal to get first or sec-
ond. It has been an exciting
season and satisfying to
watch the boys play with lots
of energy and enthusiasm.”
Seniors led the way on se-
nior night, with Ziegner
posting a team-high 15
points, along with six re-
bounds, three steals and an
assist. Gibbs added 15 points
and five boards, and junior
guard Dallas Buckley had 12
points and four steals to
round out the team’s top
three.
Fueled by their in-your-
face brand of basketball, the
Eagles broke out to an early
lead against their closest ri-
vals to the east. After leading
by as many as 18 points, how-
ever, the Eagles had a lapse
in focus and intensity in the
third, while The Dalles found
the inside lanes for easy
buckets and converted ten of
ten from the free-throw line
that nixed HRV’s earlier
lead.
A 25-point fourth quarter
for the Eagles sealed the vic-
tory, and the team’s first
playoff appearance in many
years.
“We are very excited to
host a playoff game and are
urging the community to
come out and watch an excit-
ing style of high school bas-
ketball,” Noteboom added.
T he
Ea gles
hosted
Ridgeview Friday (7 p.m.) in
a non-lea gue matchup
against the Intermountain
Conference’s No. 3 team. In
Tuesday’s play-in game HRV
is scheduled to host No. 20
ranked Parkrose, which fin-
ished with a 9-6 record in the
Northwest Oregon Confer-
ence.
Photos courtesy Rutger Bogard, HRV Eagle Army
SENIORS (clockwise from top) Scottie Ziegner, Kam
Walker, Dan Kuechmann, Austin Clarke and Colin Tegman
were pivotal in Tuesday’s win against The Dalles. These
five, along with seniors Caydin Gibbs and Brandon Cam-
pos, will have one more home game on March 3.
SPORTS BRIEFS
New Hood River News
sports contact
Hood River News staff
reporter and sports editor
Adam Lapierre has taken
another job in the commu-
nity and will no longer be
at the News. As of this
weekend, please send all
sports-related information
to staff writer Ben
Mitchell at ben-
mitchell@hoodrivernews.c
om or by calling 541-386-
1234.
Middle school track
coaches needed
Hood River County
Community Education is
seeking volunteer coaches
and helpers to run the
spring middle school track
season, which runs March
30 through May 19. Throw-
ing and jumping coaches
are in particular need, as
is a data-entry person to
manage results on the
Athletic.net system.
Miminum commitment is
just two hours a week for
the eight-week season. For
info or to volunteer con-
tact Community Educa-
tion at 541-386-2055.
Hawks host 7 p.m.
playoff game Friday
Horizon Christian
School boys basketball
team hosts Triangle Lake
on Friday (Feb. 27) at 7
p.m. in an OSAA 1A play-
off game. Fresh off a
thrilling Big Sky Confer-
ence championship win,
the Hawks are gunning for
a return trip to the state
finals in Baker City.
Jones wins Puerto Rico Tri
USA Triathlon reports
that Hood River native and
elite triathlete Erin Jones
(HRVHS class of 2009)
earned the top spot on the
podium earlier this month at
the 2015 Punta Guilarte
CAMTRI Triathlon Ameri-
can Cup in Puerto Rico. It
was the first career ITU win
for Jones, who finished the
1,500-meter swim, 40-kilome-
ter bike, 10-kilometer run
course in 2:09:56.
Jones and competitors
Taylor Spivey and Melissa
Rios comprised the lead
group out of the water, and
along with Julie Stupp
(Austin, Texas) worked to
separate themselves from
the rest of the field. Once the
leaders hit the second transi-
tion, Jones sprinted ahead
for the fastest run split of the
day, nearly two minutes
faster than any other com-
petitor.
Jones is currently living
and training the Olympic
Training Center in Colorado
Springs with the goal of
qualifying for the 2016 sum-
mer Olympic Games in
Brazil.
ERIN JONES
CSRT standouts shine at modified Four-Way race
The annual Mount Hood Four-Way
took place at Timberline Resort last
weekend, but due to lack of snow the
event was actually a two-way. The cross
country and jumping elements of the
unique contest had to be cancelled due
to low snow, but slalom and giant
slalom races went off without a hitch.
Cooper Spur Race Team brought
home bragging rights on both days.
The U14 girls claimed four of the top
ten spots in slalom, with Josie Perter-
son finishing third, Annika Howell
sixth, Reed Bauer eighth and Katherine
Kaimaktchiev 10th. In the giant slalom,
U14 Francese Melby finished second,
while Josh Nardone brought home first
in the SL and second in the GS for the
U14 boys. Nardone also earned the cov-
eted Ski Meister trophy for his perfor-
mance. CSRT’s U10 girls also earned
podium finishes, with Sutton Bell
Lefevre in first and Elena Kaimak-
tchiev in third. In the slalom event,
Kaimaktchiev claimed first. For the
U10 boys, Tyler Howell brough home
second place, Payton Wells was third
and Soren Ulrich finished ninth.
By JEFF OLSON
Voyles rolls 299
Team of the Week
Chris Voyles, +131 (785)
Cory Van Sickle, +124 (724)
Michael Ross, +111 (711)
Jeff Chenier, +99 (753)
Lynn Spellman, +96 (753)
Eagles host home playoff game March 3
By ADAM LAPIERRE
Kegler’s
Corner
Submitted photo
COOPER SPUR RACE TEAM members posted several podium finishes at the
recent Four-Way race held at Timberline. Included in the list of winners were
Payton Wells (top, left), Tyler Howell (top, right) and Soren Ulrich (front, right).
Time marches on.
It seems like we just got this bowl-
ing season started at Hood River’s
Orchard Lanes, and here we are,
with March looming just around the
corner and a couple of our leagues
are already drawing to a close.
The regular season for the popu-
lar Tuesday Nite Mixed league is
done. The second round winners
were Double A Orchards, Aaron
Asai, Nina Kruckenberg, Nancy
Asai and Gordon Sim. This league
pits the first and second place teams
in each round in their champi-
onship roll off, which will be held on
March 3.
The first round winners were
Take Ten, Dawnell Espersen, Slats
Jeffries, Carl Casey, Sandy Holmes
and Chris Bosse. The second place
teams in the rounds that are in the
roll off are the legendary Team
Nishi and Got Sand quartets. We
will definitely have fireworks for
this roll off !
The Thursday afternoon County
league also finished its regular sea-
son schedule last week, with The
Dudes winning the second round.
Bowling for The Dudes are Matt
Monbouquette, Patrick Hughes and
Jeremy Ziegler. They will meet the
first round winners, The Incredi-
bowls in their championship roll off
next week. Bowling for The Incredi-
bowls are Rod Pratt, Ryan Pratt and
Angie Welch.
The Wednesday night Fraternal
league has another round to go, but
it did finish its second round last
week and the perennial powerhouse
Cardinal Glass emerged with the big
win. Bowling for Cardinal Glass is
Jeremy Bloom, Bryan Mason, Bran-
don Kawachi and Mike Parke, four
of the biggest names around in
Hood River Bowling.
The highlight of league action
last week came in the Monday night
Industrial session, where lanky
youngster Chris Voyles mauled the
maples to near perfection in his
third game.
When Chris hits the sticks, they
usually explode off the deck because
his power game involves big-time
speed and revs. And, that’s how it
went in his third game for his first
11 straight tosses, all ten pins
crushed to smithereens. Then on
that all important 12th and last ball,
Chris packed the pocket just like
you’re supposed to do but the
bowler’s nemesis, the nasty, stub-
born 10-pin stood up in defiance.
So, Chris settled for a 299 game
and he finished up with a nice 704 se-
ries that was 131 pins over his aver-
age. That was still a mighty fine per-
formance, and it makes him the No.
1 bowler in town last week. This
is the second time he’s made the fab
five this season.
Newcomer Cory Van Sickle sure
had things his way in the fun Thurs-
day County league, where he fash-
ioned a beautiful scratch 222 game
and finished his outing 124 pins over
his average to grab the second spot
on the Team of the Week. This is the
first time Cory has made the big five,
so it’s a really special day for him.
Nice going Cory, it’s not easy to
make this team; these numbers
prove that you definitely have a rosy
future in this great game!
Michael Ross also had a great out-
ing in the Thursday Lads & Lassies
league, where he rolled a nice
scratch 187 game and finished up 111
pins over his average. Michael has
been diligently making the trip from
The Dalles every week for many
years now to bowl league and this is
also his first appearance on the team
of the week!
Our final duo on the team of the
week are local luminaries in the
game, Jeff Chenier and Lynn Spell-
man. Both are accomplished mem-
bers of the upper echelon in Hood
River bowling. Jeff gets Team of the
Week honors for the second time
this season after rolling a huge
scratch 279 game and 657 series in
the Monday night Industrial league,
which was 99 pins over his average.
The master carpenter has been a
star in this great game since he was
in junior bowling. Lynn takes the
anchor spot on the classy crew after
notching a scratch 696 set in the fast
paced Wednesday night Fraternal
league which was 96 pins over his
average. This is the fourth time the
steady right hander has made the
team of the week this season.
Great bowling everybody!