A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
WEDNESDAY
June 22, 2016
Golf
scramble
to support
CASA kids
Event includes
barbecue lunch,
auction, prizes
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Swim team dives into action
Athletes to prepare
for June 24-26 meet
Swim meet schedule
Prineville Meet, June 24-26
Lakeview Meet, July 8-10
Burns Meet, July 15-17
John Day Meet, July 22-24
District Meet in Lakeview, July 29-31
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Members of the John Day Swim Team say
their sport takes teamwork, dedication and
stamina, and they’re using those tools as they
gear up for their fi rst competition at the June 24-
26 Prineville Meet.
Sabrina Howard, the new head swim coach,
said she’s looking forward to
training the swimmers and
seeing them compete.
Howard, who was an assis-
tant coach last year, works as a
Title I assistant at Prairie City
School and is a wife and moth-
er of two children.
Coach
She swam competitively
Sabrina
from ages 5 through 18 in Cal-
Howard
ifornia and has lived in Grant
County for two years.
She’ll have help with the team this season
from volunteers Stephanie LeQuieu and Erin
Hodge.
LeQuieu has been a stroke and turn judge
and will work with the team on approaching
the wall correctly to help eliminate disqualifi -
cations at meets.
Hodge, president of the swim team group,
will help with the dryland training, which fo-
cuses on core, team building and getting mind
and body in sync.
This year’s team includes 57 swimmers,
including several returning as well as new ath-
The Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
ABOVE: John Day Swim Team
members practice their strokes
on Tuesday. From front: Zeke
Rookstool, Hannah Vaughan and
Madelyn Bailey. TOP: The John Day
senior swim team includes: front
row, from left, Quinn Larson, Brady
Dole, Riley Reames, Casey Vaughan
and Andrew Hunt; back row, from
left, Trevyn Coalwell, Myckee
Coalwell, Grant LeQuieu, Torie
Coalwell, Taylor Hunt, Peyton Neault
and Quinten Hallgarth.
letes. Senior swim team members shared what
they like about their sport.
“We’re looking forward to teamwork and
winning again, and the family bonding,” said
Torie Coalwell.
The team won their home meet and came in
second at districts last year.
“It keeps me in shape for football, and it’s
fun,” said Quinten Hallgarth.
Taylor Hunt agreed, adding, “It’s a lot harder
than football. You use every muscle, and you
get up really early (for practice).”
“Our coach has pushed us farther than we
thought we could’ve gone,” said Grant Le-
Quieu.
Coach Howard said summer swim is a way
for kids to keep physically fi t and teaches team-
work with a wide age range.
“It also embodies individual competition
and how to set personal goals,” she said.
“For beginning swimmers, it teaches the
fundamentals of swimming and the different
strokes and builds one’s confi dence in the
water.”
She said the sport is also a good condi-
tioning tool for athletes who play other sports
during the year.
“I’m so enthusiastic for the kids who come
out and give me a piece of their summer,”
she said. “They’re out of the pool by the time
some kids are just getting up in the morning. I
love to see the growth from the beginning to
the end.”
For more information about the swim team,
call Howard, 541-620-0668, or Hodge, 541-
805-8996.
GC Wildfi re team overcomes adversity in bid for state
Softball team plays in
California July 8
By Angel Carpenter
Grant County
Wildfire
pitcher Shaine
Madden
throws the
ball to first
baseman
Taylor Allen
for an out in
Tuesday’s
District 3
Championship.
Blue Mountain Eagle
MILTON-FREEWATER — The
unstoppable Grant County Wildfi re
Juniors softball team won the District
3 title after edging past Milton-Free-
water 12-11 in Monday’s champion-
ship game.
The team now moves on to the
Oregon State Championships, hosted
by the Or-Cal District, possibly facing
the winner of District 7.
Grant County’s fi rst game is tenta-
tively set for 3:30 p.m. Friday, July 8,
in Tulelake, Calif.
Two other Grant County soft-
ball teams, the 11-12 team and the
8-9-10 All Stars, are still competing
in the District 3 tournaments in Mil-
ton-Freewater.
Grant County Wildfi re softball
All Stars
The 11 girls on the Wildfi re team,
ages 13 to 14, have been playing soft-
ball together since they were 8.
“Our girls showed so much heart,
many times they could have crum-
bled but they just kept coming back,
and they just never give up,” said
manager Zach Williams.
He and Mike Strong and Tammy
Clark have been involved in coaching
the girls for six years.
The District 3 battles began Sun-
day against Hermiston, after being
rained out Saturday.
In that game, the Grant County
girls won by the 10-run rule in the
fi fth inning, 16-1, with Shaine Mad-
den pitching the fi rst part of the game
and Macy Strong closing.
The team was 18 for 33, with a
.545 batting average. Hailie Wright
went 3-3, Taylor Allen 3-4 and Baylee
Combs 3-4.
Grant County had a quick turn-
around Sunday to face Milton-Free-
water in the semifi nal, winning 7-6,
with Shaine pitching the entire game.
JOHN DAY — Golfers can compete
for a cause in Saturday’s sixth annual
Grant-Harney CASA Golf Scramble.
Proceeds from the event benefi t chil-
dren who live in Grant and Harney coun-
ties who receive CASA (Court Appointed
Special Advocates) assistance. The entry
free is $65 a person with teams of four.
Golf carts are $20 to rent.
Registration and complimentary
breakfast of biscuits and gravy begins
at 8 a.m., with shotgun start at 9 a.m.
Hot dogs and chips will be served at
the turn during the competition, and a
barbecue rib meal will be served after the
scramble. The cost is $8 for non-golfers.
First-place team prize is $400, second
place wins $240 and other prizes will be
awarded.
A silent auction, including a golf
package at Sun River with a $200 gift
card, will support the cause, along with
a drawing for a set of Wilson Ultra golf
clubs.
For more information, contact CASA
executive director Tracey Blood at 541-
575-5574 or Sandie Gilson at 541-575-
1529.
Contributed photo
Grant County Special
Olympians, Josiah Hoeffner
(third) and Rodney Brunson
(fifth), receive their awards at the
June 11 track and field regional
competition in Milton-Freewater.
Special
Olympians
compete for
personal best
Team prepares for July
9-10 Summer Games
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Contributed photo/
Tanni Wenger
Photography Studio
In the championship game against
Milton-Freewater, Wildfi re were
down 6-2 in the sixth inning, and
came back to score three in the bot-
tom of the sixth on a three-run double
by Shaine.
Grant County held off their oppo-
nents in the top of the seventh, then
scored two in the bottom of the in-
ning.
The team won on a walk-off sacri-
fi ce fl y hit by Madi McKrola, scoring
Kaylee Wright from third base.
Shaine pitched Monday’s cham-
pionship game with McKrola going
2-3, Hailie Wright 3-3, Kaylee Wright
3-4 and Taylor Allen 2-4.
“There was a complete team effort
— top to bottom — all 11 girls helped
us win this tournament,” Williams said
He said their season was “a little
rough” and included game cancella-
tions and sickness.
“We had a lot to overcome this
year,” Williams said. “Those games
were extremely stressful — very back
and forth. This group of girls are just
battle tested beyond their age. They
make the plays they have to make and
minimized their mistakes. They’re re-
silient — they can get down late, and
they’ll still come back. They pound
the ball and play as a team.”
Grant County 8-9-10 All Stars
Toppling two opponents at the
District 3 tournament, the Grant
County 8-9-10 All Stars will face the
La Grande team in semifi nal action at
9 a.m. Wednesday in Milton-Freewa-
ter.
Led by manager Zach Williams
and coaches Levi Watterson and
Marissa Williams, the Grant County
team crushed Baker 17-4 in four in-
nings on Sunday.
Drewsey Williams pitched the
fi rst three innings, striking out nine
batters, and Brilynn Combs pitched
the fourth.
“We jumped on them right away,
and scored four in the fi rst, four in the
second, seven in the third and two in
the fourth,” Williams said.
Jaydika Anderson went 4-4, Lak-
en McKay 3-3 and Ashlyn Langum
2-2.
The Grant County team of 13 beat
Milton-Freewater on Monday in four
innings, 18-2.
Drewsey pitched the fi rst three
innings, striking out fi ve and Combs
pitched the fourth.
“Drewsey did a great job on the
mound, only allowing two balls to be
put into play and allowing no hits in
both games,” Williams said. “Both
pitchers have thrown strikes, which is
really important at this age.”
Addie Northway was catcher in
both games.
“It was hot and (Addie) worked
hard and stepped up,” Williams said.
Halle Parsons, who went 3-3, had
the fi rst big hit of the game with two
runners on and two outs in the second
inning.
“It was a full team effort,” Wil-
liams said. “Everybody was cheer-
ing and working hard on and off the
fi eld.”
Grant County 11-12 All Stars
Chip Grove leads the Grant Coun-
ty 11-12 team with assistance from
Janine Weaver.
The team lost their fi rst game 15-1
to Pendleton on Monday.
Grant County has 10 girls on the
team, and were down a player Tues-
day after one of the athletes fractured
her fi nger.
They faced Hermiston on Tues-
day, past press time.
“We’re pretty optimistic about the
game today,” Grove said Tuesday
morning. “We have a pretty good
team, our pitching is strong. I think to-
day will be a little different. We need
good pitching and good defense.”
MILTON-FREEWATER — Grant
County Special Olympians put their best
foot forward, competing at the June 11
regional track and fi eld meet.
Each of the 10 athletes were award-
ed for their efforts in their division and
showed their signature sportsmanship.
The Grant County team includes
Crystal Wimberley, Brian McKrola,
Elizabeth Swarthout, Katie Latham,
Rodney Brunson, Josiah Hoeffner, Ca-
leb Madsen, Katie Shockley, Jay Colson
and Charley Fronapel.
Karla Colson and Ashley Wyllie are
co-coaches, and David Gill and Michael
Snyder attended the event as volunteers.
“They each, individually, did their
personal best, and that’s what Special
Olympics is all about,” Colson said.
“They had great sportsmanship. I’m
proud of them all.”
Wyllie added, “Everybody was sup-
portive of each and other, and it’s been
going well.”
The athletes are now preparing for
the July 9-10 Summer State Games in
Newberg.
Athlete Crystal Wimberley compet-
ed in the 100-meter dash and shot put
at regionals, and when a teammate was
unable to participate in the 4x100-meter
relay, she stepped in to help out.
“We all got closer to each other with
some team bonding,” she said. “We’re
ready for Summer State Games. We’re
practicing hard.”