SIX The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday March 29, 1979
Ranks thin, but talent deep
Heppner thinclads hit
the cinders this weekend
Although the ranks may be a
little thinner this year, Hep
pner High School's track team
will not be lacking in indivi
dual talent as it enters the 1979
season.
This weekend, the Mustang
thinclads will take part in a
pentathalon meet in Pendle
ton, on Friday, then travel to
Salem to take part in the
highly competitive Willamette
Relays on Saturday.
Only 10 boys and 6 girls are
out for track this year,
prompting Coach Dale Con
klin now mentor of both
teams to predict that Hep
pner's track program "won't
be as strong a team as in the
past couple of years, but we
should be tougher individual
ly. ..There's a heckuva lot of
talent scattered in there."
Contributing to a small
degree to the relatively low
turnout on the boys' team is
the fact that simultaneous
participation in both baseball
and track has been banned
this year. Poor turnout on the
girls' side is even more
difficult to pinpoint, Conklin
indicated, 'i don't know what
the reasons are," he said. "We
have some very talented girls
here who are not going out.
It's a shame, since we're
dependent on kids going out
for more than one sport. When
they don't go out, I think it
hurts the other programs, as
well as track." Persons with a
fall or winter sports specialty
"can't lay around and do
nothing, and expect to excell,"
the coach added.
But prospects appear bright
for many of those who opt to
take part in this year's track
program.
On the boys' team, return
ing seniors include Richard
Schmidt, who placed second in
the triple jump and fifth in the
high jump in the state finals
last year. Schmidt will again
compete in those two events,
and take on the long jump
event as well. "I'm looking
for great things from him,"
Conklin said.
Another senior, three-year
letterman Bryan Marlin, will
return to the field this year,
after qualifying for the state
finals in the long and triple
jumps last season. In addition
to those events, Marlin "looks
great in the javelin, and we
may make a hurdler out of
him," Coach Conklin said.
Senior Scott Sherer, who took
fourth in the district in the
two-mile last year, may shift
to the 880 this year, and
classmate Kevin Gray, in his
first year of track, will join
Conklin's stable of distance
runners. Gray ran cross
country while a student at The
Dalles several years ago.
Juniors include distance
man Larry Palmer, who
placed the two-mile at district
competition last year. Another
long-haul running standout,
Dan Nix. will return to the ,
cinders, following second
place finishes in the mile and
two-mile runs at last year's
district showdown. Rounding
out the junior class contribu
tion to the track squad is
weightman Jim Parker, who
placed in district discus and
shotput action last year, and is
"throwing well already this
season," according to Conklin.
Parker is also expected to
participate in the triple-jump.
The Mustangs will have to
depend on the sophomore
class to rack up points in the
sprinting events. The three
sophomores out for track this
year Mike Jones, Buck Estes
and Bruce Sheehan are the
only Mustangs training for the
sprints. Jones and Estes are
lettermen.
This year's abbreviated
track squad, due to its lack of
numbers, can be expected to
have difficulty racking up
points in district action, dim
ming odds for a repeat of last
year's district crown. The
Mustangs are fielding no pole
vaulter, as yet. and have no
seasoned hurdlers. Relay
teams may suffer. But the
squad should remain a conten
der in the distance races,
jumping and weight events.
"We should still place in the
top two or three." said
Conklin, "and we may have
a bettor chance to place
higher at state," since indivi
dual strength remains high.
The addition of Wahtonka to
the league schedule is expect
ed to provide another obstacle
on the road to retaining the
district trophy.
The Mustangs will also miss
the talents of 1978 graduates
Marty Smith and Sam
Myers district champions
last year.
The girls' track program
will field only one returning
senior, state high jump cham
pion Maureen Healy, who also
"looks strong in the long
jump" this year, according to
Conklin. Last weekend. Maur
een took third in the high jump
at the Kick-Off Girls Invita
tional in Pendleton, against
Cont. on page 7
Season opener Saturday
Prospects look good for
Mustang diamond gang
Heppner High School's base
ball season gets underway this
weekend at Pilot Rock, when
the Mustangs take part in a
four team tourney with Pilot
Rock, Prairie City and Ger
vais. The Mustangs will meet
Prairie City at 10 a.m. in the
second game of the tourna
ment, then, if successful, will
take on the winner of the
Gervais-Pilot Rock contest.
Prospects look good for the
Mustang nine this season,
according to Coach Dale
Holland, with many lettermen
returning to the diamond
following a good season last
year. The Mustangs tied for
first place in their division
during the 1978 season, but
co-champion Condon- scored
more AZZI points to go on to
post-season competition.
Returning veterans include
senior Dennis Peck, all-league
last year, at shortstop and the
mound. Senior Lionel Wood
will shift from the infield to
the outfield this season, and
will also be a member of the
Mustang pitching staff. An
other all-league player, Mike
Stookey, will return to first
base, and fellow seniors Scott
McEwen and Randy Cole will
round out the outfield.
All-league catcher Dale Hol
land, a junior, will return to
his duties behind the plate,
and sophomore John Bier will
make his contribution from
the mound. Fellow soph
omores Rick Cole and Ken
Stookey will hold infield slots.
Two rookies freshman
Doug Holland and John Mur
raypromise to be welcome
additions to the Mustang
roster, following outstanding
performances during last
summer's Babe Ruth League
competition. "They'll be play
ing a lot of baseball this year,"
said Coach Holland.
A total of 25 players turned
out for the jayvee and varsity
baseball this year. Practice
began at the first of March.
With Wahtonka included
among regular season oppon
ents this year, "the league
ought to be tougher," accord
ing to Holland. Condon should
once again prove to be a major
threat, and lone is expected to
field a more favorable team
this season, he added.
Mustang baseball enters
regular season play on April
14, against Wasco County.
Here is the schedule for the
full 1979 season:
Mustang baseball
March 31 Pilot Rock Tournament 10 a.m., Pilot Rock
April 12 Arlington (2) 2:30 p.m., Arlington
April 14 Wasco (2) 1 p.m., Heppner
April 17 lone 4 p.m., Heppner
April 21 Condon (2) 1 p.m., Condon
April 24 Sherman 4 p.m., Moro '
April 28-Wahtonka (2) 11 a.m.. The Dalles
May 1 Wasco 4 p.m., Maupin
May 4 lone 4 p.m., lone
May 8 Condon 4 p.m., Heppner
May 12 Sherman 1 p.m., Heppner
May 15 Wahtonka-3 p.m., Heppner
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Agricultural
Part Time
Farm
Rural
Housing
Hermiston
Open Every
Wednesday
567-7176
Heppner
Open Every
2nd 1 4th Tuesday
676-9912
Main Office
Pendleton
1 S.W. Nye
(West of Red Lion inn)
276-7361
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Mustang Boosters to elect
officers next Wednesday
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Mustang Booster Club will
hold an organizational meet
ing Wednesday, April 4 at 7:30
p.m. in Room 7 at the High
School.
More than $125 has been
received in memberships so
far according to club organi
zer Robb Rush. The basic
membership fee is $1 with
donations of any amount
accepted.
Club Officers for the coming
school year will be elected at
this meeting and fund-raising
committees established. It is
hoped the Mustang Boosters
can raise some funds for
student scholarships to sports
camps for this summer.
Town Team League
lists Sunday's results
4-. &
Play ball
Cardinal baseball coach Jerry Martin conducts a little fielding practice while part of the lone
team takes batting practice behind him. The lone baseball team begins their schedule Tuesday, -April
10 against Arlington. Tennis at IHS starts this weekend and track gets underway on April 7.
Pre-season stories on all lone sports in next week's Gazette-Times.
Tom Day exploded for 20
points to spark Van Marter to
a 61-44 victory over Watkins in
Town Team Basketball
League action Sunday.
The win allowed Van Marter
to maintain its unbeaten
season record, and retain
control of first place. Also
scoring in double figures for
Van Marter were Laverne
Van Marter with 11 and Daryl
Spivey with 10. Topping the
scoring for Watkins was Mark
Huddleston with 16, followed
by Karmon Bjella and Clayton
Wilson with 10 each.
Second place Eckman
handed Smith a 66-29 trounc
ing, with three Eckman play
ers tallying double figures.
They were Dave Allstott with
15, Jim Lankford, 14, and
Dave McLaughlin, 13.
Marvin Lane and Pat Camp
bell each racked up 16 points
to boost Lane to a 67-49 win
over Greenup. Two Greenup
players, Jamie Sands and
Steve Ball, also scored 16
points apiece in the contest.
In other action, Forest
Service defeated Johnston,
with Mark Cutsforth taking
high point honors for the
winners with nine.
On Sunday, Eckman will
meet Watkins, Greenup will
face Forest Service, Smith
will challenge Van Marter and
Lane will take on Johnston.
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