E AST O REGONIAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021
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EOU wrestling earns national rankings in coaches’ poll
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The National
Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics released its fi rst coaches’
poll of the 2021-22 regular season
on Friday, Dec. 3, which ranked the
Eastern Oregon University men’s
and women’s teams in the top 20.
The women’s team was slotted at
No. 15, while the men’s team came
in at No. 16.
Eastern’s men’s team was
ranked No. 19 in the preseason
poll, but have gotten off to a strong
start to the year. The Mountaineers
are 4-2 overall and 2-1 in confer-
ence competition. The ranking was
decided before Eastern competed at
the Battle of the Rockies Duals this
weekend, which saw the team go
3-0 in duals and fi nish fourth at the
Battle of the Rockies Open.
Three Mountaineers earned
individual rankings in the first
coaches’ poll of the regular season.
Kyle Knudtson (184) and Noel
Orozco (285) both came in at No.
3. Keegan Mulhill was ranked No. 5
at the 174-pound weight class.
The Mountaineers’ next compe-
tition is against Southern Oregon at
the Reno Tournament of Champi-
ons on Dec. 17.
On the women’s side, the Moun-
taineers moved back three spots from
their No. 12 preseason ranking.
Eastern is 4-4 on the year and
0-1 against conference opponents.
Nine Mountaineers earned individ-
ual rankings in the coaches’ poll.
Stephanie Blankenship (109)
was ranked No. 21, Macy Higa
(123) was ranked No. 13, Morgan
Shines (130) was ranked No. 18,
Kaylee Moore (136) was ranked
No. 15, Erin Redford (143) was
ranked No. 4, Nayeli Maston
(143) was ranked No. 14, Dempsi
Talkington (155) was ranked No.
9, Tenley Swope (155) was ranked
No. 18 and Olivia Robinson (170)
was ranked No. 10.
Eastern’s next competition is
on Jan. 14 against Grays Harbor
College in Aberdeen, Washington.
Andrew Cutler/The Observer
Eastern Oregon University wrestler Keegan Mulhill faces off against
Southern Oregon University’s Noah Talavera on Nov. 6, 2021, at Quinn
Coliseum, La Grande. The Raiders won 24-18, dropping the Mountaineers
to 0-2 on the season.
Brown still
looking for
the big run
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Hermiston shortstop Chase Elliott catches a
throw April 16, 2021, as Walla Walla’s Will Kyto-
la slides safely into second base. Elliott recent-
ly signed a letter of intent to play baseball for
Mount Hood Community College.
Baker City steer
wrestler slides to 8th
in world standings
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
CHASING HIS DREAMS
Hermiston’s Elliott signs to play ball at Mt. Hood
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Chase
Elliott loves baseball. He also
loves football, but only one of
the sports was going to aff ord
him the opportunity to play at
the college level.
That would be baseball.
The Hermiston senior recently
signed a letter of intent to play
for Mt. Hood Community
College.
“Football was a hard one to
let go,” Elliott said. “I didn’t have
a set plan, just where the road
took me. I kept my options open.
That was my mindset. Whatever
was the best opportunity that set
me up for success.”
Elliott visited a few other
colleges, but the coaches and
facility at Mt Hood won him
over.
“I went to Yakima in person,
that was really good,” he said. “I
went to Columbia Basin College
for a prospect camp and they
talked to me later on. I got to
see the facilities and play on the
fi eld. At Mt. Hood, the fi eld is
extremely nice and I really liked
the campus.”
Elliott will play center fi eld
for the Saints, but can play
infi eld in a pinch.
“I can use my speed in the
infi eld,” he said. “I don’t want to
play the infi eld, but if they ask
me to play third or second, I’m
not going to say no.”
Mt. Hood is rich in baseball
tradition. In the past 27 years,
the Saints have won 18 regional
championships and two North-
west Athletic Conference titles.
Mt. Hood fi nished at the top of
the NWAC Southern Region 10
of the past 14 years.
Elliott plans on getting his
associates degree at Mt. Hood,
then transferring to a four-year
school to finish his business
degree and baseball career.
“They have a plan to set me
up for success,” he said.
Elliott also got a hoping hand
from Hermiston High School
Success Coach Jay Ego to navi-
gate some of the college recruit-
ing process.
“I was kind of shocked we
had that,” Elliott said of Ego’s
position. “I was signing my letter
of intent and I really didn’t know
what I was doing. I went in and
he helped me. It defi nitely makes
the process easier. I did a lot on
my own, but it would have been
easier if he would have been here
last year.”
Never limit your options
While Elliott has played on
the Hermiston baseball team, it
has been his play in the summer
with the Kennewick Outlaws
that has helped him catch the
eye of college coaches.
“There is always some-
one ready to go,” Elliott said.
“It pushes you. You have to be
up and above the kids you are
competing with.”
Elliott excelled with the
Outlaws. Thorough 46 games,
he hit .367 with 30 singles, nine
doubles, two triples, three home
runs and 24 RBIs. He also had
29 stolen bases.
This coming summer, he
will play for the Tri-City based
Northwest Athletics.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound
Elliott, just fi nished the football
season for the Bulldogs, and now
is part of the basketball team.
“No one sport will work all
the muscles the same,” Elliott
said. “In basketball, you have
that quick edge. It’s your senior
year and you want to end on a
fun note. I have the rest of my
life to play one sport, let’s just
go have fun.”
Elliott’s high school sports
career began with a broken leg
in his varsity football game as
a sophomore. He came back
mid-way through the basketball
season, then had his baseball
season canceled because of the
coronavirus pandemic.
His junior year had sports
seasons played in shortened
coronavirus schedules. He said
it was nice to play a full football
schedule this fall.
“It’s almost weird to have
something normal,” he said. “To
play a whole football season, I
have fi nally done that. You learn
so much in those games, and you
get better each week. Time really
does fl y by when you are having
fun, but it also does when you
are doing nothing.”
LAS VEGAS — Baker City
steer wrestler Jesse Brown
fi nished sixth in the sixth round
of the National Finals Rodeo on
Tuesday, Dec. 7, taking down
his steer in 4.5 seconds.
Brown earned $4,354 for his
eff ort.
In the fi fth
round Dec. 6,
Brown broke
the barrier and
finished with
a time of 14.2
seconds.
Brown
“I just went
a little too fast,
I guess,” Brown said. “It’s a
what of, could of, should of.”
Brown has placed in three of
six rounds, pocketing $19,159.
Though placing in the top
six and earning money has
been nice, Brown still is look-
ing for that one big run.
“Hell yeah, I think it’s
there,” he said. “I’ve been
making really good runs.”
Jacob Talley, who came into
the NFR ranked No. 1 in the
world standings, still remains
on top with $179,944. Dirk
Tavenner, who has won three
of six rounds, is right on his
heels with $170,925.
“He is making it happen and
I’m not,” Brown said of Taven-
ner. “He is kicking ass.”
Brown was second in the
world standings heading into
the NFR. He now sits eighth
with $121,517 with four rounds
to go.
Tristan Martin leads the
NFR average after six runs
with a time of 25.8 seconds.
Brown is eighth at 36.7
seconds.
In addition to appearances,
Brown has gotten to spend a
little time with his parents Jim
and Vicki, and just enjoy what
Las Vegas has to off er.
“I’m having fun,” Brown
said. “Vegas is a pretty fun
town and being here for the
fi nals is great.”
ON THE SLATE
Thursday, Dec. 9
Prep girls basketball
Riverside vs. Nixyaawii at Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 2 p.m.
Irrigon vs. McLoughlin, Columbia
River Clash, Umatilla, 4 p.m.
Echo vs. Powder Valley at Calvin
Hiatt Memorial Tournament,
Powder Valley, 4 p.m.
Umatilla vs. Grant Union, Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 5 p.m.
Toledo at Heppner, 6 p.m.
Bandon at Pilot Rock, 6 p.m.
Bonanza at Stanfield, 6 p.m.
Pendleton at Putnam, 7:15 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Riverside vs. Nixyaawii at Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 3:30 p.m.
McLoughlin vs. Irrigon, Columbia
River Clash, Umatilla, 5:30 p.m.
Echo vs. Powder Valley at Calvin
Hiatt Memorial Tournament,
Powder Valley, 5:30 p.m.
Umatilla vs. Grant Union, Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 6:30 p.m.
Toledo at Heppner, 7:30 p.m.
Bandon at Pilot Rock, 7:30 p.m.
Bonanza at Stanfield, 7:30 p.m.
Prep girls bowling
Hermiston at Walla Walla, 3 p.m.
Prep girls wrestling
Hermiston at Pasco, 5 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Irrigon, Heppner/Ione at River-
side, 4 p.m.
Hermiston at Pasco, 5 p.m.
Prep swimming
Pendleton at Hood River Valley,
4 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 10
Prep girls basketball
Stanfield vs. Culver, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 8 a.m.
Weston-McEwen vs. Bonanza, 2A
Preview Basketball Tournament,
Pendleton Convention Center,
11:45 a.m.
Echo vs. Union at Calvin Hiatt
Memorial Tournament, Powder
Valley, 2:30 p.m.
Griswold vs. Four Rivers at Arling-
ton Snowball Classic, 3 p.m.
Heppner vs. Bandon, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 3 p.m.
Umatilla vs. Irrigon, Columbia
River Clash, Umatilla, 3 p.m.
Nixyaawii vs. Grant Union, Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 4 p.m.
Hanford at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m.
Ione/Arlington vs. Klickitat/Glen-
wood, Arlington Snowball Classic,
6 p.m.
McLoughlin vs. Riverside, Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 6 p.m.
Pilot Rock vs. Toledo, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 6:15 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Stanfield vs. Culver, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 9:45 a.m.
Weston-McEwen vs. Bonanza, 2A
Preview Basketball Tournament,
Pendleton Convention Center,
1:15 p.m.
Echo vs. Union at Calvin Hiatt
Memorial Tournament, Powder
Valley, 4 p.m.
Griswold vs. Four Rivers at Arling-
ton Snowball Classic, 4:30 p.m.
Umatilla vs. Irrigon, Columbia
River Clash, Umatilla, 4:30 p.m.
Heppner vs. Bandon, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 4:45 p.m.
Nixyaawii vs. Grant Union,
Columbia River Clash, Umatilla,
5:30 p.m.
Putnam at Pendleton, 6:30 p.m.
Riverside vs. McLoughlin, Colum-
bia River Clash, Umatilla, 7:30 p.m.
Hanford at Hermiston, 7:30 p.m.
Ione/Arlington vs. Klickitat/Glen-
wood, Arlington Snowball Classic,
7:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock vs. Toledo, 2A Preview
Basketball Tournament, Pendleton
Convention Center, 8 p.m.
College women’s basketball
Blue Mountain at Centralia, 7 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Hermiston, Pendleton, McLough-
lin at Muilenburg Tournament, La
Grande, 7 a.m.
Irrigon at Culver Invite, TBD