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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2017)
Polk County Sports Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 5, 2017 13A A spring time swing DALLAS ROUNDUP Softball splits pair at Medford LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer A Dallas golfer tees off at Cross Creek Golf Course on Monday morning. The Dragons finished sixth. Central’s boys golf team placed fifth. Central and Dallas will compete at a league tournament at Springhill in Albany Monday at 12:45 p.m. Itemizer-Observer staff report MEDFORD — Dallas’ softball team closed out the North Medford Spring Break Tournament by splitting a pair of games on March 28. Dallas defeated Sprague 9-3 before losing to Grants Pass 14-3. The Dragons had 12 hits against Sprague. Lauren Wallace and Jayden Wynia had three hits each to lead the Dragons. “It was nice to see all the pieces come together,” coach Brandi Jackson said. “Our de- fense was solid, we had good, quality at bats, and Jenessa Parnell was effective in the (pitcher’s) circle.” Dallas played Silverton Tuesday after press time. The Dragons visit Central Wednesday (today) at 4:30 p.m. before playing at Cor- vallis Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Dallas will host South Al- bany on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and Lebanon on April 12 at 4:30 p.m. GIRLS GOLF PLACES FIFTH: Dallas’ girls golf team tied for fifth at Springhill on Monday. Kailee Curtis shot a 46 over nine holes to finish second. The Dragons will compete at Canby on Thurs- day and at Trysting Tree on Monday. Dallas’ boys golf team fin- ished sixth at a league tourna- ment at Cross Creek on Mon- day. Adam Nicholson shot a 97 over 18 holes to lead the Dragons. Xavier White record- ed a 99. Dallas will compete at Springhill in Albany Monday. BOYS AND GIRLS TENNIS FALLS TO CORVALLIS: Dallas’ boys and girls tennis teams lost to Corvallis 6-2 on Mon- day. Results weren’t available as of press time. Dallas’ boys teams will host South Albany Thursday at 4 p.m. and Lebanon Tuesday at 4 p.m. The girls will play at South Albany on Thursday and at Lebanon on Tuesday. Siblings: Cody, Jenifer eye return to state meet Continued from Page 12A This spring, Cody has competed in the 100 and 200, 110 hurdles and 4 x 100 relay. Jenifer has run the 100, 100 hurdles, 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays. While each has found success on their own, seeing what the other has done drives them to be even bet- ter. “By far my favorite thing about track is getting to see Cody do what he does,” Jenifer said. “He is such an incredible athlete, and he makes everything look so easy. I really admire him. He competes with such grace, and even with the talent he has, he is so humble about it. He treats everyone with respect. I aspire to not only be the athlete that he is, but also the leader.” The inspiration goes both ways. “I’ve definitely learned to be more accountable to my- self,” Cody said. “Jen is al- ways finishing practices and even staying late to make sure she gets a workout in. She doesn’t skip any warm- ups or stretches during practices or meets. She’s taught me to make sure I complete everything I need to be ready.” If one has a good race, it drives the other to perform better. If one is struggling during practice, the other will be there to help point out things to work on and what they are doing well, Cody said. “I couldn’t do it without his support,” Jenifer said. “If Cody didn’t do track, I think it would feel like a piece was missing. The whole track ex- perience feels complete by being able to go out there every day and compete alongside him.” Track is the one sport where they could practice together. That kind of daily interaction has strength- ened their bond. “Track is something we can share with each other, and we can use to push each other to be our best,” Jenifer said. “… We’re able to be a part of each other’s success, and I think that’s one of the reasons we’re as close as we are.” Both want to end their high school careers with a bang. Jenifer figures to be a top contender to return to state in the 100 hurdles. Cody has set personal records in the 100 and 110 hurdles. Both are looking for one last trip to Eugene — and they both hope the other is there to take in the moment together. “Competing alongside my brother has been the most incredible experience for me,” Jenifer said. “… I’ve got my heart set on returning to Eugene. It would mean everything to me to get the chance to run at Hayward Field one last time. There is just something about it that is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It’s indescrib- able.” Dallas: Dragons prep for series against Central Continued from Page 12A Clearing his head may be even more important for Coxen, who is a key part of the Dragons’ pitching rotation. The senior lacks the heat to send a pitch blazing past opponents, but he does have a knack for hit- ting his spots with consistency. “I think I became a pitcher be- cause of my accuracy,” he said. “I don’t throw very hard, so I’ve had to rely on hitting my spots. I think my accuracy is where I’ve devel- oped most as a pitcher.” Just as key to his success has been an increased ability to stay in the moment. “You need to be able to keep your cool and not let all the stress get to you,” Coxen said. “If you do, it’s a downhill spiral from there.” His ability to step up in any moment from almost any spot on the diamond has made him one of the clear leaders for the Drag- ons. “Clay is a big, strong kid,” coach Scot McDonald said. “He’s very unassuming and works hard. He has really developed into a power hitter and has stepped up for us on the mound.” But Dallas’ success is due to much more than one player com- ing up big. “We are seeing some younger or inexperienced kids who have really stepped up,” McDonald said. “We are settling into some roles and seeing what each player can do.” Dallas plays at Lebanon Wednesday (today) at 4:30 p.m. be- fore hosting Lebanon Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Dragons open a three-game series against Central at home Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and at Central on April 12. “We need to improve our de- fense,” Coxen said. “Our hitting is doing well right now, and our pitching is what it is. That’s not going to change much, so our focus right now is defense.” CENTRAL ROUNDUP Avgi: Hopes to hear from several professional teams Panthers win two at The Dalles Continued from Page 12A Avgi ran a 4.73 40-yard dash, recorded a 4.15 in the shuttle and had a 35 1/2 verti- cal. “I think it went great,” he said. “I reached a lot of my goals I set for my pro day and overall, I was really happy with how I did. I believe the hard work paid off.” Since then, Avgi has attracted interest from numerous teams and hopes to get a few team visits prior to the NFL Draft April 27-29, he said. “The next steps are the draft and that first minicamp,” Avgi said. “This is excit- ing, and I can’t wait to find out where I am going. That first camp is when I’ll get to show the team that gets me what I can do.” Avgi hopes to become the latest Wolf to make the jump to the NFL — a list that includes former New York Giants tight end and Super Bowl champion Kevin Boss. Most recently, wide receiver Tyrell Williams signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Charg- ers. Avgi hopes to follow in their footsteps. “I hope people take away that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what school you go to,” he said. “If you have a dream of playing professionally in any sport, go somewhere that you think you can do it.” Pirates fall to Colton Itemizer-Observer staff report COLTON — Perrydale’s baseball team lost to Colton 6-5 on Thursday but are showing signs of growth. The Pirates had the bases loaded in the top of the sev- enth inning before falling. “I think the team is com- ing together and feeling more confident about what they are capable of doing,” coach Steve Mabry said. “The boys are making good progress, working to im- prove on the details, and are not so overwhelmed when situations come up during the game. They want to make a play now.” Perrydale plays at East Linn Christian on Friday be- fore hosting Western Men- nonite Monday at 4:30 p.m. Central: Panthers to resume league play Continued from Page 12A With league play resum- ing, Hamlin expects every team in the Mid-Willamette Conference to present chal- lenges. The difference will be which teams can exe- cute fundamentals the best. “We have strong, com- petitive teams in our l e a g u e ,” Ha m l i n s a i d . “Keeping errors to a mini- mum, pitchers hitting their spots, and players offen- sively stepping up, and scoring runners will be key to any team’s success.” Itemizer-Observer staff report INDEPENDENCE — Central’s baseball team de- feated The Dalles 10-1 and 9-5 on Friday before de- feating Corvallis 5-4 on Monday. The Panthers (4-1 overall, 1-1 Mid-Willamette Confer- ence) opened a three-game series against Silverton Tues- day after press time. Central hosts Silverton Wednesday (today) at 4:30 p.m. before playing at Silver- ton on Friday and at Dallas on Tuesday. GIRLS TENNIS DEFEATS LEBANON: Central’s girls ten- nis team defeated Lebanon 5-3 on Monday. Ana Martinez and Kylie Smith earned victories in sin- gles play. Lexy Barba and Reann Kel- ley, Olivia Teague and Dalila Negrete, and Havalah Altamira- no and Jasmine Gonzalez won in doubles play. The boys team lost to Lebanon 8-0 on Monday. The girls squad will host Cor- vallis Thursday at 4 p.m. before playing at Silverton on Tuesday. The boys will play at Corval- lis on Thursday and host Silver- ton Tuesday at 4 p.m. BOYS GOLF FINISHES FIFTH: Central’s boys golf team finished fifth at a MWC tourna- ment at Cross Creek Golf Course on Monday. The Panthers shot a 394 as a team. Andrew Love shot an 83 to lead Central. Love finished third in the individual stand- ings. The Panthers will compete at Springhill in Albany Monday at 12:45 p.m. Central’s girls golf squad fin- ished seventh at Springhill on Monday. Abby Lovrien shot an 80 to lead the Panthers. Central will compete at Trysting Tree on Monday. 2017 Relay For Life Of Polk County — June 3-4 is back at the Dallas High School Track ....and with it comes the opportunity to be a part of the largest worldwide fight against cancer! It’s no coincidence that since the first Relay For Life over 30 years ago, the survivor rate has risen from 45% to nearly 70%. In Oregon alone, millions of dollars are being invested in prevention and especially treatments that are more personalized and thus more effective. Sitting on the sidelines in Polk County is no longer an option. We can hope ~ or we can help through our support of Relay For Life as a sponsor, a team member, or simply as a guest of the event. The following sponsors are already on board for 2017. Now it’s your turn! The deadline for submitting a sponsorship is April 15. Please join me in thanking our 8 most recent sponsors of Relay For Life of Polk County: ♥ West Valley Taphouse ♥ H&R Block Dallas & Monmouth ♥ First Community Credit Union ♥ James W. Fowler Construction ♥ Dallas Family Medicine LLC ♥ Michelle Hasbrook, DMD ♥ Washington Street Steakhouse & Pub ♥ Mungo Signs & Screen Printing Please join me in thanking these sponsors for joining the Relay For Life fight vs cancer: West Valley Hospital West Valley Physicians & Surgeons Clinic Dallas School District Polk County Itemizer -Observer Eola Hills Wine Cellars Dallas Retirement Village Bollman Funeral Home Polk County Association of Realtors Pressed Coffee & Wine Bar Republic Services Dutch Bros Coffee Monmouth Medical Center West Valley Surgical Specialty Clinic The Majestic/Ray Stratton Partnership in Community Living, Inc. Bookey Strong Royal Flush/Tony Teal Les Schwab Tire Centers of Dallas, Independence & West Salem NW Natural Western Days Relay For Life of Polk County will take place at the Dallas High School Track June 3~4. If you or someone you know is interested in sponsorship, contact Amy Bickleman at 541-272-9240 or online at amy.bickleman@cancer.org or visit our website at www.relayforlife.org/polkcountyor The Polk County Itemizer-Observer — Your community newspaper. Online at www.polkio.com