A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 2018
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BULLDOGS BEAT BUCKAROOS
Girls: Bulldogs battle
Bucks for 5-3 victory
Boys: sweep Bucks to
end regular season
By ERIC SINGER
STAFF WRITER
By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
STAFF WRITER
PENDLETON — Hermiston
coach Jason Sivey and Pend-
leton coach Rocky Dillenburg
were both in constant move-
ment around the West Hills ten-
nis courts just north of Pendle-
ton High School on Wednesday
afternoon, watching their teams
go head-to-head in a final tuneup
for the district tournament.
And after the match was
completed with a 5-3 Hermis-
ton victory, both coaches came
away with plenty of positives
but also numerous things to
work on.
“Today wasn’t our best
match,” Sivey said, “but we
haven’t been beaten in confer-
ence (play). So that’s definitely
an accomplishment.”
The last time the two teams
met back on April 17 in Herm-
iston, the Bulldogs shut out the
Buckaroos in an 8-0 victory.
However, the Buckaroos came
out with a greater intensity and
put some pressure on the Bull-
dogs to make it an entertaining
day.
For the Bulldogs, their top
players continued their strong
play. Top doubles pairing Bre-
ena Wadekamper and Reed
Middleton took down Pend-
leton’s Maggie Scanlin and
Denisa Senkerikova 6-4, 6-2.
The No. 2 doubles team of
Breckyn Mecham and Alyssa
Perkins held off Becca Walker
and Larissa Chambers 6-4, 6-5.
And Mackenzie Hill breezed
past Pendleton’s Abby Williams
6-0, 6-0 in singles action.
“I’m proud of how well all
the girls keep battling, and I
expect us to do well at the dis-
trict tournament,” Sivey said.
“The No. 1 and 2 singles and
doubles are playing very strong
in the second half of the season.”
Rounding out the action
Wednesday was Hermiston’s
Olivia Thomas defeating Gabby
Cuthbert 6-4, 6-2 in No. 4 sin-
gles and Ashlyn Hofbauer and
Violet Mitchell pulling out a
6-2, 3-6 (11-9) win over Sylvie
Heriza and Claire Durant at No.
4 doubles.
“I think we have a good
shot at sending a few girls to
state this year,” Sivey said as
the team now prepares for dis-
tricts in Bend. “But it’s going to
take some hard work. We will
be working hard on fine-tuning
our game this following week in
practice.”
HERMISTON — Hermiston’s
Patrick Wicks admitted Wednesday
that four years ago, he wasn’t the
dominant player he is today on the
court. In fact, Wicks — one half of
the Bulldogs’ No. 1 duo — wasn’t
all that good in singles.
Luckily, his tennis part-
ner and lifelong friend, Thomas
McCullough, shared the same
struggle.
“We both weren’t really good at
singles our freshman year,” Wicks
said. “So, we started doing doubles,
and then we kept getting better, and
this is where we are now.”
After being two of three seniors
honored on Senior Day, the pair
took the court to face rival Pendle-
ton and handed the Bucks a 6-0, 6-0
defeat to get Hermiston’s day going.
“I’m feeling pretty good about
that game,” Wicks said.
The two didn’t give up a set
against Elton Harrison and Noah
Butler and played much more sound
tennis then they have in the past.
“That’s going back to the simpli-
fication of the stroke,” head coach
Shann West said. “Big macho men
want to smash the ball hard, and
really just putting the ball where
it needs to go when it needs to get
there has been a struggle for them,
but I thought they looked really
good today — playing a crisp game
mostly.”
Also showing a valiant effort was
No. 1 singles player Jason Morris.
He faced Silas Johnson, who
kept Morris on his toes by stealing
three sets from the only other senior
on the Bulldogs’ roster.
In the first set, Morris was build-
ing a lead and up 4-1 before John-
son won another game, but Morris
held on to win 6-2, and then won
the match after taking the second set
6-1.
“I feel really great,” Morris said.
“He (Johnson) puts a lot of effort in.
I was playing okay today, I don’t
think I played my best out there, but
it was still a great game for both of
us.”
To complete the sweep, the No.
2 doubles pair of Trent Pitney and
Matt Eckhardt defeated Grady
Phelan and Dean Schiller (6-2, 6-0),
Jaiden Ruloph won at No. 3 singles
against Stanton Schmitz (6-0, 6-2),
and Hayden Cissna finished the day
with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against Eaton
Phelan.
The win gives Hermiston
momentum heading into districts
Friday and Saturday, which will
take place at both Hermiston High
and Armand Larive Middle School.
Above: Hermiston’s Breena Wadekamper
returns a volley during a doubles match
with partner Reed Middleton against
Pendleton’s Maggie Scanlin and Denisa
Senkerikova in the Bulldogs’ matchup
against the Bucks on Wednesday.
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Left: Hermiston’s No. 1 doubles pair
of Thomas McCullough (left) and
Patrick Wicks (right) shake hands with
Pendleton’s top pair after winning the
match 6-0, 6-0 in the Bulldogs’ final
home dual of the regular season.
STAFF PHOTO BY ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
SCHEDULE
Hermiston’s Solorio, Fuentes sign letters of intent
PREP BASEBALL
Friday
Stanfield at Vale (DH), 1 p.m.
Irrigon at Riverside (DH), 1 p.m.
Pendleton at Hermiston, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Joseph at Umatilla (DH), 3 p.m.
By ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
STAFF WRITER
HERMISTON — Seven years
ago Melany Solorio didn’t play
or compete in any sports, and as
Heidi Fuentes was tallying up the
years on the pitch she never thought
she’d get a chance to play at the
next level.
On Thursday, both Hermiston
High athletes signed their National
Letters of Intent to continue their
athletic careers at the collegiate
level.
Solorio will be running cross
country and also become a member
of Lane Community College’s track
and field team next year, and Fuen-
tes will join Blue Mountain Com-
munity College’s women’s soccer
team.
“I didn’t think I would go this
far,” Fuentes said with a smile.
For Fuentes, she made an
account on NCSA’s athletic recruit-
ing website — Next College Stu-
dent Athlete connects middle and
high school athletes with college
coaches — and soon heard from
former BMCC head coach Art
Mota.
With the recent departure of
Mota, Fuentes became nervous
with the program in flux but she is
Local slate
PREP SOFTBALL
Thursday
Weston-McEwen at Echo (DH), 3 p.m.
Riverside at Hermiston JV, 4:30 p.m.
Friday
Irrigon at Umatilla (DH), 1 p.m.
Pendleton at Hermiston, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday
Grant Union at Echo, 11 a.m.
STAFF PHOTO BY ALEXIS MANSANAREZ
Melany Solorio (front middle) sits with Hermiston cross
country head coach Troy Blackburn (left) and family
and friends as she prepares to sign her Letter of Intent
to Lane Community College.
now excited after meeting the new
coach about the chance to play with
some familiar faces and being close
to home.
Fuentes will join Hermiston
native Gabriela Hernandez, who
just completed her first year with
the program.
Solorio, who didn’t start running
competitively until seventh grade,
enjoyed Lane’s campus when she
would run at the state cross coun-
try tournament held there. But her
route to becoming a Titan was a lit-
tle unorthodox.
Heidi Fuentes (front middle) sits with former Hermiston
girls soccer coach Danielle MacBride (right) and family
as she signs her Letter of Intent to Blue Mountain
Community College.
“I reached out to them, I was
interested in them,” she said. “So,
I just called them and they said,
‘Good thing you reached us in time
because we’re not going to recruit
anyone else.’”
The phone call took place mid-
April, just before Solorio returned
to the track. She had suffered from
a pulled muscle and as of Tuesday,
she had only competed in two meets
this season — recorded a season
best in the 1,500 meters (5:15.65) in
her final regular season home meet.
Solorio will now prepare for dis-
tricts, which will take place at Ken-
nison Field on Wednesday-Thurs-
day, while Fuentes will finish out
the school year before joining her
fellow Timberwolves on the field
for the Fall of 2018 season.
On Monday, two more Bulldogs
also signed their Letter of Intent
to continue their athletic careers.
FlorDeDalia Cadenas will join
the women’s soccer team at Ever-
ett Community College and Eman-
uel Ibarra will be running track as
a Saint at Mt. Hood Community
College.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Wednesday
Pendleton, Hermiston at CRC Districts (Herm-
iston), 4 p.m.
Thursday
Pendleton, Hermiston at CRC Districts (Herm-
iston), 4 p.m.
Friday
Weston-McEwen, Stanfield, Pilot Rock, Hep-
pner at Districts (Athena), 11 a.m.
Umatilla, Irrigon, Riverside at EOL Districts
(Umatilla)
Saturday
Helix, Echo, Arlington, Ione, Condon/Wheeler
at Districts (Moro), 10:30 a.m.
Umatilla, Irrigon, Riverside at EOL Districts,
TBD
PREP GOLF
Tuesday
Pendleton, Hermiston (girls) at Districts
(Sunriver), all day
Pendleton, Hermiston (boys) at Districts (Emer-
ald Valley GC), all day
PREP TENNIS
Friday
Hermiston, Pendleton (boys) at districts
(Hermiston), 8 a.m.
Mac-Hi, Umatilla, Riverside, Weston-McEwen,
Stanfield, Ione, Helix at districts (Kennewick),
9 a.m.
Hermiston, Pendleton (girls) at districts (Bend),
10 a.m.
Saturday
Hermiston, Pendleton (boys) at districts
(Hermiston), 8 a.m.
Mac-Hi, Umatilla, Riverside, Weston-McEwen,
Stanfield, Ione, Helix at districts (Kennewick),
9 a.m.
Hermiston, Pendleton (girls) at districts (Bend),
10 a.m.