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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2019)
E AST O REGONIAN THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2019 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS B1 COLUMBIA RIVER CIRCUIT FINALS RODEO ON THE MOVE East Oregonian/E.J. Harris, File Steven Peebles of Redmond rides Mucho Dinero for 89.5 points in bareback riding on Sept. 15, 2017 at the Pendleton Round-Up. Peebles is one of the favorites in the event this weekend at the Columbia River Circuit Finals in Yakima. Peebles back for more as rodeo moves to Yakima By ANNIE FOWLER East Oregonian S teven Peebles has a vast collection of belt buck- les from various rodeos all over the United States and Canada. He has a hand- ful from the Columbia River Circuit Finals, and if one is good, more is better. “I have won it quite a few years,” the Redmond bareback rider said. “I can’t complain, that’s for sure. I always look forward to the circuit fi nals. Battle the three horses and see how much I can earn. Just go out and have some fun.” The CRC Finals begin Friday and run through Sunday at the Yakima Val- ley SunDome. Action begins the fi rst two nights at 7 p.m., while Sunday’s round begins at 1 p.m. While the event has been held for years in Central Oregon, CRC pres- ident Rowdy Barry said the move to Yakima was a necessity. “It seems more centrally located for fans,” he said. “We loved the venue in Central Oregon, but economically, it wasn’t working out there. That’s what brought us to Yakima. Ticket sales just aren’t what they used to be.” The event also moved from Novem- ber to January to avoid going up against other events. “You have the NFR, the PBR, the Canadian fi nals, the Indian fi nals, hunting and football playoffs,” Barry said. “No matter where you are, it’s a tough sell. It’s tough on the cowboys this time of year keeping their horses up.” One benefi t of the CRC Finals being in January, is the money earned goes toward their 2019 earnings, as does the winnings from the RAM National Cir- cuit Finals. “The money goes toward world standings, and for a circuit guy, it gives him a better chance to make it to the NFR,” Barry said. The winner and the average winner of each event will advance to the RAM Circuit Finals from March 21-24 in Kissimmee, Florida, along with com- petitors from the 12 other circuits. The CRC steer ropers held their event Nov. 10 in Athena, with Tom Sorey of Pendleton winning the aver- age with a time of 42.9 seconds on three head. He, and his oldest son Pake, advanced to the RAM Nationals Cir- cuit Finals in Torrington, Wyoming, in April (dates have not been announced). Tom Sorey will be relegated to cheerleader for his son after having shoulder surgery in December. Peebles, 29, is excited to get back to work this weekend, and hopes to advance to Florida. He leads the CRC COLUMBIA RIVER CIRCUIT FINALS COMPETITORS Bareback riding Payton Wright, Pendleton Tie-down roping Preston Pederson, Hermiston Seth Hopper, Stanfi eld Steer wrestling Clayton Morrison, Pendleton Travis Taruscio, Stanfi eld Dalton Massey, Hermiston Blake Knowles, Heppner Saddle bronc riding Ryan Verling, Stanfi eld Team roping Andy Carlson, Hermiston (heeler) Jake Stanley, Hermiston (header) Calgary Smith, Adams (heeler) Phoenix Everano, Pendleton (heeler) Barrel racing Jordan Minor, Hermiston Bull riding Cain Smith, Pendleton See Rodeo, Page B2 BMCC volleyball coach Jessica Humphreys resigns By BRETT KANE East Oregonian Jessica Humphreys After four years at the helm of Blue Mountain volleyball, Jessica Humphreys will resign from her position as Timber- wolves head coach. Humphreys is leaving the position to spend more time with her family, but will continue her career as a faculty member in BMCC’s nursing program, the com- munity college said in a statement. Humphreys fi rst joined the Timber- wolves in 2015, co-leading the team alongside her father Dave Baty. Blue Mountain won the Northwest Athletic Conference championship that same year. When Baty retired in 2016, Hum- phreys took over the reins as sole head coach. This year, she led the Timber- wolves to a 25-11 season and the No. 3 spot in the East Region standings. “I am very grateful for the opportu- nity to have coached BMCC volleyball and helped this program grow to become a thriving championship program, set- ting NWAC records and putting our vol- leyball program on the map,” Hum- phreys said in a statement. “I will miss the opportunity to be a mentor for the stu- dent-athletes navigating the challenges of leaving home, and promoting academic, mental, and spiritual growth.” Humphreys’ fi nal day as head coach is Jan. 31. BMCC will begin the search for a replacement next week. “BMCC would like to thank Jessica for her many years of dedication to Tim- berwolf volleyball,” said Dawn DiFuria McClendon, Director of Athletics, Out- reach, and Student Life in a statement. “She is leaving the program in a posi- tive position for future success, and we’ll miss seeing her on the sidelines.” SPORTS SHORTS AP File Photo Olympian Michael Phelps honored for mental health advocacy BOSTON (AP) — Michael Phelps is picking up more hardware — this time for what he’s been doing outside the pool. The Boston-based Ruderman Family Founda- tion, a leading voice in calling for more opportu- nities for the disabled, said Tuesday the Olympic champion is the recipient of its fi fth annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion. The foundation told The Associated Press it picked the world’s most decorated swimmer of all time to recognize his advocacy for people with dis- abilities and “his own journey with mental health.” Phelps has gone public about his struggles with depression and thoughts of suicide. Last year, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist announced a partnership with Talkspace, which provides online therapy for those who are going through tough times. Phelps said helping people overcome the dark chapters in their lives is “way bigger than ever winning gold medals.” In a statement, the 33-year-old Olympian thanked the Ruderman Family Foundation for “their continued eff orts to help eliminate the shame and stigma that surrounds mental illness.”