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Tuesday, december 14, 2021
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A11
Brown finishes sixth in world standings
baker city steer
wrestler places in
five rounds at NFR
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Las VeGas — Jesse
brown was waiting for that
one big run at the National
Finals rodeo, and it came in
round 9 on Friday, dec. 10.
The baker city steer
wrestler was one of four men
who took down their steers
in 3.9 seconds to share first
place in the round and pick
up a check for $18,941.
also in that group of
steer wrestlers were stetson
Jorgensen, stockton Graves
and Tyler Waguespack.
On the victory lap, the
steer wrestlers doubled up on
horses. Jorgensen rode with
brown.
“That was good,” brown
said. “That was pretty funny.
I’m glad I didn’t fall off.”
brown did not place in
round 10 on dec. 11, which
left him fifth in the average,
which was worth another
$23,513. He finished 15th
last year.
Will Lummus finished
first in the average (43
seconds on 10 runs) to win the
NFr title, but Waguespack
won the world title.
brown went into the NFr
sitting second in the world
standings behind Jacob
Talley, who ended up third.
brown, making his second
trip to the NFr, finished
sixth with $165,061.
“every year I have been
doing this, it’s dang sure not
where I want to be,” brown
said. “This is my best year so
far. Last year was a bit differ-
ent with cOVId.”
Over the course of 10
rounds, brown placed in
five. He tied for fifth in the
first round, was fourth in the
second round, sixth in the
sixth round, tied for sixth in
the eighth round, and tied for
first in the ninth. He earned
$62,675 for his efforts.
The 2022 season has
already begun, and brown
will be back on the dusty trail
in January.
“We have already kind
of started,” he said. “I have
gone to three rodeos so far.
denver and Odessa (Texas)
are coming up in January.”
stetson Wright, who won
the Pendleton round-up
all-around, saddle bronc
and bull riding titles, won
the world all-around title the
night of dec. 11 with a record
$585,850.
It’s Wr ig ht’s t h i rd
all-around title in a row, and
he broke Trevor brazile’s
Professional rodeo cowboys
association record for most
money won in a season at
$518,011, which he accom-
plished in 2015.
Wright also won the world
saddle bronc title, edging
his older brother ryder by
$1,187.
sage Kimzey became a
seven-time world champion
in bull riding, and needs just
Rod Connor/Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association
Baker City’s Jesse Brown takes down his steer in 3.9 seconds in Round 9 of the National Finals
Rodeo on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. Brown tied for first in the round with three other
steer wrestlers.
one more to tie don Gay’s
record of eight.
also winning world
titles were Kaycee Feild
(bareback), caleb smidt
(tie-down roping), Jordon
THE RIGHT PLACE
Hermiston’s Vertrees
signs letter of intent
to play at bmcc
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HermIsTON — Grace
Vertrees has put her heart and
soul into volleyball during her
four years at Hermiston High
school.
Her hard work has paid off
with an offer to play volleyball
at blue mountain community
college, Pendleton.
Vertress recently signed her
letter of intent with the Timber-
wolves, and is excited to begin
her college career.
“I got to go over there in Octo-
ber and play with them,” Vertrees
said. “The intensity level was
super high. I thought I could rise
to their level and play with them.
It was great. I was in contact with
a few other schools, but I was
only serious about blue moun-
tain.”
Vertrees wasn’t looking to go
to a four-year college right out of
high school, and she liked what
BMCC had to offer.
“I like her (ceanna Larson)
coaching style so much, and I felt
a good connection with the girls,”
Vertrees said. “There are so many
options for recruiting going to a
junior college first. I will get
more playing time at a junior
college, which allows me room
for improvement and growth.”
a 5-foot-10 outside hitter,
Vertrees was an honorable
mention selection in the tough
mid-columbia conference. she
finished her senior season with
129 kills, eight blocks, 87 digs
and 30 service aces.
The bulldogs got a new coach
in megan bunn in the fall. she is
the third head coach Vertrees has
played for at Hermiston.
“I really like her,” Vertrees
said.
The bulldogs moved into the
mid-columbia conference when
Vertrees was a freshman. she
said the learning curve was steep.
“We were right there in the
Tri-cities facing the big dogs as
freshmen,” Vertrees said. “That
was tough.”
during her junior year, when
the cOVId-19 restrictions
limited play, the bulldogs played
a variety of teams, but none
compared to the level of play they
see in the mcc.
“With that short cOVId
season, we weren’t getting a
chance to play defense because
the teams we were playing didn’t
have strong attacks,” Vertrees
said. “Transitioning back to the
briggs (barrel racing), and
Kaleb driggers and Junior
Nogueira in team roping.
ON THE SLATE
Tuesday, Dec. 14
Prep girls basketball
Pendleton at Lewiston (Idaho), 5:30 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 6 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Riverside, 6 p.m.
Umatilla at Stanfield, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Pendleton at Lewiston, Idaho, 7 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 7:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Riverside, 7:30 p.m.
Umatilla at Stanfield, 7:30 p.m.
Prep girls bowling
Richland at Hermiston, 3 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 15
Prep girls basketball
Stanfield at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Stanfield at Nixyaawii, 7:30 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Heppner, Irrigon at Oregon Trail Champi-
onships, Echo, noon
College men’s basketball
Blue Mountain at Clark College, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 16
Prep girls basketball
Umatilla at McLoughlin, 6 p.m.
Riverside at Heppner, 6 p.m.
Pendleton at Clarkston (Washington),
7 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Umatilla at McLoughlin, 7:30 p.m.
Riverside at Heppner, 7:30 p.m.
Prep girls bowling
Hermiston at Pasco, 3:30 p.m.
Prep girls wrestling
Southridge at Hermiston, 6 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Southridge at Hermiston, 7 p.m.
Prep swimming
Pendleton at Parkrose, 4:30 p.m.
College men’s basketball
South Puget Sound at Blue Mountain,
2 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 17
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Hermiston’s Grace Vertrees hits the ball March 11, 2021, during a set against Pendleton. Vertrees recent-
ly signed to continue her volleyball play at Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton.
MCC was definitely a challenge.
It’s a lot more competitive. Those
girls play club all the time.”
Vertrees also is a club player,
having spent two summers with
the Tri-cities-based shockwave.
between high school and
club ball, Vertrees has honed her
game.
“I think I am smart with my
ball placement,” she said. “I
analyze what is going on on the
other side of the court. I try to
find their weakness, whether I am
hitting or serving. Not going to
lie, when I serve and they have a
weak girl in the back, I will serve
it there every time.”
Vertrees also played basket-
ball at one point, but decided to
put her focus on volleyball.
“Volleyball is the sport I feel
most passionate about and I put
all my energy toward that,” she
said.
Neither of her parents, erick
Vertrees and Kasi sandlin,
were athletes in high school,
but Vertrees and her younger
brother Logan are making up
for that.
“my brother is super athletic,”
Vertrees said. He’s 6-4, in the
seventh grade, and plays basket-
ball, football and lacrosse.”
Working toward
the future
Vertrees is working and
taking classes to get a leg up on
her chosen career. she wants to
be a radiologist.
“right now, I’m working at
maple moose coffee company
in umatilla and doing an
internship at Interpath Labs in
Hermiston,” she said.
at the lab, Vertrees has the
opportunity to do hands-on tasks
such as draw blood, work in the lab
and interact with patients, which is
key in the health care field.
she will take her exam in
January for her phlebotomy certi-
fication.
“The internship is through a
class at the high school,” Vertrees
said. “The phlebotomy class is
something I am doing on my
own time, which has taught me
time management. I will start my
medical assistant certification
program next year.”
When all is said and done,
Vertrees would like to work in
the boise area.
“That’s where I want to end
up,” she said. “I have family in
that area. I love that city so much.”
Prep girls basketball
Weston-McEwen vs. Irrigon, Heppner
Tournament, 3 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Knappa, 5 p.m.
Richland at Hermiston, 5:45 p.m.
Warrenton vs. Heppner, Heppner Tourna-
ment, 6 p.m.
Echo at Condon, 6 p.m.
Bickleton at Ione/Arlington, 6 p.m.
Weston-McEwen JV vs. Griswold at Helix
Tournament, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Irrigon vs. Weston-McEwen, Heppner
Tournament, 4:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Knappa, 6:30 p.m.
Richland at Hermiston, 7:30 p.m.
Warrenton vs. Heppner, Heppner Tourna-
ment, 7:30 p.m.
Echo at Condon, 7:30 p.m.
Bickleton at Ione/Arlington, 7:30 p.m.
Long Creek/Ukiah vs. Griswold at Helix
Tournament, 8 p.m.
College women’s basketball
Blue Mountain at Umpqua, 7 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Pendleton at Banks, 5 p.m.
Hermiston at Best of the West, Pasco, TBD
Saturday, Dec. 18
Prep girls wrestling
Hermiston at Juanita, 9 a.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Pendleton at Liberty Tournament, 8 a.m.
Hermiston at Best of the West, Pasco, TBD
Prep girls basketball
Griswold at Helix Tournament, TBD
Weston-McEwen vs. Warrenton, Heppner
Tournament, 1 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Vernonia, 1 p.m.
Hermiston at Southridge, 3:15 p.m.