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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 15, 2016)
Polk County Sports QUICK HITS Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 15, 2016 10A 2016 ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ALL-REGION SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR Youth football signups open INDEPENDENCE — Cen- tral Youth Sports will hold football registration ses- sions Wednesday (today) and Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Panther Stadium at Central High School. Oak Knoll to host golf tourney INDEPENDENCE — Oak Knoll Golf Course, 6335 Highway 22, Independ- ence, will hold the Jim Va n d e r fe e n M e m o r i a l Tournament June 25 at 11 a.m. Cost is $240 per team for the four-man scramble. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Shriner’s Hospital. For more information: 503-378-0344. Signups open for tennis tourney MONMOUTH/INDEPEN- DENCE — Registration is open for the 43rd annual Monmouth-Independence Fourth of July Tennis Tour- nament July 2 and 3 at Central High School and Western Oregon Universi- ty. Brackets for singles and doubles of all skill levels are available. There will also be a father/son and mother/daughter bracket. Forms are available on- line at www.oregonten- nis.com. Cost is $15 for singles and $25 for doubles. For more information: 503-623-2998. Registration is due by June 29. Avgi named GNAC Athlete of the Year Throwing heat El-Hato a triple threat for Dallas By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — There was a time when Dal- las High graduate Yasmine El-Hato wasn’t sure if she’d ever be good at softball. Luckily for her — and for the Dragons — that time quickly passed. As the Dallas’ top starting pitcher, El- Hato had a 2.4 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 93 1/3 innings of work. She also had a perfect fielding percentage while playing at first base, and a team-high 47 hits, six home runs and 50 RBIs at the plate. Her ability to affect the game in all as- pects makes her the Itemizer-Observer’s Softball Player of the Year, though she wasn’t always the game-changing player she is today. — El-Hato had a familiar start to her soft- ball career, taking up the sport for the first time as a young child. Any dreams of being naturally gifted, however, were soon dashed. “I was put in the outfield because that’s where the girls who weren’t as good at soft- ball were put when we were younger,” El- Hato said. “Honestly, I wasn’t the best play- er. I was never hitting. Pitching, I had no idea what I was doing. My parents had no idea because they had never played.” Around the age of 10, El-Hato had enough. “I thought I need to get out (of the out- field),” El-Hato said with a smile. She began taking lessons and, although it was a struggle at first, she was deter- mined to make it work. “Softball has always stuck with me,” El- Hato said. “I wanted to be a leader. Being a pitcher helped me have more control and help other people out.” See DALLAS, Page 11A 6 57 The number of home runs Yas- mine El-Hato hit during the 2016 season. The number of strikeouts El- Hato threw during her senior season. BASKETBALL Alexander chases pro basketball dream By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — West- ern Oregon senior Andy Avgi was named the 2015- 16 Great Northwest Ath- letic Conference Male Ath- lete of the Year on Friday. Avgi, a 6-foot-6, 260- pound forward on WOU’s men’s basketball team, was named a preseason and postseason All-Ameri- can. Avgi led the Wolves in scoring, helping the team reach the its first trip to the Division II Final Four. Avgi was second in the GNAC in scoring (19.4 points per game). He also competed for the football team in the fall, catching 12 passes for 192 yards and four touch- downs. Avgi is the third athlete in WOU history to earn the award. Grady Wood (2011- 12, baseball) and Mike Hin- shaw (2001-2002, football and track and field) were the others. LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer file Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories fol- lowing former WOU players Devon Alexander’s attempt to play professional basketball overseas. Look for more sto- ries about the challenges he faces and whether he reaches his ultimate goal. An audio version of this story can be heard at www.polkio.com. MONMOUTH — For per- haps the first time in his col- l e g i a t e c a r e e r, D e v o n Alexander took a deep breath and smiled. Western Oregon’s men’s basketball team had just fin- ished a historic season, cul- minating with a trip to the NCAA Division II Final Four — a perfect cap to his senior season. It also meant for the first time, there were no more games to prepare for, no offseason programs to adhere to. “As soon as we played that last game in the Final Four, I sat back, took everything in and just relaxed,” Alexander said. “It’s been a grind like no other in my life. We put everything into this season.” It was, at long last, the end of an era. But the closing of one chapter signals the start of a new one — the most chal- lenging in his athletic life. Alexander isn’t ready to walk away from the basketball court. And he’s willing to go any- where in the world to see that happen. Two weeks after the end of the men’s basketball season, Alexander was back in the gym. This time, there were no teammates or coaches pushing him. “Everyone has that dream of playing in the NBA,” he said. “Then there’s more re- alistic, true-to-you goals and realizing what’s more possi- ble.” For Alexander, that means playing overseas. See DREAM, Page 11A Signups open for co-ed softball Devon Alexander hopes to play professional basketball overseas this year. DALLAS — Registration is open for Dallas’ co-ed softball league. Deadline is June 17 and cost is $200 per team. Games will be held Tues- days and/or Thursdays at 6 or 7:15 p.m. beginning Tuesday. Forms are available on- line at www.ci.dallas.or.- us/756/Adult-Recreation. For more information: David Brautigam, 503-831- 3559. Applegate, Diaz thrive as part of Blue Dolphins www.polkio.com By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Gabe Apple- gate loved the water, though the thought of racing never crossed his mind. “I loved diving and doing the doggie paddle,” he said. But something about the challenge of competitive swimming proved ir- resistible. “It loo- ked like the hardest sport,” he said. Isabel Applegate Diaz joined the Blue Dolphins after watching her siblings, in- cluding 2016 Dallas High graduate Lucas Diaz, join the program. “Before I joined, I used to like just splashing around,” Diaz said. Both swimmers soon dis- covered just what competi- tive swimming would be like. “ It w a s hard for me because I didn’t know how a swim team oper- ated,” Diaz said. Ne i t h e r Diaz were quite sure what competitive www.facebook.com/pages/Polk-County-Itemizer-Observer/205062686252209 swimming would hold for them, but both have found they feel right at home. The pair has become two of the Blue Dolphins most promising swimmers. Diaz placed second in the girls 400-yard individual medley (13-14) in Albany on June 5. See BLUE, Page 11A www.twitter.com/PolkIOSports *$0 down, 0% A.P.R. financing for up to 36 months on purchases of new Kubota equipment (excluding VS Series) is available to qualified purchasers from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory through 6/30/2016. Example: A 36-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 36 payments of $27.78 per $1,000 financed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. 0% A.P.R. and low-rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 6/30/2016. See us for details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information. Optional equipment may be shown. SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY & OUR LOCAL SPORTS 130 Main St., Rickreall • 503-623-2365 • www.rickfarm.com
