WEDNESDAY
April 5, 2017
TINY BUT
MIGHTY
Monument track
team has high
aspirations
Monument sophomore Sophie Pettit takes
a practice leap at the long jump track with
her senior teammates John Ramirez
and Dinorha Vidrio Landin
looking on during the
March 22 practice.
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Wallowa Eagle Tate Olsen gets a hit early in the game
on Friday, March 31.
Eagles swoop
Prospectors
Errors and a
shrinking roster
issues for team
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant Union Pros-
pector baseball team lost
two games before winning
one last week in John Day.
The team fell to the Jo-
seph/Enterprise/Wallowa
Eagles and the Oakland
Oakers on Friday and fol-
lowed up with a win over the
Sheridan Spartans Saturday.
The Eagles took the lead
early on and held it through-
out the game with a fi nal
score of 12-7.
Grant Union loaded the
bases multiple times only to
have the Eagles catch a pop
fl y to end the inning.
Head coach Dusty Wil-
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
T
he Monument track and
fi eld team has three com-
petitions under its belt as
the season starts, and head
coach Darrin Dailey said he’s pleased
with the direction the team is headed.
“I’m excited about the year,” he
said. “There’s defi nitely an increase
in intensity.”
Dailey said he’s happy to see
some of the “old-timers” branch-
ing out, trying new events, and he’s
hopeful the girls team will win a
meet this season.
The 1A team may be small as far
as numbers go, but the Tigers are
also showing they’re mighty.
Out of 11 athletes on this year’s
team, three of the returning six have
previously competed at the state
level, and one newcomer to the
team is currently competing in the
state-qualifying range.
Sophomore Sophie Pettit earned
the championship in the 100- and
liams said he was surprised
by the loss.
“We didn’t play good de-
fense, and we committed a
lot of errors,” Williams said.
“We just weren’t ready to go
Friday.”
The Prospectors have lost
a large chunk of the team
since the beginning of the
season. Two players have
quit, one is injured and three
are currently suspended.
The limited roster is
also an issue because each
player can only play 26
games and there are 23 var-
sity games in a season. The
coaches have to keep careful
track of how many junior
varsity games varsity play-
ers are in.
The team also didn’t fi eld
some starters for the game
against the Eagles due to
missed practices.
See PROS, Page B10
Monument track and field schedule
Saturday, April 8: @ Ranchers Invitational in Crane, 10 a.m.
Tuesday, April 18: @ Grant Union Small Schools Meet in John Day, 3:30 p.m.
Friday, April 21: @ Viking Invitational in Vale, 3 p.m. (MST)
Saturday, April 29: @ Nike Sherman Invitational in Moro, 11 a.m.
Thursday, May 4: @ High Desert League Twilight Meet in Prairie City, 4 p.m.
Friday, May 5: @ Baker Invite in Baker City, 10 a.m.
Friday, May 12: @ District 4 District Track Meet in Baker City, TBD
Thursday-Friday, May 18-19: @ OSAA 1A State Championships at University of Oregon in Eugene, TBD
Jess
Hoodenpyl
Hayden
Schafer
200-meter dashes and also placed
fourth in the long jump last year at
Eugene’s Hayward Field.
She said she’s working hard this
year and broadening out to different
events like the 100 hurdles.
“I like the sprinting events, and
it really puts my skills together be-
cause I like jumping,” she said. “I’m
looking forward to state and getting
that medal.”
She said her goal is to win the 100
and 200 and to reach the fi nals in the
100 hurdles and long jump.
Kyla Emerson, a sophomore, also
competed at state, fi nishing fi fth in
the 100-meter hurdles and eighth in
the 300 hurdles.
Senior Dinorha Vidrio Landin
placed 12th with teammates in the
4x400 at the 2015 state champion-
ships.
See TRACK, Page B10
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Wallowa pitcher Gus Ramsden takes a moment while
a Grant Union hitter warms up.
G RANT C OUNTY
S PORTS R OUNDUP
Grant Union
softball sweeps
four at round
robin
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Monument sophomore Faythe Schafer throws discus in the March 22 practice with teammates, from left back,
Hayden Schafer, Aubrey Bowlus and Kyla Emerson waiting their turn and head coach Darrin Dailey looking on.
The Grant Union Pros-
pector softball team had its
bats cracking during spring
break, raking in four wins
in two days at the Riverside/
Irrigon Round Robin.
Head coach DeAnna
Nash said she was pleased
with the outcome, with each
game won by at least 10
points.
“It was a tough challenge
to play that many games in
two days,” Nash said. “I’m
very happy with their efforts
and their team unity.”
Prospector Cody Jo
Madden was successful in
the circle for the fi rst game
on Tuesday, leading Grant
Union to a 17-2 win over the
Riverside Pirates.
Madden gave up four
hits, and Grant Union had
17 hits in the game. Mari-
ah Moulton, Hailie Wright
and Natalie Stearns each
had three hits, and Ravyn
Walker and Wright each had
triples.
The Prospectors faced
Knappa in their second game
on Tuesday, again winning
by a landslide, 13-2.
Madden pitching, gave
up seven hits, and the Pros-
pectors had 16 hits. Walker
and Moulton each had three
hits, and Moulton had a tri-
ple.
In their second day at the
tournament, Madden and
Moulton shared pitching
duties for a 13-2 win over
Irrigon. Madden was in for
the fi rst four innings, with
Moulton taking the fi nal
three.
“This was a hard-fought
team win,” Nash said. “We
gave up eight hits but never
let them (Irrigon) have a big
inning.”
Grant Union had nine
hits with Prospector Marissa
Smith going 3-3. Whitney
See ROUNDUP, Page B10