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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2019)
HeRMIstOnHeRaLd.COM • A7 Wednesday, august 7, 2019 HeraldSports Follow sports on twitter @HHeraldsports One summer, one hundred fish By BRETT KANE STAFF WRITER When summer break began, Hermiston High School social studies teacher Josh Walker gave himself a homework assignment: To catch 100 fish by the end of the summer. “It just sounded like a good number,” said Walker, 41. “I thought it would be unattainable. I don’t own a boat, and when you’re restricted to the shore, you really limit your results.” The goal, as it turns out, is coming along much easier than Walker initially antici- pated. He’s already amassed 94 catches this summer so far — well on his way to meeting his personal quota ahead of Monday, Sept. 23, when summer officially ends. “I think I can do it,” Walker said. “It just started out as something to do during the summer.” When he’s not teach- ing history to juniors and seniors at Hermiston High, he serves as an assistant pastor at the Victory Bap- tist Church. When school let out, he found himself with more time to focus on his beloved hobby. Fishing, Walker said, became a longstanding tra- dition ever since he was a kid growing up along the Oregon coast. “Everyone fishes there,” Walker said. “I fell out of it for a bit as an adult. But once I hit my 30s, I started fishing for steelhead again.” Since he embarked on his journey when school let out on June 14, Walker has traveled all over Ore- gon in an effort to complete his goal. He’s found spots in Hermiston, Ukiah, Eugene, Portland, and all along the Columbia River. So far, he’s reeled in 68 bass, 24 trout, and two catfish. “The Columbia River is known for its smallmouth bass,” Walker said. “Pound for pound, smallmouth bass have more fight in them than any other fish. Bass are very finicky. There’s a Contributed photo Josh Walker holds up a bass he caught this summer as he strives to catch 100 fish. whole technique (to catch- ing them). It’s fun.” Walker prefers to catch and release, and only keeps his catches if it’s against the rules and regulations to set them free again. “It’s a touchy subject,” he said. “Some people want you to keep the bass, because they’ll eat young steelhead and salmon. Oth- ers like to catch and release because the next person who catches that same fish in the Kennison Field gets top marks heading into fall sports By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER Hermiston High School’s Kennison Field turns 6 years old this month, but recent testing showed that the playing surface is in pristine condition. Buzz Turf Synthetic Turf Testing of Boise per- formed the annual test on the facility’s synthetic turf last month, with the report reflecting continual good maintenance since its instal- lation in 2013. “Our turf being in such good shape shows our school district made the right choice by buy- ing quality turf and hiring the company that we went through,” Hermiston ath- letic director Larry Usher said. All is good news with the fall sports season get- ting under way later this month. Football practice begins Aug. 21, while girls soccer starts Aug. 26. According to the report, the field was tested in des- ignated areas to measure shock attenuation. Tes- ters use what’s called a G-max test to measure impact on the field. The higher the G-max score, the less impact the field is absorbing. The results help deter- mine if there are any areas HH File Photo This undated photo shows the Kennison Field turf and grandstand at Hermiston High School, which was unveiled by the Hermiston School District on Aug. 23, 2013. “We make sure our field is safe in a time of heightened awareness of injuries.” Larry Usher, Athletic Director of concern, and if repair or replacement is required. G-max tests must be below 165 to be considered safe. Kennison Field passed with flying colors, testing out between 103 and 125. “We make sure our field is safe in a time of height- ened awareness of injuries,” Usher said. “Our field is as safe as it can be. It graded out as a new field.” The company also dis- tributed crumb rubber fill in the areas that needed it to make the field cohesive. The turf is supported by thousands of pounds of pul- verized rubber, which plays a part in the safety of the field. The inspection included a magnetic sweep of the field, which removed items such as bobby pins, safety pins and track spikes. The surface also was cleaned and sanitized. “People wonder why we do that when it looks clean,” Usher said. “There is vomit and people bleed on it. You can get staph infections from the turf. This helps prevent that.” There also was some concern from community members about the integ- rity of the field surface after the Hermiston School District maintenance staff cleared more than a foot of snow off the field in mid- March. The testing showed no damage. “The scores are indica- tive of the work done by our grounds crew,” facilities supervisor Martie McQuain said in school press release. “Monthly sweeps of the field have proven to be a diligent method to keep the field in good condition. Our coaching staff, community members and visiting teams have also helped maintain our field in good condition by keeping food and drinks (except for water) off the field.” The Bulldogs open their football season Sept. 6 at Pasco. Their first home game is Sept. 13 against Richland. The girls soccer team opens its season Sept. 7 with a home match against Kamiakin. Kennison Field also is used for track, lacrosse and community events. It also served as a practice facility in May for the softball team so it could get used to play- ing on an artificial surface that is used at the 3A state tournament. future, is going to catch a bigger fish.” Walker keeps his fish- ing tradition alive and well in his family — his wife Sadie and kids Madilyn, 10, and Colton, 9, tag along for many of his expeditions. Walker noted that Colton caught his very first bass earlier this summer. Walker fishes two to four hours a day, five to six days a week. “It’s a great way to stay active,” he said. “I walk upwards of eight miles a day.” Walker’s record for the summer so far is seven bass in one day. He said that although some days are successful, others are not. Occasionally, there are days where he only hooks one solitary fish. “That’s why they call it fishing, and not catching,” he joked. “At the beginning of the summer, there were days I would go out and not get anything. Now, I can get three to four a day. I’d say I’m getting better.” Walker documents each catch on a journal on his phone, as well as Fish Brain — an app that he describes as “Facebook for fishermen.” Although summer’s end is still several weeks away, another obstacle looms in Walker’s path to comple- tion — a mission trip to Ire- land. He’ll take off on Aug. 9, and return home on Aug. 17. It’s over a week’s worth of time that’ll slow down his progress. But Walker remains up for the challenge. “You gotta be patient,” he said. “It’s more than a mat- ter of just casting. There’s research. You have to know the temperature, whether the water’s going to be moving or not, and the right loca- tions. All of that determines what kind of bait you’re going to use.” And Walker still isn’t through challenging him- self once he’s completed his summer goal. He’s already set a new year’s resolution: To catch 200 fish by the end of 2020. “It’s a good way to enjoy God’s creation,” Walker said. “You cast the line out, and you never know what’s going to come in.” Local students to receive Oregon Hall of Fame scholarships By ANNIE FOWLER STAFF WRITER Two local student-ath- letes will receive scholar- ships from the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in September. Martin Heredia of Herm- iston, and Veronica Alvarez Frias of Riverside, are two of six Oregon student-athletes who will receive a $3,000 scholarship at the Hall of Fame induction and banquet Sept. 24 at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland. The scholarships are made possible by contribu- tions from the MacTarnahan Family Trust. The recipient must attend an Oregon col- lege or university. Heredia, who will attend Eastern Oregon Univer- sity, earned letters in cross- county and track, and earned the varsity most improved award. Academically, he earned the Breakfast of Champi- ons Award and Bulldog Way Award. He also had partici- pated in various community service activities, including elderly home volunteer, out- door school and leadership retreat. Alvarez Frias, a varsity cheerleader for four years, will attend EOU. She was on the honor roll for four years, and was a four-time letter winner and scholar-athlete award win- ner. She also has participated in multiple Red Cross blood drives, Breakfast with Santa, Heredia Frias Windy River cleanup and the after-school program. Students may apply for the scholarship, or be nom- inated by a teacher or school official. Hundreds of appli- cations were screened by a committee, according to Oregon Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Chair Mike Rose. “Academic and athletic achievement score high, but the tie-breaker is always true financial need,” Rose wrote in an email. “It ain’t just the rich kid who happens to have good grades and plays first string.” Also receiving schol- arships are Zach and Jack Folsom of Sheldon High School; Brinley O’Neill of North Medford; and Paige Baker of South Eugene. Being inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame are Kenny Moore, a Uni- versity of Oregon distance runner (3-time All-Ameri- can and Olympian); boxer Molly McConnell; Ray Bloom (1977-81) and Mark Radford (1977-81), Oregon State University basketball; Dr. Bob Gill, special con- tribution to sports; and the 1975 Portland Timbers.