Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 13, 2015 10A
COLLEGE BASEBALL
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13
Baseball: South Albany
at Dallas (DH), 2:30 p.m.
Central at Corvallis, 4:30
p.m. Perrydale at Santiam,
4:30 p.m.
Softball: Lebanon at
Dallas, 4:30 p.m. Central at
Corvallis, 4:30 p.m. Dayton
JV at Perrydale, 4:30 p.m.
Track and Field: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference champi-
onships at Western Oregon
University, Monmouth, 4
p.m.
Boys Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference championships
at Timberhill Tennis Club,
Corvallis, 8 a.m.
Girls Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference champi-
onships at Timberhill Ten-
nis Club, Corvallis, 1 p.m.
THURSDAY, MAY 14
Track and Field: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference champi-
onships at Western Ore-
g o n U n i v e r s i t y, M o n -
mouth, 4 p.m. Perrydale at
Tr i - R i v e r C o n fe r e n c e
championships, Kennedy,
2 p.m.
Boys Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference championships
at Timberhill Tennis Club,
Corvallis, 1 p.m.
Girls Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference champi-
onships at Timberhill Ten-
nis Club, Corvallis, 8 a.m.
FRIDAY, MAY 15
Baseball: Dallas at
South Albany, 4:30 p.m.
Corvallis at Central, 4:30
p.m.
Softball: Silverton at
Dallas, 4:30 p.m. Central at
Woodburn, 4:30 p.m.
Track and Field: Perry-
dale at Tri-River Confer-
ence championships,
Kennedy, 3:30 p.m. Falls
City at 1A Special District
1 championships, Portland
Christian High School, 11
a.m.
Boys Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference championships
at Timberhill Tennis Club,
Corvallis, 1:30 p.m.
Girls Tennis: Dallas,
Central at Mid-Willamette
Conference championships
at Timberhill Tennis Club,
Corvallis, 1:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, MAY 16
Track and Field: Falls
City at 1A Special District 1
championships, Portland
Christian High School, 11
a.m.
MONDAY, MAY 18
Girls Golf: Class 5A State
championships, Trysting
Tree Golf Club, Corvallis,
TBA.
TUESDAY, MAY 19
Baseball: Perrydale at
Kennedy, 4:30 p.m.
Softball: Perrydale at
Kennedy, 4:30 p.m.
Girls Golf: Class 5A State
championships, Trysting
Tree Golf Club, Corvallis,
TBA.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20
Softball: Central Linn at
Perrydale, 4:30 p.m.
—
WOU rallies to win GNAC title
Western Oregon defeats Northwest Nazarene twice on Saturday
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
BILLINGS, Mont. — After
a 3-2 loss to Northwest
Nazarene to open the Great
Northwest Athletic Confer-
ence baseball tournament
on Thursday, Western Ore-
gon’s season stood on the
brink. The Wolves would
have to win three games
over the next day and a half
to win the
conference
title. One
loss and
WOU’s sea-
son would
come to an
end.
“You dr-
Harpole
op that
first (game) and you know
you can’t drop another
one,” senior Garret Harpole
gritty win.”
Western Oregon eliminat-
ed top-seeded Montana
State Billings 4-3 in 10 in-
nings on Friday night to set
up a rematch with the Cru-
saders Saturday. The Wolves
needed to win both games
against NNU.
WOU won the first
matchup 7-2 to set up a win-
ner-take-all finale.
See GNAC, Page 14A
McBeth excels after
season threatened
Sophomore forced to cut back miles
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — When it comes to
running, Central sophomore Abby McBeth
doesn’t like to slow down.
As a freshman, McBeth placed second at
the OSAA Class 4A State Championship
meet in the 1,500-meter run and fourth in
the 3,000. But headed into the Mid-
Willamette Conference track and field
championships, McBeth has had to slow
down to keep moving fast.
Despite recording some of the league’s
fastest times in the 1,500, McBeth’s season
— and running career — was in doubt.
“I’m just thankful to have a season,” Mc-
Beth said.
The trouble began after the fall.
“This winter after cross-country, I did
have some health problems,” McBeth said.
Among them included near stress frac-
tures — an injury that could end her sea-
son, if not her career.
“I visited a sports medicine doctor in
Corvallis at the beginning of spring,” Mc-
Beth said. “It was shocking to hear that I
was so close to losing my career.”
The culprit: over training.
Part of what made McBeth one of the
fastest runner’s in the state threatened to
be her undoing.
McBeth’s season was saved, but it re-
MWC Track and Field
Championships
What: Mid-Willamette Conference
track and field championships.
When: Wednesday, 4 p.m.; Thursday, 4
p.m.
Where: Philomath High School.
Admission: Adults, $6; students, $4.
Who: Athletes from Central, Dallas,
Corvallis, Crescent Valley, Lebanon, Silver-
ton, South Albany and Woodburn high
schools.
What’s at stake: Winners and second-
place finishers from each event at the dis-
trict meet automatically qualify for the
Class 5A state track and field champi-
onships, May 22-23 at Hayward Field in
Eugene. Any athlete meeting a predeter-
mined qualifying standard may also qual-
ify for state, regardless of number.
quired some big changes in her approach.
Last year, McBeth said she took a total of
two weeks off and averaged 70 miles a
week. This spring, that number is down to
around 30.
“I haven’t run with a base at all,” McBeth
said. “I’ve sort of been racing myself into
shape, but at the same time trying not to
overdo it.”
See McBETH, Page 12A
CLASS 5A PREP TENNIS
Dallas girls aim to surprise at districts
Coach hopes new attitudes lead to improved results for the Dragons
By Lukas Eggen
Online
www.polkio.com
the next
game, the
next pitch,”
Wo l v e s
c o a c h
K e l l e n
Wa l k e r
said. “ We
had to take
Taylor
it one game
at a time to get back into it.
They did that and found a
way to come away with the
CLASS 5A PREP TRACK AND FIELD
Schedules Subject to Change
Check out the Itemizer-
Observer’s Facebook page
and follow us on Twitter
@PolkIOSports to see re-
sults of Tuesday’s district
golf tournament, baseball
and softball scores and dis-
trict track and field results
from Dallas, Central, Perry-
dale and Falls City high
schools.
Also, visit www.polk-
io.com for sports stories,
photos and more.
said. “We did everything to
get our minds right and not
panic too much. We’ve had
to come back a couple of
times this year and we knew
we could do it.”
Western Oregon respond-
ed by reeling off three-
straight wins to earn the con-
ference crown, culminating
with a 4-3 win over North-
west Nazarene on Friday.
“For us, it was getting to
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Dallas singles player Marissa Brewen hopes to help lead
the Dragons to a successful run at districts.
The Itemizer-Observer
Road To State
DALLAS — When the 2015
season began for Dallas’ girls
tennis team, first-year coach
Jordan Sollman had a simple
message — forget the past.
“I told them I didn’t care
what has happened in the
past,” Sollman said. “This
team is a different team, and
we’re going to play like we’re
out to win.”
That message has taken
hold, perhaps for the first
time in recent memory, as
the Dragons prepare for the
Who: Dallas and Central boys and girls tennis.
What: Mid-Willamette Conference championships.
When: Wednesday, 8 a.m. (boys), 1 p.m. (girls); Thursday, 8
a.m. (girls), 1 p.m. (boys) and Friday, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Timberhill Tennis Club, Corvallis.
What’s at stake: The top four finishers in singles and dou-
bles play advance to the state championship later this month.
Mid-Willamette Confer-
ence district tournament
Wednesday (today), Thurs-
day and Friday at Timber-
hill Tennis Club in Corval-
lis.
“I’m feeling good after
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this year,” No. 1 singles
player Marissa Brewen
said. “We had some nice
wins at the end of the sea-
son to get us pumped up
and ready.”
See DALLAS, Page 13A
www.twitter.com/PolkIOSports