Eight Mustangs earn all-league honors
Heppner dominates Elgin in state championship tune-up
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 28, 2025 -- NINE
Heppner track and field athletes
punch tickets to state
2nd place 4x400relay. Top, Hallee Hisler, Lily Nichols bot-
First Team Maya Payne First Team Isabel Payne First Team Ava Gerry (first tom Healy Hisler, Riley Archer. -Photo by Susan Hisler
(catcher)
base)
(pitcher)
Lily Nichols. -Photo by Susan
Hisler
Hallee Hisler second from right. -Photo by Susan Hisler
Chris Humphreys
First Team Delaney Stefani First Team Katie Spivey (out- Second Team Ciciley Stefani
(infield)
field)
(utility)
Second Team Kadie Henrichs Honorable Mention Keeley
Nairns (outfield)
(designated player)
The Heppner Mustang
softball team has plenty to
celebrate as it heads into the
postseason. Eight players
received all-league honors,
a testament to the team’s
depth, talent and dominant
season.
And on Tuesday, May
20, the Lady Mustangs
backed up those accolades
with commanding 13-1 and
13-3 wins over the Elgin
Huskies in their double-
header, led by a standout
performance from Isabel
Payne.
All-League Accolades
for Mustangs
Five Mustangs were
named to the All-League
First Team: Maya Payne
(pitcher), Isabel Payne
(catcher), Ava Gerry (first
base), Delaney Stefani (in-
field), and Katie Spivey
(outfield). Second Team
selections included Cici-
ley Stefani (utility) and
Kadie Henrichs (designat-
ed player). Keeley Nairns
(outfield) earned Honorable
Mention.
These honors come
as the Mustangs continue
their impressive campaign,
ranked No. 1 in the OSAA
2A/1A standings with an
18-4 overall record and a
9-3 league mark.
Payne Powers Mus-
tangs Past Elgin
In Tuesday’s win, Is-
abel Payne stole the spot-
light with a monster game
at the plate, going 3-for-4
with five RBIs, including a
fifth-inning grand slam that
broke the game wide open.
Payne’s bat was electric,
but her leadership behind
the plate was equally im-
pactful in keeping Elgin’s
offense quiet.
The Mustangs jumped
out early, scoring three
The Heppner/Ione
Mustangs baseball team is
on the hunt for a deep post-
season run after a strong
performance in the first
round of the state playoffs.
Following a 6-3 victo-
ry over Illinois Valley, the
Mustangs (16-8 overall,
11-5 in league play) are
set to face Kennedy on
Wednesday, May 28 at 4:30
p.m. in round two.
Ranked No. 15 in the
OSAA 2A/1A standings,
Heppner/Ione finished
fourth in their league after
a consistent season that saw
them score 183 runs while
allowing just 121.
Despite a 3-7 non-
league setback against Jo-
seph/Enterprise/Wallowa
on May 22, the Mustangs
bounced back with compo-
sure in the playoffs, advanc-
ing to the second round with
momentum.
runs in the first inning,
capitalizing on a single by
Maya Payne and an Elgin
error. They added runs in
the second and third before
exploding for five more in
the fifth.
Maya Payne handled
the pitching duties with
confidence, giving up just
three hits and one earned
run—a solo shot by Elgin’s
Izabel Martin—over five
innings. She struck out
seven without issuing a
single walk.
Delaney Stefani was
perfect at the plate, going
4-for-4 with a pair of stolen
bases, while Ava Gerry con-
tributed two hits of her own.
Heppner racked up 13 hits
in total and played flawless
defense, not committing a
single error.
Postseason Path
Ahead
Next up, the Mustangs
face Elgin/Imbler again
on May 28 at 4 p.m. in the
opening round of the 2025
OSAA OnPoint Commu-
nity Credit Union 2A/1A
State Championship. The
winner will move on to face
either Grant Union/Prairie
City or Toledo in the quar-
terfinals on May 30.
With a deep roster,
eight all-league selections
and the No. 1 ranking in the
state, the Mustangs are not
just postseason contend-
ers—they’re championship
favorites.
Mustangs head to round two in
state playoffs
The upcoming game
against Kennedy could
prove pivotal. A win would
send the Mustangs into the
quarterfinals on May 30,
where they will meet the
winner of the St. Paul vs.
Monroe/Alsea matchup.
With strong offensive
numbers and a resilient
defense, Heppner/Ione is
poised to make a statement
as they look to continue
their postseason journey.
Track and field seniors honored
Heppner High School track and field seniors were honored by head track coach Russ Nichols
at a just-for-fun home meet last Wednesday, May 21. Graduating seniors for the track and
field team are Marty Medina, Hayden McMahon, Nicholas Wenberg and Hallee Hisler. Pic-
tured L-R: Obdulia Medina, senior Marty Medina, Martin Medina, senior Hayden McMahon,
Landon McMahon, Shawn and Stephanie Hisler, senior Hallee Hisler, Healy Hisler, Paul Hisler,
Peter Wenberg, Nicholas Vandenakker, Sheena Shank-Wenberg and senior Nicholas Wenberg.
-Photo by Andrea Di Salvo
Healy Hisler. -Photo by Susan
Hisler
Joseph Albitre. -Photo by Susan Hisler
The Heppner High
School track and field
team turned in a stellar
performance at the 2A-SD4
Special District 4 Champi-
onships on Friday, earning
multiple state qualifications
and delivering a number of
personal records (PRs) in
a highly competitive meet.
Both boys and girls
teams finished strong, with
the Lady Mustangs cap-
turing an impressive sec-
ond-place tie with Grant
Union at 115 points, behind
Weston-McEwen’s 145.
Eight of Heppner ’s
athletes will now advance
to the OSAA State Track
& Field Championships,
held May 29–31 at Hay-
ward Field, University of
Oregon.
Leading the charge
for the boys’ team, senior
Marty Medina had a stand-
out day, clinching first in
the 800 meters (2:08.59)
and placing fourth in the
1500 meters (4:24.29 PR),
qualifying for state in both
events.
Chris Humphreys, a ju-
nior, earned his trip to state
with a first-place throw in
the javelin (47.46m) and a
solid fourth-place showing
in shot put.
In the field events,
Joseph Albitre grabbed
second in the high jump
(1.82m) to qualify for state,
and also turned in PRs in
both the 110m hurdles and
300m hurdles.
The girls’ team featured
a number of dominant per-
formances. Senior Hallee
Hisler blazed through the
100m (12.80 PR), 200m
(26.12), and 400m (58.56),
qualifying for state in all
three events.
Her younger sister,
sophomore Healy Hisler,
was not far behind, also
qualifying in the 200m (4th
– 27.75) and 400m (3rd –
1:01.49).
Junior Lily Nichols
proved to be one of the
most versatile athletes
of the meet, winning the
800m (2:25.28) and 1500m
(5:02.90) while finishing
second in the 300m hurdles
(49.57)—qualifying in all
three.
Junior Riley Archer
took first in the 3000m
(11:30.87 PR) and third in
the 1500m (5:25.14), earn-
ing two state berths.
Sophomore Brooklyn
Hendricks also earned a
spot at state with a strong
third-place finish in the
3000m.
The girls’ 4x400 re-
lay team of Hallee Hisler,
Healy Hisler, Lily Nichols,
and Riley Archer finished
second in 4:17.36 and will
also advance to Hayward
Field.
Heppner now heads
to Eugene with momen-
tum and medal hopes. The
Mustangs will look to make
their mark among Oregon’s
elite at Hayward Field later
this week.
Full team stats from the
district meet were:
Boys Varsity Results
100 Meters – Finals
6th – Hayden McMahon
(12) – 12.06a
9th – Nick Wenberg (12) –
12.15a PR
200 Meters – Finals
8th – Hayden McMahon
(12) – 25.35a
800 Meters – Finals
1st – Marty Medina (12) –
2:08.59a – State Qualifier
1500 Meters – Finals
4th – Marty Medina (12) –
4:24.29a PR – State Qual-
ifier
110m Hurdles (39”) – Fi-
nals
7th – Joseph Albitre (11) –
19.02a PR
300m Hurdles (36”) – Fi-
nals
6th – Joseph Albitre (11) –
47.05a PR
Shot Put (12 lb) – Finals
4th – Chris Humphreys (11)
– 12.06m
8th – Gage Heideman (9) –
11.52m PR
9th – Landon McMahon
(11) – 11.30m
Discus (1.6 kg) – Finals
5th – Landon McMahon
(11) – 33.49m
12th – Chris Humphreys
(11) – 27.51m
14th – Gage Heideman (9)
– 25.75m
Javelin (800g) – Finals
1st – Chris Humphreys (11)
– 47.46m – State Qualifier
7th – Gage Heideman (9) –
34.94m PR
10th – Lucas King (9) –
31.30m PR
High Jump – Finals
2nd – Joseph Albitre (11) –
1.82m – State Qualifier
Long Jump – Finals
-Continued to PAGE TEN
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