Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 8, 2016
A9
WEDNESDAY
June 8, 2016
GU alum’s daughter picked for USA Softball team
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
More inside
UCLA
freshman
Paige
Halstead, the daughter of Grant
Union alum Mari (Thompson)
Halstead, earned a spot as catcher
on the 2016 USA Softball Wom-
en’s National Team this year, after
spending the 2015 season on the
USA Junior team.
Softball All-League
selections announced.
Read more on Page A10.
Paige is a centerfi elder for the
UCLA Bruins.
The No. 14 Bruins earned a trip
to the Women’s College World Se-
ries in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
where they competed last week.
Their season ended Saturday with
an 8-4 loss to No. 8 Florida State.
Mari Halstead is a former Sen-
eca resident and 1980 graduate of
Grant Union High School. She and
her husband, Ed, live in Rancho Cu-
camonga, California.
Mari said the recruiting process for
her daughter was “unbelievable,” be-
ginning when she was in eighth grade.
She said, while growing up, her
daughter would practice baseball
with her brother and his friends.
“The boys would taunt her and
say, ‘You hit like a girl,’” Mari said,
adding her daughter would then
show them up. “That was probably
the driving force.”
See HALSTEAD, Page A10
Contributed photo
Paige Halstead, who plays for the UCLA Bruins softball team, is the daughter of Mari (Thompson) Halstead, a 1980 Grant Union
High School graduate and former resident of Seneca. Paige was invited to the 2016 Team USA Selection Camp and named to
the USA Softball Elite Team. The Bruins also competed in the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City last week.
Iron Man
Shoot
winners
announced
GONE FISHIN’
Youths net rainbows at McHaley Pond
By Angel Carpenter
Third annual event
draws 40 competitors
Blue Mountain Eagle
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
PRAIRIE CITY — Last Saturday’s third
annual Iron Man Shoot brought out beginners
and experts for a day of competition at the Bear
Creek Shooting Range near Prairie City.
“We had a good time,” said organizer Mike
Springer. “It was beautiful weather, and it was
fun and safe.”
There were 40 shooters competing in three
disciplines, archery, .22 and shot gun.
The winners of the adult team were father
and son duo Joe and Jordan Hitz of Prairie
City. Bowtec of Baker City earned second
place and $50, and Ben Klein of Bend placed
third, winning $25.
Individual adult winners were Andy Day
of John Day for fi rst and $100; Jeb Bowling
of Canyon City for second and $50; and Mike
Springer of Prairie City for third and $25.
Youth individual winners were Ethan Jen-
sen of Baker City, fi rst, $100; Dominic Myers
of Bend, second, $50; and Zack Christman of
Bend, third, $25.
Springer, who is secretary of the Canyon
Creek Bowhunters club that sponsors the
event, said people from the club helped with
the bow shoot at the event, and they partici-
pated.
“I’d like to give special thanks to Bill Sproul
who helped out with the shot gun portion of the
event and Carol Walton who helped with the
.22 event,” Springer said.
“Almost everybody is a return shooter,” he
added. “They like it, and they keep coming
back.”
Eagle photos /Angel Carpenter
Amy Charette of John Day and her daughters Emma, 2, and Kaitlyn, 4, enjoy Saturday’s
Free Fishing Event at McHaley Pond in Prairie City.
ABOVE: One-year-old Mikey Thunell (in stroller)
takes his fish to the measuring station at the
fishing derby with his mom. From left: Mikey’s
sister Olive Hensley, mom Katie Hensley (back),
friend Gus McDaniel, Mikey, friend Lucas Wolf,
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs staff
member Nick Smith and volunteer Lindsey
Weymouth. RIGHT: Wendy Ballou of John Day
assists her son Caden, 6, at the free fishing
event at McHaley Pond in Prairie City.
PRAIRIE CITY —
There were 90 kids casting
lines into McHaley Pond,
hoping for the big one,
at Saturday’s free fi shing
event in Prairie City.
“It’s almost double
what we had last year,”
said Amy Charette, water-
shed coordinator for the
Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs.
Parents, grandparents
and others were also on
standby to lend a helping
hand.
“We had great cooper-
ation with all the partners
putting this on,” said Em-
ily Davis, who spearhead-
ed the event. “Everybody
stepped up to make it a
success, and I think that
helped with the general
turnout and made it run
smoothly.”
Davis is a biologist
with the Tribes, which
sponsored the event with
the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife and the
Malheur National Forest.
“I would like to en-
courage the communi-
ty to come out and fi sh
anytime,” she said. “The
public is welcome on the
property, not just the pond.
We’re always happy to an-
swer questions.”
Prairie City resident
Addison Saul, 9, caught
the whopper of the day: an
18 1/2-inch rainbow trout.
Gus McDaniel of John Day
was close behind, catching
a 16 1/2-inch fi sh.
See FISHING, Page A10
“
Everybody stepped up to make it a success, and I think that helped with
the general turnout and made it run smoothly.”
Emily Davis
Event organizer
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Craig Pittenger, aka “Kid Creggar,”
draws his gun in the Cowboy Fast
Draw Association’s competition held
in Canyon City on Friday.
Fast Draw
shootists gather
for showdown
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — Oregon and Idaho
shootists competed in the Cowboy Fast Draw
in Canyon City on Friday and Saturday.
The community joined in, watching the
showdown from the Canyon City Park.
Using single-action .45-caliber guns with
wax bullets and primer as propellant, compet-
itors line up side by side, as many as eight at
a time.
When a red light fl ashes on, shooters grab
their guns, aiming at metal targets that record
the shooters’ times.
See SHOWDOWN, Page A10
Good fishing, scenic views, games and a barbecue all added to the fun of Saturday’s fishing derby in Prairie
City at McHaley Pond.