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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2017)
A10 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, June 7, 2017 WEDNESDAY June 7, 2017 Cutting down the Competition Contributed photo/Kaemyn Meagher Kate Page competes at the 77th Conclave at Fort Missoula last year in Missoula, Montana. Former Grant Union athlete to compete in pro timbersports in Upstate New York RUNNING FOR GOLD Annual race begins at 7 a.m. on Saturday By Hugh Snook To the Blue Mountain Eagle Come stroll (or race) down memory lane at this year’s Gold Rush Run and Walk event, part of the annual ’62 Days Celebration. At the “clink” of a gold nugget dropped in an old miner’s pan, runners and walkers will hit the road at 7 a.m. Saturday, June 10, for the 5,000-meter (3.1-mile) event. The course begins and ends in front of Sel’s Brewery, taking a route north on the Three Flags Highway, south on Humbolt Street, up to the Rebel Hill schoolhouse and winding through the down- town area. Participants are invited to hear the echoes of Canyon City’s golden past on the still morning air as they wind through the streets. The event attracts runners and walkers of all ages and speeds, some with happy dogs in tow. In the 2016 running, the fi rst fi nisher was 23-year- old Nick Smith. Smith ran the 3.1-mile course in 18 min- utes, 49 seconds, turning in the sixth fastest fi nish time in the 18 years the race has run the current route. The fastest women’s division fi nisher was Canyon City’s own Shei- la Comer, with a time of 25 minutes, 16 seconds. The Gold Rush Run also pays tribute to Canyon City’s golden past with this year’s prizes: prospector fi gurines featuring a globe of gold fl akes. These will be award- ed to the overall men’s and women’s winners in two age divisions, 39 years and under and 40 and over. The top two fi nishers in each 10-year age division will be awarded rib- bons All fi nishers under the age of 12 will be awarded medals. Hung on red, white and blue ribbons, these medals will provide bragging rights for months to come. Young par- ticipants will also enjoy the gold nugget bubble gum, a tradition at the event. Homebaked cookies and pastries from Stephanie Cole- man will be served after the event, as well as fruit and en- ergy drinks. The Strawberry Striders and the Whiskey Gulch Gang sponsor the event. Registra- tion forms are available from Grant County Chamber of Commerce at 281 W. Main St., John Day. Participants may also register just before the race, from 6-6:45 a.m. at the start/fi nish line in front of Sel’s. Registration costs $10.00. G RANT C OUNTY F AIR COURT ATTENDS S PRAY R ODEO By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle F ormer John Day resident Kate Page has gone pro in timbersports, competi- tions that test athletes’ abilities to chop, cut and chainsaw. Page, who resides in Mis- soula, Montana, will compete at the June 16-18 Stihl Northeast Professional Qualifi er in Cherry Valley, New York. Local residents may remem- ber Page, a 2009 Grant Union High School graduate, who was on the Grant Union Prospector volleyball and track and fi eld teams. She also was a mem- ber of the Mt. Vernon Middle School football team. Page graduated from Univer- sity of Montana last year, earn- ing a bachelor’s degree in forest- ry with a minor in fi re ecology. She combined her love of the woods with her competitive spirit when she discovered and joined the university’s Woods- man Team, later becoming the team’s co-captain. She had never heard of the sport before attending school in Montana. “I got to college and found out they had a team, and I thought ... I’m doing this,” she said. Page found she enjoyed the sport because it relates to her line of work, and it’s intimidat- ing. “I’m glad that I get to be a part of it,” she said. “This is one really aggressive sport, and I’m likely not going to break any bones do- ing it — if I do, it’s my fault.” Page said she’s especially happy with the connections and friendships she’s made since becoming involved in timber- sports. “I thoroughly enjoy it,” she said. Her fi rst paycheck as a pro- fessional was earned after recent competitions in Canada. This month’s Stihl event in- cludes the fi rst women’s division in the U.S. with a total of 38 fe- male competitors, she said. At the event, Page will go head to head with a world cham- pion competitor from Washing- ton state. Contributed photo/Shannon Harris Kate Page competes in the vertical (standing) speed chop at an April 2017 home show in Missoula, Montana. Contributed photo/LindseyWyllie.com Grant County Fair and Rodeo Princess Trinity Hutchison of John Day, left, and Queen Jessica Carter of Seneca ride in the Saturday, May 27, Spray Rodeo Parade. the corner’s HOT SH T EEK OF THE W Contributed photo/Shannon Harris Kate Page competes in the choker course at last year’s 77th Conclave at Fort Missoula in Missoula, Montana. Each arena in the competition has a different course, and her team’s included giant bunk logs and a water obstacle course. Page said there are three events and three points can be earned per event, including sin- gle buck, cross-cut saw with a Stihl chainsaw and underhand chop. The top 16 advance to the next round, and the top eight move on from there. She said eight of the athletes are from west of the Mississippi River, and the rest are from the East Coast. When asked what type of edge she may have, being from the West, she said, “Over here, we chop on frozen wood eight to nine months out of the year.” Page said she’s looking for- ward to the drive to New York, noting it’s on her bucket list to travel to all the states in the na- tion. She said, since graduation, she’s been working as a conser- vation technician for Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks. She’s also a writer and sales repre- sentative for “Montana Woods n Water,” and she works for a fl ower and vegetable nursery called the Pink Grizzly. Working seven days a week hasn’t allowed her to practice as much as she’d like, but she’s excited for this month’s compe- tition. “I’m defi nitely nervous, but excited for the opportunity,” she said. KRISTINA HUMPHREYS School: Dayville School Grade: Sophomore Parents: Tony & Mary Humphreys Sport: Track and Field Events: Javelin and Shot Put What I like best about my sport: “I enjoy competing with my teammate and seeing him train for his events. I look forward to adding triple jump to shot and javelin next year. I appreciate my parents supporting me at the events this year.” Coach’s Comment: “Kristina went to state for the javelin. Despite throwing into a headwind, she took second place and fully expects to return next year. She will also be heading to Australia this summer to compete in the javelin (at a Down Under Sports track and field meet).” -Coach Peter Bogardus PROUD SPONSOR OF GRANT COUNTY ATHLETES 100 E. Main • Stoplight in John Day 541-792-0425 05736
