Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (April 22, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL April 22, 2015 T RACK AND 3B F IELD Continued from 1B “I knew that I couldn’t come out and throw an- other 97 (feet) like last week,” he said. “That really motivated me to improve, so I spent a lot of time this week watching fi lm and working on form.” Geisler, who also threw 40-09 in the shot put, came in second to Elmira’s Zane Wardwell in both events. Chris Clure and Michael Tharpe picked up wins for Cottage Grove in the 200 meters and 300 me- ter hurdles, respectively. And the Lions capped the evening with a victory in the 4x400 meter relay. The team of Tucker Porter, Kendrick Murphy, Jayden Tucker and Connor Howard ran 3:37.51, which ranked as the ninth-fastest time in the state. The girls got an early boost from Breanna Wright, who won the 1500 meters in her fi rst meet of the year. “It was pretty steady, but breathing was still hard on the lungs,” she said. Wright would later team with Halle Petersen, Hudson Weybright and Chelsey Bottorff to win the 4x400 meter in 4:22.25, the eighth-fastest time in the state. Petersen and Weybright also earned individual victories in the 400 meters and 800 meters, respec- tively. The Lions showed their dominance in the fi eld by sweeping the throwing events. Courtney Hammel eclipsed 100 feet in the discus for the second con- secutive meet (103-08). Melissa Powers threw 100- 10 in the javelin, and Conner Borigo set a personal best by 1.5 feet in the shot put. Her mark of 36-leads the Sky-Em and is ranked fi fth in the state. Adding the Lions haul, Melissa Thielman won the high jump in league leading 4-10, and Celeste Pelham cruised to victory in the 100 meter hurdles (17.78). With 89 points, the girls easily outdistanced Sutherlin (52) and Elmira (36). The boys scored 59 points, coming in ahead of Sutherlin (21) but a ways back from Elmira (100), who is considered the favor- ite for the district championship. Tomorrow, Cottage Grove will travel to Sweet Home for another Sky-Em League triangular meet. Knutson said the team will use this as another op- portunity to try different events. “We’re going to keep moving kids around, be- cause we’re not sure yet where they’ll have the best opportunity to qualify for state at the district meet,” he said. photo by Matt Hollander Cottage Grove's Tyler Ledford set the tone for the day with his come-from-behind vic- tory in the 1500 meters. S OFTBALL Continued from 1B heroics to even be in a position to win the game. Down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sev- enth inning, Lyons started Cottage Grove’s rally with a single to right fi eld. “I felt pretty confi dent going up to the plate,” she said. “I know a few of the girls were strug- gling, but I know they picked up as soon as I made contact with the ball and got on base. It defi nitely felt good.” After Sayles got on base with a single, Whisler scored Lyons on an RBI single to right fi eld, leav- ing Cottage Grove behind 4-2. The Lions drew within one when Liz Wiltse scored Sayles on an RBI single to center fi eld. And Whisler tied it up when a pitch got away from Elmira’s catcher. “The girls recovered well and played hard in the later innings,” said Frieze. “I’m really proud of the comeback they made in the seventh inning. They photo by Matt Hollander Cottage Grove's Kamryn Ortloff. C LAWSON Continued from 1B 1994, where she led the Bru- ins to a 259-109 record, 10 league championships and 11 trips to the state playoffs. “Kerry had a great tenure at Cottage Grove,” said Athletic Director Dave Presley. “I’ve en- joyed working with her, and she had such a positive infl uence on the young ladies who went through the program. I’ll never forget the years when the Lions were chasing state titles at Gill Coliseum. Those were some great weeks, and a lot of A.D.s never have the chance to share in those experiences.” Clawson said that she has evaluated her commitment to the program every April since after her fi rst season. “It’s a point in the year where I’m removed from the season and still a ways away from the start of spring ball, and I can re- ally think about whether this is the best way to spend my time, and what’s best for the kids. I think that’s a very healthy way to look at it,” she said. Clawson said she has thought more seriously about stepping away from the program in re- cent years. “Being a head coach, espe- cially during the season, is all- consuming; you’re thinking about the team all the time, ” she said. “If all it required was showing up for the two hours of practice, then I would prob- ably still be the head coach. But I want to start spending more of my time with my own kids.” Cottage Grove plays well over 40 games per year, and the vol- unteer work required to support the program is over 100 hours per year, she said. In addition to all the time commitments, Clawson, who is nearing 60, said that job had become more physically taxing — especially since having her ankle replaced two years ago. “The program needs someone who is willing and able to make the commitment. The kids on the team make a lot of sacrifi c- es, and I think the coach needs to be able to partner in that com- mitment,” Clawson said. Presley said that the school has already begun its search for a new girls basketball coach. The position has been posted in various places throughout the state, and he expects the pro- cess to be completed as soon as possible. As of now there are no candidates to replace Clawson; however, Presley said he ex- pects that to change, as spring is a time of transition for coaches fi nally found the momentum that they needed.” Frieze was also proud of the energy that her team brought to the game — something that was lacking during their recent six-game losing streak. “We defi nitely fought really hard,” said Lyons, “more than we have in any other game this sea- son.” At times, however, that emotion led to miscues. In the top of the fourth inning, Wiltse stopped dur- ing a live play to argue a call, and Elmira’s No. 1 took advantage of the lapse to score from third base. However, Wiltse recovered to make a double play on the very next at bat to end the inning. “It was a key moment for her, to do something positive for the team,” said Frieze. “And that helped the entire team gain momentum and to keep rallying.” Cottage Grove was scheduled to play Elmira for the third and fi nal time this season on Tuesday. It will be a quick recovery for the Lions, who hosted Junction City on Monday. “We’ve always wanted to beat Elmira,” said Ly- ons. “It’s one of our big goals for the season, and I think we can do that on Tuesday.” and educators. Clawson said she does not expect to be involved with the hiring of her replacement, but said that she would be happy to remain involved with the pro- gram from a distance. She also intends to keep teaching at the high school. Presley said that while the athletic department will be look- ing for coaches with experience at large schools, a good reputa- tion and a strong resume, it will pursue candidates who comple- ment the school’s open teaching positions. This past season, Cottage Grove went 14-11 and fi nished second in the Sky-Em League. The Lions graduated a large group of seniors that included second team All-Sky-Em selec- tion Taylor Sayles and Conner Borigo, who was the Sky-Em co-Player of the Year, and a sec- ond team All-State selection. Clawson was named league Coach of the Year. “It’s a great time for a transi- tion in the program,” Clawson said. “The hard part for me is that there’s always great kids coming up who I would have wanted to work with.” The Lions are expected to re- turn all-league players Melissa Thielman and Hannah Arnold. Health Services Directory Counseling & Mental Health South Lane Mental Health Douglas G. Maddess, DMD Serving Cottage Grove Since 1988 s /UTPATIENT #OUNSELING FOR #HILDREN !DULTS #OUPLES s 0SYCHIATRIC -EDICATION -ANAGEMENT s #RISIS !SSISTANCE Preventive and Cosmetic Family Dentistry s s WWWSLMHORG Dental Health Medical Dental Health New Patients Welcome Jonathan E. Backer, D.D.S. 3OUTH TH 3T s #OTTAGE 'ROVE s Preventive and Cosmetic Family Dentistry Dr. Shane Parsons 942-8437 New Patients Welcome 1551 E. Main St. Dr. Bitner D.D.S., P.C. 350 Washington Ave s Cottage Grove Lumineers The Most Natural Veneer 605 Jefferson Ave. Cottage Grove (behind International Fitness) Hours: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm Emergency appts. available daily New patients welcome h53!#(#-.-50#&&5R5'5 ,#(&35(5,#(!5-.Ŀ Please call for an appointment at 541-942-9171 541-942-7934 Hearing Delaying going to the Dentist? Sedation Dentistry is a Dream come True... find out if its for You! BIRCH AVENUE DENTAL &RPSUHKHQVLYH*HQHUDO'HQWLVWU\ $GYDQFHG&RVPHWLFTHFKQLTXHV ,PSODQWV Grant’s Hearing Center Venn Vranas Oregon Hearing Aid Dispenser 541-942-8444 1498 E. Main St. www.grantshearing.com 1325 Birch Avenue, Cottage Grove 541.942.2471 Park W. McClung, DDS & Tammy L. McClung, DDS Next to Safeway in Cottage Grove Hearing Aids For Every Need And Every Budget Great care in a great place. Our services include: ·Primary Care ·Home Health ·Laboratory ·Emergency Department ·Physical Therapy ·Imaging ·Walk-In Clinic ·Medical Out-Patient Services peacehealth.org/cottage-grove U 1515 Village Drive Hospital: 541-767-5500 U Medical Clinic: 541-767-5200 Pharmacies BI-MART Pharmacy OPEN at 9am Mon. - Sat. U Convenient Walk-Up Window 100 Gateway Blvd. U 942-9107 To list your business call us 541-942-3325
