Wednesday, April 21, 2021 A9 SPORTS Track season kicks off By RONALD BOND Wallowa County Chieftain Juston Rogers and Henry Coughlan both won indi- vidual races and helped the 4x400-meter relay team to victory in the Joseph track and fi eld team’s fi rst com- petition of 2021, the Baker three-way, Thursday, April 15. Rogers won the 400 in 55.08 seconds, was sec- ond in the 200 in 24.07, and joined Coughlan, Ian Goodrich and Bayden Men- ton to take the mile relay in 3:49.80. Coughlan, who with Goodrich and Menton was fresh off a state title in cross-country, won the 3,000 by more than a minute with a time of 9:24.32. Men- ton was second in the 800 in 2:10.30, and Goodrich took third in the 1,500 in 4:39.03. Kale Ferguson showed well in his fi rst high school meet, taking second in the discus at 111 feet, 8 inches, third in the shot put (33-feet- 5-1/4) and third in the high jump (5-feet-0). He also was eighth in the 100 in 12.30. Kane Johnson placed third in the 400 (1:05.64) and seventh in the jave- lin (88-feet-1), and Kee- lan McBurney took fi fth in the javelin (91-feet-5) and seventh in the discus (75-feet-6). For the girls, just three athletes competed Thursday, and each had a top-eight fi n- ish. Lottie McDonald took second in the 400 (1:08.95), Iona McDonald was fourth in the 800 (2:45.47) and Ari- ana Samples was seventh in the discus (58-feet-3). On Saturday, the Joseph boys posted fi ve wins at the Union Invite, with Coughlan posting two wins and help- ing a relay team to victory. Michael Caine/Contributed Photo Henry Coughlan, shown at the cross-country state championship earlier in April, won races at two track meets for the Joseph boys track and fi eld team last week. Coughlan claimed the top spot in the 400 in 53.91 and in the 1,500 in 4:14.07, and he and Menton, Goodrich and Rogers won the 4x400 relay in 3:43.21. Goodrich won the 800 for the Eagles in 2:14.94, and Ferguson took top hon- ors in the discus with a dis- tance of 110-feet-2. Fergu- son also took fourth in the 100 in 12.30. Other top eight placers included Rogers taking sec- ond in the high jump (5-feet- 4), third in the 200 (24.84) and sixth in the 100 (12.47), McBurney was fi fth in the javelin (95-feet-1/2) and sixth in the shot put (30- feet-4), Johnson taking sixth in the 800 (2:27.56) and sev- enth in the discus (69-feet- 8-3/4), and Menton placed seventh in the 400 (57.56). On the girls side, Lottie McDonald was second in the 800 (2:52.32) and sixth in the shot put (20-feet-9), and Iona McDonald was fourth in the 400 (1:13.28). Enterprise has six wins in its fi rst meet of the season Saturday in Union, includ- ing four on the girls side from two athletes. Distance-running stand- out Kyla Hook placed fi rst in both the 1,500 (5:33.11), and in the 3,000 (12:18.07), and Savannah Vaughn was fi rst in the 200 (29.40) and the high jump (4-feet-8). Vaughn’s win in the high jump headed four high jumpers in the top fi ve for the Outlaw girls. Althea Komiskey was second at 4-feet-4, Arian Latta third at 4-feet-0, and Hailey Jenkins fi fth at 3-feet-10. Sierra Holcomb was sec- ond in the javelin (87-feet- 3), Komiskey was fourth in the 100 (15.13), Asiya Salim was fourth in the shot put (22-feet-6) and fi fth in the javelin (63-feet-4), and Ailena McEntire took fi fth in the 200 (31.87). On the boys side, Zac Knapp won the 3,000 (9:56.60) and was second in the 1,500 (4.22..84), and Jericho Peters won the 200 (24.53). Peters also was third in the 100 (12.01) and along with Zander Walker, Ransom Peters and Lute Ramsden, was second in the 4x100 relay in 48.10. Rams- den also was second in the 200 (24.81) and 400 (54.82). Gideon Gray took sec- ond in the high jump (5-feet- 4) and fourth in the jave- lin (101-feet-2-1/2). Roan Flynn took fourth in the 800 (2:24.69) and the long jump (16-feet-3/4). Bren- den Moore was fi fth in the 3,000 (10:48.45), and sixth in the 1,500 (4:53.34). Ran- som Peters added a fi fth- place fi nish in the 200 (25.79) and was eighth in the 100 (12.58). And Tan- ner Kiesecker was eighth in both the shot put (28-feet-1) and the discus (29-feet-1/2). Enterprise is back in action Thursday, April 22, at Prairie City, and Joseph returns to Union Saturday, April 24. Linfi eld bound Joseph’s Juston Rogers, a senior track and fi eld athlete, signs his letter of intent to run for Linfi eld College in McMinnville on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Rogers, whose best time in his signature 800-meter event is 2:02, will run both the 800 and 400 for NCAA Division III Linfi eld beginning in the fall. The Oregon record for 1A division boys is 1:57.83 and national record for high school boys 800m is 1:46.45. Rogers applied to the University of Oregon and Portland State, but decided on Linfi eld because the school has a small but welcoming campus that will feel a little more like home. “It put me on the team and gave me the opportunity to run in the track right away,” he said. Rogers characterized the grueling 800 event as a “... all about will and doing a two-lap sprint.” The Eagle senior expects to improve his time in the events after a long COVID layoff from track training and competition. “It will be good to get back on the track,” he said. Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain Wallowa County Chieftain, File Wallowa Valley’s David Salim, shown in a 2019 fi le photo, had eight hits in two games for the Eagles as they opened the season Friday, April 16, 2021, with two wins at Stanfi eld/Echo. Eagles dominate in season opening doubleheader Chieftain staff Dominance was the name of the game in the season opener for the Wal- lowa Valley baseball team. The Eagles scored often — very often — in sweep- ing Stanfi eld/Echo in a doubleheader Friday, April 16, by scores of 22-0 and 13-0. The opener was dom- inated not only by the off ense, which pounded out 19 hits, but also by the pitching of Trace Evans. The senior struck out the fi rst nine batters he faced, and fanned a total of 10 batters in four innings. He walked nobody and allowed no hits — only an error kept him from four perfect frames. Trace Col- lier tossed an inning of relief, allowing a hit and striking out two. The big day off ensively was from David Salim, who went a perfect 5-for-5 with a double and three runs. Jackson Grover and Lane Rouse also had three hits each, and Rouse and Maclane Melville scored three times. Evans also went 2-for-5 and scored three times. Wallowa Valley scored seven runs in the fi rst inning and started sub- bing early, but still added on with fi ve runs in the second, third and fourth innings. In the second game, the runs came later for the Eagles, who had a 3-0 lead after three innings, then plated six runs in the fourth and scored four more times in the fi fth. Salim carried over his hot bat from the opener with three more hits and two more runs. Chase Homan and Flynn Nave had two hits and scored twice, and Grover also scored twice. Nave was sharp in four innings of work, allowing just one hit, walking two and striking out 11. Collier closed out the game again in the fi fth, allowing a hit and recording a strikeout. The Eagles (2-0 over- all) visited the La Grande JV Tuesday, April 20, and visit Heppner/Ione Friday, April 23. Wallowa Valley takes two of three in opening week Liz Rowley hom- ered, drove in three runs and scored three times, Claire Farwell and Sophie Moeller also scored three times each, and the Wal- See our complete ad for further information on page A8 SAVE THE DATE DIY DEMO NIGHT April 23rd, 2021 5:00 - 7:00 PM 800 S. River Enterprise, OR | 541-426-9228 | www.carpetone.com lowa Valley softball team opened Season 3 by out- lasting Weston-McEwen Tuesday, April 13, in a slugfest, 16-10. Rowley also had a double as Wallowa Val- ley pounded out 17 hits, including seven extra-base knocks. Moeller and Bri- anna Rouse both had two doubles on the day, with Moeller driving in a pair of runs. Farwell had four hits and also had two RBIs, and Macy Marr drove in two runs. Saturday, Wallowa Val- ley split a home double- header against McLough- lin, winning the opener 14-7, and dropping Game 2 by a score of 12-8. Rowley homered for the second game in a row, doing deep in the open- ing-game victory. She also doubled, drove in fi ve runs and scored twice. Moeller scored four times, Farwell had three runs and Kirk- land scored twice. Farwell, Cooper Nave, Moeller and Rowley each had two hits. Aimee Meyers struck out seven batters and allowed just one run on two hits in fi ve innings. In the nightcap, Kirk- land powered the off ense with three hits, including two doubles, and had a run and an RBI, and Mey- ers and Nave both scored twice. Wallowa Valley (2-1 overall) visits Grant Union for a doubleheader Satur- day, April 24. Wallowa/Joseph golf- ers return to the course Frank Westerman shot a 98 to lead the eff ort by a young Wallowa/Joseph boys golf team in its fi rst tournament of 2021 Fri- day, April 16, in Echo. Six of the eight golfers Friday — and seven of the nine total — are new to the team, head coach Marvin Gibbs said. “It was more a learn- ing experience for every- body,” Gibbs said. The rest of the scores included Owen Mal- lory with a round of 116, Mason Moore at 118, Wil- lie Gibbs with a score of 120, Hayden Hite with a 121, Owen Gorham at 130, Jace Fisher at 140 and Jesse Larison with 150. Wallowa/Joseph does not have a girls team this season. The team is back on the course Friday, April 23, at Buff alo Peak Golf Course in Union.