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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2017)
WEDNESDAY December 20, 2017 Running down under Cates prepares for Australia track and field competition By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Trinity Hutchison (5) grabs the ball away from Burns Hilander Jenna Garner during the Dec. 12 game at the Grant Union court. Grant Union girls fall to Burns, blow past Heppner Pros hosts Prairie City Dec. 28 Grant Union High School sophomore Sierra Cates is preparing for a big trip to Aus- tralia where she’ll compete in track and field next summer. She has been invited to the Down Under Sports Track and Field Championships in Queensland. Down Under Sports pro- grams aim to use the common language of sports to bridge the continents, providing a compe- tition for athletes from around the globe. Cates said she plans to com- pete in the 400-meter dash and the 4x100-meter relay at the event. Last season, Cates placed second in the 4x100 at state and was on the Grant Union girls track team which won the Wa- piti District title. Cates, 16, is the daughter of Roni Hickerson and Bryan Cates. “I’m looking forward to the experience, meeting new Sierra Cates people and hopefully learn- ing some new techniques to help me become a better track sprinter,” she said. The 10-day trip will cost about $6,000, so Cates and her family are holding a by-dona- tion spaghetti feed next month at the Mt. Vernon Communi- ty Center at 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. There will also be a dessert auction and items for a raffle. “It would be helpful for people to come, and all are in- vited,” she said. By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The 2A Grant Union girls were down to the wire in the final 8 minutes of their Tuesday, Dec. 12, preseason home debut against the 3A Burns Hi- landers. With 43 seconds left in the game, Prospector Kaylee Wright tied the score 33-33 with a two-point bucket. Hilander Mileah Skunkcap went 1-2 at the free-throw line, sinking the 34-33 winning shot. Burns stepped up their defensive pressure, and Grant Union’s final at- tempts didn’t fall. “We let that one get away,” said Grant Union head coach Casey Hallgarth. He said several easy shots were missed, but the team will take lessons from the game, and they’ll work on preseason adjustments. See GIRLS, Page B10 Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Madi McKrola (12) scores two points Dec. 12 over the reach of Burns Hilander Alicyn Hoke (20). Prospector boys dig in for big wins Team outruns Burns, Heppner The Grant County Wrestling Club poses together, including, from left, front row, Kale Tremblay, Sawyer Hittle, Sam Stout, Porter Adams, Kainan Kenyon, Cody Knowles and Brogan Lundbom; second row, Logan Ineck, Jase Whatley, Jack Knowles, Taylor Parsons, Owen Parsons, Jerett Waddel, Beau Van Cleave and Jeritt Gast; third row, Colter Handley, Clayton Ineck, Cooper Ross, Noah Kenyon, Trevor Sassor, Zeke Rookstool, Huntur Wright and Trent Houpt; fourth row, Rowdy Wilson, Natalee Clarry, Halle Parsons, Ethan Moore, Arionna Young, Mason Benge, Tristan Clarry, Charley Knowles and Kaden Wright. Wrestlers not pictured: Mitchell McKrola and Maveryk Bartlett. Coaches in back, from left, Justin Clarry, Steve Parsons Tye Parsons and Drew Knowles. Wrestlers wrap up season By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain Eagle Except for a fleeting moment near the start, the 2A Grant Union Prospec- tors led the way throughout their first nonconference home game for a 46-39 win over the 3A Burns Hilanders. “The boys came out ready to play,” said Grant Union head coach Kelsy Wright. “They knew it was going to be a tough match, but they all came out and played well.” Prospector Cole Deiter led Grant Union with 16 points, followed by Zack Deiter and Cauy Weaver who each scored 8. Five Prospectors on the floor in the first quarter contributed to the scoring, including Zack Deiter with 4, Duane Stokes with 4, Cole Deiter with 2 and a free throw. Cauy Weaver also scored 2, and Kellen Shelley scored one free throw. “It’s great to have Wade back,” Wright said. Reimers had been recover- ing from a football injury. Grant Union raised their 5-point lead at the half, 21-16, to 10 at the close of the third at 34-24. The Hilanders made a strong attempt to overtake in the fourth, whittling down the Prospectors’ lead to 3 points in the last minute, Grant Union ahead 42-39. The Prospectors held Burns to 39 while adding 4 more points to the board. Wright said he was impressed with his team’s composure. “They stayed patient looking for the opportunity to score,” he said, adding their rebounding was great. “We played The Grant County Wres- tling Club, with wrestlers from ages 4-14, wrapped up their ORWAY season with the regional tournament in Irri- gon last weekend. Grant County placed sixth out of 25 teams. Three indi- vidual Grant County wrestlers received championship titles at the event, including Mason Benge (second-time winner), Taylor Parsons (fourth-time winner) and Jerett Waddel. Mason Benge had an un- defeated ORWAY season, and Owen Parsons had a 17-1 re- cord, 15 of which were pins. A shoulder injury ended Ow- en’s season early. Ten of the wrestlers will continue competing in USA wrestling. The season ends with the Oregon Wrestling Association Kids State Tour- nament in Redmond on Jan. 27-28. See BOYS, Page B10 The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Cole Deiter goes up to score over the reach of Burns Hilander Jacob Cawood (1) in the Dec. 12 game. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Duane Stokes cruises by Burns Hilander opponents on his way to score, his teammates Cole Deiter, back left, and Wade Reimers in the action. Grant County Wrestling Club results East Cascade Regional Finals in Irrigon, Dec. 16 First place: Mason Benge, Taylor Parsons and Jerett Waddel Second: Beau Van Cleave, Jase What- ley and Tristan Clarry Third: Halle Parsons Fourth: Zeke Rookstool Also participating: Cody Knowles, Charley Knowles, Noah Kenyon, Kainan Kenyon, Kaden Wright and Natalee Clarry Grant County Team: sixth place out of 25 teams John Day Tournament, Dec. 9 First: Landon Cearns, Jack Knowles, Charley Knowles, Jase Whatley, Kale Tremblay, Taylor Parsons, Mason Benge, Rowdy Wilson and Beau Van Cleave Second: Jeritt Gast, Huntur Wright, Jerett Waddel, Owen Parsons, Kainan Kenyon, Cutter Marsh and Cooper Ross Third: Colter Handley, Halle Parsons, Noah Kenyon, Sam Stout, Cody Knowles, Clayton Ineck and Tristan Clarry Also participating: Sawyer Hittle, Brogan Lundbom, Logan Ineck, Cooper Volle, Rilen Smith, Arionna Young, Kaden Wright, Trent Houpt, Zeke Rookstool, Reed Smith, Trevor Sassor and Natalee Clarry Enterprise Tournament, Dec. 2 First: Jase Whatley and Mason Benge Second: Arionna Young, Tristan Clarry and Jack Knowles Also participating: Natalee Clarry, Charley Knowles, Trevor Sassor and Cody Knowles Milton-Freewater Tournament, Nov. 25 First: Jase Whatley, Beau Van Cleave and Jerett Waddel Second: Jack Knowles, Charley Knowles and Zeke Rookstool Third: Kale Tremblay and Tristan Clarry Fourth: Brogan Lundbom, Sam Stout and Natalee Clarry Rock of Redmond Tournament, Nov. 25 Second: Owen Parsons Fourth: Mason Benge and Taylor Parsons Pendleton Tournament, Nov. 18 First: Owen Parsons, Noah Kenyon, Jerett Waddel and Jase Whatley Second: Rowdy Wilson, Taylor Par- sons, Zeke Rookstool, Tristan Clarry and Kainan Kenyon Also participating: Charley Knowles, Halle Parsons, Natalee Clarry, Sawyer Hittle, Cody Knowles, Huntur Wright, Kaden Wright, Ethan Moore and Arionna Young Bigfoot Tournament in Spokane, Washington, Nov. 18 Sixth: Mason Benge