A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
WEDNESDAY
March 21, 2018
Grant Union Gold rises at state
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eagle file photo
The Grant Union Gold dancers
perform their state competition
routine.
The Grant Union Gold took a spot-
light at the OSAA Dance/Drill State
Championships in Portland as the
only 2A team.
The 13 dancers held their heads
high, performing at the Veterans Memo-
rial Coliseum, even though they were
up against eight 4A teams and one 3A
team.
“The girls performed amazingly well
in one of the toughest divisions,” said
Grant Union head coach Kattie Piazza.
She said they closed the gap between
them and the next closest team from 10
points to 3 points.
Sweet Home finished ninth with
59.58 points, and Grant Union was
close behind at 56.57.
Piazza said it “might not sound like a
lot, but in dance it’s huge.”
Valley Catholic of Beaverton won
the competition with 86.6 points, fol-
lowed by Gladstone in second and
Crook County of Prineville in third.
“State is the toughest judging all
season, and most importantly the girls
gave it their all and were very pleased
with their performance,” Piazza said.
“In fact, I could hear their screams of
delight from across the Coliseum when
they exited the floor after their dance.”
She said that with eight freshmen on
the team, this year was a time to build
on experience.
“We all learned a lot, and I’m excited
to see what next year brings, with ev-
erything from changes to the state lay-
out to teams’ classifications changing,”
she said.
Eagle file photo
Rhea Mead leaps as the Grant Union Gold dancers perform
their state competition routine for the crowd at their March 9
Spring Showcase, dancing to Katy Perry’s song titled “Rise.”
Panthers post sizable track team
Strong returners
and strong
freshmen
Prairie City Panthers track
schedule
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Nate Barber, in his sec-
ond year as Prairie City track
coach, is optimistic about his
team this spring.
“It’s the largest in a couple
years,” he said.
Nine girls and seven boys
signed up for the team, mean-
ing the Panthers will be able
to field players in many more
events. Last year, the team had
only seven members.
“We’ll have both boys and
girls 4-by-100 relay teams,
three in the 400-meter, quite a
few jumpers and a lot of sprint-
ers,” Barber said. “We’ll also
start developing the pole vault
this year.”
Megan Camarena and Dan-
ner Davis are the two seniors on
the team.
Camarena qualified for the
district track meet in her stron-
gest events, shot put, placing
fifth, and discus, placing 12th.
She also throws javelin.
Davis is new to the varsity
team with prior experience in
various events.
Megan Camarena
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Panther junior Deja Amsden perfects her long jump
during a Prairie City High School track practice March 8.
Joining the team this spring
are several members of a strong
freshman class, including Jojari
Field, coming off a great bas-
ketball season. He’ll be running
the 100- and 200-meter races
and participating in the long
and triple jumps.
“He did well in junior high
last year, with good stats for
high school,” Barber said.
Tristan McMahan, also a
freshman, will do the same
events as Field.
“They were one-two in ju-
nior high,” Barber said.
Danner Davis
The Panthers have a strong
thrower in sophomore Jake
McHatton, who did well last
year in the discus and shot put
and wants to improve his jav-
elin throw, Barber said.
Levi Burke, a junior who
starred on the school’s win-
April 6: hosts Prairie City Invitational at 11 a.m.
April 10: @ Grant Union Small Schools Meet in John Day
at 3:30 p.m.
April 12: @ Rancher’s Invitational in Crane at 3 p.m.
April 14: @ Burns Lions (Arlie Oster Memorial) Invita-
tional in Burns at noon
April 17: @ Grant Union Small Schools Meet in John Day
at 3:30 p.m.
April 20: @ Condon/Wheeler Invite in Condon at 11 a.m.
April 27: @ Don Walker Invitational in Nyssa at noon
April 28: @ Saint Alphonsus Invitational in Ontario at 10
a.m.
May 3: hosts High Desert League Twilight Meet in Prairie
City at 4 p.m.
May 4: @ Grant Union Invitational in John Day at 11 a.m.
May 11: District Track Meet at Baker City, TBD
May 17-18: OSAA 1A State Championships at Eugene,
TBD
ning basketball team, took last
year off from track but is back
for the high hurdles and high
jump, Barber said.
On the girls side, freshman
Samantha Workman, another
good basketball player, will
be in the triple and long jumps
and sprinting in the 100 and
the relay.
“She’s cool under pressure
— very teachable and coach-
able,” Barber said.
Haley Pfefferkorn, a ju-
nior, has returned to throw the
javelin and run the mile.
“She did well in the javelin
last year, but bad weather hurt
her grip,” Barber said.
Overall, Barber was im-
pressed with the team.
“The kids all know each
other. They’re all very coach-
able and have a good work eth-
ic,” he said. “If you push them,
they’ll do what you ask.”
Prospector boys get bats cracking at tournaments
Pros’ Triangle Oil
tourney starts 11
a.m. Thursday
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Prospector baseball
bats were cracking Friday
and Saturday as they hosted
several teams for the Ice-
breaker Tournament in John
Day.
The 2A Grant Union-Prai-
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
rie City Prospectors defeated Grant Union Prospector Warner Robertson pitches as short stop Zack Deiter (13)
the 3A Vale Vikings 11-1 in watches for the ball in Saturday’s game against the Joseph Eagles.
Friday’s game, and came up
with a 10-7 loss to the 3A
Joseph/Enterprise/Wallowa
Eagles on Saturday. Grant
11 a.m. (2)
March 22: vs. Homedale,
Union head coach Dusty Wil-
April 24: vs. Weston-McE-
Idaho at 11 a.m. (Iron Trian-
liams said a few errors on
wen at 4 p.m.
gle Tournament)
Saturday killed them.
April 27: @ Weston-McE-
March 23: vs. Lost River
“We’re young,” he said.
wen at 1 p.m. (2)
at 2 p.m. (Iron Triangle
“We only committed one er-
May 1: @ Union at 4 p.m.
Tournament)
ror yesterday (against Vale).
May 5: vs. Union at 11
March 24: vs. Nyssa at 2
We played really good base-
a.m. (2)
p.m. (Iron Triangle Tourna-
ball, defensively and offen-
May 11: District Tourna-
ment)
sively — the whole team.”
ment, East No. 3 vs. No. 2,
March 31: vs. Oakland at
The Culver Bulldogs, in
TBA
11 a.m. (Les Schwab Tour-
the Wapiti League with Grant
May 15: District Tour-
nament)
Ty McDaniel
Union, also lost to the Eagles
nament (No. 2 vs. No. 3
March 31: vs. Monroe at 2
6-4 in the tournament.
winners), TBA
p.m. (Les Schwab Tourna-
Grant Union dropped their
being able to help the young-
May 18: District East No.
ment)
er kids out so they fare well
first game of the season 9-2
1 vs. West No. 1 in Pendle-
April 3: @ Burns at 4 p.m.
next season and finish this
to 3A Burns in the Prospec-
ton at 4 p.m.
April 7: @ Culver at 11
tors’ home opener on Tues-
season off,” he said.
May 23: State Playoffs,
a.m. (2)
day, March 13.
“I’m excited to play,” Mc-
April 10: @ Elgin at 4 p.m. first round, TBA
Daniel said. “It’s always a lot
The Prospectors return
May 25: State Playoffs,
April 14: vs. Elgin at 11
three seniors this year, pitch-
of fun. We’re going to get the
quarterfinals, TBA
a.m. (2)
er Zack Deiter, short stop
younger kids coached up.”
May 29: State Playoffs,
April 17: vs. Pilot Rock at
Wade Reimers and catcher
The coach said he looks
semifinals, TBA
4 p.m.
Ty McDaniel.
forward to the seniors’ lead-
June 1: State Finals, TBA
April 21: @ Pilot Rock at
ership helping the team.
Deiter said he’s looking
forward to the season.
“They know what we’re
“Our pitchers are throw- of just 13, he said, players are ited on pitchers, but he thinks trying to do, and I’m seeing
ing strikes,” he said.
getting “a lot of reps.”
the team will do all right.
a big improvement already
Reimers said they’re lim-
“I’m looking forward to from last year,” he said.
Because it’s a young team
Zack Deiter
Grant Union baseball schedule
Wade Reimers
Rounding out the team
are four juniors, three soph-
omores and three freshmen.
Freshman Declan Zweygardt,
from Prairie City School, has
joined the team this season.
One big change this
year is a split in the Wapi-
ti League. Grant Union will
face Elgin, Weston/McEwen,
Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii and
Union/Cove.
On the other side of the
Wapiti will be Dufur, Hep-
pner/Ione, Sherman/Arling-
ton/Condon and Culver.
The No. 1 teams from ei-
ther side of the league will
face off for the No. 1 and No.
2 positions heading to state.
Those in second and third
will playoff on their respec-
tive sides, and the winners
of those games will face
each other for the third spot
to state.
Pilot Rock and Elgin are
returning all of last year’s
pitchers, and Williams said
he expects both those teams
to be tough.
Williams is joined by as-
sistant coach Doug Sharp and
pitching coach Russ Reimers.
“I expect to do really well
in our league,” Williams
said.
He said the pitch count
rule is a challenge his team
deals with, but he added it’s
a struggle that all the teams
face.
“We’re not like the big
schools with 10 pitchers on
the bench,” he said.
“Overall we’re good,” he
added. “We’ve just got to
continue to work hard and
look to our juniors and se-
niors for leadership. I think
it’s going to be an exciting
year.”
Grant Union will host sev-
eral teams for the Thursday
through Saturday Iron Trian-
gle Tournament.
The Prospectors will face
Homedale, Idaho, at 11 a.m.
Thursday, weather permit-
ting.
Grant Union will be up
against Lost River on Friday
and Nyssa on Saturday, with
both games scheduled for
2 p.m.