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Hood River News, Wednesday, May 27, 2015
A7
Track and field titles defended
Photos by Brett Requa
HRV’S Sebastian Barajas makes an attempt at the discus on Friday during the OSAA 5A State Championship Meet, while Jestena Mattson qualifies during the prelims of the 200-meter dash. Both success-
fully defended their titles: Barajas in discus; Mattson in the 100 and 200.
Barajas repeats as discus champ, Mattson wins 100 and 200; HRV fourth overall
By BEN MITCHELL
News staff writer
Going into last week’s OSAA 5A Track and
Field State Championships in Eugene, HRV
thrower Sebastian Barajas and HRV sprinter
Jestena Mattson were the athletes to beat, de-
fending titles in the discus and in the 100-
meter and 200-meter dashes, respectively.
But nobody could beat Mattson, nor Bara-
jas in those events. For the second year in a
row, Mattson won both the 100 and 200 and
Barajas took the discus title for the third
consecutive year, helping both the boys and
girls teams to a fourth-place overall finish at
Hayward Field at the University of Oregon
campus.
It was the best combined finish the team
has ever had, according to coach Donnie
Herneisen. The girls team placed third in
1991 and second in 1993, but the boys team
has never placed better than seventh. The
best combo finish the teams ever had was
seventh place back in 1994. This year, HRV
had one of the more well-rounded teams at
the meet.
“Hood River, along with Grant (6A) and Je-
suit (6A), were the only schools in the 4A-5A-
6A divisions to place both boys and girls
teams in the top four trophy places at state,”
Herneisen noted. “I think that says quite a
bit about where our program was at this
year.”
The meet brought a fitting end to Matt-
son’s career, an athlete whom Herneisen be-
lieved was “the most decorated track and
field athlete to ever come through Hood
River Valley High,” claiming six individual
state titles and three second-place finishes in
her four years. The senior’s time of 11.86 sec-
onds in the 100 was the second-fastest time of
any classification in an Oregon state cham-
pionship dating back to at least 1990, accord-
ing to Herneisen. To boot, her times in the
100 and 200 (24.51) were new school records
and Mattson scored more points than any
other 5A female athlete in the meet.
“She bettered her 100-meter and 200-meter
— school records — and ran faster than all
the girls in the other classifications, in both
races,” Herneisen said. “That’s pretty amaz-
ing.”
For Mattson, the only “disappointing
thing” that happened was her 5 feet, 2 inch
result in the high jump, which put her in sec-
HRV FINAL RESULTS
Boys: 200 meters: Parker Irusta, 7th, 22.94. 1500 meters: Justin Crosswhite, 10th, 4:12.56.
3000 meters: Justin Crosswhite, 7th, 9:04.16; Quinn Fetkenhour, 11th; 9:26.76. 4x100 relay:
Gabriel Campos-Davis, Tyrone Stintzi, Parker Kennedy, Irusta; 8th; 44.03. Shot put: Sebastian Bara-
jas, 2nd 53-02.5. Discus: Barajas, 1st, 175-07. High jump: Stintzi, 3rd, 6-02. Pole vault: Kennedy,
3rd, 14-0; Patrick Crompton, 4th, 14-0. Long jump: Irusta, 5th, 20-04.
Girls: 100 meters: Jestena Mattson, 1st, 11.86 (SR). 200 meters: Mattson, 1st, 24.51 (SR). 400
meters: Emily Viuhkola, 2nd, 57.32 (SR). 800 meters: Viuhkola, 2nd, 2:20.01. 1500 meters: Lauren
Robinson, 12th, 5:05.75. 3000 meters: Robinson, 12th, 11:03.25. 4x400 meter relay: Mattson,
Caitlyn Fick, Audrey Marble, Viuhkola; 5th; 4:05.28. High jump: Mattson, 2nd, 5-02.
ond. The winning jump of 5-04 was three
inches below Mattson’s best jump this year.
“She was heavily favored, but that hap-
pened on Friday, when nobody was really
competing well,” Herneisen explained. “And
if getting second place felt like a disaster,
that’s a pretty good weekend.”
Another key contributor for the girls was
senior Emily Viuhkola, who took second in
the 400, setting a school record with her time
of 57.32. Just an hour later, Viuhkola entered
only her fourth 800-meter race ever and set a
personal best with a time of 2:20.01, which
was good for second. An hour after that, Vi-
uhkola anchored the 4x400 relay, running
with Mattson, freshman Audrey Marble, and
senior Caitlyn Fick, who guided the team to
a surprise fifth-place finish with a time of
4:05.28.
“Viuhkola had a dream season and I could-
n’t be more proud of her,” Herneisen said.
On the boys’ side, Barajas took second in
See HRV, Page A8
Hawks end breakout season with historic finish at state meet
Salvador Ramirez takes the 1500, Hannah Kempf wins triple jump for school’s first-ever individual state titles
Photos by Brett Requa
SALVADOR RAMIREZ (bib No. 921) clasps his hands in thanks after winning the 1500.
At right Hannah Kempf makes an attempt at the triple jump.
Hannah Kempf and Salvador Ramirez inked their names
into the Horizon Christian School history book Friday, when
they won the school’s first individual state championships — in
any sport.
Kempf, a multi-event track and field performer who was on
Horizon’s inaugural team four years ago, won the Class 1A
triple jump at the OSAA state meet at historic Hayward Field in
Eugene. It was a busy day for Kempf, who finished second in the
200 meters, third in the 100 high hurdles (17.42 seconds) and an-
chored the Hawk 4x400 relay team to eighth place. Kempf scored
24 of her team’s 28 points, leading Horizon to ninth overall.
Ramirez, a junior, ran a personal best 4 minutes, 16.1 seconds
to take the top spot in the 1500. He later finished fourth in the 800
in another personal best, 2:04.11, helping Horizon to eighth place
as a team with 27 points.
Ramirez, who finished fifth in the 1500 at state as a sopho-
more, said he nixed his pre-race strategy of waiting until the
final 200 to unleash his finishing kick.
“I was thinking, ‘It’s now or never,’” he said, as he heard the
bell ring to mark the final lap.
Ramirez surged into the lead and quickly built a 12-meter
margin as he rounded the corner with 300 meters remaining. St.
Stephen’s Academy’s Brandt Bergeron, who later would win the
800, and Aaron Lane of Southwest Christian, responded to
Ramirez’s spurt, but they couldn’t close the gap. Bergeron was
second in 4:18.76 and Lane third in 4:19.98.
Kempf ’s win was equally as dramatic, as she went toe-to-toe
See HAWKS, Page A8
St. Helens’ pitching ends Eagles’ season with a shutout in play-in game
By MIKE WEBER
For the News
The Hood River Valley Eagles faced the
second-best defensive team along with one of
the best pitchers in the state in a Class 5A
softball play-in contest versus the St. Helens
Lions. Despite having the role as underdog
though in Friday’s road matchup at St. He-
lens, the Eagles hung in there, played tough
and had a chance for a possible upset win
late in the game.
The No. 20-ranked Eagles (11-16) trailed
the eighth-ranked Lions just 1-0 going into
the bottom of the sixth inning. The Lions (18-
8) came out roaring late in the contest and
took control with a four-run rally to go up 5-
0 after six.
It certainly proved to be just too much to
overcome for the Eagles, as the game con-
cluded in a 5-0 Lions victory, while bringing
an end to the Eagle season. HRV was hoping
to advance to the state playoffs for the fifth
time in the last six years, but the Lions
doused the Eagles’ playoff hopes.
“They have probably one of the best pitch-
ers in the state,” said coach Eric Keller of St.
Helens’ Mariah Mulcahy. “We prepared as
well as we could, but we just couldn’t string had a chance to tie and even take the lead
together some hits that we needed to. We had with two fifth-inning baserunners. McNer-
baserunners and opportunities to score in ney singled and Kaylin Winans drew a walk,
the first, second, fifth, and sixth innings. We but the Eagles were unable to get a clutch hit
had chances to score, but we just couldn’t get to drive the runners home as it remained a 1-
any clutch hits.”
0 Lion lead.
The shutout was the eighth one for St. He-
After holding the Lions scoreless in the
lens this year. The Lions, the third place bottom half of the fifth, HRV again had a
team from the tough Northwest Oregon Con- chance. Kelsey Wells drew a walk and repre-
ference, have allowed
sented the potential
just 57 runs (2.19 runs
tying run in the top of
allowed average) scored
the sixth, but she was
this season.
left stranded as the Eagle
It was a pitcher’s duel
offense was unfortunate-
for most of the game as
ly stymied by Mulcahy.
HRV’s Hannah McNer-
Winans (1-for-2) and Mc-
ney was strong in the
Nerney (1-for-3) were the
circle while she helped
only Eagles to get a hit.
hold the Lions scoreless
The two Eagle hits was a
ERIC KELLER
for the first two innings.
season low for HRV.
St. Helens scored a run
St. Helens capitalized
in the third, aided by an
on Eagle mistakes (hit
Eagle error, to go up 1-0. The Eagles were just batter, two errors) in the bottom of the sixth
unable to get anything going offensively inning to extend its lead to 5-0 to get the win.
against Mulcahy, who hurled a two-hitter The Eagles again were unable to produce
and had a whopping total of 17 strikeouts.
any offense in the top of the seventh at the
Following a scoreless fourth, HRV actually conclusion of the game.
‘We prepared as well as we
could, but we just couldn’t
string together some hits
that we needed to.’
“I’m incredibly proud of the team,” said
Keller. “We battled through an incredible
amount of adversity, such as minor injuries
to a few players. The kids came to practice
every day and they were ready to become a
better team. Their talent and improvement
was evident all season it was nice that we
had some success this year.”
McNerney, a freshman, had a solid perfor-
mance in the pitching circle while allowing
six hits and striking out two batters. The
contest marked the final game of their HRV
High School career for seniors Jessica De-
Hart, Taylor Shelton, Jenni Packer, JoJo
Karr, Jessie Karr, Breanna Weekly and
Wells.
“The seniors showed tremendous leader-
ship and they brought this team together
through their leadership ability by helping
everyone play their best all year,” said Keller.
“We put ourselves in position every game to
have a chance to win. We worked hard and
improved all year and our goal was to reach
the state tournament, but we just fell one
game short.”