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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2018)
WEDNESDAY May 16, 2018 Statebound: Grant Union girls three-peat as Wapiti track champs 12 athletes move on to state Thursday-Friday By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Grant Union head track and field coach Sonna Smith said several girls made vital contributions by stepping up to compete in extra events, leading to the girls team win- ning the Wapiti League title for the third consecutive year at Friday’s district meet in Union. “If it was not for these girls’ selfless attitudes, we would not have come out on top as a team,” Smith said. The Grant Union boys team improved their finish, moving up from fourth last EO Media Group/Paul Wahl Grant Union Prospector Rhea Mead keeps her pace in the 1,500-meter run at the district meet in Union. EO Media Group/Paul Wahl Grant Union Prospector Kaylee Wright outsprints her competitors to place first in the 100-meter dash at the district meet Friday in Union. year to second this year. Twelve Grant Union track and field athletes will be on the road to Hayward Field this week, the site of the Thursday-Friday, May 17-18, OSAA 2A Track and Field State Championships at the University of Oregon in Eu- gene. “District track was an eventful meet for us,” Smith said. “We had some high and some low points.” The Prospector girls claimed nine individual dis- trict titles out of 17 possible events. Title winners include: Kaylee Wright, high jump, 100 meters and javelin; Syd- ney Brockway, 100-meter hurdles; Jozie Rude, shot put and pole vault; Abby Lusco, discus; and Trinity Hutchison, See CHAMPS, Page B2 The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Tressa Ranft gets a hit in Friday’s game against the Enterprise/Joseph/Wallowa Cubs in John Day. Grant Union softball wins district title Prospector girls host playoff Friday By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector second baseman Logan McCluskey throws to first after getting an out. Grant Union boys face Elgin for third to state Friday Pros advance after 8-7 win over Mustangs By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Zack Deiter slides home, beating the Heppner/Ione catcher on this play. The Grant Union Pros- pector baseball team will move on to their second 2A/1A Special District 6 playoff game after a come- from-behind 8-7 win over the Heppner/Ione Mustangs Friday in John Day. Grant Union will face the Elgin Huskies at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in John Day in a contest which de- cides who takes the third spot to state. Elgin beat Culver 3-0 on Friday. In the regular sea- son, Grant Union was 2-1 over Elgin, the Prospectors beating the Huskies 12-0 in Elgin on March 10. Grant Union dropped game one of a May 14 dou- bleheader 2-0 to Elgin, then came back to win game two 8-7. Grant Union is ranked No. 17 among OSAA’s 2A/1A teams with a 7-5 league record, 13-11 overall. Out of 24 games, they’ve scored 166 runs and allowed 115 runs. Elgin is ranked No. 22 with a 6-6 league record, and 7-7 overall. Out of 14 games, the Huskies have scored 64 runs and allowed 61 runs. On Friday, Grant Union was down 4-2 going into the fourth inning when Prospec- tor Wade Reimers singled, sending Russell Hodge and Zack Deiter home. Heppner broke the tie in the sixth, coming back with a score of 7-4. In the bot- tom, Reimers scored Deiter, and then two Grant Union sacrifice flies tied the score again, 7-7. Warner Robertson pitched five innings with Logan McCluskey reliev- ing in the sixth. McCluskey struck out two batters, and at third base, Robertson caught a foul for an out in the top of the seventh. Prospector Jacob Vaughan played aggressively in the bottom of the inning, steal- ing two bases after hitting a single. He scored off of De- iter’s bunt for the win. “We never gave up,” said Grant Union head coach Dusty Williams. “We were down twice, and we kept battling back. We played good team baseball today.” Williams said “a little squeeze play” won the game. Deiter said now the team will have take it game by game to keep playing. “It was nice to see us all working low, playing good and all the hard work paying off,” he said. Williams said he’s look- ing forward to Thursday’s game. “It’s going to be a heck of a game,” he said. “I hope the community comes out and supports these boys.” The Grant Union Pros- pector softball team has earned the 3A-Special Dis- trict 2 league title with an 8-0 record. Grant Union will host district playoff games in John Day on Friday. Vale plays at 1 p.m., fac- ing the winner of the Tues- day, May 15, game between Nysaa and Enterprise/Jo- seph/Wallowa (played past press time). Grant Union plays the winner of that game, afterward. Admission for the games is $6 for adults and $4 for students. No passes will be accepted but the gold card. Grant Union sophomore Taylor Allen’s grand slam on Friday contributed to the Prospector girls’ 2-0 sweep over the Enterprise/ Joseph/Wallowa Cubs played in John Day with scores of 9-7 and 11-1. It was Grant Union’s fi- nal league doubleheader of the regular season. Grant Union won game one 9-7, making a come- back after being down in the first three innings. Prospector Mariah Moulton had a 3-run homer to tie the score 6-6. Hailie See SOFTBALL, Page B10 Four Grant County 1A track athletes earn trip to state Emerson, Thomas, Burke, Camarena move on By Angel Carpenter Megan Camarena Mark Thomas Kyla Emerson Levi Burke Blue Mountain Eagle Track and field athletes from Grant County’s three 1A teams competed at Fri- day’s 1A-4 District Champi- onship in Baker City. From Monument/Day- ville Kyla Emerson will compete in the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, and Mark Thomas will run in the 1,500 at state. Prairie City’s Levi Burke qualified for state in the high jump, and Megan Camarena received a wild card oppor- tunity in shot put. Long Creek’s boys 4x100-meter relay team of Jaimie Ballesteros, Luka Pesic, Kim Donggyu and Rafael Gumerato came close to qualifying, but placed third, setting a per- sonal record. Monument/Dayville’s state qualifiers and several others on the team pushed themselves and outdid their previous personal records. Emerson, JT Hand and Au- brey Bowlus each set two personal records. “All of the athletes left the track happy with them- selves and their efforts,” said Monument/Dayville coach Peter Bogardus. “All seven had one or more PR’s (personal records) and are looking forward to going to state and cheering each oth- er.” Long Creek head coach See TRACK, Page B10
