WEDNESDAY
June 28, 2017
Long Creek’s Cauy Pool
qualifi es for nationals
Long Creek
cowboy is second
in bareback riding
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Recent Monument High School
graduate Cauy Pool of Long Creek
fi nished big at the California High
School Finals Rodeo in Bishop, Cal-
ifornia.
Pool rode to second place in bare-
back, advancing to the July 16-22
National High School Finals Rodeo
in Gillette, Wyoming.
At the June 10-17 state fi nals, rid-
ing for the District 1 high school ro-
deo team, Pool fi nished 58 in Round
One, 63 in Round Two and 65 in the
short go.
“I would have liked fi rst place,
but it was a lot better than I did last
year,” said Pool, who rode in sever-
al high school rodeos this season. “I
had a goal to get a score on every one
of the horses I rode on.”
Pool lives a 1/4-mile down the
road from his friend GW Clark in
Long Creek. Clark, also a 2017
Monument graduate, will compete in
steer wrestling at nationals.
Pool is now preparing for the big
event when he’s not working on a
ranch.
“I’m working out every single
day, practicing every single day, and
watching a lot of videos of pro guys
and trying to stay focused,” he said.
Pool plans to continue his rodeo
career while he studies welding tech-
nology at New Mexico State Univer-
sity in Las Cruces.
“They’re giving me a full-ride
scholarship to be on the rodeo team,”
he said.
Contributed photo
Cauy Pool of Long Creek competes in bareback for District 1 at the
California State High School Finals Rodeo in Bishop, California.
Wildfire blazes for District 3 title
Grant County softball
team wins rematch
against Hermiston
for championship
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Wildfi re 8-10
girls softball team overcame some
challenging moments to win it all at
the District 3 Little League Tourna-
ment in La Grande.
Facing undefeated Hermiston,
Grant County claimed the victory
with 10-3 and 9-1 wins in Thurs-
day’s championship doubleheader.
Grant County lost only one game
in the six-day tournament, a 4-3 loss
Sunday, June 18, to Hermiston in the
Wildfi re’s second game.
Although the Wildfi re got behind
in both games of the doubleheader,
they focused and rallied for the title.
“They kept doing what we asked
them to do, which was swing at good
pitches, be patient and keep playing
good defense,” said head coach Zach
Williams. “We had a couple errors
in the second inning of the second
game, but they put the ball in play
and got outs.”
Wildfi re pitcher Drewsey Wil-
liams was in the circle for both
games, pitching 12 innings in all.
She had 22 strikeouts and four
walks on the day, giving up three
runs in the fi rst game and one in the
second.
“When the game started, we all
were super excited,” Drewsey said.
She said the team gets along well,
and when they get behind in a game,
they encourage each other.
“Everybody starts talking to each
other and starts to get pumped up,”
she said. “We get more positive, and
we can hit off that excitement.”
Grant County’s Savannah Watter-
son had a two-run single in the third
inning of game one, moving the
team ahead 4-3.
The Wildfi re later loaded the bas-
es, and Sivanna Hodge hit a three-
run double.
Contributed photos/Tanni Wenger Photography Studio
The Grant County Wildfire 8-10 softball team holds the winning banner after taking the championship title
at the District 3 Little League Tournament in La Grande. From left, holding banner, Reece Jacobs, Addy
Northway, Brilynn Combs, Jaydika Anderson, Drewsey Williams, Halle Parsons, Sivanna Hodge, Grace Voigt
and Lilly Rockhill; back, assistant coach Levi Watterson, head coach Zach Williams, assistant coach Marissa
Williams, Lexi McKrola, Savannah Watterson and Lauren Wenger. Not in photo, assistant coach Ray Wenger.
LEFT: Grant County Wildfire’s Drewsey Williams pitches at the District 3 Little League Softball
Championships. Williams pitched the doubleheader wins against Hermiston for the team’s championship
title. RIGHT: Grant County Wildfire’s Reece Jacobs hits the ball in the championship doubleheader
against Hermiston. Grant County won the District 3 Little League Tournament in La Grande on Thursday.
In game two, big hits came
from Hodge, Addy Northway,
Halle Parsons and Brilynn
Combs.
Combs was named Player of the
Game for game one of the double-
header, and Halle Parsons and Lau-
ren Wenger shared the title for game
two.
“Every girl in the line up contrib-
uted to every game,” coach Williams
said. “They’re really good softball
players.”
The batting order for the Wild-
fi re, ranging in age from 9 to 10, was
Northway, Hodge, Parsons, Watter-
son, Williams, Wenger, Jaydika An-
derson, Lilly Rockhill, Combs, Re-
ece Jacobs, Lexi McKrola and Grace
Voigt.
Right fi elder Lilly Rockhill said
their team is like a family, and it
was fun to meet up with competitive
teams at the tournament.
“Win or lose, we play to have
fun,” she said.
“It was pretty fun because we
lost from that team (Hermiston) and
came back to beat them twice in a
row,” said Jaydika Anderson. “Then
afterwards we got to dump ice water
on Zach (Williams).”
“It’s defi nitely been their goal to
win that tournament,” Williams said.
The team has been practicing
since March 30, having open gyms
since December.
Williams has help from assistant
coaches Levi Watterson, Marissa
Williams and Ray Wenger.
“They’re awesome,” coach Wil-
liams said. “They’re out there every
day. They’re great with the girls, and
they keep it positive.”
Grant County advances to the
State Little League Tournament in
Medford in late July, the date to be
announced.
The Wildfi re team will also com-
pete Friday through Sunday, June
30-July 2, in Milwaukie at the 10
A/B ASA State Championship.
“We’ll compete against teams
from all over the state,” Williams
said. “We’ll have a chance for re-
gionals and nationals. This one will
be really tough to win.”
Overall, the Wildfi re girls have
played 30 games this summer.
“It shows the dedication of the
parents, and we appreciate that,”
Williams said.
He added kudos for the fans
who attended the tournament and
watched on Facebook Live.
“It’s a testament to our communi-
ty and the support we get,” he said.
“Look out for (the Wildfi re’s) fund-
raising opportunities for the Little
League State Tournament.”
The older, 16 and under, Grant
County Wildfi re team is also gearing
up to compete this weekend at the
July 7-9 State ASA Tournament in
Medford with coach Williams lead-
ing that team as well.
Special Olympics team stands out at regionals Area middle
Relay team takes
gold in 4x100 at
Milton-Freewater
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Special
Olympics 4x100-meter relay
team raced for the gold at the
June 17-18 regional meet in
Milton-Freewater.
Team members Crystal
Wimberley, Brian McKrola,
Jay Colson and Caleb Madsen
posted a time of 1:27 for fi rst
place.
“I think our relay team did
great,” Wimberley said. “At
practices we were running
1:40, and we were 1:27 at re-
gionals.”
She said she was glad to see
her team stay ahead.
“We accomplished what we
set out to do,” she said. “We
are looking forward to state.
We’re in the top heat.”
Head coach Deronda Lall-
atin said she was happy to see
the relay team shave several
seconds off their previous best
time.
“I was very pleased with
how our athletes did at the re-
gional meet,” she said.
Assistant coaches and
chaperones were Jason Leigh-
ton, Lauri Shockley, Michael
Shockley, David Gill, Karla
Colson and Kathy Sherwood.
“Jason coached shot put,
and the athletes he worked
with improved so much,” Lall-
atin said. “One added 2 feet to
his previous best throw.”
The Special Olympics State
Games are scheduled for July
8-9 in Corvallis.
Oregon Law Enforcement,
which supports the games, will
participate in the Annual Torch
Run Relay, carrying the torch
in various areas of the state.
“This year, we’re staying in
the dorms, so it’s going to be
like a mini college track meet
experience,” Lallatin said.
schooler, Lusco,
makes strides at
state track meet
Blue Mountain Eagle
ABOVE: Grant County
Special Olympian Crystal
Wimberley sprints ahead at
the regional track and field
meet in Milton-Freewater.
LEFT: Grant County Special
Olympian Harvey Davis
competes in shot put, his
coach Jason Leighton looking
on (back left in blue shirt).
Contributed photos/Deronda Lallatin
Abby Lusco of Mt. Vernon has been
competing with the Grant Union middle
school track and fi eld team
since sixth grade.
She recently completed
eighth grade and compet-
ed at the Oregon Middle
School Statewide Champi-
onship Meet June 3.
She set personal re-
Abby
cords in two events at the
Lusco
La Pine contest. Lusco fin-
ished second in discus with a throw of 95-
01, which is an improvement of 10 feet, 3
inches. She placed fourth in shot put with
a throw of 30-0, increasing her mark by
nearly 2 feet.
Lusco plans to compete on the Grant
Union High School track and fi eld team
next year.