WEDNESDAY
April 6, 2016
GC track
teams
compete
at Don
Walker
Invite
Teams compete in
Burns on Saturday
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union catcher Brianna Zweygardt makes the grab in time for the out at home as a Heppner runner slides.
Grant Union softball
chalks up three wins
NYSSA — Three Grant County track and
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1A through 4A classes at last Friday’s Don Walk-
er Invitational.
Grant Union, Dayville and Prairie City teams
also competed at the Grant Union Small Schools
Invitational in John Day on Tuesday this week,
past press time.
After the Nyssa event, head coach Sonna
Smith said her Grant Union girls team is in a
good position for the league title.
“The girls did great,” she said. “Kaylee
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elin, long jump and triple jump. We have few
boys, but they are holding their own in their
standings in state and league with Andrew Co-
penhaver leading the pack. We are hoping to
have some outstanding showings at our home
meet on Tuesday (April 5).”
Dayville head coach Peter Bogardus said his
team is young, with only two competing this
year, but they performed well.
“Both of our athletes PR’d repeatedly, and
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winning the team 10 points to beat 12 other
schools singlehandedly,” he said.
Prairie City head coach Joe Weymouth said
he is looking forward to the season.
On his team, pole vaulter Garrett Hitz came
in second to a 3A Emmett, Idaho, athlete.
See INVITE, Page B10
Head coach Nash pleased
with pitching options, team
Union got on the board when Janelle
King batted in Hailey Wright. Heppner
came back with two runs in the top of
JOHN DAY — The Grant Union the third, but then the Prospector bats
softball team showed their winning heated up. Grant Union bumped their
ways last weekend, beating the Hep- score up 11-2 in the bottom of the in-
pner Mustangs 15-4 at home on Friday ning.
and sweeping in Lakeview, with 14-8
Ravyn Walker started the blitz
wins in the two games.
when she batted Railey Namitz home,
Grant Union dominated in their Walker reaching home plate on an er-
home opener against Heppner.
ror. Madden and Namitz each had two
The Prospectors took the win in RBI off doubles, and Moulton had two
four and a half innings with Mariah RBI off a single, with Moulton batting
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Cody Jo Madden closing it out with also scored on an error.
three up, three down and none on base.
Heppner increased their score by
The pair gave up six hits and had six two in the fourth, and Grant Union
strikeouts.
See SOFTBALL, Page B10
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By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union Prospector Jocelynn Smith reaches
first in Friday’s home opener against the Heppner
Mustangs.
Contributed photo/Nancy Hitz
Prairie City Panther Megan Camarena
throws shot put at last Friday’s Don
Walker Invitational in Nyssa.
On a new track: PC team gears up for new season
Grant Union to host
invite at JD Golf Club Panthers will host
Grant Union competed at
the Pendleton Invitational last
Friday, and results are still
pending from that event.
By Angel Carpenter
The Grant Union golf team
Blue Mountain Eagle
will hold an 18-hole fundraiser
scramble with a 10 a.m. shot-
JOHN DAY — The Grant gun start Saturday, April 16, at
Union High School golf team the John Day Golf Club.
hosts their annual invitational
There is a $100 team entry
at 11 a.m. Friday at the John fee (handicap suggested but
Day Golf Club.
not required).
Head coach Ron Lundbom
There will be a 50/50 draw-
said teams expected to join ing and closest to the pin con-
Grant Union include Enter- test at hole No. 4, an accuracy
prise, Wallowa, Vale, Heppner drive at hole No. 7, and one
and Burns.
gross and two net prizes.
“Everybody is looking for-
A silent auction will be
ward to it,” he said. “Our course held all day, and a $5 barbecue
is in such good shape this time hamburger feed will be held
of year. Mike Walker, the greens after the scramble.
keeper, does a great job.”
To sign up, contact the
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and two girls on his team this mail entry to Lundbom at 620
year, and he’s expecting 50 to SE Hillcrest Road, John Day,
60 golfers on Friday.
OR 97845.
He added there will be a
For more information,
hamburger feed for the ath- Lundbom can be reached at
541-620-0427.
letes after the tournament.
Six teams
compete on Friday
teams at new
8-lane track
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
PRAIRIE CITY — Panther
trackster Amaya Zweygardt is
getting a little help from fellow
senior teammate Garrett Hitz, as
she adds a new event to her list
this season: the pole vault.
Hitz is returning state 1A
pole vault champion, having
earned the top spot at University
of Oregon’s Hayward Field last
season with a mark of 13-3.
Zweygardt, Hitz and Teri
Cobb are leading out as seniors
this year.
Head coach Joe Weymouth
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coach for 10 years with 27
years, overall, coaching sports.
“We’re small, but have a lot
of good individual competitors,”
he said. “We’ve actually taken
state with three boys before,
several years ago.”
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Prairie City Panther track and field seniors are, from
left, Amaya Zweygardt, Garrett Hitz and Teri Cobb.
Pointing at the new asphalt
and bright striping, Weymouth
said, “This year, what’s exciting
is the new track.”
The Panthers will host the
Saturday, April 30, Prairie City
Small Schools Meet and the
Thursday, May 5, High Desert
League Meet — a twilight meet
a week before the district cham-
pionship.
“We’re all appreciative to the
new track facilities,” he said.
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cated at the athletic complex on
12th Street.
Weymouth works with the
runners on the team and has as-
sistance from Joe Hitz for pole
vault and Kieley Williams with
jumping events. Kerry Foster is
the junior high coach and also
assists the varsity team.
“I really love working with
kids and seeing them progress,”
Weymouth said. “It’s a lot of
fun. The junior high track and
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quick learners.”
He said new members of the
varsity team include junior Wy-
att Williams, sophomore Dorran
Wilson and freshman Haley
Pfefferkorn.
The varsity team has been at
practice since early March.
“I’m just getting back into
the track mode,” Garrett Hitz
said. “I have a goal of beating
the 1A state track record in the
pole vault.”
Hitz is on his way to that
goal after winning second place
at the Don Walker Invitation in
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mett, Idaho.
Hitz also competes in jave-
lin, hurdles and high jump.
He and Zweygardt have
been competing in track since
sixth grade.
Zweygardt said she’s “learn-
ing all the basics” of pole vault.
See PC track, Page B10