Polk County Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 1, 2016 11A
PREP BASEBALL
Dragons fall to Kingsmen
Dallas loses 6-0 in first round of the 5A state playoffs on May 25
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Dallas’ base-
ball team saw its offense sti-
fled during a 6-0 loss to Put-
nam on May 25.
The eighth-seeded Drag-
ons fell in the first round of
the state playoffs.
Dallas entered the post-
season winning its final
eight Mid-Willamette Con-
ference games to finish sec-
ond in the league standings.
The team averaged more
than five runs per game for
the season.
But the Kingsmen held
the Dragons to three hits,
shutting down Dallas’ bats.
T h e
shutout
was only
t h e t h i rd
time this
s e a s o n
D a l l a s
failed to
score a run
Earhart
and the
first time since April 5
against Woodburn.
Treve Earhart went two-
for-two during the loss,
recording two doubles and a
walk, but the Dragons could
not advance Earhart past
second. Putnam pitcher Alex
Martin threw eight strike-
outs against the Dragons.
The Kingsmen led 2-0 be-
fore scoring four runs in the
fifth inning to put the game
away.
Putnam was eliminated
by Summit in the state quar-
terfinals on Friday.
Dallas finished the season
17-11 overall and 15-6 in
MWC play.
The Dragons earned an
automatic berth to the first
round after placing second
in the league standings.
Dallas will lose four sen-
iors to graduation, includ-
ing infielder Parker Ford,
pitcher/outfielder Everett
Minahan and pitcher/first
baseman Tucker Weaver.
Weaver was also named
MWC Pitcher of the Year.
MARLEEN WALLACE/ for the Itemizer-Observer
Dallas’ baseball team leaves the field after losing to Putnam 6-0 on May 25.
Dragons: Dallas offense
stalls against Churchill Weaver earns honor
PREP BASEBALL
Continued from Page 10A
But players aren’t expect-
ing a dropoff in overall tal-
ent with several strong re-
turners, including freshmen
Kaelynn Simmons and
Emma Classen, both
earned all-league honors in
2016.
Players believe the future
looks bright for Dallas soft-
ball, and that this program
can build on what they ac-
complished this season into
something bigger and bet-
ter for years to come.
“This is just the start of
building back up a great
program and, in the future,
it will get even better be-
cause Dallas has a lot of
softball talent,” El-Hato
said. “… We made it farther
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Dallas sophomore Jayden Wynia attempts to run down
a Sandy baserunner on May 25.
than everyone expected but
I always knew we were ca-
pable of it. … I am going to
miss playing for Dallas, but
I look forward to seeing
how they do in the future.”
Rec: City tries to offer
runners more choices
Continued from Page 10A
In addition to mainstays
like coed and men’s softball,
which begin in June and July,
the city will hold a tennis
tournament in August, a
Halloween run in October,
disc golf and corn hole tour-
naments, and is gauging in-
terest for an adult flag foot-
ball league.
People have begun to no-
tice the increased options.
Margaret Pearce, walking
club organizer, said activities
like the club give people of all
fitness levels a chance to be-
come more involved and they
are taking advantage of it.
The city also offers pro-
grams for kids, including the
Mighty Mites program. The
latest iteration, which begins
Saturday (registration due
Friday) hopes to continue
increasing in size.
“We started with 30 kids
and last time out, we had
65,” Brautigam said.
Whether it’s an intense
game of basketball or a
leisurely stroll through a city
park, the city of Dallas looks
to expand its offerings.
“We want to continue to
build on this. Having a vari-
ety of things to choose from
is really important to us,”
Brautigam said.
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Dallas senior
Tucker Weaver was named
the Mid-Willamette Confer-
ence’s co-Pitcher of the Year
with Carson Kinkade, of
Crescent Valley.
Weaver also earned first-
team all-league honors, one
of seven Dragon baseball
players to receive all-league
recognition.
Shortstop Tanner Earhart
was named first-team all-
MWC, while first baseman
Clay Coxen, second base-
man Eric Kessler, outfield-
er/pitcher Everett Minahan
and catcher Treve Earhart
earned second team all-
league honors. Pitcher Jar-
rett Stewart received honor-
able mention.
Weaver also earned sec-
ond team
all-state
recognition
and was a
state all-
star series
selection.
Ta n n e r
Earhart re-
Weaver
ceived all-
state honorable mention.
The Dragons finished the
2016 season 17-11 overall
and 15-6 in league play, fin-
ishing in second place. Dallas
advanced to the first round of
the 5A state playoffs before
falling to Putnam 6-0.
Six Central baseball play-
ers received all-Mid-
Willamette Conference hon-
ors.
First baseman Luis
Amador, outfielder Jackson
Holstad
and infield-
er Peter
Mendazona
w e r e
named first
team all-
league.
Pitcher
Amador
Humberto
Alarcon, catcher Luke Mc-
Beth and utility player Mil-
iano Alarcon received hon-
orable mention.
Holstad was also named
second team all-state, while
Amador received honorable
mention.
The Panthers finished the
2016 season 12-14 overall
and 10-11 in league play, fin-
ishing fourth. Central fell to
Eagle Point 8-1 in the state
play-in round.
WOU: Larson places
13th in the javelin finals
Continued from Page 10A
Senior Justin Larson took
13th in the finals of the
javelin with a throw of 199
feet, 6 inches.
“The day didn’t go how I
envisioned, but I am able
to walk away from this
meet and WOU knowing
that I gave it my all,” Lar-
son said. “After making the
national championship
four years in a row, I could
not be
m o r e
thankful
a n d
blessed
for my
opportu-
nity at
Western.”
Larson
Senior
Stephanie Stuckey compet-
ed in the prelims of the
women’s 1,500, but failed to
qualify for the finals.
Senior Badane Sultessa
just missed qualifying for
the finals in the men’s 800,
finishing ninth.
The top eight advanced
to the finals. Josh Dempsey
took 15th and Josh Hanna
placed 21st in the same
race.
The meet was WOU’s
final competition of the
2015-16 school year.
Resolutions: Softball, triathlon, tennis up next
Continued from Page 10A
The crowd went wild.
Cannons blasted confetti all
over the green as I celebrat-
ed a momentous occasion.
That might be a slight ex-
aggeration of what hap-
pened one afternoon in Feb-
ruary. But that didn’t make
the moment any less epic (in
my head).
I stood just off the green
on the ninth hole at Dallas
Golf Course. I was maybe
five to 10 feet away from the
hole. And I was at a 44.
At stake? The chance to
cross one of my New Year’s
goals off my list — shoot a
45 over nine holes.
I grabbed my putter, lined
up and hit the ball confi-
dently and forcefully.
Alas, there was no crowd
to share my crowning mo-
ment nor confetti. That
didn’t stop me from giving a
fist pump and a yell of tri-
umph.
New Year’s Resolutions are
notoriously hard to see
through. And here I was, not
even two months into 2016,
and I was 25 percent done
with mine.
Yeah, I felt cocky.
If only the rest were that
easy.
Enter the Monmouth-In-
dependence Fourth of July
Tennis Tournament: Still on
track for this one. I’ve even
hit the court a couple of
times, though the results
have been … less than desir-
able. The good news is each
time I’ve played, I’ve gotten
a great workout in. The bad
news is that’s because I’m
chasing balls that have gone
over the fence or into some-
one else’s court.
Yeah, my glory days of
tennis have passed (or never
arrived). But I’m bound and
determined to show up to
the tournament to play
some … OK tennis and,
hopefully, not hit anyone
with a wayward shot.
PREP SOFTBALL
El-Hato named PoY
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Dallas senior
Yasmine El-Hato was named
the Mid-Willamette Confer-
ence’s Softball Player of the
Year.
El-Hato was one of seven
Dragon players to be hon-
ored.
El-Hato and freshman
Kaelynn Simmons were
named first team all-league.
Senior Ciara Greisen, fresh-
man Emma Classen and
senior Makena Linn were
named second team all-
league. Junior Olivia Nelson
and fresh-
man Alli-
son Wells
received
honorable
mention.
Seven
Central
softball
El-Hato
players re-
ceived all-league honors.
Senior Kylie Nash, junior
Jori Kerr and freshman
Mariah Hyre were named
first team all-Mid-
Willamette Conference.
Sophomore Erin Cole and
senior Br iana Broadus
earned second team all-
league recognition, while
senior Makayla Trevino and
freshman Kassidy Noon re-
ceived honorable men-
tions.
The Dragons finished 12-6
in league play and advanced
to the state quarterfinals
round.
Central finished the 2016
season 11-13 overall and 9-9
in league play, finishing fifth.
The Panthers fell to Crater 9-
5 in the 5A state play-in
round.
It’s the little victories
sometimes.
Enter (and finish) a
full/half triathlon: There’s
something about New Years
that gets me all motivated.
Movie speeches on TV make
me feel ready to take on the
world (Thanks “300”). All my
friends bust out the seem-
ingly endless motivational
quotes and I eat it all up.
For the record, a full,
Olympic triathlon consists
of a 1,500-meter swim, 24.9-
mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile
run.
Am I ready for that? Well, I
feel about as prepared as I
would be to perform brain
surgery on someone with a
jackhammer.
Naturally, I’m choosing a
date. The Rolf Prima
Triathlon in Cottage Grove is
Saturday, July 23 at 8 a.m.
Take part in one of Dallas’
adult rec leagues: Any
chance I had to relive my
(brief) athletic glory days
passed when I definitely
missed the boat on Dallas’
basketball league.
And so, the men’s softball
league begins in July.
To my future teammates
— a word of warning.
My greatest “accomplish-
ment” on the baseball dia-
mond came when I was 6 or
Solution on Page 3A
7. Upon struggling to throw
the ball accurately to our
first baseman, a coach told
me to aim for his head when
I threw.
To my credit, my aim
was true. Unfortunately,
the end result was the first
baseman taking a ball
square in the face. That was
pretty much the end of my
baseball career in my
mind.
So how am I doing with
my New Years resolutions?
Ask me at the end of July.
Today, this seems like it’ll be
one epic month. If I’m still
walking by the end of it, I
might have a different view.