Long Creek track and field gains experience at Burns Invitational

Long Creek track and field head coach Linda Studtmann said, with mostly new athletes this year, this weekend’s meet was a learning experience for the team.

She said her team is working well as a team. “They are learning and helping each other,” she said.

In the boy’s long jump, junior Khoa Vuong his best mark yet, 12-6.5. Peter Jo hit 34-6.

In the javelin event, Jo threw for 34-6, his best. Vuong hit 53-7.

In the discus throw, Nolan Garinger made his season-best throw, hitting 65-6.

Jo set a personal record in 100 meters, sprinting a 14.39, while Michael Martin finished with a time of 14.56.

For the girls side in the 100, senior Lucchese Douglas finished 11th and set a season record, 15.43. Ji-ha Nam, a junior, set a personal record of 16.33, as did junior Belen Frances with 16.27.

The Prairie City team scored 6 points in Burns.

Grant Union athletes left it ‘all on the track’ at Pendleton Triad

In a season marred by uncertainty Grant Union’s track and field athletes put it all on the line Saturday at the Pendleton Triad.

For the boys side, Justin Hodge took first place in the 100 meters at 12:03. Hodge came within two seconds of breaking his 2019 record. However, the junior led the race by a 17-second margin. Teammate Eli Wright set a personal record, finishing ninth with a 12.97, while freshman Kaden Talkington came in at 14.24.

Hodge finished second in the 200 meters while Tucker Wright finished sixth.

Eli Wright finished in the top 10 in javelin and 300 hurdles.

On the girls side, senior Abby Lusco set a season record and took first place in the shot put event with 104-2.5.

Grant Union track and field head coach Sonna Smith said some of her athletes might not have placed as high as they wanted, but they “left everything on the track and gave 110%.”

“For our fractured season of starts and stops and starts again,” she said, “our athletes have been very resilient and did amazing.”

Prospectors play first bit of competitive golf in Pendleton

Grant Union’s golf team scrapped their plans to play in their district tournament and instead played 18 holes at Pendleton Country Club.

Prospectors head coach Ron Lundbom said some on the team had never been on an 18-hole golf course.

Lundbom said the tournament organizers were unsure of the team’s status given the two-week pause, and the slots filled up with other teams.

Lundbom said, as a coach, the challenge is to keep the kids enthusiastic about golf. Lundbom said this weekend he was surprised at their enthusiasm and eagerness to play competitive golf.

“That’s been a challenge for all of us coaches this season, the starting and stopping, keeping the kids interested keeping and them excited about playing,” he said.