Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, July 8, 2015 A9 WEDNESDAY July 8, 2015 Softball all-stars earn state berth *UDQW&RXQW\:LOG¿UHWHDPFODLPVWLWOH time in the tournament after the teams met in the opening Blue Mountain Eagle round. The outcome was clos- IRRIGON – The Grant er this time, but a seven run County Little League Junior fourth inning by Grant County softball all- erased Herm- star team will iston’s 4-3 carry plenty lead and of momentum sealed their into their state fate. tournament Kaylee after going un- Wright led the defeated in dis- charge with trict playoffs three doubles last week in in a 4-for-5 E.J. Harris/EO Media Group game Irrigon. and G r a n t Hermiston’s Megan Hailie Wright County defeat- Wampler catches the led the team ed Hermiston ball as Grant County’s in runs scored 15-5 to win Hailie Wright slides into with three the Junior Dis- second base on June 30 while going 2 trict 3 Cham- in Irrigon. for 2 with two pionship at walks. Madi Bill Cooley’s Memorial Field. McKrola also was 2 for 2 with ,WZLOOEHWKH¿UVWWLPHWKLV two walks and scored twice. group of girls have played The last time a Grant at the state level, but look to County Little League soft- make some noise after im- ball team made state was pressive district showing. in 2009. The 2009 Grant Grant County was facing See STATE, Page A18 Hermiston for the second By Angel Carpenter and Matt Entrup The Eagle/Marissa Williams The Grant County Wildfire Junior Little League softball team poses after winning the Oregon District 3 Championship Tournament in Irrigon June 30. Front row, from left: Taylor Allen, Baylee Metcalf, Madi McKrola, Hailie Wright. Back row, from left: coach Zach Williams, Kaylee Wright, Brianna Zweygardt, Macy Strong, Tiler Voigt, Shaine Madden, Baylee Combs, Jordyn Young, Savanna Randleas, Marissa Smith, coach Mike Strong and coach Tammy Clark. Not pictured: coach Lance Zweygardt. The team advances to state Saturday, July 11 in Pilot Rock. Sea Dragons splash into season Coaches have positive outlook for the team By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – The John Day Swim 7HDP KDV JURZQ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ WKLV \HDU and head coach Crista Waldner is opti- mistic about the season. The team went from 48 members last year to 61. “We’ve only been in the water for two weeks, and they’re doing really well,” Waldner said. She’s pleased this year’s team has even more numbers with several new kids joining. Several of last year’s 10-year-olds have moved up to the 11-18-year-old group, making it a larger group than last year. There are 20 new and returning swim- mers in the 8-and-under group. Waldner has help this year from assis- tant coach Sabrina Howard, who moved to Prairie City last year with her family. Both coaches said they’ve noticed some new youth on the team who have a “natural gift with the water.” On June 26-28, the team traveled for WKHLU ¿UVW VZLP PHHW RI WKH VHDVRQ LQ Prineville. ³:H KDG D UHDOO\ ELJ ¿UVW PHHW´ Waldner said. The Sea Dragons faced experienced teams, including three which swim year- round, Redmond, Klamath Falls and Bend’s 12-and-under group. Other competition came from the Cas- cade East District which includes Burns, Lakeview and Prineville – John Day is also in this district. Waldner and Howard said they feel KRSHIXODIWHUWKDW¿UVWPHHW “It made our season outlook really promising,” Howard said. Waldner said they both lost their voic- es, cheering on their team and coaching them down the lanes. The team continues to work on foun- dation skills including kicks, streamlines DQGÀLSWXUQVWRLQFUHDVHVSHHGVKRSHIXO ly by the Lakeview Meet, she said. “I think they’ll do really well,” she said. “The kids who are working hard in practice are improving.” She said Lakeview’s pool improve- ments, nice park and well-run meet make it one of her favorites of the season. Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Junior golf coach Ron Lundbom, left, watches as Duane Stokes makes the last putt for the team in last Thursday’s golf scramble. Stokes helped younger golfers during the six-day camp. The group divided into two teams for the tournament. Other golfers, from left, are Clyde Holliday, Eli Speth, Will Carpenter, Silvie Holliday and Rose Vandehey. Contributed photo John Day Sea Dragons assistant coach Sabrina Howard leads the team out during the June 26-28 Prineville Swim Meet. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Head swim coach Crista Waldner and assistant coach Sabrina Howard lead the John Day Sea Dragons this year. Howard added the Fishies, the young- est group, are also picking up skills. ³$W ¿UVW WKH\ FRXOG EDUHO\ PDNH LW across the pool, and now they’re swim- ming 50s – 50 meters, down the pool and back – without stopping,” she said. Prineville Swim Meet results: Mickayla Coalwell Female 15 & Over 100 Breast, 5th Tori Coalwell Female 13-14 200 Free, 4th Female 13-14 100 Fly, 2nd Female 13-14 50 Free, 1st Auna Waldner Female 15 & Over 100 Free, 4th Female 15 & Over 100 Back 4th Mixed 18 & Under 400 IM, 4th Ryan Coalwell Male 10 & Under 200 Free, 5th Trevyn Coalwell Male 11-12 200 Free, 5th Quinten Hallgarth Male 13-14 200 Free, 4th Male 13-14 100 Fly 4th Justin Hodge Male 11-12 200 Free, 2nd Male 11-12 100 Free, 5th Male 11-12 50 Free, 5th Russell Hodge Male 13-14 200 Free, 3rd Male 13-14 100 Free, 4th Male 13-14 200 IM, 5th Male 13-14 100 Breast, 5th Male 13-14 50 Free, 4th Cayden Howard Male 8 & Under 25 Back, 4th Taylor Hunt Male 13-14 100 Free, 5th Male 13-14 100 Fly, 2nd Male 13-14 100 Back, 2nd Male 13-14 200 IM, 4th Male 13-14 100 Breast, 4th Male 13-14 50 Free, 5th Mixed 18 & Under 400 IM, 5th Zeri Janssen Male 8 & Under 25 Fly, 3rd Male 8 & Under 25 Back, 3rd Male 8 & Under 25 Breast, 5th Male 8 & Under 25 Free, 3rd 200 Medley Relay 18 & Under, 4th Jessica Reames, Mykee Coalwell, Tori Coalwell and Auna Waldner 200 Free Relay 12 & Under, 5th Laken McKay, Dakota Ballou, Sivanna Hodge and Majik Leigh 200 Free Relay 14 & Under, 3rd Rhea Mead, Jessica Reames, Riley Robertson, Tori Coalwell 1st - Taylor Hunt, Quinten Hallgarth, Grant LeQuieu, Russell Hodge Junior golfers give their best shot Youth end lessons with golf scramble By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle JOHN DAY – Ron Lund- bom wrapped up a successful six-day junior golf camp for youth last week at the John Day Golf Club. This year he had 14 partic- LSDQWVOHDUQLQJJRO¿QJEDVLFV “I think the kids did bet- ter than any group we’ve ever had,” said Lundbom, who is also the Grant Union High School golf coach. He had assistance again this year from Patch Freeman of Long Creek. Two players from Lund- bom’s 2014-15 golf team, Na- than Gehley and Duane Stokes, also helped the young golfers. The lessons culminated in a golf scramble with the group dividing into two teams for the tournament July 2, and the youth cooled off with some ice cream cake after the event. The winning team mem- bers each received a Dairy Queen gift card. Lundbom was pleased with the progress of his golf- ing students. ³7KH\ GH¿QLWHO\ VKRZHG improvements in hitting the ball, and had good attitudes,” he said. Participating in the junior golf camp scramble tournament are, from left, Nathan Gehley (who helped younger players during the camp), Michael Martin, Devon Stokes, Curtis Perry (back), Riddick Hutchison, Christian Glimpse and assistant coach Patch Freeman.