Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
A9
WEDNESDAY
July 8, 2015
Softball all-stars earn state berth
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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
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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
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Prineville.
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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
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“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
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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.
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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-
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“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.
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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.