A8
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
WEDNESDAY
July 26, 2017
John Day Swim Team wins home meet
Howard wins
high-point award
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Winning their home invita-
tional over the weekend made
the event that much sweeter
for the John Day Swim Team.
John Day won with 587
points, Prineville Swim Team
placed second with 495, Pend-
leton Swim Association was
third with 433 and Lakeview
Swim Team was fourth with
382. La Grande Swim Club
(227) and The Dalles Swim
Team (172) also brought ath-
letes to the competition.
John Day had 60 swimmers
competing in the three-day
event.
The John Day team will
meet up again with the
Prineville and Lakeview teams
at the District Swim Meet Fri-
day through Sunday, July 28-
30, in Prineville.
Eight-year-old
Colbie
Howard, who swims in the 8
and under division, won the
high-point award for the John
Day team.
John Day head coach Sa-
brina Howard said the relay
teams gave them the needed
point boost for the win.
“Our relay teams were just
outstanding across the board,”
Howard said.
She added that she and
assistant coach Stephanie Le-
Quieu work hard to choose
placements for those teams.
“Our relay really brought
us to the forefront in the meet,”
she said. “They were pumped
and they were ready. It’s a mo-
ment for them to shine.”
She said Deja Amsden
(girls 15 and over) and Taylor
Hunt (boys 15 and over) gave
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
John Day Swim Team members Zeri Janssen, front, and
Cayden Howard compete on Saturday during the John
Day Invitational Swim Meet at Gleason Pool.
especially impressive per-
formances in their individual
medleys.
“They are my warriors on
the team,” Howard said. “They
are up to battle.”
She said they were asked to
add the 400 individual medley
to their events, and showed
they were up to the challenge,
swimming in the event fi rst
thing Saturday morning, on
top of all the other events they
had that day.
“It speaks so highly of their
character, and they represented
the swim team very well,” the
coach said.
She also highlighted My-
ckee Coalwell as their se-
nior team member and recent
graduate of Grant Union High
School.
Coalwell qualifi ed for the
district meet, which will be
her fi nal event with the swim
team.
Coach Howard said the
home meet is a special time,
especially for those new to the
team.
“With home pool advan-
tage, it’s a lot more comfort-
able for fi rst-year swimmers,”
she said. “Just to experience
that magic and enthusiasm
with them on what a fi rst swim
meet is like, it’s just priceless.”
Russell Hodge, 15, said he
enjoys staying in shape for foot-
ball by being on the swim team.
“It’s fun just racing,” he
said. “The funnest part is
knowing when you’re done.
It’s worth it.”
Amsden, 16, agreed.
“It’s rough, but worth it,”
she said. “I think it’s amazing
that we can get such a large
community together like
this.”
The coach said the event is
not just about the winning, but
about supporting the swim-
mers and families coming to-
gether to help at the event.
“It makes the swim team
feel like a family,” Howard
said, adding, “To have the
amount of kids at that meet
cheering on the others, playing
in the creek, building that ca-
maraderie, just embodies what
swim team is all about.”
Those who’ve qualifi ed for
the district meet will be fi ne
tuning their fl ip turns and event
times in practice this week.
Third in state
Contributed photo
Cauy Pool of Long Creek competes in bareback riding
for District 1 at the California State High School Finals
Rodeo in Bishop, California.
Riding high
Long Creek
bareback rider
places 23rd at
national finals
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Long Creek bareback rider
Cauy Pool had the experience
of a lifetime, fi nishing 23rd at
the July 16-22 National High
School Finals Rodeo in Gil-
lette, Wyoming.
There were over 1,500 cow-
boys and cowgirls from 43
states, fi ve Canadian provinces
and Australia competing in 13
events.
Up against over 60 other
bareback riders, Pool said he
kept focused on his event.
“It was really fun and a great
experience,” he said.
Pool placed second in his
fi rst round July 18 with a score
of 74. Thursday proved to be a
bigger battle, Pool scoring a 46
for fi fth place.
“I got a low score on my
second round,” he said. “It
wasn’t feeling 100 percent and
a little bit tougher horse.”
Pool was just shy of making
it into Saturday’s short go, the
fi nal round. Qualifi ers had to be
in the top 20.
“I’d like to thank my dad
and a friend Austin Foss —
who’s been to the NFR four
times in bareback” — for their
coaching, he said.
He added his parents,
grandparents and Foss all sup-
ported him in his ride to the
NHSFR.
The Monument High
School graduate said he plans
to help his parents on the ranch
before heading to Las Cruces,
New Mexico, where he’ll study
welding technology while rid-
ing bucking horses for the New
Mexico State Aggies on a full-
ride scholarship.
Contributed photo
Long Creek steer wrestler GW Clark competes in a
High Stakes Jackpot Rodeo July 20, which was held
for contestants during the National High School Finals
Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming.
Clark competes
at national fi nals
Blue Mountain Eagle
Steer wrestler GW Clark
of Long Creek competed in
the July 16-22 National High
School Finals Rodeo in Gil-
lette, Wyoming.
Clark, a graduate of Mon-
ument High School, qualifi ed
after placing third in steer
wrestling at the June 8-10
Oregon State Finals rodeo in
Prineville.
At nationals, the draws
didn’t go as hoped for Clark.
He made two attempts,
riding with injured knees, and
said he was glad to have the
nationals experience.
“It was a lot of hard work
to put in to make it that far,”
Clark said. “To get the chance
to be able to compete with ev-
eryone else was an honor.”
Clark will attend Treasure
Valley Community College
with a focus on equine stud-
ies.
He will also ride for the
Chukars’ rodeo team.
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
The Grant County Wildfire softball team and coaches after their third-place finish Sunday at the State Little
League Tournament in Medford. From left, back row, assistant coach Marissa Williams, head coach Zach Williams
and assistant coach Levi Watterson; middle row, Lexi McKrola, Jaydika Anderson, Lauren Wenger, Halle Parsons,
Drewsey Williams and Savannah Watterson; front row, Brilynn Combs, Grace Voigt, Sivanna Hodge, Addy
Northway, Reece Jacobs and Lilly Rockhill. Ray Wenger, not pictured, is also an assistant coach.
Wildfire girls give all in softball battle
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Wildfi re earned
third place, competing at the July 20-
24 Oregon State Little League Softball
8-9-10 Tournament in Medford.
Wildfi re short stop Savannah Watter-
son said she hopes her team will be just
as good or better next year. Her favorite
memory was seeing her team improve.
“We went from earning third in dis-
tricts last year to winning districts and
getting third in state this year,” she said.
The team had three wins and two
losses at the tournament, held at U.S.
Cellular Community Park’s AstroTurf
fi eld.
Head coach Zach Williams said it
was a good season, and the team in-
creased their knowledge of the game at
a quick pace.
“ They do little things just right,
knowing secondary options on a play,”
he said. “They’re years beyond their age
with their softball IQ. They’re learning
the game so much faster than I’ve expe-
rienced in the past.”
On Thursday, Drewsey Williams
pitched a 9-0 game against Del Norte of
Crescent City, California.
“The girls were patient at the plate,”
coach Williams said, adding they threw
good pitches and put the ball in play.
Grant County had tougher compe-
tition, facing Willow Creek of Port-
land on Friday. Coach Williams said
Willow Creek’s pitcher threw hard and
located her pitches well. Willow Creek
went on to win the title.
Saturday brought a turnaround for
the Wildfi re girls with two wins. They
claimed a 15-0 victory over South Sa-
lem in the morning and a 12-5 win over
Crook County in the evening.
Drewsey pitched the fi rst inning
against South Salem with Addy North-
way relieving for the remainder of the
four-inning win.
Coach Williams said his team had
Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography
Brilynn Combs of the Grant County Wildfire team slides home safe during
last weekend’s state tournament in Medford.
success with quite a few base hits,
swinging at good pitches.
Drewsey pitched all six innings for
the win over Crook County.
“They were selective (in hitting)
and played a lot better defense,” the
coach said.
Sunday’s game was a nail-biter,
Klamath County taking an 8-7 win to
oust Grant County from the tourna-
ment.
“Addy threw the whole game, and
she did a really good job,” Williams
said. “The girls battled hard on offense
and put the ball in play hard a lot. In
the end, we just came up short.”
Williams said the Wildfi re girls who
now range in age from 9-11, played
more than 40 games this season.
“The girls worked hard for months
and months in the heat,” Williams said.
“They came to practice every night.
That’s why I love coaching. The im-
provement I saw from March through
July was unbelievable.”
First baseman and catcher Halle
Parsons said she had a fun summer of
softball.
“We had a really good time working
hard and coming together as a family,”
she said. “I like that we worked togeth-
er really well.”
Right fi elder Reece Jacobs said she
didn’t know the team members well at
fi rst and enjoyed making friendships.
“The experience (of the tourna-
ment), it was pretty diffi cult,” she said.
“We played some pretty tough teams,
but overall, it was pretty fun.”
Coach Williams said he appreciated
the contributions of his assistants, Levi
Watterson, Ray Wenger and Marissa
Williams.
He said the time they dedicated to
the team was valuable, as well as the
commitment from parents and the con-
tributions of the community who helped
them raise more than $4,000 to go to the
state tournament.
“To the volunteers and fans and
community that donated, we just can’t
say thank you enough,” Williams said.