A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
WEDNESDAY
June 10, 2015
Dayville alumnus is NCAA All-American
Justin Larson,
a Dayville
School alumnus,
competes in
the javelin
event earlier
this season for
Western Oregon
University’s
team.
WOU junior sets school record in field event
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
ALLENDALE, Mich. – Jus-
tin Larson’s javelin is on
fire.
The Dayville School alumnus,
who is a junior at Western Ore-
gon University in Monmouth, has
surpassed his lifetime best in jav-
elin, while earning All-American
when he finished sixth overall in
the event at the NCAA Division II
Outdoor Track & Field Champion-
ships.
The May 21-23 event was held
at Grand Valley State University in
Allentown, Mich.
Larson, who has qualified for
the national championships three
times, placed ninth last year.
He threw a lifetime best of 218-
9 on May 23, breaking WOU’s
school record by 6 feet 8 inches.
Contributed photo
RACERS STRIKE GOLD
IN CANYON CITY
Walkers also take on ’62 Days 5K event
C
Blue Mountain Eagle
ANYON CITY – Tanner Elliott,
age 15, of John Day returned to take
the overall winner title in this year’s
Gold Rush Run Saturday in Canyon
City.
He covered the 3.1 mile course in 19 min-
utes, 33 seconds. He was trailed closely by Barry
Dew, 50, of Baker City, who took the honor of
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course in an event that kicked off Saturday’s ’62
Days activities.
Conditions for the race were nearly perfect
Richard
Thompson
crests the Washington
Street hill en route to the
Gold Rush finish line.
with sunny skies and cool morning air, however,
participation was much lower than recent years
with about half the 2014 turnout.
Anna Jacobs, 5, of Prairie City was the
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her parents Justin and Jenny Jacobs in 44:46.
Anna is already a seasoned runner, having com-
pleted the race last year.
The Bailey family, of Canyon City, com-
prised a veritable team consisting of father Zac
pushing his son Sam in a jog stroller, mother
Heather, daughters Eliza and Madelyn, and son
Max.
Richard Thompson, 68, of Mt. Vernon, was
the most senior runner of the day, and one of the
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ing time of 26:30. Thompson won the event 10
years ago at age 58.
The event was sponsored by the Whiskey
Gulch Gang and the Strawberry Striders running
group with volunteer help from Doug Smith,
Melanie Leckenby, Mike and Sophie Cosgrove,
Sarah Bush, and Greg and Tammy Bremner.
– Hugh Snook contributed this article.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Runners get their start in the Gold Rush Run 5K,
kicking off Saturday’s ’62 Days activities.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Challenge of Champions
Bullriding
Tour
is
returning to the Grant
County Fairgrounds this
weekend.
Bulls vs.
cowboys
compete,
entertain
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Gold Rush runner Tanner Elliott, a Grant
Union eighth-grader, rounds the bend at
Rebel Hill on his way to a first-place finish
in Saturday’s 5K event. Below: Runners
in the Gold Rush 5K take off after the
traditional drop of the golden nugget in
the gold pan by organizer Hugh Snook.
JOHN DAY – The Chal-
lenge of Champions Bullriding
Tour is bucking into Grant Coun-
ty this weekend.
The competition is set for
6:30 p.m. Saturday, with gates
open at 5:30, at the Grant County
Fairgrounds in John Day.
A whopping 1,000-plus fans
attended last year to see 35 cow-
boys riding cantankerous bulls
for cash and prizes.
Tickets may be purchased at
the fairgrounds, call 541-575-
1900, or at the gate.
Pre-sale general admission is
$8, and $10 at the gate.
Pre-sale VIP tickets, for a
closer view from the arena area,
are $15, and $20 at the gate.
This year, the after party will
be held in the arena area, where
fans can take pictures and ask for
autographs.
Fairgrounds manager Mary
Weaver said Jason Mattox, pres-
ident of PUSH Enterprises Inc.,
told her he and the bull riders are
excited to make a return to John
Day.
“It was such a huge success,
and everyone had fun last year,”
Weaver said. “It was a great
event for Grant County, and we’d
love to have everyone come back
and enjoy the event.”
Gleason Pool
set to open
next week
Blue Mountain Eagle
Taking a shot at
Ironman competition
Challengers test
skills in three
events
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
PRAIRIE CITY – Sever-
al competitors turned out for
a test of skill at the May 30
Ironman Shoot at the Bear
Creek Shooting Sports Range.
All were vying for best
all-around in three shooting
disciplines: .22 silhouette,
clay target shotgun and 3-D
archery.
Each round included 25
targets.
“We had between 25 and
30 participants from all over
Grant County, Burns and Bak-
er City,” said Mike Springer, a
member of the Canyon Creek
Bowhunters club which spon-
sored the event.
The Ironman competi-
tion is in its second year, and
Springer says they plan to
make it an annual event.
“The Canyon Creek Bow-
hunters would like to thank
everyone who showed up to
shoot with us, and a special
thanks to everyone who helped
out with the event,” he said.
2015 Ironman Shoot results:
Adult Individual
1st place, Mike Slinkard; 2nd, Andy
Day; 3rd, Ty Higgins
Youth Individual
1st, Dallon Higgins; 2nd, Ethan Jensen;
3rd, Chase Jensen
Adult Team
1st, Andy Day, Mike Slinkard, Bobby
Slinkard; 2nd, Les Percy, Jeb Bowling,
Mike Springer; 3rd Place, Baker City
Bow Tech team
Youth Team
Danner Davis and Wyatt Williams
GU alumni trio shine as
BMCC baseball starters
Each plan
further higher
ed pursuits
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
PENDLETON – Three
Grant Union alumni spent
this season starting for the
Blue Mountain Community
College Timberwolves base-
ball team.
Dillon Porter is a 2010
Grant Union graduate and
played second base and
short stop; Kyler Deiter-Kn-
ieriem, 2012, was a pitcher;
and Jordan Ackerman, 2013,
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Ackerman said that al-
though they came up short
Contributed photo
Three Grant Union alumni have wrapped
up a successful season as starters for the
Blue Mountain Community College baseball
program. From left: Jordan Ackerman (center
fielder), Dillon Porter (second baseman) and
Kyler Deiter-Knieriem (pitcher).
of their goal to make it to
the playoffs, the team im-
proved their season by 13
games.
“It was a great team
environment, and we had
great team chemistry,” he
said.
See GU, Page A18
JOHN DAY – Swimming
season is here and Gleason
Pool opens June 15.
Recreational swim time is
1-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday
and the cost is $3 a day for res-
idents living within the taxing
district and $4 for those who
live out of district.
Family passes are $130, in
district, and $160, out of district,
and individual passes are $80, in
district, and $95, out of district.
Passes include lap swim and
family swim night.
Other activities include:
7:00-10:00 a.m. Monday-Fri-
day – swim team practice.
10:00-11:00 a.m. Mon-
day-Friday – in-service/cleaning/
private lessons.
11:00-1:00 p.m. Monday-Fri-
day – swim lessons. Sign ups start
June 15, lessons begin June 22.
4:30-5:25 p.m. Mon-
day-Thursday – swim team
practice.
5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday-Fri-
day – adult lap swim.
6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday and
Thursday – water aerobics.
6:30-8:00 p.m. Wednesday
– family swim night.
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575-9930, or the John Day/
Canyon City Parks and Recre-
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more information on pricing or
other questions. Information is
also at www.jdccparksandrec.
weebly.com online.