WEDNESDAY
March 29, 2017
SPORTS
SCHEDULE
Wednesday,
March 29
Grant Union softball @
Irrigon, 1 p.m.
Grant Union softball @
Willamina in Boardman,
3:30 p.m.
Thursday, March
30
Grant Union baseball vs.
Joseph/Enterprise/Wal-
lowa, 2 p.m.
Friday, March 31
Grant Union baseball vs.
Sheridan, 2 p.m.
Saturday, April 1
Monument track and fi eld
@ Columbia River Invita-
tional in Boardman, 11:30
a.m.
Grant Union baseball vs.
Oakland, 2 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4
Grant Union Small
School Meet, 3:30 p.m.
(GU, Prairie City, Dayville,
Monument, Long Creek)
Athletes shine as
Special Olympics
hoops season ends
Next up, track and field
season starts in May
an McKrola and Caleb Madsen.
Unifi ed partners were also a part of the
5-on-5 teams this year. For Grant County,
this included Special Olym-
By Angel Carpenter
pics volunteers David Gill of
Blue Mountain Eagle
Step Forward and Chester’s
Thiftway and Eddie Humbird,
The Grant County Special
executive director of Value
Olympics team closed out their
Added.
basketball season on a positive
Lallatin said the games
note Saturday, March 18, at the
were tough, but the team en-
regional basketball tournament
joyed the competition.
in Grants Pass.
Other volunteers at the
Among the Grant County
event were Sarah Lallatin, Jan-
competitors, Katie Shockley
net Hoeffner, and Jessica Car-
earned second place in the In-
ter, who helped throughout the
Contributed photo season as she worked on her
dividual Skills competition for
her division. She was coached Grant County
Grant Union senior project.
by Michael Shockley with Special Olympian
Coach Deronda Lallatin,
Katie Shockley
Lauri Shockley assisting.
who is also the local Special
The 3-on-3 basketball wins a silver medal Olympics co-coordinator with
team, coached by Kathy Sher- in Individual Skills
Kathy Jo Gill, said the athletes
wood, received bronze med- competition at
had a good experience.
als, including Katie Latham, the Grants Pass
“It was fun,” she said. “We
Elizabeth Swarthout, Josiah regional basketball
all got to root for each other.”
Hoeffner and Rodney Bron- tournament.
She said track and fi eld sea-
son.
son starts the fi rst part of May.
The 5-on-5 team, coached by Deronda The 2017 Summer State Games will be
Lallatin, received bronze medals, including held July 8-9 at the Oregon State University
Charley Fronapel, Crystal Wimberley, Bri- campus in Corvallis.
Grant Union track and fi eld
team aims for return to state
Grant Union will
host first meet
Tuesday, April 4
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union track and
fi eld head coach Sonna Smith
said her team is picking up
where they left off last year.
After seeing the team’s
performance at the March 16
Prineville Icebreaker, the fi rst
event of the season, Smith said
she’s hopeful for their future.
“Almost everyone im-
proved, which is extremely en-
couraging,” she said.
The girls team placed third
in Prineville, and the boys had
some strong individual perfor-
mances, she said.
Last season, the girls team
earned the 2A state champi-
onship title and were district
champions.
Five on the roster are return-
ing athletes who went to state
last year, including Chelsie
Kodesh, Jozie Rude, Kaylee
Wright, Sydney Brockway and
Duane Stokes.
Smith, leading a team of 31
this season, has coached Grant
Union track and fi eld for 22
years. She said she’s seeing
strengths in several events this
year.
“We’re really strong in the
girls javelin,” she said. “We
have four that are throwing
close to 100 feet right now, and
we can only take three to dis-
trict.”
Three athletes from each
school can go to state in each
event.
“We’re strong in high jump,”
she added. “Kaylee (Wright)
jumped 5’1” in Prineville, ran
13.06 in the 100 and 28.22 in
the 200. She’s starting right
where she left off.”
Wright won the 100 at state
last year with a time of 13.18,
making the dash at Prineville
.12 seconds faster.
Prospector Jozie Rude, tak-
ing up discus this year, fi nished
third at the Prineville meet in
the event. She won fi rst in shot
put and javelin at state last year
and second in pole vault.
“She has come back really
strong,” Smith said.
Smith said she’s seeing the
same thing from Kodesh, who
was in the top eight in shot put,
discus and javelin in Prineville.
The are seven girls new to
G RANT C OUNTY
S PORTS R OUNDUP
TRACK
Monument athletes gain season,
personal records at Buck Track Classic
Several members of the Monument Tiger track and fi eld
team improved their marks at their second competition of the
season at the Buck Track Classic in Pendleton.
Up against 26 teams, including the
5A class Hermiston and Pendleton,
the Monument girls team earned 10th
place.
Six girls and three boys on the Ti-
ger teams competed at the meet.
Sophie Pettit fi nished second in
the 100- and 200-meter dash, with improved times in both
events, 13.22 in the 100 and 27.83 in the 200. She also fi n-
ished fi fth in the triple jump with a leap of 29-07.00.
Also improving her marks for the girls team was Kyla
Emerson in the 100, 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and discus.
Faythe Schafer placed seventh in the 400 with an im-
proved time of 1:06.93.
Aubrey Bowlus improved her mark in the shot put by
nearly two feet with a throw of 27-06.50.
Dinorha Vidrio Landin also showed improvement in the
triple jump, landing at 26-00.75. She also shaved off time in
the 100 and 800 meter races.
Miranda Cook also competed in the 100 and 300 hurdle
events.
For the boys, Monument’s John Ramirez had a personal
record in the 100, placing 12th with a time of 12.02.
Jess Hoodenpyl shaved off seconds in the 800 and 3000.
Hayden Schafer improved his throw in the shot put with
a mark of 35-09.00.
Next up, the team will compete at the Columbia River
Invitational at Riverside Junior-Senior High School at 11:30
a.m. in Boardman. On Tuesday, April 4, at 3:30 p.m., they’ll
join 12 other teams for the Grant Union Small School Meet
in John Day.
SOFTBALL
Lady Pros shut out Bulldogs in Culver
The Grant Union Lady Prospectors won a 34-0 shut-
out on the road Friday over the Culver Bulldogs in Game
One.
Game Two was a similar story, the Lady Pros winning
22-1.
“The games at culver were not as competitive as we
would have liked but we were able to work on the little
things that will pay off in future games,” coach DeAnna
Nash said. “Our younger athletes also got varsity experi-
ence which also will be beneficial.”
Everyone had multiple hits, she said, with Grant Union
racking up 40 in the first game and 20 in the second.
The Grant Union girls were scheduled to face River-
side/Arlington and Knappa on Tuesday, March 28, past
press time, in Boardman at the Riverside/Irrigon Round
Robin.
On Wednesday, March 29, Grant Union will face Irri-
gon at 1 p.m. at the Irrigon Tourney and Willamina at 3:30
p.m. at the Riverside Round Robin.
BASEBALL
Grant Union team defeats
Honkers in 5-2 victory in Lakeview
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Grant Union track and field team, including, from left, Braden Spencer, Ellie Justice,
Nick Springer and Bo Olsen, warm up at the start of their Monday, March 20, practice.
Chelsie
Kodesh
Trejan
Speth
Nick
Springer
Reitta
Wyllie
Grant Union track schedule
Tuesday, April 4: Grant Union Small School Meet, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 8: @ Prairie City Invitational, 12 p.m.
Saturday, April 15: @ Burns Lions Invitational, 12 p.m.
Tuesday, April 18: Grant Union Small School Meet, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22: @ Pepsi Invitational in Union, 11 a.m.
Saturday, April 29: @ Meet of Champions at Willamette University, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 2: Grant Union Small School Meet, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 5: @ Baker Invitational, 10 a.m.
Friday, April 12: @ district track meet in Union, 11 a.m.
Thursday, April 18: @ state track meet, TBD
Friday, April 18: @ state track meet, TBD
the team this season, including
six freshmen who all have ju-
nior high track experience and
one junior new to the sport.
“We are just waiting to see
how they do,” Smith said.
She noted the boys team is
in a building season due to the
number of underclassmen, in-
cluding six of the seven fresh-
men boys on the roster who
were on the junior high team
last year.
“We have a huge contingent
of freshmen throwers,” shes
said. “We’ve set some long-
term goals, looking down the
road for the next two to three
years. Last year, we took two
boys to state, hopefully more
this year.”
The 2A-6 Wapiti League
includes Elgin, Enterprise/Wal-
lowa, Grant Union, Imbler and
Union.
This year’s competition
is slightly lighter with Burns
moving up to the 3A class and
Cove moving down to 1A.
Smith is aided by six as-
sistant coaches who help train
athletes in the various events,
including Ken Boethin, hur-
dles; John Houk, long jump and
triple jump; Kelsy Wright, jav-
elin; Angie Lusco, discus and
shot put; Buzz Gilmore, pole
vault; and new assistant coach
Emma Robertson, high jump.
Smith trains athletes for sprints,
distance and relay.
This year’s seniors include
returning athletes Kodesh,
Nick Springer, Reitta Wyllie
and Trejan Speth.
Springer, who competes in
high jump, javelin, shot put and
discus said this year’s team is
strong.
“It’s a great group of peo-
ple,” he said. “I’m looking for-
ward to going to districts.”
Kodesh, whose events are
javelin, shot put and discus,
said she’s encouraged by how
the girls team is performing this
year.
“The girls have a good
chance to be district champs
again this year,” she said.
“Track’s my favorite sport,”
Wyllie said. She competes in
the shot put, discus and 800
meter run.
“I’m looking forward to my
throwing events,” she said.
Speth said he’s looking for-
ward to his events, the 1,500
and 800, and is aiming for per-
sonal records.
“We already have a great
team out this year,” he said.
“We have a lot of good incom-
ing freshmen as well. I’m look-
ing forward to helping the team
out and getting PRs.”
Smith said their fi rst home
meet will be the Tuesday, April
4, Grant Union Small Schools
Meet.
“We have 13 teams coming,
so it could be a pretty good-
sized meet,” she said.
Those interested in vol-
unteering to assist with fi eld
events and as timers that day
can call Smith at the school,
541-575-1799, ext. 42.
The Grant Union Prospector boys took down the Honk-
ers in Lakeview in a low-scoring game, winning the contest
5-2.
The Prospectors will host the Les
Schwab Invitational Spring Break
Tournament Thursday through Sat-
urday at Seventh Street Complex in
John Day.
Grant Union is scheduled to face
Joseph/Enterprise/Wallowa at 2 p.m.
Thursday.
On Friday, the Prospectors will meet up with Sheridan
at 2 p.m., facing Oakland on Saturday at 2 p.m.
the
corner’s
HOT
SH T
EEK
OF THE W
DEVIN PACKARD
School: Prairie City
Grade: 12
Parents: Tish and David Packard
Sport: Track and field
Events: Shot put, discus & javelin
What I like best about my sport: “I like hanging
out with everyone on my team. They’re a great
bunch of people.”
Coach’s Comment: “Devin did a really good job
at our last track meet, and was
consistent in his events and placed
well. He has been working hard in
practice, helps his teammates, and
is a positive voice at practice. He is
always there to cheer on his
teammates.”
-Coach Nate Barber
PROUD SPONSOR OF GRANT COUNTY ATHLETES
100 E. Main • Stoplight in John Day
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