SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
A7
PREP BASEBALL • SIGNINGS • SCHEDULE
Butte Challenge marks 16th year
try coach Troy Blackburn,
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HERMISTON HERALD
lenge in its infancy, said he
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money for the Hermis- HYHQW KDV JURZQ IURP LWV
ton High School Cross ¿UVW IXQGUDLVHU UDFH PRUH
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compete in the 16th an- top fundraising event for
nual Butte Challenge this Hermiston cross country
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Butte.
SEE CHALLENGE/A8
First-year cross coun-
BY SAM BARBEE
SAM BARBEE PHOTO
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IF YOU GO
WHAT: The Butte Challenge
WHEN: 8:30 a.m. registration, 9 a.m. event, Saturday, May 9
WHERE: Northwest Seventh Street, Hermiston
WHY: Hermiston cross country fundraiser
HOW: Register at ButteChallenge.com or at the event. Cost is $10 for
the Butte Scoot, and $20 for the adult events. An extra $2.75 fee is
added for walk-up registration.
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Hermiston setter
joins playoff-
bound Lakers
BY SAM BARBEE
HERMISTON HERALD
The first time Brea
Kestler visited South-
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nity College in Coos Bay
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for her.
The Hermiston vol-
leyball team setter then
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and she called it “the most
intense practice I ever had.”
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signed her National Letter
of Intent to join the Lak-
ers volleyball program,
coached by Steve George.
The setter joins a program
that finished fourth in the
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ference south division
last year, earning a play-
off spot.
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our season to start,” Kes-
tler said. “I leave Aug.
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before school starts just
to get conditioning in, and
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ment in California, and
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Coos Bay began during
volleyball season in No-
vember.
Head
coach
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compiling film clips
of the senior setter and
sending them to schools
and receiving interest in
return. Kestler had been
developing a relationship
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sity, until Coos Bay ex-
pressed interest.
She took a trip there a
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She said George is one
of the most competitive
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and the team, by proxy,
is very competitive, too.
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competitive and “feisty”
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“She has a real passion
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mper said of Kestler. “Not
everybody that plays the
game has that. That gives
her a lot of drive.
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next level, (competitive-
ness is) the key thing you
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mper added. “In high
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on that. Players are here
for different reasons, not
just to compete at volley-
ball, but once you get to
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about that.”
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George as a coach be-
cause of his experience,
she said. The 2015 season
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Bay after spending 30
years coaching at various
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ters are both continuing
their volleyball careers
into college, and Kestler
felt his enthusiasm and
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Kestler said. “After going
through a couple schools,
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competitive and the most
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Kestler plans on study-
ing education, inspired by
her favorite teacher Randy
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a four-year education pro-
gram, although she plans
on transferring after just
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er also lives in Coos Bay,
giving Kestler a friendly
face from the start.
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moving far from home,
about 400 miles, Tiffany
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she said. Plus Coos Bay
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Dunes National Recre-
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her father happy, she said.
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Kestler said.
SAM BARBEE PHOTO
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Tigers dominate over Jaguars
Grogan homers,
doubles; Flores
tough on hill
BY SAM BARBEE
HERMISTON HERALD
Up 2-1 in the bottom of
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to life.
The Tigers strung togeth-
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Jaguars 9-5 Tuesday behind
nine strikeouts from Tony
Flores.
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maintains a one-game lead
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three straight.
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at least clinched a state play-
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Health has become a bit
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on the bump after missing
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of a sore arm, and Keith
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Starters Ryan Bailey and Ja-
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ent Tuesday, as they traveled
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tributions from some fresh-
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Damien Curiel, a second
baseman, and Justin Keeney
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of the bottom of the order in
the six-run third inning. Cu-
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second hit of the day to score
Steven Allan; and Blanken-
ship laced a 3-1 pitch into
right-center to plate Curiel
and Keeney in the inning.
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to see those guys step up,”
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you gotta have as a team.
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SEE TIGERS/A8
Buckaroos scrape by Bulldogs in extra innings
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dead to rights Tuesday.
The Pendleton junior
had just scampered to
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Root found the dirt, elud-
ing catcher Landon Gam-
mell. Cockburn took a
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foot junior all the time in
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for the deciding run in a
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tra-inning affair Tuesday
in Pendleton.
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iston head coach Lance
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ing to keep coaching and
teaching. There are some
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The loss puts Hermiston
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hole it dug itself in the Co-
lumbia River Conference
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Pendleton moves into
sole possession of second
place.
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dog runs put the Buckaroos
behind the eight ball, but
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of the frame. Hermiston
took the lead back in the
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but Pendleton found an an-
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error provided the Bucka-
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the game.
Faulty base running
cost the Buckaroos three
times in the early innings.
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teammate Brandon Her-
gert did the same trying to
leg out a triple that scored
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handful of steps heading
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chael Gossler.
Pendleton hit Root, a
sophomore, hard all day.
SEE BULLDOGS/A8
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player the year before but had to
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more.
After a successful basketball
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BY SAM BARBEE
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HERMISTON HERALD
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Heading into the 2014-15 bas- All-Area team and a second-place
ketball season, Tavin Headings ¿QLVK DW WKH VWDWH WRXUQDPHQW LQ
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IRUKHU6KHKDGQ¶WSOD\HGEDVNHW- considered playing at the next
ball in a year, choosing instead to level and signed a letter of intent
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She had received some inter- member of the George Fox Bru-
est from colleges as a basketball LQV ZRPHQ¶V EDVNHWEDOO SURJUDP
Hermiston sharpshooter
inks with George Fox
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age,” Headings said of George
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game, and I met the coach and the
team. I felt like I belonged. They
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The Bruins are members of the
SAM BARBEE PHOTO
National Collegiate Athletic As-
sociation and sit in the Division +HUPLVWRQ·V7DYLQ+HDGLQJVFHQWHULVÁDQNHGE\KHUSDUHQWVOHIWDQGKHU
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SEE HEADINGS/A8
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GO SEE IT
Wednesday, May 6
Boys Tennis
Hermiston vs. Hood River Valley, 4 p.m.
Girls Tennis
Hermiston @ Hood River Valley, 4 p.m.
Girls Golf
Hermiston @ Districts @ Redmond, 8 a.m.
Thursday, May 7
Girls Golf
Hermiston @ Districts @ Redmond, 8 a.m.
Track and Field
Umatilla @ Umatilla Finale, 3:30 p.m.
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Friday, May 8
Girls Golf
Hermiston @ Districts @ Redmond, 8 a.m.
Track and Field
Hermiston @ Pendleton @ Pilot Rock (CRC Novice), 3
p.m.
Boys Tennis
Hermiston @ Pendleton, 4 p.m.
Baseball
Hermiston vs. The Dalles, 4:30 p.m.
Umatilla @ Elgin (DH), 1 p.m.
Softball
Hermiston vs. The Dalles, 4:30 p.m.
Umatilla @ Elgin, 1 p.m.
Echo vs. Enterprise, 1 p.m.
Saturday, May 9
Lacrosse
Hermiston @ Sisters @ Sali Tournament, TBD
Track and Field
Hermiston @ Pendleton @ Pilot Rock (CRC Novice Fi-
nale), 10 a.m.
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Echo @ Arlington, 10 a.m.
Tennis
Umatilla @ Sud-districts @ Hermiston, 9 a.m.
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Baseball
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Softball
Echo @ Portland Christian, 2 p.m.