WEDNESDAY
August 1, 2018
4-H Sharpshooters share love of the sport
Club ready for
fair after state
competition
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Three 4-H Sharpshooters,
Cody Bowden, Logan Namitz
and Trevor Gabbard, are still
meeting for weekly shooting
practice after competing at the
Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports
State Contest in Albany earli-
er this summer.
This was the first year the
Sharpshooter club members
have competed at the state
level.
“The boys put in a lot of
time training for the state
shoot and much of that was
in pretty harsh weather con-
ditions,” said Steve Namitz,
who coaches the team with his
wife, Brenda. “The state com-
petition went well, and I was
very pleased with the boys’
performance.”
The event had 309 partici-
pants competing in 390 cours-
es of fire, and each of the local
boys earned at least one blue
ribbon.
Contributed photo
Contributed photo
Cody Bowden, left, and Logan Namitz take aim during
the Oregon 4-H Shooting Sports State Contest in Albany
last June. Trevor Gabbard also competed at the event.
The boys are members of the 4-H Sharpshooters club.
Grant County 4-H sharpshooters, from left, Trevor
Gabbard, Cody Bowden and Logan Namitz. The club will
compete in archery, rifle, pistol and shotgun contests for
the Grant County Fair.
Bowden, 16, is the squad
captain and competed in the
advanced division. Logan Na-
mitz, 14, and Gabbard, 12, are
in the intermediate division.
“It was my first time go-
ing to state,” said Bowden,
who was chosen to represent
Grant County as a 4-H shoot-
ing sports ambassador. “It was
really exciting to go and see
how they put it together. They
have an outdoor and indoor
As a shooting sports am-
bassador, Bowden will speak
at various events, such as ben-
efit auctions.
“I’ll go and tell people
what it’s really about and how
they can get their kids in-
volved in it,” he said. “I need
to represent the 4-H shooting
sports in the best way possi-
ble.”
Both Bowden and Logan
Namitz competed in the Na-
range, and an archery course
throughout the back area.”
Bowden enjoys target
shooting and said the sport
has helped him learn skills
such as being a better listener.
“It requires discipline and
patience, because you have
to think of a lot of things at
once,” he said, adding it’s also
helped him in school. “I’ve
learned to slow down and take
my time with things.”
tional Championships Quali-
fication Track Hunting Skills
Contest, Small Bore Rifle and
Small Bore Pistol.
Their favorite event was
the Five-Stand Hunter’s
Course, which included clay
pigeons launched at random
angles, including some called
“rabbits,” which skipped
across the ground.
In the 3-D archery shoot
portion of the event, the two
released arrows at a veloci-
raptor target.
Gabbard, who is in his
first year with the program,
competed in the entry-level
track for small bore rifle and
small bore pistol and said
he hopes to compete in the
hunting skills contest next
year.
Logan Namitz, who’s been
in the 4-H program for five
years, said the club is fun and
teaches useful skills.
“It improves my shooting
skills, and I like the guys in
the group,” he said.
He first learned to shoot
at age 6 or 7 and has en-
joyed hunting elk, deer,
turkey and grouse since
age 11.
“I enjoy hunting — the
hunt itself, spending time with
my dad and bringing home
food,” he said.
The state competitors are
now joined by a couple more
members of the Sharpshooters
as the Grant County Fair ap-
proaches on Aug. 15-18.
That group and other clubs
and their leaders are preparing
for competitions.
See CLUB, Page B10
Golfers swing in support of Blue Mountain Hospital
Funds go toward
new nurse
call system
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Seasoned golfers and
those new to the sport had
an enjoyable day on the
John Day Golf Club course
Saturday at the 12th Annual
Blue Mountain Healthcare
Foundation Fundraiser Golf
Scramble.
All funds raised this year
will benefit a new nurse call
system at the hospital. A total
of $9,000 has been raised so
far.
“This call system is going
to cost over $100,000, so we
have a big goal ahead of us
for the year,” said Foundation
Director Jena Knowles.
“The Foundation board is
made up of community mem-
bers, local business own-
ers, and hospital employees
who are all passionate about
healthcare in Grant County,”
she said, adding the funds
raised go to the hospital dis-
trict, usually to purchase
something that is needed but
that may not be included in
the budget for the year.
Knowles joined 60 other
golfers and played on a team
with family members, includ-
ing her mother-in-law Sally
Knowles.
Jessica Knowles participates in Saturday’s Blue
Mountain Healthcare Foundation golf scramble at the
John Day Golf Club.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Gaylene Moyers drives the ball at the start of Saturday’s golf scramble, her daughter
Shae Voigt looking on. Moyers’ daughter Cecylee Bruce and Rebekah Rand were also
on the team, and all work for the Blue Mountain Hospital District.
“We’re just so happy to be
out here on a beautiful day in
support of the hospital with
family,” Sally said.
There were 16 teams in
all, with some representing
businesses, and at least one
group represented a town.
Torin Foster said his team-
mates Lucas Moore, Shane
Koppel and Reuben Harvey
talked him into joining in.
“We’re here to support the
hospital and represent Sene-
ca,” Foster said.
Their team finished in sec-
ond place gross.
Winning first gross were
Brad Smith, Matt Wenick,
Jay Kenyon and Billy Colson.
Smith said because it was
a fundraiser, the team donat-
ed their winnings back — so
did all the other teams — and
they also donated their 50/50
raffle winnings back.
Jena Knowles called the
event a success.
“A huge thank you to
everyone that came out to
play, all the businesses and
individuals that sponsored
our event, and the John Day
Golf Club for allowing us to
use their great course,” she
said.
From left, the team of Torin Foster, Lucas Moore, Reuben
Harvey and Shane Koppel enjoy competing at Saturday’s
scramble at the John Day golf club.
Results
First gross: Brad Smith, Matt Wenick,
Jay Kenyon and Billy Colson
Second gross: Lucas Moore, Reuben
Harvey, Shane Koppel and Torin Foster
First net: Lucas Moore, Reuben Harvey,
Shane Koppel and Torin Foster
Second net: Keith Thomas, Bob Hous-
er, Greg Jennings and Brandon Sickler
Highest gross: Brenda Mosier, Carmen
John Day swimmers finish 3rd at district competition
Hodge wins high-
point award at meet
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
“It was a fantastic way to finish
the season,” said John Day swim
team head coach Stephanie LeQuieu
of last weekend’s East Cascade Dis-
trict Finals held in Prineville.
Justin Hodge won the high-point
award for the meet, with Hodge
and Rhea Mead winning high-point
awards at the meet for the team.
Prineville’s team won the meet
with 915 points, Lakeview finished
second with 562, John Day was third
with 388 and Hi-Desert (Burns) came
in fourth with 211.
LeQuieu said her team, ranging in
age from 5-17, performed well con-
sidering the hot weather and the lon-
ger days, competing in preliminary
and final events.
“They supported one another
well,” she said. “Most of our swim-
mers placed in the top six of their
events.”
In addition to Hodge and Mead,
Sierra May, Silas Hansler, Thomas
LeQuieu, Jack Strong and Andrew
Hung placed first in events.
Eagle file photo
John Day swimmer Justin Hodge races ahead to the finish line, in first,
during an event July 21 at the home meet at Gleason Pool.
One especially thrilling moment
was seeing a 9-year-old fill in for one
of their boys relay teams competing
in the 18 and under 200-meter free-
style relay, LeQuieu said.
Grant LeQuieu (18), Brady Wyllie
(13), Ryan Coalwell (12) and Rowdy
Wilson (9) finished third in the event.
“It was a strategy that worked,”
LeQuieu said.
Five-year-old Annabelle Raschio,
new to the team, was nervous at the
start of the competition but won her
first event, LeQuieu said.
“Swimming every day is differ-
ent than getting up on the blocks and
competing,” the coach said. “To me,
the highlights are when they go into
something thinking they can’t do
it and come out knowing they can
— any of those moments that build
self-confidence.”
Thomas LeQuieu placed third in
the backstroke preliminaries, then
won the race in the finals.
“It was cool to see him dig in and
draw from what little he had left,” the
coach said.
She said Grant and Thomas are
her sons, but each of the swimmers
feel like her own.
“When you work with kids in any
capacity, you connect with them,”
she said. “I was thrilled to be a part of
their lives over the season.”
She said involvement in the sport
of swimming not only gives kids
something to do in the summer, but
keeps their bodies and minds fit.
“It’s a team they can call a fam-
ily,” she said. “It’s uplifting and en-
couraging for them to be a part of
something.”
She added, “It’s inspiring to me to
be around them to see their determi-
See SWIMMING, Page B10
Gardner, Denise Houser and Rayne
Houser
Highest net: Brenda Mosier, Carmen Gard-
ner, Denise Houser and Rayne Houser
Long drive, men: Matt Wenick
Long drive, women: Lacy Avera
KP, men: John Avera
KP, women: Lacy Avera
Men’s winners: Brad Smith, Jay Ken-
yon, Matt Wenick
Grant Union
plays at Knappa
on Aug. 31
Blue Mountain Eagle
A youth football camp
for grades 3-8 will be held
at Grant Union Junior-Senior
High School from 4-6 p.m.
Monday through Thursday,
Aug. 6-9. There is a $30 reg-
istration fee that includes a
T-shirt.
The Grant Union football
conditioning camp for high
school athletes will be held
6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday
through Thursdsay, Aug.
6-9.
Daily doubles will be
held Aug. 13-17 with prac-
tices from 6-9 a.m. Monday
through Friday, and 5-7 p.m.
on Monday and Wednesday.
Afternoon practices are
set for 4-6:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday, Aug. 20-24,
and Monday through Thurs-
day, Aug. 27-30.
The Prospectors will trav-
el to Knappa on Thursday for
their first game of the season
against the Knappa Loggers at
7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31.