WEDNESDAY
April 25, 2018
Grant Union boys swept by solid Rocket team
Prospectors
look to win out
regular season
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union Prospector
head baseball coach Dusty
Williams said his team per-
formed well last week with
few errors, but the team fell
in three league contests to
the Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii/
Ukiah Rockets.
On April 17 in John Day,
the Rockets won 7-2.
Sophomore Warner Rob-
ertson and freshman Peyton
Neault were on the mound
for Grant Union. Pitching
for Pilot Rock were seniors
Levi Themie and Chris
Weinke.
In Saturday’s double-
header, Grant Union fell to
A Rocket runner slides toward second as Grant Union
second baseman Logan McCluskey looks for the throw,
short stop Wade Reimers in back.
Grant Union Prospector
Peyton Neault pitches in
the April 17 game against
the Rockets in John Day.
the Rockets 6-0 and 6-5 in
Pilot Rock.
Grant Union is ranked No.
17 among OSAA’s 2A/1A
Ukiah is ranked No. 6 in the
state with an overall record
of 11-2.
“We played pretty good,”
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
teams with an overall record
of 7-10 and 2A/1A Special
District 6 record of 2-4.
Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii/
Williams said. “Pilot Rock
is just a good team.”
Commenting on the 6-0
loss, he added, “They threw
a two-hitter, and they’ve got
five good kids who can hit
the ball.”
Game two was a close
contest, Grant Union had a
5-3 lead going into the bot-
tom of the seventh.
Prospector pitchers were
switched due to the pitch
count. Then the Rockets
tied the score, and another
runner slipped home when a
teammate was walked.
“I would rather have a
game like that than a 20-0
win,” Williams said. But
he added they may have to
win out to reach the district
playoff.
Grant Union hosted the
Weston-McEwen
Tiger-
Scots on Tuesday, past press
time, and will travel to face
Weston-McEwen at 1 p.m.
and 3 p.m. Friday in Athena.
The TigerScots have a
3-11 overall record, 1-3
league, and they are ranked
No. 32. However, they beat
Elgin one time out of three
last week. Grant Union beat
Elgin twice and lost once
earlier this month.
“They’re a well-coached
team,” Williams said. “To
make district playoffs we
need to win this weekend
and beat Union/Cove (May
1 and 6).”
Union/Cove is 2-8 over-
all, 1-3 league, and ranked
No. 33.
As of Monday, Grant
Union was fifth in league
with a 2-4 record, behind
Pilot Rock 6-1, Elgin 4-3,
Sherman 3-0 and Culver
3-0.
Following the Prospec-
tors are Weston-McEwen
1-3, Union/Cove 1-3, Hep-
pner 0-3 and Dufur 0-3.
Local athletes set records at Grant Union meet
Prairie City,
Monument/Dayville,
Grant Union
individuals place first
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
F
reshman Mark Thomas from
1A Monument raced neck and
neck with 3A Burns sophomore
Ryan Robles in the 3,000-meter run,
but rounding the last curve, Thomas
kicked his speed up a few notches to
pull away for the win at the April 17
Grant Union small schools meet.
The freshman outran his oppo-
nent by about 9 seconds with a time
of 10:23.08. He crossed the finish
line a little under 10 seconds faster
than his previous record.
Thomas, who last week ran the
1,500 and 800, said he enjoys the in-
tensity of competing and cheering on
his Monument/Dayville teammates.
“I think the meet was really fun
and well put together,” he said.
Thomas’ coach Jeff Schafer said
his team performed well.
“They keep working hard, and it
shows in their results — the whole
team,” he said. “They encourage
each other, and they’re having fun,
and that’s key.”
Grant Union head coach Sonna
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Burns’ Ryan Robles, left, and Monument/Dayville’s Mark Thomas
race in the 3,000-meter run April 17 at the Grant Union small schools
meet. Thomas kicked it up a notch during the final stretch to win,
setting a personal record of 10:23.08.
Smith said she was happy with the
competition and her 2A team.
Kaylee Wright won all her
events, setting a season record in the
100-meter dash with a time of 13.02.
“The entire team as a whole had a
good meet,” she said.
Setting personal records for
the Grant Union boys were Dona-
van Smith in the 100 and 200, Ben
Henry in the 200 and 400, Quinten
Hallgarth in the 400, Mason Gerry in
long jump and Nate Hodge in the 300
hurdles.
Personal records for the girls were
set by Sierra Cates in the 200, Savan-
nah Wyllie and Erica Dickens in the
1,500, Sydney Brockway in the 100
hurdles, Abby Lusco in discus and
Sophie Brockway in shot put.
Prospector senior Duane Stokes
won the 100-meter dash, running in
the event for the second time in his
high school career with a time of
12.13, with 21 competitors.
“I didn’t PR, but I got close,” he
said.
His first time was in 12.00 sec-
onds on April 10 in John Day.
Athletes from nine schools com-
peted at the meet. The 3A Burns boys
and girls teams won the event.
For the boys, Burns with 203.5
was followed by Grant Union with
124.5, Crook County with 73 and
Prairie City with 62.
For the girls, Burns scored
210.33, followed by Grant Union
with 156.33, Crane with 61.33 and
Crook County with 47.
“I thought it was good we had
more competition, and we compet-
ed pretty well even with the bigger
schools,” Stokes said.
Prospector senior Savannah Wyl-
lie set a personal record in the 1,500
with a time of 6:08.75 for fourth
place.
“I felt like I competed pretty
good,” she said. “I’m trying to get
my mile time down to 5, which hope-
fully I’ll do by the end of the season.”
Luka Pesic of 1A Long Creek
said many on his team are new to the
sport, and they are improving with
each meet.
“It’s a new experience, and it’s
great,” he said. “Today the 100 me-
ters was my favorite part because
there was a lot of competition with
the bigger schools, which makes us
work harder.”
Long Creek athlete Ximena Mil-
lan competed in the 4x100 relay and
javelin.
“I’m getting better at javelin,” she
said. “At the last track meet, I beat
my personal record. I really like it
and enjoy learning how to throw and
to run.”
Jonathan Lawrence of the 1A
Prairie City Panthers enjoyed the
sunny day.
“It was a good day to have a track
meet,” he said. “Personally, I’ve (set
personal records) every track meet.
Today, I didn’t win my heat but had
fun learning.”
Barber said Lawrence ran the
800 for the first time and Jonathan
Haskins competed in pole vault for
the first time.
“It was a learning experience,” he
said. “We need as many people in as
many events as possible.”
Levi Burke said setting a new per-
sonal record with a mark of 6-04 in
the high jump “was awesome.”
“I felt really good about my 4x100
race,” he said — the team, which in-
cluded Haskins, Brandon Horrell and
Tristan McMahan, placed third with
a time of 48.76. “All around, it was a
pretty good day.”
Grant Union girls place second at home invitational
Stokes wins boys
competitions in
John Day, Burns
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union’s golfers played
well on their home course, the girls
placing second and the boys third at
the Grant Union Golf Invitational
Friday.
Competitors this year at the John
Day Golf Club were greeted with a
sunny, temperate day. By contrast,
participants had to bundle up at last
year’s tournament as a snowstorm
blanketed the course.
“I’m glad it’s not snowing this
time,” said Lilli Burns of Vale. “It’s
nice, and I really like the grass.”
Grant Union’s Emily Springer
said she was happy her family came
to watch the tournament.
“I have a really nice group,” she
said.
Grant Union’s Athena Tipton also
liked their golfing group.
“All the girls are really nice, and
it’s fun to meet people from different
areas,” she said.
Caitlyn Scrivner of Heppner said
the local scenery, field and green have
a unique feel.
“Being in John Day is great,” she
said, adding the course reminded her
of Bend.
Grant Union’s Duane Stokes, who
won the boys individual competition,
said he was happy about the warm
weather and strong golfers.
“I’m glad to finally be able to
compete with good competition on a
nice day,” he said.
Enterprise’s Brycen Locke was
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Grant Union’s Kaytlyn Wells hits
her ball out of the sand trap at
the home invitational.
Burns golfer Jake Keady putts his ball in the hole as Duane Stokes prepares for his turn at Friday’s Grant
Union Invitational at the John Day Golf Club. In back, from left, are Brycen Locke of Enterprise, Trevor
Romans of Vale and Kellen Grant of Enterprise.
also glad the weather was sunny.
“It’s a great day to golf,” he said.
“I’ll hopefully make it worth the trip.”
Others in the group commented on
the John Day course.
“The golf course is in great shape,”
said Kellen Grant of Heppner.
“And the greens are fast,” added
Jake Keady of Burns.
Ron Lundbom, at the event, said
the golfers seemed to be enjoying
themselves.
“We have seven teams represent-
ing 60 kids,” he said. “Everything is
moving along great.”
The Grant Union girls placed sec-
ond with 487, after Heppner, which
came out on top with 387. Placing
third was Vale with 523.
The winner for the girls was Ni-
cole Propheter of Heppner with 91,
followed by Sophie Grant of Heppner
with 92 and Claire Grieb of Heppner
with 101.
For the Grant Union girls, Fallen
Bolman shot 111 for fifth, Kaytlyn
Wells 121, Makenna Culley 121,
Springer 134 and Maddy Way 139.
The Grant Union boys placed
third with 408. Heppner shot a 359
for first, and Burns shot 398 for sec-
ond. Enterprise came in fourth with
423.
The winner was Grant Union’s
Duane Stokes with 83, followed
by Cason Mitchell of Heppner with
85, Kellen Shelley of Grant Union
with 88 and Logan Burright of Hep-
pner with 89. Grant Union’s Devon
Stokes scored 99, and Parker Manit-
sas scored 138.
Lundbom said he was happy to
see his teams place, as well as the
individuals.
“The scoring keeps improving
overall, and that’s what we want,”
he said. “The hamburger feed was
awesome, and everyone wants to
come back next year.”
A fundraiser was held Sunday for
the Grant Union golf program with
over 32 golfers competing in a scram-
ble, 50/50 drawing and a putting con-
test.
“The winning team was 7 under,
and Kathleen Lee won the drawing,”
Lundbom said. “A big thank you to
everyone who donated, played, and
the golf course, whose support is
greatly appreciated.”
Grant Union traveled to Burns for
a five-team tournament on Wednes-
day.
For the boys, Burns came out
on top with a team score of 377,
Lakeview 392, Grant Union 433,
Nyssa 514 and Vale 544.
The winner was Duane Stokes
with an 85, followed by Reese
Raines of Lakeview with 86, Dev-
on Stokes of Grant Union 92 and
Dakota Ceja of Burns 92. Grant
Union’s Shelley was fifth with 94,
and Manitsas scored 162.
For the girls, Grant Union came
out on top with 519, followed by
Nyssa with 535 and Vale with
561.
The winner was Zanizia Suarez
of Nyssa with 110, followed by Mi-
randa Raven of Vale with 118 and
Wells of Grant Union with 120.
Also for Grant Union girls, Culley
scored 144, Way 143, Bolman 127
and Springer 129.
“It was a very cold and windy
day in Burns,” Lundbom said.
“Both teams placed, and we built
some confidence heading into the
last two weeks of the season.”
Grant Union travels May 4 for the
2A Invitational at 10 a.m. at Buffalo
Peaks in Union. The district tour-
nament is Sunday through Tuesday,
May 6-8, at the Pendleton Country
Club.