Polk County
Sports
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WOU earns votes
for Div. II top 25
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 17, 2016 10A
Rough Stock Rodeo
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon’s football team
earned nine votes for the
AFCA Division II Coaches’
Top 25 poll on Monday.
The Wolves finished 7-4
overall and 5-1 in Great
Northwest Athletic Confer-
ence play in 2015.
Western Oregon opens
the 2016 season at Sacra-
mento State on Sept. 3. The
Wolves’ home opener is
Sept. 10 against Central
Washington at 1 p.m.
The Hell on Hooves Rough
Stock Rodeo returned to the
Polk County Fair on
Thursday evening.
Featuring bareback riding,
saddle bronc riding, barrel
racing, bull riding and
mutton busting, the rodeo
proved to be one of the fair’s
most popular attractions
once again.
Cross Creek
men’s club results
DALLAS — Cross
Creek’s men’s club results
for Aug. 9:
Low gross/low net
Gross: 1 (tie), Brian
Halin-Rocky Kygar-Bob
Sprinkle and John Mangi-
ni-Wayne Weathers-Joe
Johnson, 33.
Net: 1 (tie), Lee
Gamaney-Denny Klassen-
Lynn Hurt; Randy Wiley-
Ken Dankenbring-Ed
Johnson; and Derrill Weav-
er-Steve Albin-Darrel
Smedstad, 29.
Registration for
golf tourney open
DALLAS — Registration
is open for the Dallas Quar-
terback Club’s 22nd annual
golf tournament on Satur-
day.
The 18-hole, four-person
scramble begins at 9 a.m.
at Dallas Golf Club. Check-
in begins at 8 a.m.
Cost is $55 per player for
Dallas Golf Club members
and $60 for nonmembers.
The price includes green
fees, lunch, starter pack
and prizes. Mulligans will
be available for purchase
(limit two per person).
Space is limited to the
first 13 teams.
Contests for longest
drive, most accurate drive
and putting will also be
available.
Money raised from the
event benefits Dallas foot-
ball programs.
For more information:
Dallas Golf Club, 503-623-
6832.
Football picked
third in GNAC
MONMOUTH — Western
Oregon’s football team was
picked third in the Great
Northwest Athletic Confer-
ence preseason poll on
Monday.
WOU received 17 points,
one behind Azusa Pacific.
Defending champion
Humboldt State was cho-
sen to repeat as champi-
ons.
Western Oregon fin-
ished second in the confer-
ence in 2015 behind Hum-
boldt State.
For more information:
www.wouwolves.com.
Grand Ronde to
host Pow Wow
GRAND RONDE — The
Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde’s annual Con-
test Powwow set for Friday,
through Sunday, at Uyxat
Powwow Grounds, 9600
Highway 22.
The annual event is one
of the largest powwows in
the Pacific Northwest.
Registration begins at 5
p.m. on Friday, followed by
the first Grand Entry at 7
p.m. Grand Ronde Royalty
coronation also will be
held Friday evening.
On Saturday, a parade
between the powwow
grounds and Fort Yamhill
State Park will be held at 10
a.m. Grand entries will be
held at 1 and 7 p.m. with
the deadline for dancer
registration set for 2 p.m.
On Sunday, the lone
Grand Entry will occur at 1
p.m.
Camping at Uyxat Pow-
wow Grounds is available
for $5, which includes a
parking pass. Parking is $1
per day or a donation of
canned food. Weekend
passes are available for $3.
A shuttle also will run
from Spirit Mountain Casino
to the powwow grounds.
www.polkio.com
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Thursday’s rodeo included saddle bronc riding, bull riding and more.
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
A competitor falls during his bull ride at the Hell on Hooves Rough
Stock Rodeo at the Polk County Fair on Thursday evening.
The Hell on Hooves Rough Stock Rodeo featured a variety of events for
fair-goers to enjoy at the fairgrounds on Thursday night.
FLOAT ON
Great Willamette Raft Race attracts veterans, newcomers alike
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — At 8:15 a.m.
on Saturday, James Robinson and
Nathan Litke were hard at work.
The duo was putting the finish-
ing touches on its boat, the Phillip
Rivers boat, for the Great
Willamette Raft Race — which
began at Riverview Park in Inde-
pendence.
Their goal was decidedly simple.
“We’re not going to finish last,”
Robinson said.
This was the fifth year Robinson
and Litke have taken part in the
race with a single level, cross-
shaped craft.
It wasn’t long before they started
thinking bigger.
“We heard rumors of a two-story
boat back in the ’70s,” Litke said.
“That inspired our design.”
The next year, they debuted their
two-story boat. Since then, they’ve
made tweaks and additions – in-
cluding a water slide and basket-
ball hoop — that makes their craft
a fan favorite every year.
The group also planned to serve
free hot dogs during the trek, which
traveled from Independence to
Wallace Marine Park in Salem with
a focus on enjoying an August af-
ternoon under the sun.
“You get all these people going
out, meeting up with friends and
making new ones,” Robinson said.
“It’s a good excuse to see people
you don’t get to see all the time.”
While the main goal was to have
a good time, there was still a little
competitive fire lit, Litke said. This
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
The Philip Rivers boat, right, takes off at the start of the Great Willamette Raft Race on Saturday.
was, after all, a race.
“We’ve never finished last be-
fore,” Litke said. “We’re going to fin-
ish at least second to last. It’ll be
close, but we’ll work hard.”
While Robinson and Litke are raft
race veterans, Thomas Woolsey and
Michael Stilligan, of Dallas, were
about to embark for the first time.
See FLOAT, Page 11A
Great Willamette Raft Race
• The Great Willamette Raft Race began at Riverview Park in Independence
and traveled almost 12 miles to West Salem.
• The annual event featured hand-built boats to inflatables. Different boats
began at different times depending on estimated speeds.
• Awards were given for different categories.
• Results were not available as of press time.
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