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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 22, 2017)
A10 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, March 22, 2017 WEDNESDAY March 22, 2017 Panther track team aims for state Prairie City is led by new head coach By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The track and fi eld season has just started, but already Prairie City’s new head track and fi eld coach Nate Barber Taci Perrenoud Devin Packard has his eye on state. He said he’s enjoyed watching the Olympic trials on TV that take place at Hay- ward Field in Eugene at the University of Oregon campus. “It’s Track Team USA,” he said. “Now, I fi nally get to go see it. I just want them to get in that atmosphere. There aren’t very many people who can say they ran there.” Barber is taking over where Joe Weymouth left off. Weymouth was the Prairie City head track coach for 10 years with 28 years experi- ence coaching sports. Barber coached for seven years at Sugar-Salem High School in Sugar City, Idaho, where his son, now grown, broke his high school record in the 4x100 and the 200. Bar- ber was also an assistant track coach for the last two years in Ft. Washakie, Wyoming. See TRACK, Page A11 Prairie City track and field schedule Tuesday, April 4, Grant Union Small School Meet in John Day at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 14, Ranchers Invitational in Crane at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, Burns Lions Oster Invitational in Burns at 12 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, Grant Union Small School Meet in John Day at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 11th Annual Pepsi Invitational in Union at 11 a.m. Friday, April 18, Don Walker Invitational in Nyssa at 12 p.m. Saturday, April 29, Prairie City Invitational in Prairie City at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 4, High Desert League Twilight Meet in Prairie City at 4 p.m. Friday, May 5, Baker Invite in Baker City, 10 a.m. Friday, May 12, District Track Meet, TBD Thursday-Friday, May 18-19, OSAA 1A State Championships in Eugene Grant Union wins 8-7 squeaker over Lakeview G RANT C OUNTY SPORTS ROUNDUP By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle It looked like smooth sail- ing for the Prospector baseball team Saturday until the Lakev- iew Honkers stirred things up in the sixth inning, but Grant Union held on to win 8-7. Prospector starting pitcher Zack Deiter kept Lakeview at bay for a time, Grant Union leading 6-1 in the fourth inning. Each team gained another point in the fi fth, and early in the sixth Lakeview hit a one- run homer. Grant Union’s Brogan McKrola took the mound, and in the inning, two Honkers scored on an error, and two more slipped past the Prospec- tor defense to tie up the score 7-7. In the bottom of the inning Grant Union staged a come- back. The bases were loaded with McKrola on fi rst, Billy Co- penhaver on second and Roen Langum on third as Cauy Weaver stepped up to the plate. Weaver was out at fi rst, but not before Langum scored on a wild pitch to put Grant Union ahead by one. McKrola closed the seventh with quick outs for the win. “We had a big lead, and threw the ball around a little bit,” said Grant Union head coach Dusty Williams. “A few errors here and there, but they tied it up, and we stayed with it, and we came back and battled. They were able to get some ground balls there in the seventh inning and got the win. It was a great win for the boys — way to keep battling.” Williams said he was pleased with the hitting and pitching. “We need to work a little bit on our defense in the middle infi eld and outfi eld, but we’re coming around and looking re- ally good,” he said. “I’m happy with where we’re at — getting better every game is the goal.” See BASEBALL, Page A11 The Eagle/Angel Carpenter The Grant Union Gold dance team, standing with head coach Kattie Piazza, prepares for the performance on Thursday at the OSAA Dance and Drill State Championships in Portland. By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union Gold ends season with state performance Although they didn’t win a trophy, Grant Union Gold dance team members said they had a positive experience at last week’s 4A-1A OSAA Dance and Drill State Championship at Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Sophomore Andrea Comer, who is on the team led by head coach Kattie Piazza, said she enjoyed the competition. “It was really fun and a good experience,” she said. “We all tried our best and were strong in our movements.” The top three winners at state, Stayton in fi rst, Valley Catholic in second and Scappoose in third, are all 4A teams, whereas Grant Union is a 2A team. Piazza said it can be diffi cult competing with large schools that have up to 30 members on their teams. Still, she views the season, her fi rst as head coach, in a positive light. “I consider this season to be successful,” she said. “The girls improved every time they performed. Both the team and I learned a great deal throughout the season, and I’m very proud of all of them.” Grant Union girls track team heats up at Prineville Icebreaker The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Brogan McKrola pitches to Lakeview Saturday, Zack Deiter at short stop. Lady Pros softball team blasts Honkers By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant Union Prospector soft- ball team blasted the Lakeview Honk- ers 12-2 in Saturday’s home opener at Seventh Street Complex in John Day. Cody Jo Madden was in the circle for Grant Union, which took the win in four and a half innings. Prospector head coach DeAnna Nash said she was pleased with her team’s energy and effort, noting they made “big strides” after Friday’s 12-7 loss to Union/Cove in Union. Nash said they were happy to get the fi rst-game jitters out of the way and face Lakeview at the Grant Union fi eld. “Being at home helps, and they like playing in front of people that they know,” she said. Grant Union wasted no time get- ting on the board in Saturday’s game. Prospector Whitney McClellan singled right off the bat in the bottom of the fi rst inning, then stole second while her teammate Ravyn Walker was at bat. Walker doubled, scoring McClel- lan. Then Walker reached home plate off a single from Mariah Moulton. Two Prospectors then scored while Madden was at bat, giving Grant Union a 4-0 lead. Madden struck out a batter in the top of the second, and fi rst baseman Dauna Bishop made two stops. Grant Union’s momentum contin- ued to build with another run in the second, and four in the third, which was highlighted by a few Prospector steals. Grant Union had 12 hits and fi ve walks in the game. McClellan, Walker, Madden and Marissa Smith each had two hits, and Brianna Zweygardt had three hits. See SOFTBALL, Page A11 The 2A Grant Union girls fi nished third with 94 points at last Thursday’s “Breaking the Ice, Icebreaker” in Prineville. Crook County’s 4A girls team placed fi rst with 171.5 and 3A Burns placed second with 138.5. “We scored extremely well for the number of girls we took,” said Grant Union head coach Sonna Smith. “Overall they did well. Almost everyone improved on last year’s scores, which is extremely encouraging.” She said, although the boys team doesn’t have the numbers to compete teamwise, they had some good individual performances. The Prospectors will host the Grant Union Small School Meet in John Day at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. Result highlights (top fi ve) Girls Kaylee Wright: 100 meter, fi rst, 13.06; 200, second, 28.22; high jump, second, 5-01.00 Jozie Rude: shot put, fi rst, 36-06.50; javelin, fi rst, 118-04; pole vault, second, 8-00.00; discus, third, 92-06 Reitta Wyllie: shot put, fourth, 29-04.25 Sierra Cates: long jump, fourth, 14-01.75 Boys Tanner Elliott: 800 meter, second, 2:13.23 Nick Springer: high jump, third, 5-06.00; shot put, fi fth, 37- 04.00 Mason Gerry: triple jump, fourth, 35-01.00 Grant Union golf team travels to Echo for fi rst outing The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Cody Jo Madden pitches Saturday’s game against Lakeview, with Sydney Stearns at second base and Reagan Shelley in the outfield. Over 70 golfers tackled the par 72 course at the Echo Hills Golf Club for the Heppner Invite. See ROUNDUP, Page A11