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.