Sports Roundup

Published 9:00 am Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Grant Union Gold dance team performs at state

Ten dancers with the 2A Grant Union Gold performed Saturday, March 16, at the OSAA Dance and Drill State Championship at the Portland Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

With a theme of “Breaking Free” the team danced to “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons.

Grant Union head coach Kattie Piazza said they faced 1A through 4A competition and had the toughest judging of the season.

The Gold dancers finished 10th out of 11 teams with a score of 57.15.

“The girls worked really hard this year,” she said.

Prospector baseball faces tough road competition

The Grant Union/Prairie City Prospectors fell 15-7 to 5A Churchill Lancers junior varsity on Friday in Eugene and 15-8 to 5A Crescent Valley Raiders junior varsity in Corvallis on Saturday.

Grant Union head coach Doug Sharp said it was a good opportunity for his team to go up against some strong competition.

The Prospectors had to cancel a home tournament last weekend due to snow and puddles making the field unplayable.

”It was good to be outside on a full baseball field for the first time this spring,” Sharp said. “Normally, we are on our field from the first date, and are able to have a couple scrimmages under our belt before our first game. This year we have only been able to practice in the gym or on the parking lot at the fairgrounds.”

Under the circumstances, “things were not all that bad,” he said.

Although they faced junior varsity players, there were also swing players in the mix for both teams — and both opponents finished well at state last season and had sophomore pitchers who throw in the upper 80s.

Sharp said his team hit the ball well and defense “wasn’t bad,” but he’d like to see their pitching improve, adding it will.

”I think over time, that will be our strength,” he said. “When the boys pounded the strike zone, they were having success getting people out.”

The coach said he’s looking forward to his team hosting two tournaments in John Day.

The Prospectors will hold the Iron Triangle Tournament Friday and Saturday and then the Les Schwab Tournament Thursday-Saturday, March 28-30.

He said it gives the players a chance to face good competition, parents a chance to see their athletes in action without traveling and boosts local businesses.

”We have a great bunch of boys out this year,” he said. “Their attitudes and work ethic have been outstanding.”

He said he hopes for a good turnout of local fans.

”I think we have a team that the community would be proud to cheer for,” he said.

Prairie City, Long Creek track athletes compete at first meet of the season in Harper

The Prairie City Panthers and Long Creek Mountaineers track and field teams competed Friday at the Diana Thurmond Invitational in Harper.

Mountaineers coach Linda Studtmann, assisted by Peter Case, said the meet provided their first opportunity on a field because theirs had been snow-covered.

Several team members were unable to attend the meet, but their newer and seasoned athletes performed well, Studtmann said.

For the girls, sophomore Dorotha Johnson set a personal record and placed third in the long jump, and sophomore Lucchese Douglas took third in shot put and the 400-meter run.

Panther head coach Nate Barber said he was pleased with their outcome in Harper.

He said they have some new faces on the team, and other athletes are trying new events this season.

Hailee Wall, a junior, changed her events to throwing due to a nagging foot injury, Barber said, and Wall discovered a talent for javelin. She placed first in the event out of 12 competitors with a throw of 102-04. Wall also placed seventh in shot put.

Senior Haley Pfefferkorn placed second in javelin, and second in shot put.

For the boys, senior Levi Burke placed first in high jump with a mark of 6-0, first in the 200-meter sprint with a time of 24.96 and second in javelin.

Sophomore Tristan McMahan beat all the competition in both the triple jump (37-07) and long jump (18-04), setting personal records in both events.

Jake McHatton placed seventh in shot put, and Barber said he expects McHatton will improve over the season, especially now that the snow has melted from the team’s throwing pit.

The Panthers will host the Prairie City Invitational on Friday, April 5.

All Grant County teams are scheduled to attend, including Prairie City, Dayville, Long Creek, Monument and Grant Union.

100

Abbey Pfefferkorn, seventh place, 14.90, SR Prairie City

200

Abbey Pfefferkorn, fifth, 30.85, SR Prairie City

Rilee Emmel, ninth, 32.26, SR Prairie City

400

Lucchese Douglas, third, 1:12.17, SR Long Creek

Paige Moore, eighth, 1:38.15, PR Prairie City

4×100

third place, 59.83, Prairie City

Samantha Workman

Abbey Pfefferkorn

Rilee Emmel

Mikiah Kimble

shot put

Hailey Wall, eighth, 23-03.50, PR Prairie City

Haley Pfefferkorn, ninth, 23-01.00, PR Prairie City

discus

Haley Pfefferkorn, second, 77-10, SR Prairie City

Hailey Wall, seventh, 71-04, PR Prairie City

javelin

Hailey Wall, first, 102-04, PR Prairie City

Haley Pfefferkorn, second, 98-03, SR Prairie City

Lucchese Douglas, sixth, 62-00, PR Long Creek

Jenny Kim, eighth, 55-07, SR Long Creek

long jump

Dorotha Johnson, third, 13-02.50, PR Long Creek

Elena Fenn, eighth (tie), 11-09.00, SR Harper

Samantha Workman, eighth (tie), 11-09.00 SR Prairie City

triple jump

Samantha Workman, third, 27-04.00 SR Prairie City

Boys

100 meter

Tristan McMahan, third, 12.31, SR Prairie City

Syd Holman, fourth, 12.33, PR Prairie City

Henry Grannis, 10th, 13.03, PR Long Creek

200

Levi Burke, first, 24.96, PR Prairie City

Tristan McMahan, fourth, 25.60, SR Prairie City

400

Syd Holman, sixth, 1:02.27, PR Prairie City

1500

Jonathan Lawrence, seventh, 5:04.80, SR Prairie City

3000

Jonathan Lawrence, third, 11:34.00, PR Prairie City

shot put

Jake McHatton, sixth, 33-11.00, SR Prairie City

discus

Jake McHatton, fifth, 99-08, SR Prairie City

javelin

Levi Burke, second, 135-04.50, PR Prairie City

Syd Holman, ninth, 102-02, PR Prairie City

high jump

Levi Burke, first, 6-00.00, SR Prairie City

long jump

Tristan McMahan, first, 18-04.00, PR Prairie City

Syd Holman, fourth, 16-03.00, PR Prairie City

Thomas Kreamier, 10th, 14-10.50, PR Long Creek

triple jump

Tristan McMahan, first, 37-07.00, PR Prairie City