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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2019)
TRACK SOFTBALL Gary Henley/Seaside Signal Gracie Rhodes, right, will have a big hand in the rebuilding of the Seaside softball program. Garrigues takes over as coach Seaside Signal David Ball/For Seaside Signal Senior Gretchen Hoekstre is the defending state champion in the shot put. Seaside young, but ready to score points Seaside Signal The Seaside track team undoubtedly owns the top girls’ thrower in the state at the 4A level. In addition to winning the Cowapa League title in the discus and shot put last year, senior Gretchen Hoekstre is also the defending state champion in the shot, second in the discus. But Jeff Kilday’s team has much more than that. The Gulls are in a slight rebuilding phase, with seven freshmen on their 20-athlete roster for the boys. There’s another six freshmen on the girls’ roster. For the boys, Seaside’s tradition of strong 800-meter runners should continue this year with junior Levi Card, who took third in last year’s league meet, won by the Gulls’ Rafi Sibony. Sibony — fourth in the state meet last year — has graduated, after carrying on the tradition started by Brett Willyard, state champion in the 800 in 2013. The Gulls had two top eight finishers in 2014, and Jackson Januik won three straight championships in the 800 from 2015-17. In the sprints, Seaside showed it will have one of the Cowapa’s fastest runners in sophomore Henry Garvin, who recently took sixth in the Cotton Invitational behind 6 • Seagull Pride • Spring 2019 several big-school runners. The Gulls, however, will likely get most of their points in the throws. Senior Parker Conrad and juniors Derrick Bennett and Luke Nelson will be capable of placing at or near the top in every meet. First place will be a reg- ular occurrence for throwers on the girls’ side. Already signed to com- pete at Brigham Young Uni- versity at the collegiate level, Hoekstre will likely add to her collection of first-place medals this year. Meanwhile, Lilli Taylor will be a great addition for the Seaside throwers, in addi- tion to any other events the talented freshman may try. A program that has not had a lot of stability over the years, is hoping for just that, as the Seaside softball team enters another year with another coach. Jessica Garrigues — who was at least on staff last sea- son as an assistant coach — is the sixth head coach in six years for Seaside softball. Garrigues takes over for Darren Ideue, who took over for Korie Blacker, who replaced co-coaches Jon Hotchkiss and Bill Wester- holm, who took over for Jen Glasson following the 2015 season. THE COWAPA The 2019 season will be the perfect opportunity for Garrigues to build a strong program. Seaside will have to replace Jetta Ideue in the pitcher’s circle, but the Gulls have all sorts of returning talent, from soph- SEASIDE SOFTBALL Coach: Jessica Garri- gues, 1st year 2018: 8-13 (3-12 Cow- apa) Playoffs: None Key loss: Jetta Ideue Key returners: Kandice Flaigg, So., Alyssa Goin, Sr., Gracie Rhodes, So. omores Kandice Flaigg and Gracie Rhodes, to junior catcher Sidney Owsley, to senior Alyssa Goin, one of just two seniors on the roster. Meanwhile, the Cowapa League is down to just four teams. Defending league champion Scappoose is gone, as is Valley Catholic. The league title could come down to Astoria and Banks, with Seaside and Tillamook looking to steal a few wins along the way. In just a four-team league, each team will play four games against the other three. THE GULLS Seaside had just three seniors last year, and there’s only two seniors on the 2019 roster, Goin and Bri- anna Hill. Goin will be a starter in the outfield, while Hill will hold down a spot in the left side of the infield. The junior class includes Emma Brown at first base, outfielder Candice Kerr, pitcher/outfielder Emma Meyer and catcher Sidney Owsley. In addition to Flaigg and Rhodes, the talented sopho- more class has Zoey Alex- ander and Brianna Boyd, who can play the infield or outfield. The Gulls have two freshmen on the varsity ros- ter — Tara Lair and catcher/ pitcher Erin Owsley. Former Seaside base- ball coach Joel Diericks will serve as Garrigues’ assistant coach.