Polk County Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 9, 2017 11A
Slide to the left
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Participants practice proper technique for leading off during Western Oregon’s
youth softball camp on Monday morning.
Rodeo: Entertainment to
start at 7 p.m. on Thursday
Continued from Page 10A
White thinks the reason is
simple; there’s something in-
herently exciting about see-
ing a cowboy and a bull at
odds.
“The reason rodeo is
timeless, it’s man against
beast — bulls that weigh
1,800 pounds against a cow-
boy who is 140 pounds,”
White said.
While the action is
ramped up to 11, the mutton
busting provides a thrill for
the young ones — and a
good laugh for the adults.
Wolves: GNAC among the
toughest leagues in Div. II
Continued from Page 10A
“It helps a ton,” he said.
“Last year, coming into pre-
season, yeah, I had upper-
classmen, but I saw everyone
pretty much as freshmen be-
cause none of them had
been through a full year with
myself and my staff. This
year, the upperclassmen
know who I am and can help
mentor our younger players.”
Outside hitter Alisha Bet-
tinson will be one of those
upperclassmen. Bettinson
led the Wolves in kills (337)
and digs (320) and earned
an all-conference honorable
mention.
Several newcomers and
underclassmen will have the
opportunity to earn signifi-
cant playing time, Gott said.
Every position will be a bat-
tle, including at defensive
specialist, where Libbie
Hoene, who will be a major
contender to start.
“I am looking forward to
having positional battles,”
Gott said.
As the Wolves look to set-
tle their starting lineup, they
won’t have long to hit their
stride.
Five out of the eight teams
from the GNAC advanced to
the Division II volleyball
championships in 2016, with
Alaska Anchorage advancing
to the national title match.
An unforgiving conference
Hell on Hooves
What: Rough Stock Rodeo
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: Polk County Fair Arena
Admission: Included in fair admission. $10 for adults after 4
p.m.
“It’s the only form of legal-
ized child abuse,” White said
with a chuckle. “The reason
being every one of those little
kids riding nine miles an hour
just before they fall, they all
do the same thing and open
their mouths for some reason.
It’s a good time.”
Attendance for the rodeo
is free with a fair admission.
Cost will be $8 before 4
p.m. on Thursday and $10
after 4.
“I say it has been a boon
to the fair,” White said.
Keep your eye on the ball
means teams looking to
enter into the conversation
for a conference title don’t
have the luxury of starting
slowly.
“As far as the west region is
concerned, this is the best
conference there is,” Gott
said. “Every night is a grind.
You’ve got to go with every-
thing you’ve got and you can’t
take anything for granted.”
Clawing their way into
contention will be a stiff
challenge, but Gott believes
these Wolves are ready to go
on the hunt.
“We’re excited,” Gott said.
“We’re ready to lace up our
shoes and get on the court
and compete.”
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
Rowan practices controlling her shot during a volleyball camp on Monday after-
noon at Dallas High School.
Evola transitions from player to coach
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — During
her four-year career (2012-
15) at Western Oregon Uni-
versity, softball player
Amanda Evola established
herself as one of the most
prolific players to ever play
for the Wolves.
Evola ranks first in WOU
history in batting average
and RBIs and is second in at-
bats, runs scored, hits, dou-
bles and home runs. She was
also a first team all-confer-
ence selection all four years.
“Softball was my life dur-
ing my four years,” she said.
“I put everything I had into
it and played as hard as I
could.”
Though her playing career
was over, Evola found a new
way of remaining a Wolf
through coaching.
—
Even before she reached
college, Evola thought of
coaching.
“In high school, I knew I
wanted to coach, and when I
started to pursue a teaching
career, the teacher/coach
combo seemed like a perfect
fit,” she said.
Once she arrived at WOU,
it was clear she had two of
the most important aspects
of becoming a successful
coach.
“I did see her incredible
knowledge of the game
while playing and she was so
willing to help her team-
mates and the team in any
way she could,” Wolves
coach Lonny Sargent said.
Sargent offered her an as-
sistant coach position prior
to the 2016 season.
She accepted and went
from player to coach.
The biggest challenge
came in adjusting to a differ-
ent role.
Evola had played softball
for almost as long as she
could remember.
“It was very strange,” Evola
said. “I wanted to join the
girls and play or workout with
them during weight training.
I missed the team bonding
because there is nothing like
it. It was also strange settling
into coaching because now I
was on the ‘inside’ and talk-
ing game strategy with the
other coaches, but I love that
aspect.”
She was also responsible
for coaching players who
were nearly the same age as
her — many of whom had
played alongside her.
“It was odd at first, but the
players that were my age
had respect for me as a for-
mer player and a new
coach,” Evola said. “They
knew my abilities on the
field and my experiences as
a player were valuable. Hav-
ing their respect allowed me
the opportunity to feel like a
true coach. They respected
and trusted me to help them
do their best.”
Evola has also had to trust
herself to learn the nuances
of coaching.
“It is fun for me to talk
game strategy as a coach
and to see the whole game
rather than just play in the
moment like I did as a play-
er,” Evola said. “I like to
think ahead as a coach.
When is it a good time to
switch the pitcher? Should
we steal? Hit and run? I love
seeing how I can use each
player and their abilities to
get the win.”
Evola took everything in
stride, Sargent said.
“Amanda is amazing, and
she transitioned really well
from player to coach,” Sar-
gent said.
Unfortunately for the
Wolves, Evola won’t be stay-
ing at WOU.
Evola accepted a teaching
position and is unable to
coach for the Wolves, Sar-
gent said.
But Sargent said he be-
lieves Evola is well on her
way to becoming a success-
ful coach at whatever level
she chooses.
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Amanda Evola played for Western Oregon’s softball team
until 2015. She served as an assistant coach for two years.
Ride: Cycling is Ramsey’s ‘vendetta against MS’
Continued from Page 10A
Ramsey qualified for
three more Ironman World
Championships in 2009,
2011 and 2013 before retir-
ing from triathlons in 2014.
But he wasn’t ready to sit
on the sidelines and began
to focus exclusively on cy-
cling.
“Cycling is an escape to
some extent, a stress relief,”
Ramsey said. “It’s also sort of
my vendetta against my
MS.”
Most recently, he compet-
ed in the Race Across the
West, a 930-mile bike ride
from California to Colorado,
in June.
He was the first cyclist
with MS to attempt to com-
plete the ride solo.
“It was bar none, the
hardest single event I’ve ever
done in my life,” Ramsey
said. “Riders have less than
four days to officially finish.
After two days and eight
hours of racing, I had cov-
ered 603 miles. Between the
sleep deprivation and the
heat, possibly MS’s biggest
nemesis, I had enough. My
body, surprisingly, had held
up well, but I underestimat-
ed the mental stress of the
event and ultimately little is-
sues kept stressing me more
and more. Like death by
1,000 cuts. But many of
these small things are quite
fixable.”
Ramsey said he will be
back on the road in 2018 for
the Race Across the West.
All the while, he has
furthered his cause to
raise money for MS re-
search and awareness —
with fundraising totaling
more than $32,000 so far
this year.
His participation in Bike
MS is another way to en-
courage others battling MS
that there is hope for the fu-
ture.
“As a rider who has MS, I
am always incredibly hon-
ored and overwhelmed by
those around me actually
doing something to help
improve the lives of those
of us with MS,” Ramsey
IMAGINE Our Communities
without our LOCAL
NEWSPAPER!
Thank the businesses who advertise in the
Itemizer-Observer. Without them...
Interested in advertising?
Call 503-623-2373
said. “I wish I could find
the words to describe my
thankfulness. Truly, there is
still goodness in the
world.”
That hasn’t stopped him
so far — and he hopes his
story can help people be in-
spired that they can make a
change in their lives.
“I fully intend to still be
riding my bike in 50 years,”
Ramsey said.