6
JUNE 1, 2003
Smoke Signals
JUNE 1, 2003
Smoke Signals
orina
umm
u
Willamina and Sheridan High School baseball, softball and track teams finish season.
Fromm
line
By Ron Karten
Willamina Baseball
With Dustin Johnson throwing
no-hitters like they were going out
of style, everybody wanted to think
that the Bulldogs were unstop
pable, but the depth just wasn't
behind him this year. At season's
end, the team was 12-9, 11-9 for in
league play. They ended up in
sixth place.
Still, Johnson did more than just
pitch this year. He also hit over
.500 for the season, according to
coach Jade Starr, who called him,
"our rock of consistency."
Jason Bergan also hit "around
.500," said Starr, and James Hosley,
with 26 stolen bases, came close to
breaking the school record of 33.
Willamina Track
Willamina Track and Field sent
nine athletes to state this year, ac
cording to coach Chris Rankin.
Tribal members Matt, Caitlin and
Meghan Zimbrick all competed in
the jumping events. With a career
best jump, Matt took first in the long
jump putting 21'7" between the
starting pad and where he landed.
The jump also passed the school
record set by Chris Cherry in 1993.
He placed sixth in the high jump
A
fV t
0
tWtl
t
Is?
I -,1 4 'urn, r 4 .y -J.
x 1
clearing the bar at 6 feet. In the
triple jump, Zimbrick took fourth
with a jump of 42'5". Caitlin placed
second in the high jump by sail
ing over 5'5", the same height she
jumped during the season to break
the school record. She was fifth in
the longjump (15'11.5"). Younger
sister Meghan placed 11th in the
high jump topping the bar at five
feet as a freshman.
In addition, Bryan Fendall took
12th in the long jump (193");
Tribal member Alex Bishop took
14th in the high jump (5'); Jon
Talmadge placed 7,h (129'4") and
Brittni Wilson placed 9,h (101'2")
in the discus; (Talmadge also
placed seventh in the discus throw
at state last year and this year was
district champion for this event;
Brittni was second in the district);
Joel Warnicke placed 12th (1537")
in the javelin; and David Spinks
placed 15th (46.08 seconds) in the
300 meter intermediate hurdles.
For Fendall, Spinks, Warnicke,
Matt (triple jump and longjump)
and Caitlin Zimbrick (high jump),
these results marked their best
ever personal performances.
Willamina Softball
Tied for first with Santiam Chris
tian and Dayton after regular sea
son play, the Bulldogs'
softball team ended up
at the top of the heap
this season with a 16
2 record.
"I figured we'd be in
the top four and with
a little luck maybe get
to the district play
offs," said Coach Ron
Caligure, "but these
girls this year were a
bunch of scrappers.
We came back. . . there
were six games where
we were tied or behind and won
in the late innings."
For standouts at bat, Caligure
. T ' 'Hi
T "
i
It ' s - I
' '' ' t-J ,f 'i '
'"ktJ-Hr,--- . '.Art-
M IN MEMORY OF
1 TRAVIS TAYLOR
5 "
ti nun
r r H
.. " .win MNWMwiw' . -7" -ni "BsamT , . ..
f r(
- .1 " . . ' i.
Unhittable Dustin Johnson, the pitcher for the Willamina Bulldogs, had four no hitters this year.
you just ask them to do
something and she's re
ally willing to do it," said
LeTourneux. "Almost
everything she does is
with a big smile. She is
an easy going, cheerful
young lady. Everybody
enjoys having her
around."
Verduzco is one of 28
kids on the Spartan
track team, which sent
eight to state this year.
June Kilgore (shot put
and javelin) and Jenni
fer Williams (pole vault
and longjump) went for
the girls. And from the
boys side, Travis McKee,
twins Lee and Adam
Gadberry and Richard
Brown represented the
school in the 1600-meter
relay along with alter
nates Joe Lapke and
Nick Lee. Lee Gadberry
also competed in the 400
meters and the long
jump. Final results
were not available at
Smoke Signals' press
time.
named Jessica Cruickshank and
Leah Bazzy for their clutch hit
ting. And he called the pitching
of Caitlyn Chewning and the
catching of Nikki Commerford
"very consistent."
"Teamwise," he said, "we cut
down on errors during the season.
We started out with 5-6 errors (per
game) and got it down to one to
two at the end, and that's the main
reason we finished where we did."
Though next year promises to be
another rebuilding year with four
seniors leaving, this year was sup-
Mt .4
T
if
.Jfi..rf.l)n - J.. . -r rt r
V t . n - ... -.-,,.:::"iWa'. ...
i
Speed Willamina Sprinter Bryan Fendall, (center) a sophomore, runs in the 100 meter sprint event at the Willamina track meet.
posed to be one also. Four seniors
left the team last year, too. Every
year should be a rebuilding year
like this one was for the Bulldogs.
Sheridan Baseball
When the Spartan baseball team
was playing pickup games with
Jefferson and Gervais last sum
mer, they looked so good that
Coach Dean Rech was licking his
chops and thinking that the Spar
tans could win 20 of their 26
games this season. "They played
a couple summer games and did
really well," said Rech, Physical
Education Teacher at Sheridan
High School. "I said, 'Wow!'"
But it was not to be. The team
sat at 5-13 for league play and 7
14 overall with two games left in
the season. Final results were not
available as Smoke Signals' went
to press.
"Basically, we're a real young
team," said Rech. "We're starting
four sophomores, a freshman,
three juniors and one senior. The
kids haven't had an opportunity
for a whole lot of game experience."
Sheridan Track
Tribal member and Spartan jun
ior Veronica Verduzco set a new
personal record at the recent dis
trict meet at Linfield College. Al
though it was not enough to put
her in the finals, for Co-Head
Coach Sandy LeTourneux, the
performance had merit.
"You want your kids to do their
best at the district meet," said
LeTourneux.
Verduzco also runs in the short
relay and throws shot put and dis
cus for the team.
"She's one of those type of kids,
t tHCffl J
.... .
- K - t i - f , i i
., v '
' i' 1 ' - - $ .
r . t, fin f W . - 1 K i. " I V M " k
, tfft , . -Jf? , 1 It t , . , j , ,
5. - .V , " ' t- t t
'. ifV- '
Champ Discus thrower John Talmadge, a senior from
Willamina, won the district championship in his event.
Sheridan Softball
Tribal member and junior
Rachel Clark is "definitely one of
our better players," said Spartan
Softball Coach Steve Rogers.
"We've had injuries and we've had
to move her around - shortstop
and center field - and
she's been doing
well." Clark also is
the team's lead off
hitter. "She's pretty
quick," said Rogers.
At season's end,
however, the Spar
tans were 3-14.
"They haven't really
stepped up to what
they're capable of. I
suspect next year
they will," said
Rogers.
The problem this
year is "they haven't
been really taught
how fast pitch is
played. It's a totally
different game. A lot
quicker. There are a
lot of plays that go on
that they need to
learn."
Still, the team is on
the rebound. "Last
year, they were
pretty much getting
hammered every
game. This year,
we've been in most of
the games," said
Rogers.
i .w
,4
1 f
f v....
1 I
Photos by Peta Tinda
.4..,. ,v. ,i'
I .' V 1
Tribal members were a strong presence
at during Willamina track and field
events this year. From top left are, Caitlin
Zimbrick, Megan Zimbrick, Matt Zimbrick
and Alex Bishop (left).
h J' H' f' w
, . 1 '
fj4 i t .
1a
r w
- Vw i ' Jf
( 1
-
I
it. 4 '
' : . .-Jk t.mfl , 'L .,
J . "if 4f
11
4i
Air Time Tribal member Matt Zimbrick won the State 2A long jump championship
with a school record leap of 217".
1