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B1
STATE TRACK
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Jack Bentz, of Crane, rides to victory Saturday in the
saddle bronc event at the Heart of the Country Rodeo
Crane cowboy
shows ‘heart’
Jack Bentz posts an 85 to take first
in saddle bronc at Helix Heart of the
Country Rodeo
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
Jack Bentz won’t soon forget his first time in Helix.
The Crane cowboy scored an 85 to take first place in the
saddle bronc event to open Saturday’s 19th annual Heart of
the Country Rodeo, hosted by the rural Eastern Oregon town.
“This is my first time ever being in this town,” said Bentz,
21. “It’s been fun. This is a well-put-together rodeo.”
Bentz walked away with a handmade belt buckle, a framed
Heart of the Rodeo poster, a custom Riggin bag, a cowboy hat
from the Pendleton Hat Company, and prize money collected
from the rodeo pool.
But this is far from his first major accomplishment in
an arena. In just three years as a professional saddle bronc
rider, Bentz has already won the Idaho Cowboys Associa-
tion Rookie of the Year title, and has qualified for the National
Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas for the last two years.
This year, he has his sights set on the Farm-City Pro Rodeo
in Hermiston and the Pendleton Round-Up.
“This is a huge confidence-booster,” Bentz said of his
Helix win. “This is good for me. Hopefully, I can keep this
momentum going into the summer.”
In the long round, Bentz’ 85 score edged out Paradise Val-
ley, Nevada, brothers Joe and Sam Harper, who each scored
an 80.
Bentz didn’t fare quite as well in the final-round shoot out,
where he earned a 71. Joe Harper took the bonus $500 cash
prize with his score of 79.
Hermiston native Seth Hopper held the top spot on the
leaderboard for the meat of the calf roping event with his
8.87-second time, but couldn’t tie down his calf in the second
round. Cooper Mills of Centreville, Virginia, who finished at
9.19 seconds in the first round, roped his calf in 10.19 seconds
in round two for a combined 19.38 final time to take first place.
Local ropers Trent Sorey of Pendleton and Jason Minor of
Ellensburg, Washington, also competed in the event, but could
not out-rope Mills.
Just one cowboy was able to finish in the bull riding event.
Austin Covington of Omak, Washington, scored an 82 to take
the first and only prize awarded for the event — all of the other
competitors could not stay atop their raging bulls, receiving
no score.
But the life of a rodeo cowboy is one lived on the road,
and the 21-year-old Covington was well on his way to his next
competition in Cooley City, Washington, before he could be
presented his prize package, which included a $1,200 check.
Tenley Woollard was the day’s youngest champion. The
11-year-old cowgirl took the top spot in the barrel racing event,
finishing at 16.27 seconds. This year was Woollard’s fourth at
the Helix rodeo, and it was her first as a winner.
The proud rider said it felt “really good” to finally take
home the first-place award, which included a Heart of the
Country belt buckle and framed poster.
Funds raised at the rodeo went directly back into the com-
munity, benefitting local scholarship funds and organizations.
“This was probably one of the better rodeos we’ve had
here, both in overall attendance and stock,” said rodeo pres-
ident Jarod Campbell. “Of course, there’s always things to
tweak. We’re a nonprofit organization. Everything we do here
benefits the community. That’s what sets us apart from these
other rodeos.”
Photo courtesy of Ben Lonergan
Pendleton’s Lane Maher (center) competes in the finals of the 300 hurdles Saturday at the 5A Track and Field State
Championships in Gresham. Maher won the event in a time of 38.75 seconds.
Pendleton junior wins 300
hurdles, second in 110s
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Lane Maher was not going to let
a few rain drops ruin his day.
The Pendleton junior ran a per-
sonal best 38.75 seconds Saturday
to win the 300 hurdles in the pour-
ing rain at the 5A Track and Field
Championships at Mt. Hood Com-
munity College.
“I was thinking about it all day,
and knew I had to go fast,” said
Maher, who broke his own school
record in the event. “I was telling
myself all day I had to run a 38 to
secure first place, and I did that. I
crossed the finish line with a big
ol’ smile on my face.”
Earlier in the day, Maher fin-
ished second in the 110 hurdles in
a personal best time of 14.73.
Dylan Murray of Willamette
won the title in a time of 14.36.
“That was kind of a surprise
because of the conditions,” Maher
said of his time. “Just trying to
contribute to my team.”
Pendleton coach Larry Brizen-
dine said he did not know how the
races would turn out because of
See 5A State Track, Page B2
GOLDEN GIRL
Romero wins 3A
state javelin title
with a throw of
144-11
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Jazlyn Romero knew
from her first throw
that Saturday would be
a good day at the 3A
State Track and Field
Championships.
The Hermiston junior
opened the javelin com-
petition with a throw of
135 feet, 3 inches, and
finished the event with a
toss of 144-11 to win the
state title by more than 15
feet at Mt. Tahoma High
School in Tacoma.
“My body felt really
Photo courtesy of Michael Nejara
Hermiston’s Jazlyn Romero won the javelin title Satur-
day at the 3A State Track and Field Championships in
Tacoma. Romero had a winning throw of 144 feet, 11
inches.
good, and once I got
warmed up, I was fine,”
Romero said. “I was
really excited. Madi
(Wilson) was like, ‘It’s go
time. Are you ready?’”
Romero is the first
Hermiston athlete to
win an individual state
title since the Bulldogs
moved into the WIAA
at the start of the school
year.
The Hermiston dance
team won a state title in
Show in March.
“It’s a big day for her,”
Hermiston coach Emilee
Strot said. “When she
got her award, they
announced she was from
Hermiston, Oregon. Peo-
ple were excited, and oth-
ers had no idea why we
were there.”
Romero
scratched
her second throw in the
finals, but any one of her
other five throws would
have won her the title.
“She had a great
series,” Strot said. “Her
best of the year.”
Kennewick’s Made-
line Gebers finished
See Romero, Page B2
Hall of Fame Packers QB Bart Starr dies
By ARNIE STAPLETON
The Associated Press
Bart Starr was an ordinary
quarterback until teaming
with Vince Lombardi on the
powerhouse Green Bay Pack-
ers teams that ruled the 1960s
and ushered in the NFL as
America’s most popular sport.
The quarterback’s grace-
ful throws helped turn a run-
heavy league into a passing
spectacle, yet it’s a run for
which he’s most famous: the
sneak that won the famed “Ice
Bowl” in 1967.
Starr died Sunday at age 85
in Birmingham, Alabama, the
Packers said. He had been in
failing health since suffering
two strokes and a heart attack
in 2014.
Starr is the third of Lom-
bardi’s dozen Hall of Famers
to die in the past eight months.
Fullback Jim Taylor died in
October and offensive tackle
Forrest Gregg died last month.
“A champion on and off the
field, Bart epitomized class
and was beloved by genera-
tions of Packers fans,” Pack-
ers President Mark Murphy
said in a statement. “A clutch
player who led his team to five
NFL titles, Bart could still fill
Lambeau Field with electricity
decades later during his many
visits.”
The Packers selected Starr
out of the University of Ala-
bama with the 200th pick in
the 1956 draft. He led Green
Bay to six division titles, five
NFL championships and wins
in the first two Super Bowls.
“Bart Starr was one of the
most genuine, sincere peo-
ple I knew,” NFL Commis-
sioner Roger Godell said in a
statement. “He personified the
values of our league as a foot-
ball player, a family man, and
a tireless philanthropist who
cared deeply about helping
at-risk kids. Above all, he was
a wonderful human being who
will be remembered for his
kindness and compassion.”
Jeffrey Phelps/TownNews.com Content Exchange
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr died Sunday at age 85 in Birmingham,
Alabama, the Packers said. He had been in failing health since suffering two strokes and a
heart attack in 2014.