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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
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B1
Pendleton Round-Up again wins Large Outdoor Rodeo
It’s the 8th time
the rodeo has won
the PRCA award
East Oregonian
LAS VEGAS — The
Pendleton Round-Up won
the Large Outdoor Rodeo of
the Year award for the eighth
time on Wednesday, Dec. 1,
at the annual Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association
Awards Banquet.
The prestigious award is
voted on by members of the
PRCA, which is made up
of cowboy contestants and
fellow rodeo committees.
“There is no higher honor
than to be recognized by
cowboy contestants, contract
personnel and fellow rodeo
committees,” Pendleton
Round-Up Publicity Direc-
tor Pat Reay said in a press
release. “It is because of the
dedication of many volun-
teers, staff , sponsors, fans,
the community and loyal
supporters that the Round-Up
has been able to be recog-
nized by our peers in the
rodeo industry.”
Pendleton, which also won
in 2003, 2010, and 2015-19,
was one of fi ve fi nalists, along
with Cody, Wyoming; Dead-
wood, South Dakota; Dodge
City, Kansas; and Cheyenne,
Wyoming.
Pendleton’s streak of
winning the award fi ve years
in a row came to a halt in
2020 when the COVID-19
pandemic caused the cancel-
lation of the Round-Up for the
fi rst time since World War II.
The 2020 award went to
Deadwood’s Days of ‘76.
“To be crowned again
in 2021 after not being able
to host an event in 2020 is
bittersweet and something
we cherish and hold in the
highest regard,” Pendleton
Round-Up Past President
Randy Bracher said in the
press release. “We are very
proud to bring this award
home to our community; to
the people who have helped
build and shape the tradi-
tions and authenticity that
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
make this an event like no
Cowboys
sit
in
the
infi
eld
Sept,
15,
2021,
during
the
bareback
competition
on the opening day
other in the world.”
See Round-up, Page B2
of the Pendleton Round-Up. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association on Wednesday,
Dec. 1, named the Round-Up the Large Outdoor Rodeo of the Year for the eighth time.
Brown takes 5th
in 1st NFR round
McLoughlin’s Angel Castillo (8) and Phi-
lomath’s Seth Arthurs (14) fi ght for con-
trol of the ball Nov. 6, 2021, in the quar-
terfi nal round of the Oregon School
Activities Association 4A State Soc-
cer Championship at South Al-
bany High School. The Greater
Oregon League honored Cas-
tillo, a sophomore, with the
Player of the Year title.
Baker City steer wrestler
posted a time of 4.5 seconds
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/
East Oregonian, File
MAC-HI’S CASTILLO TABBED
GOL MVP FOR BOYS SOCCER
Flores
A. Garcia
R. Garcia
Sophomore forward recorded
26 goals and 12 assists
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
MILTON-FREEWATER — There was
no shortage of Greater Oregon League
awards handed out to McLoughlin soccer
and volleyball players this fall.
The boys soccer team had fi ve players
named to the fi rst team, with sophomore
Leber
Molina
Munoz
Angel Castillo named Player of the Year,
and Jose Garcia Coach of the Year.
Garcia said it has been quite a few years
since the Pioneers had someone earn Player
of the Year honors.
“He is very excited and happy,” Garcia
said. “He is going to be working harder this
year. He is a hard worker. He lives a mile
from my house and I would drive by during
the pandemic and he had cones out and was
working hard.”
Castillo led Mac-Hi with 26 goals this
Rhoads
Sanchez
J. Garcia
season, along with 12 assists.
Also earning first-team honors were
senior Daniel Flores, and sophomores Almi-
kar Garcia (8 goals, 6 assists), Sean Molina
(11 goals, 7 assists) and Romario Garcia (6
goals, 5 assists).
“I feel like we could have had more,”
Coach Garcia said. “For some, it wasn’t
fair, but you have to give credit to the other
teams.”
See GOL, Page B2
LAS VEGAS — The National Finals
Rodeo is back in Las Vegas, and Jesse Brown
could not be happier.
The Baker City steer wrestler competed
in his first NFR last year in Arlington,
Texas, but he said there is something special
about the Thomas & Mack
Arena.
There must be after
Brown turned in a time of
4.5 seconds to fi nish in a
two-way tie for fi fth place
with Tyler Waguespack
in the fi rst round Thurs-
Brown
day, Dec. 2. Each man won
$5,661 for their eff orts.
“It’s way diff erent than Texas,” he said.
“Everyone is right on top of you here. It’s
where it belongs. It was awesome.”
Dirk Tavenner and Riley Duvall tied
for fi rst in the opening round with times of
3.7 seconds. They each walked away with
$24,167.
Brown, who was sitting second in the
world standings before the NFR, slid a little
in the standings, but there are still nine
rounds to go, and he started off right with
a legal run and a few dollars to add to his
earnings.
“I don’t really pay attention to that,” he
said.
Brown, who was competing with a back
strain, was happy with his fi rst run.
“I had to make a horse change at the last
minute,” he said of riding his own horse
Gunner. “He did well. It was good. The antic-
ipation leading up to tonight was a rush. I
can’t wait until tomorrow.”
The steer ropers will have a fresh pen of
steers on Dec. 3. There are four pens, which
means they won’t see the steers from Dec. 2
again until Round 4 on Dec. 5
While Las Vegas can be a fun place to
visit, Brown said his day before the evening
performance was jam packed.
“I had a packed day,” he said Dec. 2. “I
had physical therapy in the morning, then
they had us doing signings and meet and
greets. It’s an honor they even want me to do
something like that.”
Riverside’s Castillo named SD6 Player of the Year
Pirates have three
named to 3A/2A/1A
all-state soccer team
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
BOARDMAN — Riverside
senior Layla Castillo was named the
Special District 6 Player of the Year,
and also earned fi rst team all-state
honors to cap a spectacular season.
Castillo, a midfi elder/forward,
led the team with 19 goals and two
assists.
The Pirates won the SD6 title
with a 9-1 record, and fi nished the
season 11-3-1 overall. They beat
Yamhill-Carlton 2-0 in the first
round of the 3A/2A/1A state play-
off s, then dropped a 4-0 game to
top-ranked Oregon Episcopal in the
quarterfi nals.
Also earning SD6 first-team
honors were senior defender Marta
Barajas (1 goal), and sophomore
defender Crystal Sanchez (1 goal)
and soph-
o m o r e
defender
Aleydis
Torres (1
goal, 1
assist).
Barajas
De La Fuente
Durfey
Kerns
Second-
team selec-
tions were
senior
goalkeeper
A r e l y
Cambero
(41 saves, 7
Rose
Sanchez
Sharp
Torres
shutouts, 6
GA), soph-
omore forward Monse Pacheco (4 played a good game against the No. 1
goals), and freshman midfielder team. This is the fi rst year that three of
Riverside’s girls soccer players have
Jimena Maldonado (4 goals).
Honorable mention honors went been nominated for all-state. Coach
to senior forward Valeria Echevarria. (Viviana) Colin and I are very proud
Also named to the all-state team of our girls and our team. We have
were Sanchez and Barajas, who were made good progress and will continue
to work hard in years to come.”
second-team selections.
The Echo-Stanfield Cougars
“The girls had a great season,”
Pirates coach Yvonne Torres said. had four players selected to the SD6
“We made it to the quarterfi nals and fi rst team — senior defender Jacque
SPECIAL DISTRICT 6
Player of the Year: Layla Castillo, sr., Riverside
FIRST TEAM
Kate Vineyard, sr., Nyssa; Mayela De La Fuente, so.,
Echo-Stanfi eld; Jacque Kerns, sr., Echo-Stanfi eld; Lynzie
Torres, sr., Nyssa; Taylor Durfey, sr., Umatilla; Abigale Nunez,
fr., Four Rivers; McKenzie Rose, so., Echo-Stanfi eld; Crystal
Sanchez, so., Riverside; Marta Barajas, sr., Riverside; Aleydis
Torres, jr., Riverside; Maggie Sharp, jr., Echo-Stanfi eld.
Castillo
SECOND TEAM
Morgan Gaines, sr., Echo-Stanfi eld; Asbel Jaquez, jr., Nyssa; Monse
Pacheco, so., Riverside; Liliana Angeles, sr., Irrigon; Adriana Chavez, fr., Four
Rivers; Emma Medera, sr., Four Rivers; Emily Hancock, jr., Echo-Stanfi eld;
Anaitza Mendez, sr., Echo-Stanfi eld; Jimena Maldonado, fr., Riverside; Leti-
cia Trinidad, so., Nyssa; Juliana Juaregui-Perez, jr., Umatilla; Arely Cambero,
sr., Riverside; Olivia Chavez, fr., Four Rivers.
Kerns, sophomore midfielder
McKenzie Rose, sophomore
midfi elder Mayela De La Fuente,
and junior goalkeeper Maggie
Sharp.
The Cougars fi nished 6-2-2 in
SD6 play, and 6-7-2 overall. They lost
to Oregon Episcopal 7-0 in the fi rst
round of the 3A/2A/1A state playoff s.
Also named to the first team
was Umatilla senior forward Taylor
Durfey.
Second-team honors went to
Echo-Stanfield senior defender
Morgan Gaines, junior forward
Emily Hancock and senior defender
Anaitza Mendez; Irrigon senior
defender Liliana Angeles; and
Umatilla junior midfi elder Juliana
Juaregui-Perez.