Potential homeowners can consider using an Oregon First-time Homebuyers Savings Account (FTHSA) to help save for a new home and possibly reduce their taxes.
In 2018, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4007, which allows Oregon taxpayers to deduct up to $5,000 ($10,000 if filing jointly) per year from their taxable income for deposits and earnings in a FTHSA.
Eligible Oregon residents are those who haven’t purchased or owned a single-family home, either individually or jointly, in the three years prior to the date of their planned purchase of a home in Oregon. Accounts can be set up through any financial institution that offers FTHSAs in Oregon through December 31, 2026.
Funds in a FTHSA can be used for:
Down payments.
Closing costs.
Realtor fees.
Appraisal costs.
Loan origination fees.
A FTHSA may be opened anytime through December 31, 2026. Money deposited in the FTHSA must be used to buy a single-family home within 10 years of initially opening the account. If funds are not used to purchase a home, a five percent penalty may be imposed, and taxpayers will be required to add back to their income any amounts previously deducted.
For more information visit, www.oregon.gov/dor and search for “First-time Homebuyers Savings Account.”
Lincoln City Troop 10143 will be among the honorees when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown proclaims Tuesday, March 12, as Girl Scout Leadership Day in Oregon.
The date marks the 107th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the USA, which began in 1912 when Juliette Gordon Low assembled 18 girls in Savannah, Ga.
“Girl Scouts empowers generations of girls and women, showing you are never too young to get involved, make a difference, and have your voice heard,” said Brown, who was inducted as a lifetime Girl Scout last year. “By encouraging and mentoring girls at such a pivotal stage, we are showing them a pathway to pursue their dreams and grow into tomorrow’s leaders. I am proud to welcome our Girl Scouts to the Capitol to celebrate their Leadership Day.”
Girl Scout Leadership Day celebrates and recognizes Girl Scouts throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington who positively impact their communities and prepare for a lifetime of leadership, by taking civic action.
The advocacy day is part of Girl Scouts’ “G.I.R.L. Agenda”, a nonpartisan initiative to inspire, prepare, and mobilize girls to lead positive change through civic action.
Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will convene over 200 Girl Scouts and more than 100 adult members for their 2019 advocacy day.
“Girls benefit so much from connecting with women like Brown, Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, Justice Adrienne Nelson and House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, women in the highest leadership positions in Oregon,” Karen Hill, chief executive officer for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington (GSOSW), said. “Exposure to role models like these¾and understanding the importance of women in these roles¾enables girls to envision themselves in similar roles in the future.”
Throughout the day, Girl Scouts will have the opportunity to meet the governor and Oregon legislators; attend and participate in activities and workshops to earn citizen-themed badges; learn about law-making; and be inspired by prominent women leaders including Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson and Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle.
Girl Scout Leadership Day is co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson (District 36 – Portland) and Sen. Kathleen Taylor (District 21 – Milwaukie).
“As a Co-Sponsor for Girl Scout Leadership Day, I am excited to welcome more than 200 Girl Scouts to the Capitol during Women’s History Month,” Williamson said. “These girls indeed represent our state’s future female legislators, business executives, and community leaders. We hope they leave the Capitol inspired and ready to take action.”
“As a former Troop Leader, I can tell you first-hand that Girl Scouts play valuable roles in their communities,” Taylor said. “Through their participation in community service projects, Girl Scout programming and experiences like Girl Scout Leadership Day, girls are developing important insights and skills that will help them succeed in life, while continuing to grow as leaders.”
Ron Storms and Onyx, left, Henry Vincent and Meghan Shreiner
Lincoln City resident Ron Storms is passionate about getting people to support animals. He and his black lab, Onyx, along with Parks & Recreation leader Meghan Shreiner, are set to depart Saturday on a 3,000-mile hike-and-bike charity journey to Pennsylvania called “Onyx’s Great Adventure.”
“We’re here to support Ron and his great adventure,” Henry Vincent, who suffers from a disability, said. “Dogs are the most supportive, loving thing I’ve ever had. It’s really helped me stay independent. Therapy dogs are the best thing out there for people in my situation.”
Storms will pedal his hybrid road bike with an attached dog cart to raise awareness for service dogs who provide support and assistance to their owners. Shreiner will drive a truck with a custom camper box that will house them and haul their gear.
The custom home-away-from-home has a wood stove that will allow them to take hot showers utilizing a portable dog pool, pot of water and pump system.
Four years in the making, “Onyx’s Great Adventure” has not been cheap. Storms has sunk a substantial amount of his own money in outfitting and training for the event. One could buy a new car for the amount of money Storms has invested.
“Honestly, I stopped keeping track because I don’t even care,” he said. “I’ve got the perfect dog to do this. The perfect people have come into my life to do this. We’re all doing it as a team effort.”
One-hundred percent of the money raised by the countrywide walk will be donated to Canine Partners for Life (CPL) (K94life.org), an organization that gets people service dogs who can’t afford one.
CPL is a recognized and highly respected leader in the assistance dog industry. It was one of the first service dog organizations in the world to be accredited by Assistance Dogs International and continually meets the highest standards in the industry. Since its inception, CPL has placed more than 700 service and companion dogs in 45 states.
“If you donate $100, we have a limited supply of doggy paw prints that are stained, carved and mailed out to you,” Storms said.
Co-workers and people who know the trekking trio commend them on their cause to get people furry companions.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Taft High soccer coach Ryan Ulicni said. “I’m honored to know the people that are going to be doing it.”
Joshua Yantz with the Parks & Rec kids program said, “It’s awesome what she’s [Shreiner] doing. I’m happy she’s doing this.”
When Onyx is not chowing down Blue Diamond dog food (the good stuff), he’s chasing balls or planks, jumping into Storms’ arms or playing with fellow canine, Phoenix.
Storms says the dog is excited about the trip.
“He definitely knows something’s up.” he said.
Onyx bit the microphone when asked if he was a good boy.
Storms has taken in numerous dogs over his lifetime. Emblazoned on the front of the camper are the names of the fallen dogs that have passed and left their mark.
“Gunner was our very first dog,” Storms said. “We found him in the middle of the highway and rescued him.
“Bridgette was thrown out of a moving truck I was behind while on my motorcycle. Guy threw her out of the truck, and I thought it was a beer bottle. I scooped her up and took her home. I was about 20, 21 when I found her. She had eaten chicken bones and tin foil. The vet told me she was going to die. And I said, ‘Is there a chance?’ He said, ‘There is always a chance,’ and they did surgery on her. We had her for about 10 years.
“Snickers we saved from being euthanized by the Humane Society.
“All these dogs just came to us. People would drop them off at the house. I’d find a home for them.”
Supporters say they find it truly humbling to see such dedication for a worthy cause unfold in their hometown. Storms and Shreiner will be updating their Facebook page and website as the journey proceeds.
Storms said he hopes his disabled Aunt Jane will be able to greet him at the finish line in Pennsylvania.
“It’s my main drive to do all this. I always wanted to do something,” he said.
Onyx and his tag-along troop will embark on their charitable journey at approximately 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 9, from Siletz Bay in Taft.
CANINE PARTNERS FOR LIFE
P.O. Box 170
Cochranville, PA 19330 Phone: (610) 869-4902 EXT 227 Fax: (610) 869-9785 Email:[email protected]
A grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) will assist Lincoln County, its cities and the Siletz Tribe in addressing regional housing issues.
As part of the development of the Housing Strategy Implementation Plan (HSIP), the consultant, Angelo Planning Group, is convening a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) made up of elected and appointed officials from County jurisdictions to advise the consultants on the plan’s overall goals. The consultants were hired by DLCD with the County’s assistance.
PAC’s first public meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers at Newport City Hall, 169 SW Coast Highway.
Since there is a possibility of a quorum, a public meeting notice is being produced to ensure all requirements of Oregon’s public meeting laws are met.
Agenda:
3–3:10 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
3:10–3:30 p.m. Project Overview and Status
3:30–3:45 p.m. Initial Stakeholder Feedback
3:45–4:45 p.m. Draft Gap Analysis/Background Report Findings and Discussion
4:45–5 p.m. Public Comment/Next Steps
Project manager: Wayne Belmont, County Counsel, Lincoln County; TAC members
Initial discussion into legislation that would prohibit local government from enforcing ordinances restricting use of residential properties as vacation rental dwellings (VRDs) will be heard Tuesday in the Oregon Senate.
Senate Bill 621, sponsored by Sen. Fred Girod (R-Stayton), is scheduled to be introduced early Tuesday morning in a hearing before the Senate Committee on Business and General Government.
Passage of the measure would virtually eliminate local government’s ability to enforce regulations restricting use of lawful dwellings for short-term vacation occupancy except to require owners to register the unit and pay a reasonable registration fee and transient lodging tax, as required by state law.
The public hearing and possible work session for SB621 at the 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly in Salem is expected to be held at approximately 8:30 a.m.
Lincoln City’s Ryan Best celebrates finishing his run after finishing 34th in the half-marathon at age 12
The Lincoln City Parks & Recreation Department’s 11th annual Half-Marathon & 10K was contested Sunday morning at Taft High 7-12, with more than 200 runners in several men’s and women’s divisions competing.
Craig Riccardo, 27, of Wilsonville won the men’s half-marathon over Lincoln City’s Chase Dillon, 22, in 1:23:20.2, with Ryan Turner, 25, of Newport third.
Stacie Truitt, 43, of Roseburg, was the women’s half-marathon winner over Jill Aho, 49, of Palmer, Ark., in 1:48:49.4.
The top local female finisher was Niki Price, 48, in 12th.
Half Marathon Top Ten
Place
Men
Age
Time
1
Craig Riccardo
27
1:23:20.2
2
Chase Dillon
22
1:26:41.5
3
Ryan Turner
25
1:27:43.7
4
Mike Morgan
55
1:33:25.9
5
Andy Neville
47
1:35:16.8
6
Andrew McSween
20
1:35:47.6
7
Joaquin Varo
40
1:36:03.7
8
John Nolan
30
1:36:04.2
9
John Andersson
35
1:37:36.4
10
Aurelian Raducanu
52
1:38:09.2
Place
Women
Age
Time
1
Stacie Truitt
43
1:48:49.4
2
Jill Aho
49
1:49:28.7
3
Emily Croft
28
1:50:30.4
4
Jordyn Caldwell
25
1:53:51.5
5
Jessica Steitzer
35
1:58:25.7
6
Paula Sutherlin
65
2:00:11.3
7
Cheri Long
48
2:05:38.6
8
Donna Jose
64
2:05:48.2
9
Anna Duncan
39
2:06:06.4
10
Meredith Matherly
31
2:07:14.3
Brian Bernier, 36, of McMinnville, won the men’s 10K over runner-up Clayton Helfrich of Depoe Bay in 35:07.3.
The top Lincoln City male finisher was Torin Tostanoski, 24, in eighth.
Bryn Davis, 33, of Portland won the women’s 10K over Tricia Kennamer,33, of McMinnville in 48:25.0.
Lincoln City’s Gretchen Ammerman, 51, was the top local female finisher in third.
10K Top Ten
Place
Men
Age
Time
1
Brian Bernier
36
35:07.3
2
Clayton Helfrich
17
40:12.1
3
Joseph Dietrich
42
40:15.7
4
Blake Timm
42
41:59.4
5
Jordan Zimmerman
28
43:12.4
6
Cody Allison
24
43:55.9
7
Ted Reames
59
44:40.4
8
Torin Tostanoski
24
45:42.5
9
William Saling
35
47:57.0
10
Chad Peace
35
48:39.6
Place
Women
Age
Time
1
Bryn Davis
33
48:25.0
2
Tricia Kennamer
33
49:28.2
3
Gretchen Ammerman
51
51:59.5
4
Keely Linn
55
52:05.6
5
Dnise Minor
48
53:24.4
6
Susana Munoz
34
53:54.8
7
Heather Hatton
49
54:32.0
8
Sadie Carnes
26
55:47.9
9
Rachel Burns
31
56:08.2
10
Sarah Dennison
34
57:03.5
The race was contested on scenic out-and-back two-lane rural roads with rolling hills and a gravel portion at the second turnaround. Walkers also participated in the event under sunny skies.
Cub Scout Pack 47 was part of the opening ceremonies and several participating sponsors were honored.
Lincoln City Mayor Dick Anderson and Councilor Mitch Parsons watch the runners
Ryan Best with his first-place ribbon in his division (Photo by Hanna Best)
Sponsors included Lincoln City Outlets, Mo’s Restaurant, McKay’s Market, Dave’s Killer Bread, Bigfoot Beverages, Black Squid Beerhouse, Umpqua Oats and Lincoln County CERT.
Aide stations were manned by Taft High 7-12 girls golf and girls soccer, Lincoln City Youth League and Kiwanis Club of Lincoln City.
A man abandoned a beached truck borrowed from his boss and fled the scene to elude police late Saturday night near the 15th Street access after he crashed into some rocks, got high-centered and swamped the vehicle.
“I was just out here doing cookies,” the driver, speaking on condition of anonymity, said before fleeing once he learned police had been called. “The truck is toast, man. It’s not going anywhere. Water got in the engine.”
Ocean water is seen dripping out of a Chevrolet Silverado Saturday night at the 15th Street beach access
Before leaving the scene, the man, who said he was from Seattle and asked to be identified by the pseudonym Juan Martinez, said he was certain to lose his job over the incident and didn’t want to be arrested for a second DUII.
“I’m not going to have a job tomorrow as soon as my boss finds out,” he said.
Asked how he felt getting the borrowed truck hydrolocked, the man, approximately 25 to 30 years old, replied, “Stupid . . . I feel like an idiot.”
A group of beach-goers sitting around a bonfire said the man “came down at least four separate times and drove into the deepest parts of the surf.”
“He got stuck on the rocks, so we called the police,” they said.
The witnesses, calling themselves the “15th Street Jeepers,” said waves from the rising tide were hitting the truck, but they towed the vehicle to safety with a Ford Ranger before police joined the scene.
“We surfed him out,” one witness said. “I was waiting for the waves to hit and I’d tell our guy, ‘go, go, go'”
The man — animated but appreciative — thanked the group for pulling the truck out of the surf. Soaked from the ocean after sitting in the driver’s seat with water above his knees, the man said he had to get his hotel key out of the center console, “but it was full of water, so I had to fish it out.”
“I tried to start it a bunch of times, but it’s not happening,” said the man, who said he was in Lincoln City to spend time with his buddies at the casino. “If I could get it started, I’d be out of here.”
Police said they ran the license plates on the truck and searched for the driver, but were unable to locate him.
A Ford Escape driven by a woman who led police through Lincoln City is towed Saturday night (Photo by Justin Werner).
A woman was taken into custody by Lincoln City Police on eluding and reckless driving charges Saturday evening following a pursuit through downtown Lincoln City.
According to Sgt. Randy Weaver, fellow officer Jeffery Winn was on his way home and thought he had come across a medical emergency when he saw a white Ford Escape pull up behind him near 14th Street with its hazard lights flashing.
Weaver said Sgt. Winn pulled over to let the car pass and recognized the driver as a woman the police department had dealt with before who suffered from mental illness. A chase ensued after Winn flipped on his lights and the woman, who had waved at him, failed to yield.
The pursuit ended at the north Shell Station at 4031 NW Highway 101 following a chase that never exceeded 45 mph.
“It was a pursuit, but speed was not a part of it.” a police dispatcher said.
The woman’s car was towed and she was lodged at the Lincoln County Jail.
A small fire in a Beachfront Manor hotel room Saturday night prompted a big response from North Lincoln Fire & Rescue.
Three engines, an aerial truck and multiple support vehicles arrived at the hotel at 2855 NW Inlet Ave. within minutes to put out the fire at approximately 6:30 p.m.
“You can’t mess around when there’s a hotel fire,” Lincoln City Police Department Sgt. Randy Weaver said. “We have a great fire department and they showed up quick.”
1 of 6
Interim NLFR Chief Rob Dahlman said nearby rooms were evacuated as the fire was located in the wall and entered the attic. No one was injured and damage was estimated at $25,000.
“We responded to smoke in a room,” Dahlman said. “The fire is contained.”
(Photo courtesy NLFR)
Cause of the fire was deemed accidental Monday following a joint investigation.
Hotel management said fire units arrived “really fast.”
“The [hotel staff] acted quickly in calling 9-1-1, giving our crews adequate time to expose the fire and stop it while it was still relatively small,” Fire Marshal Ed Ulrich said.
Guests were allowed back into their rooms after a brief waiting period.
The fire was hidden from view in the void around the chimney from a gas fireplace on a sixth-floor unit, NLFR said. Firefighters swiftly opened the void space breaching ceiling while other crews deployed to the roof contained the fire to two units. Flames damaged a small portion of the roof.
An engine from Depoe Bay Fire assisted on scene, and an engine from Nestucca Rural Fire and Rescue was en route for additional assistance.
Few people understand the importance of getting from here to there the fastest than 2018 Taft High graduate Gabe Arce-Torres.
Among the state’s speediest sprinters on last spring’s Tigers track and field team, Arce-Torres was virtually unstoppable in bursting from starting block to finishing tape in Oregon’s small-school ranks.
Then, somebody threw a roadblock in his path to get from Point A to Point B in the least amount of time, abruptly derailing the senior sprint specialist’s quest to become the state’s fastest Class 3A runner.
“It’s been a roller coaster ride since high school, to say the least,” the multisport prep star said.
A pulled hamstring suffered late in his final District qualifying run last May cost Arce-Torres a chance at three league titles, a trip to State and his team a shot at the boys title. While still eager to race at historic Hayward Field in Eugene after posting preliminary qualifying times in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes, he was determined ineligible to compete for State track and field supremacy under OSAA rules.
“I truly thought things would progress at a slow pace and climax like a great novel upon his graduation,” Gabe’s father and coach, Joey Arce-Torres, said. “His entire senior year of high school seemed to vanish before my eyes before I even realized what happened.”
Now a college freshman, the 18-year-old Arce-Torres will clear the hurdle of missing State when he becomes the youngest athlete in Western Oregon University history to compete in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. The dominating sprinter with the indomitable spirit will run the 400-meter second leg when the Wolves seek their third straight distance medley relay title March 8-9 in Pittsburg, Kansas.
“Coming off of a really disappointing injury, I took a lot of time off during the summer in hopes of allowing my body to relax and get back to a state mentally where I was ready to put in the tremendous amount of work needed to be competitive at the college level,” he said.
Arce-Torres never lost in the 400 his senior year and qualified for the District finals in the event by more than four seconds — virtual light years by track and field standards. He shut down all comers all season, placing second just once — in the 200 to a Class 5A runner in the prestigious Prefontaine Rotary Invitational in Coos Bay.
“Gabe has used his life experiences to put himself in a position to rise up on the podium. Gabe has learned to run for himself. He now knows he — and he alone — controls his destiny.”
— Joey Arce-Torres
There was a time when pain and suffering would have been a rude awakening for the little fellow who just years earlier would score four or five goals in the first half of a youth league soccer match, then fuss over how to get the ball to his older teammates for a shot on goal in the second half.
“Coming home for winter break, I had a laundry list of about four pages of handwritten workouts for the month,” he said. “Prior to leaving, I had a few really positive meetings with my coach kind of outlining the next coming weeks and eventual outdoor season.”
Arce-Torres entered his first week of preseason training last fall still fighting the nagging pain in his hamstring, but persevered behind a robust physical therapy program at Western that kept him “somewhat functional even after the worst workouts.”
“Following my first cross country season, I felt extremely confident about the amount of training I had and was incredibly excited for the upcoming indoor season as I had never competed indoors or at the college level,” he said.
By now accustomed to setbacks, his most recent one surfaced during the first week of winter break in December when he felt a twinge in his knee roughly 25 minutes into a run.
“I just thought maybe I had stepped wrong and proceeded to run,” he said. “Within the next two minutes, I was taking off my shoes and hobbling home to grab some ice.”
The mysterious flex injury held him back from putting on his running shoes throughout the Christmas break before he burst back with two personal-best times in preparation for the distance medley relay (DMR), which features legs of 1,200, then 400, 800 and 1,600 meters.
“I couldn’t run for more than five minutes without kneeling over in excruciating pain,” he said. “After communicating with my coach, we completely scrapped the previous workout plan and put it on hold until I got back to campus.
“I knew we had a scheduled opening meet a week after we returned from break, so once I returned to campus, I spent so many hours of the day either in the training room or with my coach attempting to get me ready for the meet and back in shape from everything I had lost.”
Gabe said his injury did little to diminish his teammates’ hopes and desires, nor deter their intent, to return to the NCAA championships.
“We all knew and believed that our DMR could qualify for Nationals. The only thing we had to do was run our race and not get caught up in anything else,” he said.
Western track and field coach Mike Johnson recognized his new runner’s desire and focus and found Arce-Torres to be a capable learner.
“Of course, he did well in the conference indoor meet for a freshman in the Open 400, but he’s proven to be an even better relay runner,” he said. “He’s kind of cagey the way he moves on the track, because in relays it’s not just staying in your lane, it’s moving among people. He has a great talent for that.”
It took a day for Gabe and his teammates to learn they had qualified for Nationals as they awaited times from around the country to be validated.
“I couldn’t stop smiling for what seemed like hours, and I’m pretty sure my neighbors were confused to hear all the jumping from excitement,” he said. “I immediately called my mom and dad as I could barely comprehend what we’d done.”
“Gabe realizes he is a part of something much bigger than himself. He knows his life is a beautiful gift, one that he takes great care of and respect for. I believe Gabe is impossible to stop and impossible not to love. He is the best part of me, and I am so humbled to be his father.”
Lori and GabeJoey and Gabe
Arce-Torres has two sisters – Kandis, the oldest, and Kamile, the starting second baseman on Taft’s last state championship sports team in 2005. Gabe’s mother, Lori, is executive director of the Lincoln City Chamber of Commerce and serves as a board member for numerous charitable organizations. Joey is campus monitor and interim assistant athletic director at Taft.
“I totally forgot that life always has its moments, then challenges us to see what we are truly made of,” Joey said. “For Gabe and I — especially Gabe — his ability to overcome adversity has truly been tested.”
As a high school freshman, a knee injury suffered during the first 10 minutes of Gabe’s first basketball game sent chills through the crowd, unnerving his dad.
“As he was being carried off the court, I could only hold back my own fears and tears and try to convince him he would back on the court by halftime,” Joey said. “Gabe never returned to the court that day or ever again.”
Following consultation with an orthopedist, the family was told young Gabe would never play sports — let alone basketball — again.
“Both our hearts exploded, and we could not understand how fate had brought us to this moment,” Joey said.
Saying it was his job to see to it Gabe would play again, a surgeon at Oregon State reassured the family Gabe would return to whatever sport he desired.
On the drive to Corvallis that February morning, Gabe asked his dad if they could stop by a local bookstore. Early for his son’s surgery, Joey obliged. Gabe entered and returned with a Bible.
“Both of us worried on a daily basis whether his knee could take the punishment, but both of us trusted our faith and instinct,” Joey said. “Gabe found new strength in his will, more confidence in his conviction, and realized then this would be his secret power.”
Warned against jumping and participating in more rigorous events, Gabe concentrated on distance running and strengthening and conditioning techniques.
“His rehab was extensive. He told me he had never worked that hard in his entire life,” said Joey, who watched as Gabe exercised morning and evening of each and every day. “He trained as if he was the weakest member on his team. He listened to his coaches and led by example. He would run, play and swim as if it would be his last season ever.”
By his junior year, Gabe was a State champion in track, qualified for State in swimming and led the Tigers deep into the State playoffs in soccer as team captain. He earned Taft’s coveted “Champion of Character” award for athletics.
On his first day of school that year, a letter from the University of San Francisco was waiting in the mailbox. Nearly 50 colleges and universities inquired about his soccer and track interest. With his senior season still ahead, father and son toured schools throughout California looking for the perfect fit.
“He looked as if he was ready to conquer the world,” Joey said.
Back at his specialty, Gabe’s sprint times dropped steadily and he broke the school record in the 200-meter dash. His set his sights on the 400-meter mark and entered Districts never having lost at that distance.
“He seemed to be peaking at the right time. Everything felt right, felt like things couldn’t go wrong and then . . .” Joey said. “We embraced that day, knowing he would never compete again as a high school athlete. I believe we both felt empty for a few months. We didn’t talk much about track after that.”
With a summer job and time spent with friends before starting college, Gabe didn’t run for nearly three months following his injury and an earlier commitment to attend Western, where he found a welcoming committee of open arms.
“Our team isn’t just a team to me, it’s family,” he said. “Being a freshman surrounded more often than not by seniors and upperclassmen, I feel like part of a family here. Everyone cares for each other, and one person’s success is something we all share.
“It’s extremely positive to know there are so many people on this team who genuinely want every person to succeed. You can see that in the way we practice, the way we compete and the way we carry ourselves on and off the track.”
While Western has won the last two national DMR titles, four fresh faces — a senior, junior, sophomore and freshman – comprise this year’s team.
“Gabe’s been a great teammate and diligent in all the work he needs to do to get faster,” Johnson said. “We cut back on the volume of work a little bit, but added some flexibility and strength work to make him more stable, so he’s yet to see a full training load and is going only 80 to 85 percent.
“But in racing that doesn’t always hurt you. He still has a large room for improvement, but he’s pretty fresh and eager to race, so good things lie ahead.”
“Gabe knows how to win and not take it for granted.” Joey said. “He understands hard work doesn’t always guarantee success, but it always puts you within striking distance.”
2019 NCAA Division II Distance Medley Relay Field
1. Western Colorado
9:45.61
2. Colorado Mines
9:46.17
3. Adams State
9:47.11
4. Stonehill
9:47.24
5. Grand Valley State
9:47.55
6. CSU-Pueblo
9:47.94
7. Sioux Falls
9:48.17
8. Simon Fraser
9:49.47
9. Black Hills State
9:49.99
10. Alaska Anchorage
9:50.19
11. Western Oregon
9:50.69
12. Minnesota State
9:51.69
5 p.m. (CST), March 8, Pittsburg State’s Robert W. Plaster Center
Craig Riccardo, 27, of Wilsonville won the men’s half-marathon over Lincoln City’s Chase Dillon, 22, in 1:23:20.2, with Ryan Turner, 25, of Newport third.
