A10
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Wednesday
December 26, 2018
YEAR IN REVIEW
EO Media Group file photo
EO Media Group file photo
Eagle file photo
Grant Union’s Mariah Moulton drives toward the
basket against Clarissa Traeger (14) of Kennedy during
a OSAA 2A state basketball championship quarterfinal
game at the Pendleton Convention Center.
Kaylee Wright of Grant Union clears the bar to win
2A girls high jump at the OSAA state track and field
meet in Eugene.
Grant Union’s Duane Stokes takes a shot for the hole
at an invitational at the John Day Golf Course early
in the season.
18
S P O RT S
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
2018
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
The past year brought plenty of stellar moments from Grant County’s individual athletes and teams to look back on, includ-
ing several for the record books. Highlights from some of the most thrilling moments are listed here in chronological order.
1. Grant Union
wrestling
Grant Union Prospector Drew
Lusco, then a sophomore, claimed the
2A/1A state championship wrestling
title in the 285-pound bracket Feb. 17
in Portland. Other Prospectors com-
peting at state were Elijah Humbird
(fifth place-220), Toby Boatwright
(285), Russell Hodge (182), Ethan
Moore (106) and Eli Sheedy (113). It
was also the second consecutive year
Grant Union, led by head coach Andy
Lusco, brought home the 2A/1A Spe-
cial District 4 title.
2. Prairie City
boys basketball
The Prairie City Panther boys
basketball team clawed their way
to second March 3 at the 1A state
championships in Baker City. The
Panthers, led by head coach Sam
Workman, defeated Jordan Val-
ley 61-53 in the semifinals and
lost 73-50 to the Pacific Pirates
of Port Orford. Prairie City also
claimed the High Desert league
title.
3. Grant Union
girls basketball
In their third consecutive trip to
state, the Grant Union Prospector
girls basketball team had a fourth-
place finish at the 2A state champi-
onships on March 3 in Pendleton.
Grant Union, led by head coach
Casey Hallgarth, lost the quarter-
final round to the Faith Bible Fal-
cons 53-49, defeated the Heppner
Mustangs 62-46 in the consola-
tion semifinals, then claimed a
54-44 win over the Oakland Oak-
ers for fourth place. Grant Union
also captured the Wapiti league
title.
Eagle file photo
Rhea Mead leaps as the Grant Union Gold dancers perform their state competition routine for the local crowd
at their March 9 Spring Showcase, dancing to Katy Perry’s song titled ‘Rise.’
4. Grant Union
boys basketball
5. Grant Union
dance
The Grant Union Prospec-
tor boys basketball team placed
sixth at state March 3 in Pend-
leton. Grant Union lost in the
quarterfinals 60-38 to the No. 1
Mennonite Pioneers, then beat
the Toledo Boomers 60-49 in
the semifinal consolation round
before falling to the Kennedy
Trojans 54-45. The Prospectors,
led by Kelsy Wright, won the
Wapiti league title for the first
time in 28 years.
The Grant Union Gold dance team,
led by head coach Kattie Piazza, com-
peted at the 4A/3A/2A/1A OSAA
Dance & Drill State Championships
March 17 in Portland.
6. Grant Union golf
The Grant Union Prospector boys
golf team, led by head coach Ron
Lundbom, earned a trip to the May
14-15 3A/2A/1A state champion-
ships where they finished 12th. The
team was disappointed by a disqual-
ification on day one of competition
due to some incorrect directions on
the course, but continued on to finish
on day two.
7. Grant Union
track and field
Grant Union Prospector Kaylee
Wright, then a junior, won three titles
at the girls track and field state cham-
pionships, helping her team earn sec-
ond place at the state championships
See Sports, Page A13
Eagle file photo
Grant Union
Prospector Drew
Lusco won the
heavyweight
title on Feb. 17
at the OSAA
Wrestling State
Championships. In
photo, Lusco puts
Kaleb Kendrick of
Irrigon in an arm
bar at the Grant
Union Wrestling
Invitational in
January.