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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (March 18, 2020)
NEWS PAGE LABEL MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, March 18, 2020 A9 WEDNESDAY March 18, 2020 High Desert League names Long Creek’s James Kreamier Player of the Year day,” said Studtman. “I would like to thank my fam- ily, my team and my coaches, with- out them I couldn’t have accom- plished this,” Johnson said By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Three Ukiah/Long Creek bas- ketball players earned all-league honors from the High Desert basketball league at the conclu- sion of the 2019-2020 district tournament. For the boys team, the league named James Kreamier, first- team, “Player of the Year.” Assistant coach Amos Studt- mann, who coached Kreamier throughout his high school career, said he was dedicated to prac- ticing everyday since he was a freshman. “He spent many, many hours in the gym working on his shots and was always dedicated to improv- ing his game,” said Studtman. “I credit his parents and his own work ethic to his success.” The senior led the Mountain- eers to a 6-3 league record. Over- all the team went 13-9. “Winning Player of the Year was a huge accomplishment for me,” said Kreamier. “It is the first time, as far as back as anyone can remember, that a player from Long Creek has won the honor,” Prairie City All-League Eagle file photo Long Creek’s James Kreamier was named High Desert League Player of the Year. He said he worked hard throughout his high school career. “I want to thank my family, coaches and team- mates for making Lucas McKinley this possible,” said Kreamier. Thomas Kreamier, a junior and James’ brother, earned honorable mention. Studtman said his favorite quote from Thomas Kreamier was when he said, “a good game for me does not show up Cole on the books, it is Deiter when my brother has success.” Studtman said Thomas Kream- ier brings the effort, teamwork and sacrifice to the team’s success. From the girls basketball team, junior Dor- otha Johnson, received honorable mention. Studtman said Betty Ann Johnson was one Wilson of the most posi- tive and uplifting members on the team this season. “She puts a lot of work in on her own, working to improve every- Spring sports practices suspended Eagle file photo Grant Union track and field hopeful season is not canceled entirely because of coronavirus By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle As the rest of the sports world came to a halt in recent weeks, Grant Union’s track and field met for prac- tice Thursday, ahead of Oregon School Activities Association’s suspension of all spring sports prac- tices and contests through March 31. A day before the ban, longtime head coach Sonna Smith said all the team could do, until further notice, was to continue to practice. “That is all we can do right now,” Smith said. Smith said track and field competitions, even without spectators, are an inherently large gathering of people. They require a staff of 40 people or more, and tourna- ments typically see multiple schools competing. Smith said that under normal circumstances it is critical to work on condi- tioning the first few weeks of the season, especially for those on the team who do not play a winter sport. With 11 seniors return- Sonna Smith Sierra Cates ing, six on the boys team and five on the girls, the loom- ing possibility of not hav- ing a season at all takes on another dimension should OSAA decide to cancel the season altogether. “As a coach, it is a frustration and letdown,” Smith said. “I have coached many of these kids since they were in the seventh grade.” Smith said that most have plans after high school that go beyond track and field. Smith said there would be challenges should the season resume after March 31. “I have encouraged them to work on condi- tioning in the meantime, but the reality is that not all of them will,” Smith said. “So for those kids we Erika Dickens Megan McManama are at square one.” For the girls team, who were a half of a point shy of taking the state cham- pionship last season, the goal is to place high enough in their respective events to make it to the state tourney. Senior Megan McNamana, a shot put and disc thrower, said her goal is to go to state in one of her events. “A few more feet in of those events can get me to state,” McNamana said. McNamana said the team is very supportive of one another, and many have competed together since middle school, which adds to the group camaraderie. “Throwers can get down on themselves when they come up short, but runners are always there to cheer you on,” she said. Sierra Cates, a runner, said she has struggled with self-doubt before competi- tions and is working on building her confidence and mental toughness. Last season, she placed third in the 100-meter dash, clocking in with a personal record of 13.06 at the state tourney and fifth in the 200 and ninth on the 4x400 relay team. She said just going to state was a great experience. Cates said she is hope- ful she is able to watch the underclassmen have the same experience she did at state last year. “I really want to be a part of that experience, and I want to see them have the time that I had last year,” she said. Smith said, while the team is hoping the season picks back up after March 31, they are being realis- tic, considering the pre- cautions being taken by league officials at both the college and professional level. Dayville/Monument Senior Drew Wilburn was named to the second team while junior Donovan Schafer earned honorable mention. For the Lady Tigers, senior Denali Twehues was a second team selection. SHOOTING THE BREEZE The Big Bwana W From the district track meet last year, sprinters in the girls 200-meter dash include, from left, Chelsy Lemmon of Stan- field-Echo (second place), Shelby Moncrief of Enterprise (first), Keree Graves of Weston-McEwen (fifth), Sierra Cates of Grant Union (third) and Shanniyah Hall of Grant Union (seventh). Spring sports practices have been suspended through March. First team selections for the Panthers included seniors Cole Deiter and Lucas McKinley, while junior Jojari Field was named to the second team. Honorable mention went to sophomore Marcus Judd and juniors Declan Zweygardt and Jayden Winegar For the Lady Panthers, Betty Ann Wilson, a freshman, was named to the first team while junior Samantha Workman was named to the second team. Honorable mention went to senior Hailey Wall and junior Katie Hire. hat is it about big guns? The fascination, the stigma, the Hollywood exaggerations? There are two kinds of people, when given the oppor- tunity to shoot some kind of hand-held howit- zer: The Contributed photo Dale Valade Dale Valade bought this one lights Winchester Model 70 in up like a Christmas tree, John Day. and the other, dreading the thought, takes a cou- ple steps back. Both, legs as Jack O’Connor, mind you, usually take Townsend Whelen and I the chance to shoot it, and were stopped along the when they do so it’s usu- ally “not that bad.” No car- Yukon, watering our pack toon-esque scene where string. And magically the poor nimrod is jerked as I looked at the price backwards out of their tag, my wallet levitated shoes, sailing through the out of my back pocket air doing several backflips and spewed money like off of a steep embankment confetti at a ticker tape ending up in the bottom of parade. My wife was very Brown Creek just over the kind. On the ride home, she said, “You don’t have county line while steam to explain. I heard the rolls out of their ears. angelic hallelujah cho- Nope, those big ones rus from across the store.” kick, but with a few She’s a keeper! That hap- exceptions, you’ll likely retain your teeth and your pens to me a lot. I’ve got to quit going in there, or footwear. Obviously, I win the lottery — one of belong to the aforemen- tioned first group of peo- the two! ple who get excited at the No, sir, the Big Bwana followed me home that thought of firing some- thing huge. day. And I cannot wait to Everyone’s definition of throw down on a bear or big may vary. To the week- an elk with it in the near end warrior accustomed to future. There is just some- .22s and 9mm handguns, a thing about a big gun. You .30-30 could be considered don’t need one until you do. By then it might be huge. To the average big too late. game hunter toting a .243, I’m thinking maybe I .270 or .30-06, the .338 should save up for a nice Magnums are veritable couch in the near future, cannons. To the African if I’m going to be buy- Professional Hunter who carries a .375 or .458 Mag- ing guns with such pre- num on a daily basis, well, dictable regularity, I’ll be you get the idea. Most of spending more time on us however, will never ours after hours. But if “need” anything genuinely Sasquatch should come a knocking in the night, and huge. Since I fall into the Emma doesn’t shoot him big game hunter category, with her .243, she will I consider anything larger be glad I have that .375! than a .300 Magnum to be It will give me another “huge.” excuse to go back to the Recently, finding myself in a local hardware hardware store — not to look at guns but to buy store, I grabbed a used material to replace the Winchester Model 70 off wall I got kicked through of the used rack. The leg- end stamped on its bar- when I shot Sasquatch rel read “.375 H&H Mag- with my cannon! num.” Instantly I was Like to shoot the big chasing lions through the stuff? Write to us at shoo- tingthebreezebme@gmail. bushveld with Robert com! Ruark and Finn Aagaard. Dale Valade is a local As I shouldered the rifle, country gent with a deep I drew a bead on an imag- inary giant brown bear love for handloading, reared up on its hind hunting and shooting.
