Polk County
Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 13, 2016 10A
SCHEDULE
CENTRAL TRACK AND FIELD
Breaking out
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13
Baseball: Central at Sil-
verton, 4:30 p.m. Crescent
Valley at Dallas, 4:30 p.m.
Perrydale at Western Men-
nonite, 4:30 p.m. Saint
Martin’s at Western Ore-
gon (DH), 1:30 p.m.
Softball: Central at
South Albany, 4:30 p.m.
Siletz Valley at Perrydale,
4:30 p.m.
Track and field: Corval-
lis, Lebanon, South Albany
at Central, 3:30 p.m. Wood-
burn, Crescent Valley, Sil-
verton at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.
Samuel Cole’s impact on the Panthers
extends far beyond his talent
THURSDAY, APRIL 14
Baseball: Santiam at
Perrydale, 4:30 p.m.
Boys tennis: Corvallis
at Central, 4 p.m. Dallas at
Lebanon, 4 p.m.
Girls tennis: Central at
Corvallis, 4 p.m. Lebanon
at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Softball: Santiam at
Perrydale, 4:30 p.m.
Track and field: Perry-
dale at Willamina, TBA.
Western Oregon at Mt. San
Antonio College Relays, all
day.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Baseball: Central at Sil-
verton, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at
Crescent Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Softball: Dallas at Cen-
tral, 4 p.m. Western Ore-
gon at Northwest
Nazarene (DH), 1 p.m.
Track and field: Central
at Oregon Relays (Hayward
Field, Eugene), noon. Falls
City at Up and Comers In-
vite, 4 p.m. Western Ore-
gon at Mt. San Antonio
College Relays, all day.
Western Oregon at Bryan
Clay Invitational, all day.
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Baseball: Western Ore-
gon at Saint Martin’s (DH),
1 p.m.
Softball: Western Ore-
gon at Northwest
Nazarene (DH), 11 a.m.
Track and field: Central
at Oregon Relays (Hayward
Field, Eugene), 9 a.m.
Western Oregon at Mt. San
Antonio College Relays,
O r e g o n R e l a y s, Lo n g
Beach State Invitational
and Pacific Open, all day.
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Baseball: Western Ore-
gon at Saint Martin’s (DH),
noon.
MONDAY, APRIL 18
Boys golf: Dallas at
Mallard Creek (Lebanon),
10 a.m.
Girls golf: Dallas at
Cross Creek, 11 a.m.
Boys tennis: Woodburn
at Central, 4 p.m. Dallas at
Silverton, 4 p.m.
Girls tennis: Central at
Woodburn, 4 p.m. Silver-
ton at Dallas, 4 p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Baseball: Crescent Val-
ley at Central, 4:30 p.m. Sil-
verton at Dallas, 4:30 p.m.
Softball: Central at
Crescent Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Dallas at South Albany,
4:30 p.m. Northwest Chris-
tian at Western Oregon
(DH), 2 p.m.
Track and field: Perry-
dale at PacWest/Tri-River
meet (at Salem Academy),
4 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
Baseball: Central at
Crescent Valley, 4:30 p.m.
Dallas at Silverton, 4:30
p.m.
Boys tennis: Central at
South Albany, 4 p.m.
Woodburn at Dallas, 4 p.m.
Girls tennis: South Al-
bany at Central, 4 p.m. Dal-
las at Woodburn, 4 p.m.
Softball: Lebanon at
Central, 4:30 p.m. Corvallis
at Dallas, 4:30 p.m. Santi-
am at Perrydale, 4:30 p.m.
—
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Central senior thrower Samuel Cole prepares for the discus throw during the Panthers’ meet on April 13 at Central High School.
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Samuel Cole throws the shot put on April 13.
INDEPENDENCE — Throughout his life,
Samuel Cole has accomplished a lot in the track
and field world.
But for Samuel’s father James, who also serves
as an assistant coach for Central’s track and field
team, perhaps the moment he’s most proud of
most had little to do with Samuel setting a new
personal record.
“The measurement of success for me as dad
and coach reached a peculiar pinnacle last
week,” James Cole said. “During the boys JV shot
put competition, many throwers from Central,
including Samuel, began to clap in unison for
each Central teammate ... and then began to do
the same for their competition from Dallas.
“The vast majority of the athletes set personal
bests. Seeing Samuel encourage his young team-
mates — and rivals — in this manner was very
PERRYDALE SOFTBALL
Amador reaches new level
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
Play ball
P E R RY D A L E — O n e
glimpse into Perrydale sen-
ior Hannah Amador’s family
and it’s of little surprise she
has emerged as the Pirates’
softball team’s starting
pitcher.
Pitching is something of a
family tradition in the
Amador family.
“I started playing softball
when I was like 8 years old,”
Amador said. “My brothers
originally got into baseball.
They’re pitchers, too. My
cousins play as well. It’s a
family thing.”
Amador joined her sib-
lings in gravitating toward
pitching.
“We can all relate to each
other,” Amador said. “We
can tell each other stories
• Perrydale’s softball team fell to Kennedy 12-1 on Monday
afternoon.
• The loss was the first time since the season-opener that the
Pirates were held to fewer than nine runs. The Pirates fell to 5-
2 overall.
about what happened dur-
ing a game, and we all un-
derstand what we’re going
through.”
When she arrived at Per-
r yd a l e a s a f re s h m a n ,
Amador looked forward to
easing her way into varsity
softball.
There was only one prob-
lem — Bryce Baucum, the
Pirates’ all-state pitcher
from the year prior, graduat-
ed, leaving the Pirates with
one option.
“It was difficult because I
was the only one coming up
who knew how to pitch,”
Amador said. “I just had to
relax, work with my pitching
coach and it went fine.”
The four-year varsity play-
er spent the offseason work-
ing with a pitching coach.
“We worked on different
pitches, like off speed,
change-up, drop ball and
screwball,” Amador said.
The result has been a
pitcher who can throw
harder, longer and with
better location than ever
before.
See AMADOR, Page 11A
Miller off to a roaring good start
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
QUICK HITS
Business teaches
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Western Oregon pitcher Brady Miller delivers a throw against Concordia on Saturday.
www.polkio.com
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Perrydale senior pitcher Hannah Amador delivers a
throw against Kennedy on Monday afternoon.
WESTERN OREGON BASEBALL
Schedules Subject to Change
DALLAS — Daniel Priebe
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 508 SE
Mill St. No. 6, Dallas, is now
open.
The business offers class-
es for kids and adults during
the late afternoon/early
evenings Monday through
Friday and Saturday morn-
ings. All ages and are wel-
come to attend a trial class.
For more information:
www.dp-bjj.com.
Look for a story on Daniel
Priebe in next week’s Itemiz-
er-Observer.
gratifying and is indicative of who
he really is as a young man
and leader here on cam-
pus.”
It’s Samuel’s mix of tal-
ent, work ethic, and kind-
ness that has allowed him
to excel, even when his high
school career was threatened.
—
It almost seemed predestined that Cole would
turn to track and field as a child.
James Cole, competed in the hammer at the
collegiate level and coaches throws for the Pan-
thers.
Samuel’s older sister, Sara Cole, a 2007 CHS
graduate, holds the school records in the girls
shot put, discus and javelin, and went on to com-
pete for the University of Oregon and now serves
as Central’s javelin coach.
See BREAKING, Page 11A
MONMOUTH — In the
time before Western Oregon
pitcher Brady Miller takes
the field, he’s blasting tunes
to get him pumped up.
His artist of choice?
Katy Perry.
“The upbeat music gives
me a laugh and gets me in a
zone, weirdly enough,”
Miller said with a smile.
The power of Perry has
certainly helped Miller dur-
ing the 2016 campaign.
The sophomore helped
the Wolves defeat Concordia
11-1 on Saturday in the first
of a four-game series. Miller
threw six strikeouts in eight
innings, giving up just three
hits, the latest sign that
Miller has evolved from
freshman phenom to bona
fide ace.
—
It didn’t take long for
www.facebook.com/pages/Polk-County-Itemizer-Observer/205062686252209
Miller to
make a
splash in
the Great
Northwest
Athletic
Confer-
e n c e .
M i l l e r
Vanderkin
e a r n e d
GNAC Freshman of the Year
honors after 18 appear-
ances, 41 strikeouts and a
1.72 ERA.
Despite his strong num-
bers, Miller saw critical areas
that needed improvement
below the surface.
“I struggled getting ahead
of batters last year,” Miller
said. “I trust my defense
more this year. Last year, I
thought I had to do it myself.
I put unnecessary stress on
myself. I had to remember
that it’s a team game. There’s
nine guys out there, not just
one.”
See MILLER, Page 12A
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