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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 2018)
A8 Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 8, 2018 WEDNESDAY August 8, 2018 Contributed photo/Tanni Wenger Photography Grant Union graduates Wade Reimers and Cameron Hallgarth played for the East team in Saturday’s East- West Shrine football game in Baker City. Two Grant Union grads play for Shriners children By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Two 2018 Grant Union High School grad- uates suited up for Ore- gon’s 66th Annual East- West Shrine All-Star Football Game on Satur- day in Baker City. Proceeds from the game benefit Portland Shriners Hospital for Children. Wade Reimers and Cameron Hallgarth were part of the East team that claimed a 20-8 victory. “It was a close game up until the end of the third. Then we put things together and finished the game,” Reimers said. “It was good being able to play defense again.” Reimers was the Grant Union Prospector quarterback and a line- man, and Hallgarth was running back and a line- man. There were 45 se- nior players from 29 1A through 4A east side teams, including alter- nates. Alternates for Grant Union were Zack Deiter and Cauy Weaver. In the game, Reimers played tight end and de- fensive back. Hallgarth was an out- side linebacker and, in the last half of the game, sacked the West’s quar- terback. Although there are two different teams com- peting, the athletes are united in purpose. “It was definitely a defensive game, and both teams were play- ing really hard, trying to win the game,” Hallgarth said. “We all just had a mindset of playing for the children and playing for Shriners.” The motto of the game is “Strong Legs Run so Weak Legs may Walk.” The football players visited Shriners Hospi- tal on the second day of their week-long practice session. Reimers said they didn’t get to meet the pa- tients, but had a tour of the hospital. “I thought it was a great cause, and the pa- tients got to watch it on TV,” he said. Hallgarth added, “I thought it was a great experience and definite- ly opened my eyes to what these kids are going through.” Both Hallgarth and Reimers said they en- joyed developing life- long friendships during the week. “It was great to play defense with a teammate for one last time,” Re- imers said. The game will be aired on ROOT Sports Network. Check local listings for availability. Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter Grant Union Prospector Baylee Combs works on practice drills Aug. 1 during the Gold Medal Squared volleyball camp held in John Day. Grant Union volleys for winning position Lady Pros host tournament on Aug. 25 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle T Grant Union Prospector Trinity Hutchison serves the ball in practice Aug. 1 with Kaylee Wright at left during practice drills at the Gold Medal Squared camp. he Grant Union Prospector volleyball team is aspiring to return for a state title as their season starts with new head coach Ali Abrego. Longtime Prospector head coach Shae Speth, who moved out of state two years ago, returned last season to coach the team, leading the Prospectors to a 3-1 win over the Culver Bulldogs at the OSAA Volleyball State Championships. It was the first state title the team won since Speth herself was a player on the Prospector team in 1989. Abrego comes to the team with sever- al years experience in the game. The last two years she was the 4A La Grande Ti- ger junior varsity II coach while attend- ing Eastern Oregon University. Before her time in La Grande, she played volleyball for two years for Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, an NCAA division II team. Abrego said she’s been around volleyball throughout much of her life. “My mom was a volleyball coach when I was little, so I grew up in the gym,” she said. When she played for Powder Valley High School, where she gradu- ated, the team made it to the state championship game three out of four years. See SPORTS, Page A9 The Grant Union Prospector team gathers for instructions during the Gold Squared volleyball camp. Junior Olympian competes at nationals By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle Eight-year-old Anna Jacobs of Prairie City launched her long jump career to a big stage, com- peting at the July 23-29 National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. Jacobs, who will be a third-grader at Prairie City School this fall, qualified for the national event after a third-place finish at the regionals in Bend where she had a mark of 9-4.5. Her mother Jenny Jacobs, whom she also calls coach, said Anna has improved her jump by nearly a foot and a half since last year, and in practice has jumped up to 11 feet. Anna arrived at nationals the day before the event — traveling all day — with her father, Justin. Her mom stayed home with Anna’s 4-month-old sister. With not much time to practice, Anna faced hot and humid conditions with 57 other kids competing in the 8 and under event. “Anna had a great time experiencing a big meet,” Jenny said, adding Anna had been jumping well in practice, but didn’t place as well as she wanted. “I told her, ‘I’m really proud of you for trying your best,’” Jenny said. She said they’ve been learning as they go, and next time they plan to arrive at the competition ear- lier. Anna said her favorite thing about competing is the fun she has meeting new people. Her mom said it held true at nationals. “That has been a common denominator. Every- one has been really nice, and we’ve met some great people,” she said. “It was fun for her, and we’re ex- cited for next year. It was well worth going.” Anna plans to continue competing in Track Town and USA track and field meets next year, and hopes to practice with other young local athletes. Jenny is starting an Eastern Oregon track and field club next spring for Prairie City and John Day youths, ages 8-18, with volunteers helping coach various events. If there is enough interest, she would sched- ule four or five competitions at Track Town youth league meets and USATF meets to help expose kids to track and field. For more information, contact Jacobs at jencja- cobs@gmail.com. Contributed photo Eight-year-old Anna Jacobs of Prairie City participates in the July 23-29 National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
