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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 2017)
WEDNESDAY March 15, 2017 Experienced softball team sets sights for league championship Home opener against Lakeview set for Saturday By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle On the day of the fi rst Grant Union/Dayville/Prairie City soft- ball practice, head coach DeAn- na Nash, a Grant Union science teacher, said several students she passed in the halls expressed their excitement. “They couldn’t wait to go to practice,” Nash said. “I heard from about 10 kids — and that was at school on a Friday.” The Prospector team is kicking off the season with 23 players for the junior varsity and varsity teams. “We have some returning kids,” the coach said. “Ravyn (Walker) at short stop, all the pitchers are back, Bri (Zweygardt) catching and Hai- lie Wright catching, too.” Other returning starters are Mariah Moulton, Cody Jo Mad- den, Natalie Stearns and Whitney McClellan. See SOFTBALL, Page B8 Softball team schedule Friday, March 17 @ Union/Cove in La Grande at 12 p.m. Friday, March 17 @ Union/Cove in La Grande at 12 p.m. (1) Saturday, March 18 vs. Lakeview at 12 p.m. (2) Friday, March 24 @ Culver at 2 p.m. (2) Tuesday, March 28 @ Riverside Invitational at 11 a.m. (2) Wednesday, March 29 @ Riverside Invitation at 1 p.m. (2) Friday, April 7 @ Heppner at 12 p.m. (2) Friday, April 14 vs. Nyssa at 1 p.m. (2) (MT) Saturday, April 15 vs. Echo/Stanfi eld at 1 p.m. (2) Friday, April 21 @ Vale at 1 p.m. (2) (MT) Friday, April 28 @ Burns at 1 p.m. (2) Friday, May 5 vs. Elgin/Imbler at 1 p.m. (2) Friday May 12 @ Enterprise/Joseph/Wallowa in Enterprise at 1 p.m. (2) WEdnesday, May 17, District Playoff, TBD Thursday, May 25, playoff fi rst round, TBD Friday, May 26, playoff quarterfi nal round, TBD Tuesday, May 30, playoff semifi nal round, TBD Friday, June 2, playoff fi nal round, TBD The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union/Dayville/Prairie City softball seniors are ready for the season, including Dauna Bishop, Ravyn Walker, Natalie Stearns, Hailey Carter, Jessica Carter and Myckee Coalwell. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union golfer Emily Springer takes a practice swing, and Elijah Humbird, back right, takes aim during the team’s Friday practice. Grant Union fi elds full golf team Fifteen athletes ‘eager to learn’ By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union head golf coach Ron Lundbom is en- couraged by the number of athletes out for the sport this year. There are 10 on the girls team and fi ve on the boys team. “We have four people who have swung a club before,” he said. “The kids seem like they’re eager to learn, and they want to be here.” Junior Duane Stokes and sophomore Tiana Allen are returning golfers, and Emily Springer and Kellen Shelley both participated in Lund- bom’s summer golf camp. “The kids are learning the rules, and the club likes see- ing that and they respect us,” said Lundbom, who has Jeff Allen returning as assistant coach. See GOLF, Page B8 Grant Union golf schedule Friday, March 17 @ Echo Hills Country Club in Echo (hosted by Heppner) at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 23 @ 1A-2A Invitational at Wildhorse Golf Club at 12 p.m. Friday, April 7 @ Pendleton Invite at Pendleton Country Club at 8 a.m. Friday, April 14 Grant Union High School Invite at John Day Golf Club at 10 a.m. Friday, April 21 @ Hermiston Invite at Big River Country Club at 10 a.m. Friday April 28 @ Enterprise Invitational at Alpine Meadows Golf Club at 11 a.m. Friday, May 5 @ 2A Invitational at Buffalo Peaks Golf Club at 10 a.m. Sunday-Tuesday, May 7-9 @ districts at Pendleton Country Club, TBA Sunday-Tuesday, May 14-16 @ state at Emerald Valley in Creswell, TBA Special Olympians arrest area offi cers Basketball fundraiser promotes sportsmanship, friendship By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County Special Olympics group and a team of local law enforcement com- peted Thursday evening in a friendly basketball showdown. A crowd of spectators cheered on both teams at the Grant Union Junior-Senior High School court in what has become the Special Olympi- ans’ biggest fundraiser. The Special Olympics team won the game, but even more important than the score was the sportsmanship and See FUNDRAISER, Page B8 The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Special Olympics athlete Brian McKrola takes aim in Thursday’s game against the law enforcement team. ‘BE GRACE. BE POWER.’ The Grant Union Gold dancers perform their state routine at the Spring Showcase, including Dana Schajor, front, Celine Hicks, left, and in back, from left, are Ali Chobo, Nikki Jones and Reannah Lemons. Dancers entertain as Grant Union Gold prep for state By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle O ver 50 dancers from ages 4 and up entertained an appreciative crowd in several styles at Fri- day’s Spring Showcase. The annual event, held at Grant Union Junior-Senior High School in John Day, is also the kickoff as the Grant Union Gold varsity dance team prepares for this week’s OSAA Dance and Drill Championships. Dance groups performing at the showcase included the youngest Level One group, taught by Autumn Holland with assistant Caroline Colson; Level Two taught by Trista DeRosier; and Level Three taught by Megan Cameron. These three groups and the ju- nior high competition team, the Gemstones, practice at the Body Fitness & Dance gym, while the Grant Union Gold operates through the school. Kattie Piazza is a fi rst-year coach for the varsity dance team, and she coordinated the showcase. She took over where former coach Shannon Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Level Two dancers strike a pose, including, from left, Danika Gravem, Paige Hicks and Alexis Rose. Adair left off. “I was super honored with the turnout,” Piazza said. Besides coaching her team and serving as emcee for the evening, Piazza also performed in a duet with Gemstones coach Becca Batease and was part of a mixed-age group performing a hip-hop routine cho- reographed by Adair. Other performances included so- los and duets. Seven-year-old Jaylan LaDuke danced with the Level Two group in costumes with poofy pink skirts, performing to Meghan Trainor’s song “Dear Future Husband.” “I loved it,” she said of the event. “I love having Trista as my coach and dancing.” See DANCERS, Page B8
