Polk County Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 22, 2017 11A
2016-17 ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ALL-REGION PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM
GUARD
ELIZABETH
CHAVEZ
GUARD
OLIVIA
NELSON
Central
Dallas
Chavez, a sophomore, took a big step
forward after a strong freshman cam-
paign.
“She was a threat
both on the offen-
sive and defensive
side of the ball,”
McDonald said.
On offense, Chavez
helped run point,
guiding the of-
fense to 44.6
Chavez
points per game.
She was second on
the team in scoring, averaging 12.4
points per game. The sophomore
was also one of the Panthers’ top de-
fenders. She made life difficult for
opposing guards and gave Central
critical possessions by averaging 3.0
steals per game. Chavez received all-
league honorable mention — miss-
ing second team all-MWC by one
vote.
The senior point
guard helped di-
rect a potent Dal-
Nelson
las offense. Nelson
led the team in scoring (229 points)
and assists (71) and was third in re-
bounds (91). She played a critical role
in helping Dallas advance to the first
round of the state playoffs, including
a stretch where the Dragons won
seven of eight games, including going
3-1 at the Nike Interstate Shootout.
Nelson earned first team all-MWC
recognition for her efforts.
Panthers. Menda-
zona ranked first or
second on the
team in nearly all
categories, averag-
ing 12.7 points and
7.2 rebounds per
game. “She was
one of our go-to
players and didn’t
Mendazona mind that responsi-
bility,” coach Julie McDonald said. Men-
dazona was a dependable scorer and
defender. The future is bright for her
and the Panthers’ basketball program.
Mendazona earned first team all-Mid-
Willamette Conference honors.
ting down many
team’s best offen-
sive threats. It may
have been a lot for
some,
but
Lawrence excelled.
“I knew Sydney
would be an im-
portant piece to
the team,” coach
Lawrence
Terry Newton said.
“She shot the ball, handled the ball
and played defense on a lot of teams’
best players. She was the glue for us
on everything.” Lawrence earned first
team all-Casco League recognition for
her performance during the season.
GUARD
SYDNEY LAWRENCE
GUARD
STEFANI
TALLON
Perrydale
WING/GUARD
MEAGAN
MENDAZONA
Central
The freshman guard came in and
made her presence felt quickly for the
The 2016-17 season saw Perrydale
rely on a number of inexperienced
players. Lawrence helped the Pirates
rise to the occasion and earn a trip to
the state playoffs. The freshman was a
focal point for the offense, averaging
nine points and five assists per game.
On defense, she was tasked with shut-
Dallas
The
senior
guard/wing had a
big impact for the
Tallon
Dragons during
the 2016-17 campaign. On offense,
Tallon ranked second on the team in
scoring (215 points) and had a knack
for driving to the rim and finishing.
On defense, she was always a threat
to create turnovers, tying for the team
lead in steals with 56 and ranked
fourth on the team in rebounds with
88. Tallon earned second team all-
MWC honors.
COACH
TERRY NEWTON
Perrydale
Newton helped guide an inexperi-
enced Perrydale squad to the state
playoffs, despite having seven under-
classmen on the roster. Newton saw
to it that the Pirates learned quickly
on the court and, though there were
growing pains along the way, Perry-
dale developed into a strong, danger-
ous team under Newton’s tutelage.
With a young core intact, Newton has
set up Perrydale for years of success.
—
The 2016-17 Itemizer-Observer all-region
girls basketball team was selected by
Sports Editor Lukas Eggen, along with
heavy input from area coaches.
Mendazona: Future looks bright for freshman
Continued from Page 10A
“I always watched Ore-
gon State’s women’s basket-
ball team,” Mendazona
said. “My dad takes me to
some of their games. I
looked up to those girls
and they were inspiration
for me to be more like
them. They made me want
to improve my game to be
like theirs.”
There was something
about being out on the
court that she became ad-
dicted to, and she became
d r i v e n t o i m p r ov e —
whether that meant play-
ing for a traveling club
team during the summers
or working in the gym and
watching game film at
home with her brother,
Peter. Meagan wants to
make sure each time she
steps onto the court, she
can play with anyone.
“Watching Meagan play
since she was in preschool,
I knew she had some spe-
cial qualities,” Central
coach Julie McDonald said.
“She has never been intimi-
dated by playing with older
girls or, even boys for that
matter. She is a competitor
and eager to learn. … She is
a head above most girls her
age and has a lot more
room to grow as a player.”
There was one thing
bothering her — she lacked
the chances to play the po-
sitions she truly loved.
“Before high school, I
was always put at the post
because I was taller than
everyone else,” Mendazona
said. “I never really liked it.
I’m not necessarily more
comfortable outside, but I
always liked playing the
point or the wing.”
That changed once she
arrived at Central, though
Mendazona quickly discov-
ered she couldn’t get by
purely on her physical
skills.
“She couldn’t just rely on
her speed and strength be-
cause the girls she was
playing with were two to
three years older than her,”
McDonald said. “She devel-
oped a nice pull up jumper
and learned how to be
crafty with the ball down
the lane.”
On any given possession,
she was a threat to take the
outside shot, take it to the
hoop or dish it to a team-
mate.
She also showed she
could be a steady hand in
late-game situations.
Often, with games coming
down to the wire, it was
Me n d a z o n a Mc D o n a l d
called upon to make some-
thing happen.
“She wants the ball in
late-game situations,” Mc-
Donald said earlier this
season. “The girls trust her.
I trust her. That’s a good
trait for a player to have.”
Mendazona should only
improve going forward.
Mendazona suffered a
shoulder injury during vol-
leyball season in the fall
and required surgery to re-
pair. She was able to return
in time for basketball but
with a big caveat.
“My shooting form got
kind of screwed up a little
bit,” she said.
Returning her form to
where it was pre-injury will
be a major focus during the
offseason — and make her
even more of a threat on
the offensive end.
“I want my shooting to
improve,” Mendazona said.
“I want to increase my
range and get my form
back to where it used to
be.”
Mendazona entered high
school hoping to con-
tribute to the Panthers as
best she could. She left the
season being one of the
team’s unquestioned lead-
ers, and McDonald expects
her to only get better.
“She is fun to watch play
any sport,” McDonald said.
“She has been gifted with
talent, and she continues
to push herself to be the
best she can be.”
Huerte: Switched
Softball wins shootout over Yellowjackets from doubles
WESTERN OREGON ROUNDUP
Itemizer-Observer staff report
BILLINGS, Mont. — For
three of Western Oregon’s
softball team’s four games
against Montana State
Billings, the Wolves’ of-
fense struggled. WOU lost
to the Yellowjackets 7-3
and 10-2 on Saturday and
dropped the first game of a
doubleheader on Sunday
5-3.
The offense came alive in
the series finale as Western
Oregon won a high-scoring
affair 19-18.
The two teams combined
for 35 hits and six home runs
in the final game.
Destiny Kuehl and Jenna
Kelly each hit one for the
Wolves.
An RBI single from Kelly
scored Ryanne Huffman for
the game-winner in the top
of the eighth inning.
Kelly had four hits and
four RBIs during the game.
Western Oregon (9-10
overall, 1-3 GNAC) will play
a doubleheader at Central
Washington Saturday at 1
p.m. and at Saint Martin’s
Sunday at noon.
TRACK AND FIELD WINS
11 EVENTS: Western Oregon
track and field athletes took
first in 11 events at the Titan
Classic in Eugene on Saturday.
Brandon Bowen won the
men’s shot put with a throw of
49 feet, 6¼ inches and the dis-
cus with a mark of 131-9. Kee-
gan Allen placed first in the
hammer with a throw of 153-
11. Connor Reinke finished first
in the high jump (6-0).
Kathryn Pitts took first in the
women’s triple jump with a
mark of 35-7¼ and Rachel
Huffman won the shot put (42-
0½) and discus (135-1).
In the track events, Codi
Blodgett won the men’s 100-
meter run in 11.13 seconds.
Laura Patrick placed first in
the women’s 400 (1:01.52),
Nicole Maurmann finished first
in the 3,000 (10:04.72) and Sara
Madden won the 400 hurdles
(1:07.35).
Western Oregon will com-
pete at the Willamette Invita-
tional on Saturday.
BASEBALL EARNS SPLIT
WITH CENTRAL WASHING-
TON: Western Oregon’s base-
ball team dropped a pair of
games to Central Washington
on Sunday, losing 6-3 and 4-0.
Western Oregon defeated
Central Washington 1-0 and 5-
4 on Monday.
Pitcher Craig Grubbe threw
six strikeouts in the first game
on Monday and Jacob Martinez
hit a sacrifice fly to score the
winning run in the bottom of
the ninth.
Western Oregon will play at
Saint Martin’s for a pair of dou-
bleheaders Saturday at 1 p.m.
and Sunday at noon. The
Wolves host Lewis-Clark State
on March 29 at 2 p.m.
Continued from Page 10A
“I’ve fallen in love with
singles,” she said. “I love
how it’s all on you. In
doubles, it’s a 50-50 type
of thing. I think it’d be
hard going back to dou-
bles.”
O n T h u r s d a y, s h e
proved how effective she
can be, showing strong
mobility on the court and
a knack for placing shots
exactly where they needed
to be.
It was a big contrast to
those who saw her during
her first practices her fresh-
man year.
“I tended to try and hit
the ball way too high,” she
said. “Now, I’m really com-
fortable with my forehand.”
Huerte played in the No.
2 singles spot on Thursday.
The junior knows the Mid-
Willamette Conference will
offer stiff competition —
especially from perennial
powers Crescent Valley and
Corvallis — but Huerte
looks forward to seeing
how she stacks up.
“I’ve been waiting all
year for tennis,” Huerte
said. “I can’t wait for the
season. This is just the be-
ginning.”
CENTRAL ROUNDUP
Baseball opens season with 5-1 victory over Stayton
Itemizer-Observer staff report
STAYTON — Central’s
baseball team earned a 5-1
victory over Stayton on
Thursday.
Pitchers Humberto Alar-
con and Peter Mendazona
combined to throw 17
strikeouts. Jackson Holstad
and Luis Amador each had
three hits to lead the Pan-
thers at the plate.
“Offensively, we struggled
dearly but came to life in the
sixth inning, scoring all five of
our runs,” Central coach
Reed Rainey said.
Central played Corvallis
Tuesday after press time.
The Panthers play at Cor-
vallis Wednesday (today) at
4:30 p.m. before hosting
the Spartans Friday at 4:30
p.m.
S O F T B A L L S H U TS O U T
NORTH MARION: Central’s
softball team opened the 2017
season with a 17-0 win over
North Marion on Thursday.
Sydney Nash went two for
three with three RBIs to lead
the Panthers. Peyton Shi-
manek had two hits and four
RBIs.
The Panthers played Silver-
ton Tuesday after press time.
Central hosts South Albany
Wednesday (today) at 4:30 p.m.
and Crescent Valley Friday at
4:30 p.m.
The Panthers will compete
at the Battle at the Beach tour-
nament at Newport on Mon-
day and Tuesday.
TENNIS FALLS TO DALLAS:
Central’s boys tennis team lost
to Dallas 7-1 on Thursday. Joel
Robison defeated Hyrum John-
son 7-5-6-4 to earn the Pan-
thers’ lone victory. Central
played Woodburn Tuesday after
press time. The Panthers host
South Albany Thursday at 4
p.m.
TRACK AND FIELD OPENS
SEASON: Central’s track and
field team hosted Crescent Val-
ley on March 15. Team scores
weren’t available.
Sterling Hutchinson helped
lead the boys with a first-place
finish in the 200-meter run in
24.12 seconds. Isaac Burgett
took first in the 400 in 53.92,
Jaydon Aydelotte won the 110
hurdles in 17.63 and Josh Dick-
son took first in the 300 hur-
dles in 42.58.
In the field events, Alec
Barba won the high jump with
a mark of 5 feet, 8 inches. James
Rand took first in the pole vault
with a throw of 11-0, Peter
Mason won the long jump with
a leap of 19-9 and Xander Bailey
took first in the triple jump with
a mark of 38-6.
Launi Brent won the girls
shot put with a throw of 29-1½.
Lexy Anderson took first in the
DALLAS ROUNDUP
Boys track and field defeats South Albany
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Dallas’ boys
track and field team defeat-
ed South Albany 66-33 on
March 15. The girls team fell
53-37.
Cody Webb won the boys
100- and 200-meter runs in
11.48 and 24.33 seconds, re-
spectively, to help lead the
Dragons. Webb also won the
110 hurdles in 16.37. Trevor
Cross took first in the 1,500
(4:21.71) and 3,000 (9:17.86).
Jacob Ronco took first in the
javelin (148 feet, 8 inches),
and Aaron White won the
long jump (20-2½).
Stefani Tallon helped lead
the girls, placing first in the
100 (13.87) and 100 hurdles
(17.11). Alyssa Garner won
the 800 (2:41.41) and 3,000
(12:18.98). In the field
events, Ellie Osborn took
first in the shot put (28-10);
Amber Beattie won the
javelin (92-0); and Kayley
Sayer took first in the long
jump (14-11).
Dallas will travel to Silver-
ton on Thursday at 4:15 p.m.
and at Canby on March 29.
B OYS T E N N I S D E F E AT S
CENTRAL: Dallas’ boys tennis
team defeated Central 7-1 on
Thursday.
C a e d m o n B l a i r, J a c o b
Gillette and Michael Davison
earned victories in singles,
while Josh Dudley and Zac
Price, Ryan Bibler and Trenton
Ensz, Travis Wilson and Michael
Friesen, and Samuel Noack and
Boe Bray swept the doubles
matches.
Dallas played Crescent Val-
ley Tuesday after press time.
The Dragons will host Wood-
burn Wednesday (today) at 4
p.m., Corvallis Thursday at 4
p.m. and Sandy Friday at 4 p.m.
before traveling to Silverton
Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Dallas’ girls tennis team de-
feated Central 6-2 on Thursday
afternoon.
Addie Gillette and Molly Pef-
fley earned singles victories for
the Dragons. The doubles pairs
of Amanda Schafer and Megan
Ronco, Lynn Gumpinger and
Julia Del Olmo, Kloe Totten and
Emma Cromwell, and Morgan
Bateman and Payton Fast won
in doubles play.
Dallas played Crescent Val-
ley Tuesday after press time.
The Dragons will play at Wood-
burn Wednesday (today) at 4
p.m. and at Corvallis Thursday
at 4 p.m. before hosting Silver-
ton Tuesday at 4 p.m.
BASEBALL DROPS T WO:
Dallas’ baseball team fell to
South Eugene 10-9 in its sea-
son-opener on Thursday after-
noon. The Dragons also lost to
Gladstone 9-6 on Friday. Stats
weren’t available as of press
time.
The Dragons will host Wood-
burn Wednesday (today) at
4:30 p.m. before playing at
Woodburn on Friday. Dallas
will take part in the Newport
Spring Break Tournament on
Monday and Tuesday.
S O F T B A L L FA L L S TO
PHILOMATH: Dallas’ softball
team lost its season-opener to
Philomath 5-4 on Thursday.
Stats weren’t available as of
press time.
GIRLS GOLF PLACES
FOURTH: Dallas’ girls golf team
placed fourth at the first Mid-
Willamette Conference golf
tournament at Mallard Creek.
Kailee Curtis finished in a tie
for second with a 45.
The boys team finished sixth
at Trysting Tree in Corvallis.
David Jones shot the team’s
low round with a 99.
Both golf teams are off until
April 3.
javelin (85-9) and Sophia Henke
won the long jump (15-8¼).
Central will compete at
Woodburn Wednesday (today)
at 3:45 p.m.
GOLF TEAMS PLACE SEV-
ENTH: Central’s girls golf team
finished seventh at a Mid-
Willamette Conference golf
tournament at Mallard Creek on
Monday. Abby Lovrien shot a
74 to lead the Panthers.
The boys took seventh at
Trysting Tree in Corvallis. An-
drew Love shot a team-low 89
to lead the Panthers.
Pirates
fall to
Kennedy
Itemizer-Observer staff report
MT. ANGEL — Perry-
dale’s baseball team lost
its season-opener to
Kennedy 5-3 on Monday
afternoon.
Dustin Silver had two
hits to lead the Pirates.
Colten Moore drove in two
runs. Pitcher Noah
Amador threw three
shutout innings.
The Pirates will host
Wa l d p o r t We d n e s d a y
(today) at 4:30 p.m. before
playing at Amity on Friday
at 4:30 p.m.