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Polk County Sports Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 13, 2016 11A WESTERN OREGON TRACK AND FIELD Dobson hurdles over doubts By Lukas Eggen Leading the pack The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — The moments before the gun goes off signaling the start of a race may seem like just seconds to the crowd, but it can seem like an eternity for those waiting to compete. “You’re not sure when the gun is going to go off so you’re just kind of waiting for it,” Western Oregon sophomore Kaleb Dobson said. “Usually, athletes like a really fast gun so they can set and just get out. It’s a lot harder to hold yourself up and then have to take off when you’re in a set position for a while.” On Friday, an extended pause before the starting gun did little to throw Dobson off. The sophomore won the 110-meter hur- dles at the John Knight Twilight meet at WOU on Friday, finishing in 15.12 seconds. “I got out really well to the first hurdle,” Dobson said. “The first three hurdles are probably the best part of my race. I’ve been working in practice on shuffling in between hurdles.” Friday, in front of a home crowd and with sunny, warm conditions, was a moment Dobson said makes track and field so spe- cial. — There was something about the hurdles that attracted Dobson, even from his middle school days. “It just looked really fun,” Dobson said. In eighth grade, he joined the hurdles squad. When he hit high school, he felt ready to try the 110 hurdles for the first time — that is until he hit the track and the first one loomed. “My freshman year in high school, I couldn’t run the 110-meter hurdles, because I kept turning my lead leg in because I was • Western Oregon’s men’s and women’s track and field teams placed first at the John Knight Twilight meet Friday at WOU. • Suzanne Van De Grift won the women’s 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 14.28 seconds. Cody Warner placed first in the 100 (10.92 seconds) and long jump (22 feet, 7¼ inches). Wesley Gray won the triple jump (48-2¾). LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Western Oregon sophomore Kaleb Dobson races ahead in the men’s 110-meter hur- dles on Friday afternoon at the John Knight Twilight meet at WOU. scared of the height,” Dobson said. It wasn’t until his sophomore season — thanks in part to a growth spurt — that he overcame his fear and competed in the 110 hurdles, even though there were a few bumps and bruises along the way. “Oh yeah, there’s definitely a trial and error,” Dobson said with a laugh. “As I grew taller, that’s when I became a better hurdler. I started with the 300 hurdles (which are CENTRAL ROUNDUP Amador: Pirates jump out to 5-2 start Baseball wins two of three against Lebanon Itemizer-Observer staff report INDEPENDENCE — Central’s baseball squad won two of three games against Lebanon last week. The Panthers dropped the opening game 6-5 on April 5 before winning 11-1 on April 6 and 2-1 on Friday. Jackson Holstad hit a pair of home r u n s , while Luis Amador hit one during the Pa n t h e r s Amador 10-run victory on April 6. Central racked up 11 hits. On Friday, pitcher Peter Mendazona earned a com- plete game win for the Pan- thers. Central opened a three- game series against Silver- ton with a 2-1 victory on Monday. The Panthers (7-3 overall, 5-2 Mid-Willamette Confer- ence) play at Silverton Wednesday (today) and Fri- day at 4:30 p.m. BOYS TENNIS DEFEATS LEBANON: Central’s boys ten- nis team defeated Lebanon 6- 2 on Thursday. Kevin Cable, Anthony Martinez and Adam Rangel earned sin- gles victo- ries for the Pa n t h e r s , while the doubles pairs of B r i c e Spread- bur y and Cable Hassan El- telbany, Brian Larson and Nathaniel Miller, and Luis Vera and Clark Gallagher won in doubles play. The Panthers opened the week with a 5-3 loss to Crescent Valley on April 5. Cable, Chris Polanco and Rangel earned singles points against the Raiders. Central played at Silverton Tuesday after press time and hosts Cor- vallis Thursday at 4 p.m. GIRLS TENNIS FALLS TO RAIDERS: Central’s girls tennis team fell to Crescent Valley 8-0 on April 5 before defeating Lebanon 5-3 on Thursday. The Panthers all fell in straight-sets to Crescent Valley. shorter than the 110 hurdles) and that helped build up my confidence. I started off small and gradually progressed into the hur- dler that I am now.” Dobson set a personal record in the 110 hurdles at the Willamette Invitational March 26, finishing in 14.98 seconds. His first-place finish on Friday marked the third time he’s placed in the top two in four races this season. A key to his success may come as a sur- prise: Training with the cross-country team in the fall. “You get really close because you’re with the team in the morning and in the after- noon,” Dobson said. “It’s a great chance for me to get started here and get a base under- neath me.” That base has allowed him to become one of the conference’s best — entering the week with the second fastest time in the 110 hur- dles in the conference. He knows that for as far as he’s come since his first days as a hurdler, there’s still a long way to go. “I got low in my hips,” Dobson said. “That’s the weak part of my race. I have to stay high in my hips throughout the whole race.” If Dobson can improve on that, one of the conference’s top hurdlers may become the man to beat going forward. But that’s a worry for another day, he said. Friday was all about enjoying the crowd and a rare chance to compete at home. “We don’t always get to compete at home,” Dobson said. “ It’s a good feeling to see the fans who don’t get to travel to some of these meets and are here now supporting us. They get to see what we’re all about on the track.” Ag a i n s t Lebanon, Tomok a Naru was the Pan- thers’ lone winner in singles play. The dou- Bruning bles pairs of Renee Bruning and Danielle Chance, Andrea Garibay and Julia Hamar, Olivia Teague and Diana Huerte, and Annika Rid- dle and Katelyn Trevino swept doubles points to clinch the victory. The Panthers hosted Silver- ton Tuesday after press time and plays at Corvallis on Thursday. SOFTBALL GOES 1-2: Cen- tral’s softball team went 1-2 last week, falling to Lebanon 12-2 on April 5 and Silverton 7-4 on April 6 before defeating Corvallis 7-1 on Friday. Central (4-4 overall, 3-3 MWC) hosted Woodburn Tuesday after press time. The Panthers play at South Albany Wednesday (today) before hosting Dallas Friday at 4 p.m. Central will play at Crescent Valley on Tuesday and hosts Lebanon on April 20 at 4:30 p.m. Continued from Page 10A “I was hoping I was able to improve from last year,” Amador said. “I think I have. I’ve gotten faster since my fresh- man year.” The re- sults so far this year have been encourag- ing. Amador Against St. Paul, she threw a three- hitter in seven innings of a work, helping the Pirates to a 9-6 win over their rivals on April 6. During a 9-0 win over Regis on April 5, she threw a complete game with no walks, helping Perrydale to a 5-2 mark overall. It’s not just solid defense carrying the team. The Pi- rates are exploding at the plate, scoring nine or more runs in five of its first seven games. Against St. Paul, Sierra Starr went three for four with four RBIs. Anna McGill recorded three hits, one RBI and three runs scored against Regis. “We definitely had a lot of improvement,” Amador said. “We are a younger team now, but we’re doing really great and are holding on our own.” The Pirates, which host Siletz Valley Wednesday (today), Santiam on Thursday and on April 20, have gotten off to a strong start, and she’s excited about Perrydale’s po- tential going forward. “I’m proud of how we’re playing and how we’ve held our own,” Amador said. “I think if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll be OK.” FALLS CITY TRACK AND FIELD Macnab, Varney win at Life Invite Itemizer-Observer staff report ALOHA — Falls City sen- iors Ryan Macnab and Brit- tany Varney led the Moun- taineers’ track and field team at the Life Invitational on Thursday. Macnab won the boys shot put with a throw of 38 feet, 1 ¾ inches, took second in the discus with a mark of 99-0 and finished sixth in the javelin with a throw of 126-3. Varney won the shot put with a mark of 32-0, second in the discus with a throw of 87-7 and finished 10th in the javelin (62- 10). The girls 4 x 100- m e t e r relay team Varney of Amara Houghtaling, Rachel Beaty, Milli Limberg and Madelyn Hendrickson finished third in 57.74 seconds. Austin Burgess took sec- ond in the long jump (18-10), R o b e r t Kempfer placed third in the triple jump (36-5) and Dylan Young fin- ished third in the 110- Macnab meter hur- dles (19.31 seconds). Falls City will compete at the Up and Comers Invita- tional Friday at Philomath High School. First event be- gins at 4 p.m. Breaking: Samuel smashes previous personal records Continued from Page 10A “While Sara was in junior high and high school, Samuel joined us for most of the practices, starting at a very young age,” James Cole said. “... He’s been around the track his entire life.” At the age of 7 Samuel got his first shot at throwing, competing in the turbo javelin. By the age of 10, he was competing in his first youth national championship in the shot put. “I saw the accomplish- ments (my family) made and the fun they had,” Samuel said. “My sister, Sara, set new records. I just wanted to fol- low in her shoes.” By the time Samuel hit high school, Cole was ready to etch his own legacy in the Panthers’ history books. After a promising fresh- man campaign, Cole’s seem- ingly huge potential took a big hit. Cole tore the labrum in his right shoulder early in foot- ball season during his soph- omore year. He would need surgery to repair it, but Cole informed football coach Shane Hedrick that surgery could wait until after the season. The surgery occurred without any complications, but left Samuel with a diffi- cult path ahead of him. “The recovery was long and grueling,” James said. Samuel, who is right handed, was forced to com- pete throwing with his left arm for several meets. He was eventually able to return to using his right arm for meets, but the effects of his injury lingered through his junior year. “Returning to throwing on the right side with full confi- dence has taken a while,” James said. “Normal day-to- day operations post surgery are one thing. Pushing a 12- pound ball or 3.5-pound dis- cus with reckless abandon is another.” As a freshman, Cole set marks of 115 feet, 2 inches in the discus and 39 feet, 6 inches in the shot put. By the end of his junior year, his personal records in both events stood at 125 feet, 7 inches (discus) and 46 feet, 1 inch (shot put) — modest improvements given the po- tential he showed so early in Track and field • Central’s boys and girls track and field teams de- feated Dallas in a dual meet on April 6. his high school career. “Last year, I didn’t focus on technique,” Samuel said. “I was only thinking about how far can I throw it. That got me pretty much nowhere.” Samuel wasn’t about to let an injury determine his ath- letic fate. “Samuel’s work ethic is un- paralleled,” James said. “I’ve been nudged out of a deep sleep countless times this winter, answering the call to go lift weights or compete the rest of a workout cut short by other commitments.” That work ethic has paid off handsomely. “ I t ’s b e e n a w e s o m e watching Samuel break through this year,” head coach Eli Cirino said. “It gets our whole team excited when he throws a ‘bomb.’” Samuel has already set new personal records in both throwing events. He’s reached 140 feet, 7 inches in the discus and 49 feet, 4 inches in the shot put, both of which are second in school history. “Right now, the focus is on the technique,” Samuel said. “No t s o m u c h o n t h e strength part of it. I’m the strongest I’m going to be right now. I need to buckle down and work on drills.” And, as has been the case throughout his career, his fa- ther will be by his side help- ing him along the way. “I can get 24/7 coaching,” Samuel said. “Whenever I have a question, he’s always there to answer them. We talk about throwing all the time. I think sometimes I take him for granted because he’s always there. He’s right most of the time, but some- times hearing advice from someone else helps.” The chance to see Samuel grow up as an athlete has been a privilege, James said. Getting more time to spend with his son has been even more gratifying. “There is nothing better than spending time with the ones we love, as every m o m e n t i s p r e c i o u s ,” LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer Central senior Samuel Cole prepares to throw the shot put during a meet at Central High School on April 6. James said. Track and field has be- come part of Samuel’s iden- tity; something that helps bring his family together. Now he’s sharing every- thing he’s learned with the Panthers’ younger throwers. “I like it,” Samuel said. “It helps with my throws if I can teach it to somebody else. It helps me apply it, think about what I’m doing and understand it better. It’s a great learning experience.” It’s that role that has made those who care about him the most proud. “Not only has Samuel been our top thrower, but he is also an extremely positive team leader,” Cirino said. “... That group of throwers is very tight and they definitely look to Samuel to lead. ... He’s earned everything he gets.”
