A8
FRIDAY
May 27, 2022
Spring Sports
SeasideSignal.com
BOYS GOLF
TRACK
Kawasoe third at state
Warrenton boys fourth,
Astoria girls fifth at state
The Astorian
By GARY HENLEY
The Astorian
Seaside’s Carson Kawasoe
nearly pulled off a big rally on
Day 2 of the state golf tourna-
ment at Quail Valley Golf Course
in Banks, where the senior Gull
golfer eventually finished third out
of 58 golfers on the 4A individual
leaderboard.
Kawasoe shot a five-over par 77
in the first round on May 16, and
was in sixth place individually.
“As always at this level, it came
down to putts inside 8 feet,” said
Kawasoe’s coach at Seaside, Jim
Poetsch, after the first round. “If he
had made them all, he’d be sitting
on a two-stroke lead right now. But
he’s still in the hunt so hopefully
he has a great day and all those
putts fall.”
Through nine holes of the sec-
ond round on May 17, Kawasoe
was two-under par. He had bird-
ies on four of the first five holes
and moved into second place,
one stroke behind Woodburn’s Ty
Beyer.
Two holes later, there was a
four-way tie for first between
Kawasoe, Tillamook’s Elliot Lee,
Beyer and Aaron Brown of Banks.
After chipping in for birdie on
the 10th hole — Kawasoe’s second
chip-in for birdie of the day — he
sat alone atop the leaderboard.
But Kawasoe double-bogeyed
the 12th as Lee (who began the sec-
ond round on the back nine) bird-
ied the third hole to give Lee a lead
that he would never relinquish.
Kawasoe finished with a 74, the
best score of the day, one stroke
ahead of three other golfers.
Jim Poetsch
From left, Seaside’s Carson Kawasoe, Tillamook’s Elliot Lee, Valley Catholic’s
Ryoma Lane and Aaron Brown of Banks. The Cowapa League foursome
finished third, first, eighth and fourth in the boys state golf tournament.
Lee carded a 75 on May 17,
good enough for a two-round total
148 and medalist honors.
Beyer had scores of 73 and 77
for a 150 total for second, followed
by Kawasoe with a 151 (77-74).
Freshman Isaiah Jones of Baker/
Powder Valley and Brown each
posted a 152 to tie for fourth.
In his only two full spring sea-
sons at Seaside, Kawasoe was
a freshman in 2019 and led the
Gulls to a second-place finish. As
a senior, he qualified for state as an
individual and finished third.
In a swan song for the Cowapa
League, Banks won the 2022 state
title by three strokes, while Valley
Catholic and Baker tied for second.
Lee will return next season for
Tillamook, but Kawasoe gradu-
ates, while Banks and Valley Cath-
olic drop to the 3A level.
“This was the closest state tour-
nament, on both the individual
and team sides, that I’ve seen,”
Poetsch said. “Carson made a great
run at the title. I couldn’t be more
proud of him. With two holes left
I thought he had a great chance
to win it. But Elliot is also a great
player and he did what he needed
to do to win it. We will miss hav-
ing Carson but I look forward to
watching what he can do at Santa
Clara (University) next year.”
The return to Hayward Field
brought a return to the recent
glory years of Astoria girls and
Warrenton boys track.
With some individual state
championships mixed in, the
3A Warriors brought home a
fourth-place team trophy, while
Astoria finished fifth in the 4A
girls’ scoring.
For the Astoria boys, senior
Colton McMaster made the best
of his two complete seasons in
track with two more state titles,
in the discus (177-0) and shot
put (55-0¾). McMaster almost
certainly would have won four
more titles if there had been
official state meets in 2020 and
2021.
Most Clatsop County ath-
letes competing posted per-
sonal best marks — no surprise
in the 70-plus degree weather
over the weekend in Eugene.
Beginning with the small
school portion of the meet,
Warrenton’s Zander Moha
scored a state title on both
days.
The senior won the 3A
3,000-meter race last Thurs-
day, then took first in the 1,500
meters the next day, in 4:13.37.
Moha adds his name to a
short list of athletes with mul-
tiple state titles for the War-
renton boys. Andy Wintersteen
won three individual champi-
onships (400 meters in 2000,
and 200 and 400-meter titles in
2001), and ran a leg on the win-
ning short relay in 2000.
Luke Ray won back-to-back
pole vault titles in 1994 and
‘95.
Over halfway through the
meet — and with several ath-
letes still to compete — War-
renton was first in the team
scoring with 33 points.
At the same time, Cat-
lin Gabel was in fourth with
28. The Eagles made their big
move on Day 2, exploding with
56 points in the final seven
events to finish with 84 points
and the team championship.
Santiam Christian (70) was
second, followed by La Pine
(57) and Warrenton (47.5).
The best finish at state for
the Warrenton boys is still sec-
ond place in 1992, under coach
Bob Filori. Josh Jannusch led
Warrenton to fourth in 2007.
Adding points for the War-
riors were: Hunter Xochipilte-
catl (second in the javelin, 151-
0); Erik Cooley (fourth, 300
hurdles, 43.32); Phoenix Mar-
tin (fifth in the 400 meters);
the Warrenton relays (seventh
in the 400, fifth in the 1,600);
Jorge Lopez-Cruz (eighth in
the javelin); Collin Klebe (sev-
enth in the high jump) and
Niles Gramson (seventh in the
pole vault).
Foreign exchange student
Julie Dornblueth scored most
of the points for the Warrenton
girls, taking fourth in the tri-
ple jump and sixth in the pole
vault. Payten Buckelew was
eighth in the 1,500.
NeighbORly
[ INSPIRING KINDNESS ACROSS OREGON ]
Check in on a friend. Share your lunch. Offer to carry that. Grow a
garden and give it away. Ask the tough questions. Then listen. Stand
up for someone. Give someone a chance. Give yourself a break. Give
to the arts. Start a movement. Start a scholarship. Welcome the new
neighbors. Be patient. Walk a mile in their shoes. Donate shoes. Drop
off dinner. Leave the last donut. Leave no trace. Take responsibility.
Hold the door and your mind open. Endeavor to understand. RSVP.
Smile. Hope for nothing more than kindness in return.
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