S PORTS
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Hood River News, Saturday, May 2, 2015
A7
HRV baseball mounts crazy comeback over Hermiston
After going down 6-0 in the first inning, Eagles score 11 runs in the 10th to defeat Bulldogs, 19-9
By BEN MITCHELL
News staff writer
For the second time in a week, the HRV Ea-
gles (13-6 overall, 5-1 Columbia River Confer-
ence) were pushed into extra innings by
their opponent. And for the second time in a
week, the Eagles were able to battle back and
win the game, but Tuesday’s road win over
the Hermiston Bulldogs (8-9 overall, 1-5 CRC)
was anything but ordinary.
After Hermiston tied the game up 8-8 in
the bottom of the seventh inning to force
extra innings, HRV’s offense erupted in the
top of the 10th for 11 runs, putting the Bull-
dogs in the doghouse. Hermiston was able to
respond, but the one run wasn’t anywhere
near enough to overcome HRV’s outrageous
inning, and the Eagles won the game, 19-9.
HRV’s roster has no shortage of talent, to
be sure, but HRV’s highest scoring inning in
its highest scoring game of the season was
sparked by a player whose name you likely
haven’t seen in baseball stories this spring:
senior Rily Wilson, who according to the stat
sheet, hasn’t started in a varsity game once
this season.
With bases loaded, Wilson stepped up to
the plate for his first at-bat of the game, and
promptly cracked a line drive to left field that
turned into a three-run double after Skyler
Hunter, Kam Walker, and Patrick Harvey
were able to score, making it 11-8, HRV.
Wilson’s three-run double ignited what
would become a prodigious inning for HRV.
With one out on the scoreboard, Dallas Buck-
ley, hits a line drive single to right field, send-
ing Wilson home. Next, a single from Riley
Van Hoose brings home Buckley. On the very
next play, Chase Lariza triples, sending Van
Hoose and Andrew Roberts in. Next play,
Hunter hits a single, with Lariza as the scor-
ing runner. Fast forward one out and a cou-
ple plays later (including another hit by Wil-
son, this time a single), Adam Cameron hits
a single, bringing Walker home. The very
next play, Buckley hits a double to left field,
bringing home Harvey and Wilson again to
make it 19-8.
Making the 10th inning heroics all the
more incredible was what HRV had to do to
even get there in the first place. HRV’s con-
test in Hermiston started out with a brutal 6-
0 drubbing at the hands (paws?) of the Bull-
dogs in the first inning. After a scoreless sec-
ond inning by both teams, HRV got on the
board in the top of the third thanks to a
three-run double by Harvey, whose fly ball to
center field would help send Lariza, Hunter,
and Walker home to make it 6-3, Hermiston.
HRV added another three runs in the fifth
inning to knot up the game, 6-6. Kellan Duffy
doubled, Cameron singled, and Buckley hit a
sacrifice fly, with Walker, Harvey, and Duffy
as the scoring runners, respectively.
Pendleton would add another run in the
fifth, but HRV was able to even it up after
Hermiston’s pitcher beaned Cameron with
bases loaded, allowing Lariza to score. HRV
got its first lead of the game at the top of the
seventh when Roberts scored off a single
See HRV, Page A8
Narrowing the gap
Elementary P.E. teacher Brandon
Bertram creates program to promote
physical fitness at school and at home
By BEN MITCHELL
News staff writer
Coming into his first year at Westside Elementary and
May Street school, Brandon Bertram had a quandary: how
could he increase students’ opportunities for phsyical exer-
cise not only at school, but at home... and make sure it’s done
on a shoestring budget?
Bertram, the new physical education teacher for Hood
River’s elementary schools, just wrapped up the in-school
Photos by Ben Mitchell
component for the Westside WildCat Tracks curriculum this
week: a voluntary program that encourages students to par-
READY, SET, GO! Students at Westside Elementary take off from the starting line during Wednesday’s race, while teachers and
ticipate in non-competitive class-wide races at school and get
parents watch in the background.
outside with their friends and families when they’re at home.
The idea is, in part, a portion of Bertram’s graduate school
project — who, in addition to running P.E. programs at the el-
ementary schools and serving as an assistant track coach, is also outside and playing with friends, their parents sign off on these
finishing up a master’s in human performance and physical educa- cards, and then they bring these to me at P.E. class,” Bertram said.
The tokens are an extrinsic reward, Bertram admitted, but he
tion at Adams State College in Colorado — but also due to what he
saw as a lopsided arrangement when it came to opportunities for said the students so far seem more excited about what the tokens
represent as opposed to the items themselves. The plastic tokens are
physical exercise in the district.
“We noticed a need,” he explained. “When I moved here (from Ari- the only part of the program that costs money, furnished by the Par-
zona), I noticed that opportunities were very prevalent at the high ent Teacher Organizations at both schools.
So far, the program seems to be working. Bertram estimated that
school level, but at the elementary level, there was a need for a form
80 percent of students have chosen to participate this year and on
of recreation where all students could be successful.”
Making matters more difficult, said Bertram, are the “drastic average, 40 percent of the student body turns up to each race. Even
cuts” that have been made to P.E. due to state funding levels, which better, more and more students are getting credit for doing activities
at home as opposed to recess or the afterschool races.
has resulted in fewer P.E. classes for students over the years.
Bertram said that parents, teachers and administrators have all
The program Bertram created helps provide students with anoth-
er opportunity besides gym and recess. Starting in December, about been supportive and are invited to the events. A good turnout was
once a month after school, Bertram has hosted school-wide races, present at the last race of the year on Wednesday, with parents and
that students have the choice of signing up for or not. If they sign students from different grade levels cheering each other on. The
up and run, they get to collect a token and put it on a band around kids were all smiles, enjoying the sunny weather and the chance to
their wrist — similar to a charm bracelet. Distances range from a run, skip, walk, or whatever, around the Westside fields.
Bertram may have a love of running, but his personal fondness
quarter mile for kindergartners to a mile for fifth graders. The to-
kens represent how far students have run or how many activities for the sport has nothing to do with its implementation into the pro-
they’ve done, but Bertram says that’s about where the tracking ends. gram: it’s about opportunity.
“There’s no barriers to it; you don’t need a stick or a ball to do it,”
“We don’t take times, we don’t count places... they don’t have to
he said of running. “All students of all abilities and backgrounds
worry about anything other than finishing with a smile,” he said.
The home component is a little different. There’s obviously no or- can do it.”
■
ganized races, but students get credit for getting out of the house
Bertram plans to bring the program back next year, and is hosting
and getting active, which can mean any number of activities.
“When they go home… if they’re active with family, if they go to a summer fun and activity camp June 17-19 for incoming first-
the park, if they walk the dog, if they go to practice, if they’re going through ninth-graders. For more information, contact Brandon
BRANDON BERTRAM
Bertram at brandon.bertram@hoodriver.k12.or.us
‘We don’t take times, we don’t
count places... they don’t have
to worry about anything
other than finishing with a
smile.’
JESSICA DEHART ,
with her father, Scott
(center) and coach
Trent Kroll during
the OSAA state
championships earli-
er this season.
File photo by Adam
Lapierre
Contributed photo
COACH JOHN WACHSMUTH with wrestlers (left to right, back row) Noah Wachsmuth,
Johnny Garcia, and Jeremiah Wachsmuth, all of whom took state titles.
HR wrestlers take titles in state tourney
Local wrestlers stood atop the podium at this past weekend’s Kids State Freestyle and
Greco Wrestling Championships held at Mt. View High School in Bend.
Noah and Jeremiah Wachsmuth, as well as Johnny Garcia, placed first in their respec-
tive categories for both styles of wrestling. This is Noah’s fifth-straight triple crown.
Noah, who is an eighth-grader at Hood River Middle School, wrestled in the School
Boy/Girl 105-pound category for Cobra All-Stars — a wrestling club based in Portland. In
freestyle, Noah defeated two opponents by technical fall (10-0) and one by a fall; in Greco,
Noah received a bye in the quarterfinal and defeated both his opponents by fall to take
first.
Jeremiah, who is enjoying his first triple crown win, is a third-grader at Westside Ele-
mentary, and also wrestles for Cobra All-Stars. He won by fall in the semifinal and by a 12-
9 decision in the final to take first in the Intermediate 50-pound category for freestyle. In
Greco, Jeremiah received a bye in the semi and defeated his opponent via fall to take the
title.
Wrestling for Hood River’s Elite Edge Wrestling Academy was Johnny Garcia, who is a
seventh-grader at HRMS. Garcia, competing in the Novice 112-pound class, won by techni-
cal fall (10-0) in the semifinal and won by a 6-3 decision in the final round to win the
freestyle category. In the semifinal of Greco, Garcia won by technical fall (10-0) and then a
close 1-0 decision in the final.
In the School Boy-Girl 120-pound weight class and wrestling for the Hood River Youth
Wrestling Club was eighth-grader Tristan Keely. He received a bye in the first champi-
onship round of the freestyle tournament, but lost the next round to fall into the consola-
tion bracket. He then defeated his next two opponents by fall and technical fall (10-0), and
lost to his next two opponents to receive sixth place in the tournament.
DeHart wins national honor for wrestling
By PAYTON RIGERT
News intern
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum, in Stillwater, Okla., has announced its
winners of the Dave Schultz and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Awards for 2015.
Originally created in honor of Schultz, an Olympic and World champion, the High School
Excellence Award is based on excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship
and community service. State winners for both the Schultz and Saunders Awards have been
selected in each of the states that sponsor high school state wrestling championships. This
year marks the second anniversary of the Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award
that is given to female wrestlers from states that hold all-female high school state wrestling
championships.
There are seven states which hold high school state wrestling championships for women:
Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. The National
Wrestling Hall of Fame, Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award, for the Outstand-
ing Female Wrestler of the Year in Oregon went to four-time girl’s wrestling state champion
from Hood River Valley High School, Jessica DeHart.
DeHart is one of the pioneers of women’s wrestling in the state of Oregon. For her entire
high school career, Jessica has wrestled at the varsity level for the HRVHS Eagles.
As women’s wrestling has become more popular in Oregon and Washington, DeHart has
wrestled in as many of the Pacific Northwest Women’s Wrestling Tournaments as possible.
She boasts a high school career record of 54–3 versus girls. Nationally, DeHart is a three-time
Fargo All-American with a Cadet National Championship. Last July, she placed fourth in the
Juniors category at Nationals in Fargo, N.D.
Next year, DeHart will wrestle in college and has chosen to stay close to home and wrestle
for the Raiders at the brand new women’s wrestling program at Southern Oregon Universi-
ty. From the seven winners in the states that sponsor an all-female state championship, a na-
tional winner will be revealed for the Saunders Award on May 4. The award will then be pre-
sented to them at Honors Weekend in Stillwater, June 5-6.