WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2016
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Dohman spurns military for college basketball
Vikings forward
signs to play with
Blue Mountain
By ERIC SINGER
Staff writer
For her entire high
school career, Umatilla’s
Courtney Dohman has had
a plan.
Once she would get
the braces taken off of her
teeth, she would enlist in
the United States Air Force
and make a career out of the
military. However, that plan
has now been moved to the
back burner as Dohman re-
cently signed her National
Letter of Intent to play bas-
ketball at Blue Mountain
Community College.
“As a little kid I always
thought it’d be so cool to
play in college, and then
you seen college athletes
and you look up to them,”
Dohman said. “But I never
thought I’d go play college
ball in a million years, so
it’s awesome and really
cool.”
Dohman’s mother, Trish,
said the decision between
college basketball or mili-
tary was one that featured
much discussion from the
family, but she is happy to
be able to watch her daugh-
ter continue her career.
“She was really set on
the Air Force ... coaches
were telling her to put her
college applications in but
she was always like ‘no,
no, I’m going Air Force,’
but the opportunity came
up and a lot of thought
went into this with a lot of
different people,” she said.
“But she absolutely loves
(basketball) so do it while
she can and mom’s ready to
watch more games.”
The recruiting process
was quick for Dohman, as it
only got started around the
conclusion of the Vikings’
2015-2016 season. Uma-
tilla’s varsity coach Scott
Bow approached Dohman
and let her know of some
other options that may be
available to her.
“I just wanted to make
sure she had every oppor-
tunity available,” Bow said.
“I know she was pretty set
on the Air Force, but the
work she has put in and
everything she’s done has
given her the opportunity
to (play basketball) and I
just wanted to make sure
she knew there was another
choice, because a lot of kids
don’t realize that they have
potential and can do it.”
The six-feet-tall senior
was an integral part of the
Umatilla basketball pro-
gram, earning a spot on the
varsity team all four years
of high school, including
the 2016 squad that earned
the sixth place trophy in
the 3A state tournament.
In the three games at state,
Dohman averaged 5.6
points, 6.3 rebounds and
23 minutes per game as the
Vikings only loss came to
the eventual state champi-
on Dayton. To Dohman, the
whole experience felt like a
dream.
“It was absolutely per-
fect,” she said. “We were
treated like royalty and we
ended up way better than
we expected.”
Dohman took a visit to
Blue Mountain with Bow
and had the chance to meet
with Timberwolves head
coach Adam Driver as well
as a few players from the
team, which sold her on the
school.
ROHRMAN’S HURDLES FINISH PACES BULLDOGS AT STATE
The Hermiston Bull-
dogs boys and girls track
teams weren’t able to crack
the top 10 at the OSAA
track state championships
Saturday at the Universi-
ty of Oregon’s Hayward
Field in Eugene, but sever-
al individuals did, let by a
third place inish by Tyler
Rohrman in the boys 110
meter hurdles and a fourth
place inish by Ayleen San-
doval in the girls shot put.
Hermiston also found a
spot on the podium in the
relay when Alexis Merca-
do swung wide off the i-
nal turn and overtook Sil-
verton and La Salle Prep
down the stretch to win the
earlier heat. The Bulldogs
time of 3:29.92 held up for
eighth place.
Hayden Earl also in-
ished ifth in the 800.
The Bulldogs inished
out the day placing both
girls relay teams on the po-
dium as the 4x100 team of
Scout Reagan, Elsa Torres,
Sara Ortiz and Audrey Lin-
coln inished seventh with a
time of 50.33 and the 4x400
team of Ortiz, Reagan,
Madison Wilson and Mac-
ey Foley inished eighth
with a time of 4:09.29.
———
OSAA State Track & Field Champi-
onships
Saturday’s Results
5A
GIRLS
800 Meter Run
9) Macey Foley, Hermiston (2:21.93)
1500 Meter Run
12) Melany Solorio, Hermiston (5:12.86)
4x100 Meter Relay
7) Hermiston (Reagan, Torres, Ortiz,
Lincoln), 50.33
4x400 Meter Relay
8) Hermiston (Ortiz, Reagan, Wilson,
Foley), 4:09.29
Triple Jump
11) Ebony Wilson, Hermiston (32-01.75)
Shot Put
4) Ayleen Sandoval, Hermiston (35-
09.50)
7) Maddy Juul, Hermiston (35-03.75)
Discus
10) Ayleen Sandoval, Hermiston (101-05)
Team Standings
19) Hermiston (10 points)
BOYS
800M Run
5) Hayden Earl, Hermiston (1:58.40)
STAFF PHOTO BY KATHY ANEY
Hermiston’s Scout Reagan hands the baton to teammate
Elsa Torres during the 5A Girls 4x100 meter dash Saturday
at the Oregon State OSAA Track & Field Championships.
1500M Run
11) Isaac Sanchez, Hermiston (4:18.49)
110M Hurdles
3) Tyler Rohrman, Hermiston (14.99)
4x400 Relay
8) Hermiston (Gutierrez, Earl, Sanchez,
Mercado), 3:29.92
Triple Jump
12) Vaeume Ena, Hermiston (40-05.50)
Javelin Throw
11) Nathan Hunsaker, Hermiston (167-02)
12) Tre Neal, Hermiston (161-02)
Pole Vault
9) Will Sharkey, Hermiston (12-06)
Team Standings
13) Hermiston (22 points)
Coleman signs with Oregon State
Becomes third
former Bulldog
on Oregon State
wrestling roster
By ERIC SINGER
Staff writer
Feb. 28, 2015 proved to
be a life-changing evening
for Bob Coleman.
Facing off against Cen-
tral’s Tanner Swinehart in
the 170-pound 5A wrestling
championship, Coleman —
then a junior —was dead-
locked in 2-2 battle for the
bulk of the match, but with
40 seconds left Swinehart
earned a takedown for two
points and the victory. The
heart-breaking loss forced a
change in the way Coleman
approached the sport and his
mindset in competition that
led to success as a senior.
“I went from being scared
to wrestle people to looking
forward to a good match
and looking forward to be-
ing able to wrestle top-level
opponents,” Coleman said.
“You look forward to the big
matches and when you get to
wrestle them and come out
with wins it really becomes
fun and that’s where I started
to notice I wanted to wrestle
in college.”
Coleman will now have
the opportunity to compete
against that top-level talent
he seeks as the senior signed
his National Letter of Intent
with Oregon State Universi-
ty under a partial scholarship
on Wednesday afternoon at
Hermiston High School. He
said that he is disappointed to
watch his high school career
come to a close, but is excit-
ed that his next step is now
complete.
“Financials I’d have to
say (is the biggest),” he said.
“It’s a big school and I want-
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC SINGER
Hermiston senior Bob Coleman poses with Bulldog varsity
wrestling coaches Kyle Larson, right, and Doug Tovey,
left, after signing with Oregon State University during a
ceremony on Wednesday at Hermiston High School.
ed to go to a big school and
I wanted to wrestle Division
I. I didn’t want to go to an
NAIA irst or something like
that. And I think with that
in mind and to wrestle with
(former Hermiston team-
mates Abraham Rodriguez,
Joey Delgado, Hans Rock-
well (from Riverside), kids
like that from the area that I
know it kind of gives a home
feeling to a big change and
that’s something that’s big to
me.”
He adds to the list of
Eastern Oregon transplants
on the Beavers squad, join-
ing Rodriguez, Delgado and
Rockwell and said that the
number is a testament to the
state of the sport on this side
of the state.
“It’s crazy, we have a lot
of guys that are doing a lot
of great things and the pop-
ulation isn’t nearly as big,”
he said. “It’s a big ‘Atta boy’
to our coaches too for getting
us to that level to be able to
compete in a Division I pro-
gram and it kind of puts us
on a map over here.”
Wrestling irst came into
Coleman’s life in elemen-
tary school, but what kept
him coming back each year
was the family feel that the
Hermiston program gave
him. Coleman added that
some people often wonder if
he is crazy for going through
the rigorous training to be
successful in the sport, but
said he inds it the most re-
warding feeling in sports.
“Practices are killer, but
I enjoyed them because I
was there with really good
friends and we were hav-
ing fun,” he said. “You go
to practice after not eating
that day and you’re stomach
hurts and you’re thirsty and
the cottonmouth is disgust-
ing and you can’t breathe,
and it’s a grind and doing it
day after day with almost the
same people makes it almost
the most rewarding sport....”
Coleman was an integral
part of the Bulldogs’ state
champion teams in each
of the last four years, and
capped off a senior season
with a 39-2 overall record
and a 5A state champion-
ship at 182 pounds. He was
thrilled to earn the title, but
says he has bigger things in
mind for himself now.
“It’s just kind of a check
mark for me,” he said. “I
mean it was deinitely some-
thing I wanted to do and I
knew I just had to show up
and do it. I’ve been wres-
tling since third grade and it
would be kind of sad to go all
the way through and not win
a title, so it’s good to say I’ve
done it.
“But I think I have bigger
goals in mind, like wanting
to wrestle in college and be
successful there and not just
be on the team for four years,
so that’s where my sights
have been set.”
While at Hermiston,
Coleman was more than just
an athlete as well. He was
heavily involved with vari-
ous student clubs and sports,
which include serving as the
ASB Leadership president
this year. However, he said
the thing he’s most proud
of is completing his Eagle
Scout project within the
Boy Scouts of America —
something many people did
not know he was involved
with.
“I think succeeding and
getting through and becom-
ing an Eagle Scout is a ma-
jor thing for me because it
taught me a lot of life skills
that sports wouldn’t have
taught me,” he said.
He plans on studying ag-
ricultural business at Oregon
State, as well as extensive
work with the Spanish lan-
guage, but isn’t sure of his
plans beyond that.
“Anything in the (agri-
cultural) industry, Spanish is
kind of integral nowadays,”
he said. “I don’t know what
I want to do (after that), may-
be come back to the area
here and do something.”
For now, Coleman will
spend his inal days as a
Hermiston High School stu-
dent just like any other se-
nior.
“Try to get grades up,” he
joked.
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Milwaukie’s Gunner Murk slides into home plate as
Hermiston’s Slade Gritz waits for the ball in the Bulldogs’ 3-1
loss to the Mustangs on Friday in Hermiston.
Bulldogs ousted
by Mustangs
By ERIC SINGER
Staff writer
The Hermiston Bulldogs
spent the irst 24 games of
the season trying to solve the
puzzle that is their offense.
The Bulldogs averaged
just over four runs per game
this season, and scored more
than ive runs just ive times
as the team worked hard for
but struggled to ind a consis-
tent approach and attack that
could lead to more runs.
In their 25th and inal
game, the Bulldogs still were
not able to ind that missing
piece as they fell to the Mil-
waukie Mustangs, 3-1, in a
5A Play-in game on Friday
at Armand Larive Middle
School. Hermiston coach
Lance Hawkins said after the
game that he’s sad to see this
group of kids’ season come to
an end.
“I told the boys I’ve never
had a bunch that’s worked so
hard and worked so togeth-
er as a team,” Hawkins said.
“Everybody gets along here
and it’s been a real pleasure
to coach them. I enjoy these
guys and every year it’s
tough, but this is a special
bunch and I mean it.
“They are dandies at prac-
tice, and it’s a fun bunch, but I
want to be fun and win.”
The postgame huddle was
illed with plenty of emotion
and tears from many of the
underclassmen and the four
seniors that played their inal
game as Bulldogs. Seeing that
emotion is something Haw-
kins said he is all too familiar
with, having seen many of
his teams have their seasons
end before they believe they
should.
“I tell them all the time I
wish I could bottle that emo-
tion up and have them drink
it the irst of March to know
that feeling and keep that
drive to where they don’t
want to lose,” Hawkins said.
Hermiston (13-12) was
stiled at the plate by Mil-
waukie pitcher Bradley Mc-
Vay — a University of Port-
land commit — through his
six innings on the mound,
only mustering two hits
against him and three total
for the game. McVay came at
Hermiston with a heavy diet
of fastballs, but kept them off
balance with perfectly timed
breaking balls. The Bulldogs
did not register their irst hit
until R.J. Robles crushed an
opposite-ield double over the
head of the left ielder in the
bottom of the ifth inning.
“(McVay) wasn’t doing
anything special, he threw
well but we weren’t selective
enough at the plate,” Hermis-
ton’s Tyler Sexton said. “We
didn’t look for our pitch, we
were swinging at stuff in
the dirt. We had prepared all
week but come game time
we just couldn’t put them into
play.”
Perhaps the game could
have played out differently
had the Bulldogs cashed in
on some early opportuni-
ties, mainly the bases loaded
situation in the irst inning.
Robles had reached on a
dropped third strike and fol-
lowing a sacriice bunt from
Chase Root a ly ball out from
Daniel Gossler, back-to-back
walks by Sexton and Hayden
Edmiston loaded the bases.
But the threat ended when
McVay caught Lukas Tolan
SCOREBOARD
Local Slate
PREP BASEBALL
Wednesday, May 25
No. 13 Los River at No. 4 Irrigon
(2A/1A Round 1), 3 p.m.
No. 14 Lakeview at No. 3 Stan-
ield (3A Round 1), 4:30 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Wednesday, May 25
No. 10 Echo at No. 7 Harrisburg
(3A Round 1), 5 p.m.
No. 13 Irrigon at No. 4 North
Douglas (2A/1A Round 1), 4 p.m.
looking on strike three.
“For a team that doesn’t
score a lot of runs, that’s a
killer,” Hawkins said.
To combat the slow of-
fense all year, the Bulldogs
were always fortunate to
have solid pitching and that
was the case for the most part
on Friday. Robles — recent-
ly named the CRC Pitcher
of the Year — was stellar
through the irst three innings
for Hermiston, allowing just
one hit and one walk with
three strikeouts to help keep
the game scoreless. But in the
fourth inning, Robles gave
up a lead-off single and then
hit a batter to start the frame,
and a ly ball out to right ield
advanced the runner to third
base with only one out.
The Mustangs then used
that opportunity to be aggres-
sive at the plate as Chase An-
derson put down a successful
safety squeeze bunt to score
the run from third for a 1-0
Mustangs lead. The Mustangs
got things going against Ro-
bles again in the sixth inning
after back-to-back walks,
and then caught a huge break
when Robles ielded a bunt
attempt and then threw the
ball wide of irst base which
rolled all the way down the
right ield line to score both
runners for the 3-0 lead.
In the seventh inning with
their backs against the wall,
Hermiston was able to show
some life. Slade Gritz led off
the inning with a single to
right ield, and then a two-
out single from Robles put
runners on the corners. Gritz
would score a few pitches
later on a passed ball by the
catcher, but Root inished off
the game with a strikeout for
out No. 3.
As Hermiston now begins
the process of building to-
wards next season, Hawkins
and the rest of his coaching
staff believe that the search for
offensive consistency starts
with the building of an indoor
hitting facility — something
he says he has been trying to
secure for a while now.
“Every 5A school that I
know of has a place to hit
year-round and my boys have
to start in January hitting in-
side of a gym with whifle
balls and it shows,” Hawkins
said. “We have to come to-
gether as a community and we
need to get some stuff done so
we can get our program on the
same level. It’s something in
the offseason I’m really going
to have to go after.”
“It stinks for the seniors
but the young guys better
get going,” Hawkins said,
“because they’re going to be
in the program for a handful
of years and we have greater
things we want to do.
———
R H E
MHS
000 102
0 — 3 4 1
HHS
000 000
1 — 1 3 4
McVay, Murk (7), and Santos. Robles, Root
(6), and Gritz. W — McVay, L — Robles.
2B — Robles (HHS).