Any concerns that “Taft got the shaft” would become the battle cry throughout Lincoln City were quelled late Saturday with the announcement that the top-ranked Tigers have been seeded No 1 in next week’s Class 3A State baseball championships.
Taft, which lost a West Valley League home playoff game 9-8 Thursday to Santiam Christian after bullying its way through its conference season unscathed, will host 16th- seeded Clatskanie (8-14, 4-8 Lewis & Clark League) at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Taft defeated Clatskanie 14-3 at home on April 18.
As long as they win, Taft will play at home (Wednesday, May 23; Friday, May 25; and Tuesday, May 29) in quest of a berth in the State championship game, Friday, June 1, at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer.
“I’m happy to see our name in the bracket,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “We have Clatskanie, and that’s where our focus needs to be. If we are not ready to play Wednesday, then the rest of the bracket doesn’t matter.”
The Taft softball team was seeded ninth by the OSAA and will travel to Stanfield/Echo (19-6, 9-3 Old Oregon) for a first-round game at 3 p.m.
Taft softball (17-10, 8-2) was relegated to an at-large berth and road trip as the league’s third seed after falling 8-0 to Amity (14-9, 7-3) on Friday at Dayton High School.
“The five-hour road trip will be a long one, but we have some amazing athletes on this team, and I do believe that they want to be successful,” Taft coach Sandy Stuart said. “I am excited and ready to help them reach their goals.”
Taft baseball, which won 16 straight games in going 22-3 overall and 12-0 in league play, surrendered nine runs in the seventh inning to the Eagles on Friday after outscoring conference competition 156-8 in the regular season. However, the Tigers maintained top billing from the OSAA on the basis of their unprecedented catalog of regular-season success.
Santiam Christian (18-8, 9-3) was seeded third in baseball and will play Rogue River (14-8, 8-4 Southern Cascade) on Wednesday in Corvallis.
The West Valley’s third seed, Horizon Christian, Tualatin (17-7, 7-5) was seeded 10th and will play at seventh-seeded Rainer (13-8, 10-2 Lewis & Clark).
The girls will play road games on the same dates as the boys in hopes of reaching the June 1 title game at the Oregon State University Softball Complex.
West Valley softball champion Dayton was seeded first and will host Lakeview (11-11, 6-3 Southern Cascade), while No. 2 league seed Amity (14-9, 7-3) was seeded 10th and will play at Cascade Christian (16-8, 9-0 Southern Cascade).
“The girls have been chatting throughout the day and they seem excited about the game this week,” Stuart said. “Our hard work paid off, and despite the tough loss Friday we have an at-large berth.”
If the Tigers win, they could play at rival Dayton on Friday in the second round.
“I do think we deserve to be in the top 16 and in this tournament,” Stuart said. “We are going to work hard Monday and Tuesday to prepare the best we can for this first game. Our game plan for State is to take it one day and one game at a time.”
The Taft High softball team has been relegated to at-large status and a road game in next week’s State tournament following an 8-0 West Valley League playoff loss Friday to Amity at Dayton High School.
The Warriors (14-9, 7-3) fell Friday night to the conference champion Dayton Pirates (19-8, 9-1) for the league’s top seed in the 16-team Class 3A State Softball Championships, which begin Wednesday.
The OSAA is expected to announce the State pairings at approximately 10 p.m. Saturday.
Hailee Danneker
“We have some sort of mental block when it comes to Amity,” Taft coach Sandy Stuart said. “We shut ourselves down before we even step up to the plate. We hit so well this week in practice, but could not bring that in to the game today.”
Taft senior Naomi Rini and sophomore starting pitcher Emma Coulter had the Tigers’ only hits, both singles.
Emma Coulter gets a hit
“We have good swings and we know we can hit the ball solid,” Stuart said. “The part where we are lacking right now is the mental side. As a coaching staff, we are just going to do our best to motivate them and make them believe that they can hit any pitcher out there. We have been strong offensively, so we will focus on that.”
Second-place Taft (17-10, 8-2) defeated the third-place Warriors 4-3 at home in regular-season play on April 5, but lost 5-4 at Amity on May 1.
“We are confident, but we are young still,” Stuart said. “Some of the underclassmen haven’t had this feeling before. The postseason doesn’t seem real to them yet. The seniors were a part of the Tournament two years ago, so they are excited and they want it bad. My hope is that the team can come to a common goal and they can work hard to play well and win — not just for themselves, but for their teammates, as well.”
Coulter struck out eight, but surrendered 12 hits as the Warriors scored three runs in the first, four in the third and one in the fifth.
Emma Coulter
“Today was the first time since California [spring break tournament, where the Tigers went 0-5] that our offense was shutout,” Stuart said. “We have always managed to score runs regardless of the pitcher or opponent, but this was different.”
Senior right-hander Brittnie Brown got the win in the circle for the Warriors.
We made some solid contact, but it just happened to be right at defenders all game long,” Stuart said. “We had two hits all game, while they made adjustments on their end and had quite a few hits to the gaps.”
“It was a tough one to lose because we all wanted it so bad. Now, we are going to see what happens with the standings tomorrow and see where we will be headed next week. We have to push on and start over with a new season. We will get new teams and a new shot at something special.”
Amity 8, Taft 0
AMITY AB R H BI
Keeley Graham 5 0 0 0
Brennae Huskey 4 1 1 0
Gabby Rolston 2 2 1 1
Morgan Croxford 4 1 3 0
Breaha Wright 4 2 1 3
Callee Roberts 3 2 3 2
Gracee Wright 4 0 2 2
Brittnie Brown 3 0 1 0
Kira Hand 4 0 0 0
Claira Tolan 3 0 0 0
Kayla Lininger 2 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 8 12 8
TAFT AB R H BI
Kyla Knott 3 0 0 0
Naomi Rini 3 0 1 0
Hailee Danneker 2 0 0 0
Emma Coulter 3 0 1 0
Alyssa Tanksley 3 0 0 0
Makena Cole 1 0 0 0
Madison Clanton 0 0 0 0
Corey VanDamme 2 0 0 0
McKenzie Evenson 1 0 0 0 TOTALS 23 0 2 0
AMITY IP H R ER BB SO HR
Brittnie Brown 7.00 2 0 0 2 4 0 TAFT
Emma Coulter 7.00 12 8 6 4 5 0 PB–Hailee Danneker. BB–Gabby Rolston (2), Brennae Huskey, Brittnie Brown, Madison Clanton (2).
Taft High sophomore Ella Knott won the silver medal in the javelin Thursday in the Class 3A OSAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene.
Knott hurled the javelin 133 feet, 1 inch at Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, just short of her school-record 137-foot, 2-inch heave in winning last week’s Special District 2 title in Dayton. Senior Jordynn Slater of La Pine placed first with a throw of 151 feet, 6 inches.
1 of 5
Knott also competed in the 400-meter run, but failed to qualify for Friday’s finals, placing 12th. A three-event qualifier, she also did not place in the pole vault.
Sophomore Kaden Wright finished 8th Friday in the 200-meter dash finals. Wright failed to qualify for the finals in the 100-meter dash.
Lincoln City Councilor Dick Anderson announced today that he will seek the position of Lincoln City Mayor on the November ballot. He has decided to announce his candidacy at this time so others have time to decide and file for his City Council seat.
“I looked at all the options to serve the community and decided that at this time I could use my skills and experience best as Mayor.” Stated Anderson. “The City needs help in areas I have expertise to assist moving forward including housing and economic development.”
Councilor Anderson has served as a Planning Commissioner, Councilor and Mayor in Lincoln City in the past. He serves on several Boards for the Siletz Tribe including the Siletz Tribal Charitable Giving Board and is an elected member of the North Lincoln Health Board where he was involved in the negotiations for the new hospital coming soon. Because our highways are a vital link to the valley, Anderson also attends two ODOT meetings per month including one covering Hwy 101 and Hwy 18 and the other covers Hwy 101 and Hwy 20.
While serving as Mayor, Anderson was known for having regular, advertised coffees out in the community in all areas of town to make himself available for citizens to have one on one time to discuss their concerns. He plans on implementing this program again if elected Mayor and will start the coffees during his campaign.
Dick is an avid golfer, interested in cultural events and youth events including high school sports. Dick was instrumental in creating a junior golf program that ran for 8 years where Lincoln City kids had summer golf lessons.
Dick Anderson believes the important things to work on as Mayor would be “Community, Communication, Relationships and Leadership” and looks forward to meeting citizens to hear about issues that concern their lives in Lincoln City. Watch for public coffees to be scheduled soon or call Mr. Anderson at 541-996-8482 for further information. He is available to meet with anyone considering running for City Council who has questions about that office as well.
At this weeks county commission meeting, commissioners heard from a group concerned about biosolids that are being applied within 50-feet of the Siletz River. This is the treated sludge that comes from the city’s waste treatment plants.
According to County Commissioner Bill Hall “this sludge can be used for exclusive farm use and according to DEQ rules, it can’t be spread within 50-feet of any ditch, channel, pond, waterway or within 200-feet of a domestic water source or well.”
Commissioner Thompson expressed concern over the apparent lack of inspection by regulators.
Scientist Betty Kamikawa pointed out that the Siletz is a major domestic water source and the biosolids application can’t be within 200 feet of the river. “I believe that the Siletz River is a domestic watersource, which means they should not be applying that 50-feet from the River, it needs to be 200-feet away.” Kamikawa pointed out that the county health department should have a copy of the permits from DEQ. She said the site authorization can be revoked.
The group also expressed concerns that the land where this is being applied is used to grow hay, and that there is cattle close by. Animals eating the plants and hay will be ingesting the toxins. Rain can also cause toxins to flow into the river affecting fish. This is why the group pointed out that the 200-foot buffer needs to be followed. After hearing public comment, Commission President Doug Hunt said they will further investigate the matter and will contact State Representative David Gomberg and State Senator Arnie Roblan to see about making changes at the state level.
On May 17, 2018 at approximately 4:00 p.m., Deputy Shawn Carter stopped a vehicle for a minor traffic violation near SE East Devils Lake Rd and SE Oar Street in Lincoln City. During the traffic stop Deputy Carter recognized the rear passenger in the vehicle was exhibiting signs of a drug overdose.
While in the presence of deputies, the male passenger age 33 from Newport went unconscious. Deputy Zachary Akin recognized signs and symptoms of a narcotic overdose and administered Narcan to the male via a nasal spray.
The male became coherent and was transported to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital where he was further treated for the overdose.
No. 1-ranked Taft High, playing night after night with a target on its back, got struck in the bull’s eye Thursday in squandering an eight-run, seventh-inning lead to fall 9-8 to Santiam Christian in a league home playoff loss that broke the Tigers’ 16-game winning streak.
Taft surrendered nine runs in the top of the final inning – more than it had yielded in West Valley League play all season – and watched apparent victory behind a four-hit, 13-strikeout performance by senior starter Caleb King slip away.
“The loss stings,” said King, who departed with one out in the seventh. “We haven’t experienced this feeling in almost two months, so it’s something new, but I think it was for the best. Champions need to know what it feels like to lose. We’ll feed off of the feeling and use it for fire for State next week.”
Second-place Santiam Christian (18-8, 9-3), playing in must-win fashion to secure a home game in next week’s Class 3A OSAA State Baseball Championships, rallied behind a series of improbable hits and mishaps that saddled senior Jack Stempel with the loss. Stempel surrendered five earned runs on seven hits in one-third of an inning.
Jack Stempel
“Today was tough, but it is better that it happened to us now rather than next week,” Stempel said.
The Tigers, who ran the table in going 12-0 in conference play, scored once in the first, third and fourth innings before mounting an 8-0 lead with a five-run sixth.
Cody Knott is safe at home
Then, the roof caved in.
“We played a great game all-around until the last inning when Santiam Christian came alive,” Stempel said. “Caleb pitched an outstanding game. Santiam just happened to come out hot in the top of the seventh.”
Eagles’ leadoff hitter and starting pitcher Ryan Hall, junior Patrick Otis and sophomore Sean Riley drove in two runs each in the top of the fateful seventh. Senior Grant Carley, sophomore Mason Wirth and junior Vandon Haugen knocked in one run apiece.
“We just couldn’t get over the hump that last inning. It happens sometimes,” Taft coach Matt Hilgers said. “We got away from what we have done well all season and we cannot afford to let that happen. That last out can be the toughest out in baseball, and I think we learned that tonight.”
Before that, King, who doubled twice, went 3-for-3 with a run and three RBIs; senior shortstop Josh Salsbery 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI; and junior second baseman Cody Knott 1-for-2 with a run and three RBIs.
Josh Salsbery
Sophomore catcher Eli DeMello and junior left fielder Tyee Fisher also crossed the plate for the Tigers, who appeared destined for their 23rd victory in 25 games.
“My viewpoint might be different than some, but I don’t think there is such a thing as a good loss,” Hilgers said. “I know there are positives that we can take from this game moving forward, but again a loss is a loss, and there isn’t a good way to spin that.”
The Tigers have been so dominant this season they almost assuredly will maintain the state’s top seed entering the postseason, Hilgers said.
“It might not happen, but in my mind we should be the top seed,” he said. “We should be playing three home games the next couple weeks.”
Taft fell to 22-3 after dominating league foes behind a scoring margin of 156-8, or more than 13 runs per game. The Tigers have outscored the opposition 270-73 in 25 contests.
“We just need to get better next week,” Hilgers said. “We have an opponent coming to our place that is going to want to beat us and that needs to be our focus from now until we play again.”
The Tigers entered the game having defeated the Eagles 10-0 at home on April 10 and 5-1 in Corvallis on May 4.
“Next week, this loss means nothing,” Hilgers said. “Whoever we play on Wednesday is coming into the playoffs with the same mindset as us. The season starts over, and everybody is looking to go 4-0 starting next week.”
Taft’s only previous defeats had come back-to-back — March 27 when it lost 8-5 at La Pine (3A Mountain Valley), and on March 29, when it fell 18-9 to Crook County (4A Tri-Valley).
“We look forward to hosting a few playoff games starting next week,” King said. “And, we hope to have a crowd as amazing as today.”
Santiam Christian 9, Taft 8
SANTIAM CHRISTIAN AB R H BI
Ryan Hall 4 1 1 2
Patrick Otis 4 1 1 2
Grant Carley 4 1 1 1
Sam Barton 4 0 0 0
Ryan Mendenhall 4 1 1 0
Mason Wirth 4 1 1 1
Ben Galceran 4 2 3 0
Sean Riley 4 1 2 2
Vandon Haugen 3 1 1 1
TOTALS 35 9 11 9
TAFT AB R H BI
Josh Salsbery 4 3 3 1
Eli DeMello 4 1 1 0
Caleb King 3 1 3 3
Jack Stempel 3 0 0 0
Cody Knott 2 1 1 3
Kam Kessler 2 0 0 0
Tyee Fisher 3 1 0 0
Caleb Jones 3 0 0 0
Bleiz Kimbrough 0 0 0 0
Trenton Fisher 4 1 1 0
TOTALS 28 8 9 7
SANTIAM CHRISTIAN 000 000 9 — 9
TAFT 101 105 0 — 8
LOB–SANTIAM CHRISTIAN 7, TAFT 9. ERR–Sean Riley, Ryan Hall, Caleb King, Cody Knott. 2B–Vandon Haugen, Patrick Otis, Ryan Hall, Josh Salsbery, Caleb King (2), Cody Knott. HBP–Ryan Hall, Kam Kessler, Eli DeMello. SACF–Cody Knott. SACB–Caleb King, Caleb Jones. SB–Patrick Otis, Josh Salsbery, Jack Stempel.
SANTIAM CHRISTIAN IP H R ER BB SO HR
Ryan Hall 3.00 2 2 2 3 1 0
Sean Riley 2.67 6 6 2 1 1 0
Ryan Mendenhall (W) 0.33 0 0 0 1 0 0
Grant Carley (S) 1.00 1 0 0 0 1 0
TAFT
Caleb King 6.33 4 4 3 1 13 0
Jack Stempel (L) 0.33 7 5 5 0 0 0
Bleiz Kimbrough 0.33 0 0 0 0 1 0
PB–Sean Riley, Mason Wirth. WP–Caleb King. BB–Vandon Haugen, Josh Salsbery, Tyee Fisher, Kam Kessler,Cody Knott, Jack Stempel.
In keeping with tradition, it will take a tent or a hammock instead of a cape to cover all the contributing players on the Taft High softball team by the time the Tigers conclude play Friday in the West Valley League playoffs.
From left, McKenzie Evenson, Madison Clanton, Coach Sandy Stuart, Naomi Rini, Alyssa Tanksley
Coach Sandy Stuart’s Tigers — whose star offensive player is adorned in a pink cape following each game — have displayed how far team camaraderie and cohesiveness can get you by parlaying talent with grit into a shot at the league’s top seed in next week’s Class 3A State Softball Championships.
But what will it take to look pretty in pink?
“We have been working hard this week on motivation, attitude and effort,” said Stuart, “so we will see how that sets us up for Friday. I have high hopes and a lot of confidence in my team. It is time they felt the same way about themselves and each other.”
The Amity Warriors stand in the way of a rubber-game showdown between Taft and Dayton for the West Valley League’s top berth in the Class 3A State playoffs.
Friday’s winner of a 3 p.m. contest between the second-seeded Tigers (17-9, 8-2 West Valley) and the third-seeded Warriors (13-8, 7-3) at Dayton High School will face the conference regular-season champion Pirates (18-8, 9-1) at 5 p.m. for the league’s top seed in the State tournament.
The Warriors defeated Santiam Christian 13-10 Wednesday to advance to Friday’s semifinal with Taft. The Tigers can secure the league’s second seed at State, which begins Wednesday, May 23, with a victory in the early game.
“I feel like our rivalry with Amity is stronger than the one with Dayton,” Stuart said. “They are more of a nemesis for us.”
A loss to Amity would cost the Tigers an automatic State berth, relegating them to an at-large selection and first-round road game.
Taft defeated the Warriors 4-3 at home on April 5, but lost 5-4 at Amity on May 1. The Tigers defeated Dayton 4-2 at home on April 20, and lost to the Pirates 9-7 on the road May 9.
“We get a little worked up and nervous [against Amity] because we feel like we should beat them, and we want it so bad,” Stuart said. “I know for sure, if we stay relaxed and hit the ball hard, we should be totally fine. Top to bottom, we are a better team, and just need to believe in ourselves.”
The Tigers, who made some position changes following the slim loss at Dayton, have outscored their opponents by 100 runs in 26 games this season,
Senior infielder Naomi Rini has led the way, batting.515 against league pitching in 10 games. Starting pitcher Emma Coulter hit .472, while fellow sophomore Hailee Danneker hit .462 and freshman infielder Claira Tolan .400. Senior centerfielder Alyssa Tanksley batted 303.
Danneker, a catcher who owns a slugging percentage of .744, led the Tigers in RBIs (22), hits (18) and triples (3), and shared the team lead in doubles with Coulter (5).
Freshman Kyla Knott, batting leadoff, paced the team in runs (17), while Rini challenged for the team lead in virtually every meaningful offensive category.
“We just need to have confidence at the plate [against Amity],” Stuart said. “I think we give their pitcher a little bit too much credit and we think she is faster than she is. We swing early and get off balance. If we can settle in, we should be able to make some great things happen.”
Stuart also emphasizes steady defense in key games. She said a couple of late errors cost the Tigers a victory a little more than a week ago at Dayton.
And what reward awaits the defensive stalwart after each game? A cape, of course — black and gold, like royalty.
“Scoring a lot of runs takes the pressure off the defense and makes us more relaxed in the field,” Stuart said. “If we are confident at the plate, we should have no problems scoring runs on any opponent.”
Continued offensive production combined with solid defense would greatly assist Coulter, Taft’s only pitcher, who sports a 1.89 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 63 innings against West Valley teams.
Together, the girls then decide who will possess a shared totem that is smothered with trinkets for their overall play.
But winning two games Friday will mean more than any possession. With five freshmen and two sophomores on the playoff roster, the Tigers will mix youth with experience in teaming the underclassmen with seniors McKenzie Evenson, Madison Clanton, Rini and Coulter,
“This team is a young one, but we have a lot of talent.” Stuart said. “If these individual girls can come together and really work as a team, we can be unstoppable.”
Coach Stuart comments on the 2018 Tigers:
Naomi Rini, Sr., No, 8:
Great athlete. Led the team in hits from the second slot in the batting lineup with a league batting average of .515. Started the season at third base and moved over to shortstop part way. She is a leader and adds a lot of senior confidence at the plate.
Emma Coulter, So., No. 1:
Emma is our sole pitcher. She has thrown every league game this year and is an extremely hard worker. She even battled a fever and illness during the season and was there for it all. She is another powerhouse at the plate, batting .472 in league from the cleanup spot and had 18 RBIs in league. She had a league ERA of 1.89. We are excited to see her future unfold over the next two years.
Hailee Danneker, So., No. 11:
Our stud catcher. She works very hard behind the plate and has a cannon for an arm. She even held the 2017 Player of the Year to only one stolen base attempt this season. She hit in the No. 3 spot and had a league average of .462 with five doubles, three triples, and 22 RBIs. Hailee is an amazing athlete and an overall great girl. We hope she sticks around to be a Tiger for two more years.
Claira Tolan, Fr., No. 7:
Claira is a great overall athlete. She works hard and doesn’t let anything bother her. She started at shortstop, but we moved her over to second base to try to level out our infield. She had a season ending .400 league batting average that was brought down after an unfortunate ankle injury. She still manages to push through any pain in the ankle and give all her effort to her teammates.
Corey VanDamme, Fr., No. 13:
Corey was pulled up from the JV team just as league was getting under way because she was excelling and impressing coaches. She stepped in at first base. Being left-handed, she has shown great range there. Corey had a league average of .333 in her 14 plate appearances for us. Corey is level-headed and always in the game.
Alyssa Tanksley, Sr., No. 5:
Alyssa is our outstanding centerfielder. She plays a very aggressive outfield and is always willing to lay out for the tough play. Alyssa worked her way out of an early hitting slump to finish league with a .303 average. She is an incredible person and great teammate and her presence will be missed next year.
Makena Cole, Fr., No. 9:
Makena is an all-around player. She was a utility player for us. She played some outfield, some third base and some designated hitter. Makena is pretty fearless and not easily rattled on the field. We are looking forward to her future as a Tiger softball player.
Kyla Knott, Fr., No. 2:
Kyla is the younger sister of baseball star Cody Knott, She has the same work ethic as her brother. As an incoming freshman, we turned her into a slapper in the second week of practice and haven’t looked back. Kyla is incredibly fast and picked up the footwork faster than anyone I have seen before. She also used her speed to earn a starting stop in left field. She is going to be a huge piece of this team going forward this season and in the future.
Madison Clanton, Sr., No. 3:
CARD COMING SOON – RAN OUT OF CARDBOARD
Madison is another utility-type player for us. In her early years she was a catcher on the JV squad before injuring her knee. Then, she moved to the outfield because of her great arm. Last season, she was taken out early on with a broken leg during our spring-break tournament in Newport. This year, we started her at first base, but ended up needing her more in the outfield, so we moved her and brought Corey up. She is speedy and has a great arm, so it’s nice having her out in the field.
Caitlyn Rundstrom, Jr., No. 4:
Caitlyn is a very athletic outfielder. She has an incredible arm, and with her long legs, can cover a lot of ground. She played the flex position quite a bit (meaning she didn’t hit) and she was gone for a period of time on a family vacation, but having her in the outfield will be a key to our postseason success.
Kayla Lininger, Fr., No. 10:
Kayla is another awesome utility player. She has played second base, shortstop, and third base for us this season and she may see some outfield time as well. She had a back issue during league, which kept her from getting many at-bats. She is one of the most positive and upbeat athletes I have coached and I love being around her. She is a very promising athlete and has an incredible glove. We wouldn’t be where we are without her.
McKenzie Evenson, Sr., No. 6:
McKenzie has had a few roles this season. She has played some outfield, but has primarily played in the DH spot for us. She has a great swing and always makes solid contact. There have been many instances where her hard hits were just right at defenders, but she always made the defense work for the out.
Anna Ortiz, Jr., No. 14:
Anna was brought up from the JV squad due to her blazing speed. She has been a courtesy runner for Emma, giving her a break and allowing her to focus on pitching. She will keep that role going in to the playoffs.
Delayna O’Daniels, Fr., No. 15:
She was the JV catcher this season. She was added to the varsity roster for the postseason in case we need a backup or need another hitter for our lineup.
Senior Preston Nightingale, sophomores Kaden Wright, Ella Knott and Autumn Ellis and freshman Jordyn Ramsey will open competition Thursday in the two-day Class 3A OSAA State Track and Field Championships in Eugene.
Preston Nightingale
Knott broke her own school record to win the javelin in last week’s West Valley League District championships in Dayton with a throw of 137 feet, 2 inches, and was second in the 400-meter run and pole vault.
Wright won the 200 in a personal-best time of 23.80. He placed second in the 100.
Nightingale was second in the 1,500,
Ellis was runner-up in the 3,000 finals with a personal-best time of 12:21.36.
Ramsey placed third in the 800-meter run, but was granted an invitation when one of her competitors could not compete.
Jordyn Ramsey, left, Autumn Ellis
Taft coach Joey Arce-Torres shared a look at the upcoming competition with the following thoughts late Wednesday night after a long day of workouts:
“The kids had an opportunity to work out this afternoon on the historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus. It wasn’t lost on seniors Preston Nightingale and Gabe Arce-Torres [who pulled a hamstring at Districts and will not compete] being older and more aware of the time limits of being a high school athlete.
‘They had a sense of sadness as they absorbed the atmosphere and electricity of Track Town USA. The others are too young to be overly concerned about a 400-meter track with stadium seating on both sides to get tearful.
“We went over the layout, where to check in, the practice area and the other important things, like where the souvenirs were sold. The kids seemed relaxed and oblivious of the anxiety and crowd size that awaits them tomorrow.
“Kaden knows he has some big shoes to fill and the constant comparisons of his older brother, Kane [Joshua], haunts him as well. Two prelims tomorrow, 100 and 200, neither will be easy. The field will be full of older runners who have no desires to let underclassmen stand on the podium. Kaden is strong in the blocks. He will need to come out very powerfully and quick to make the finals.
“Ella has been here before. She might surprise a few throwers this year with her increased distance with her javelin. She needs to keep the nerves at bay and not over-think. She does incredibly well when her throws are-interrupted by a running event. She is running the 400 this year, and is a powerful runner, not over-trained and can potentially make podium.
“Autumn had a breakout season in cross country. She trains hard, but is sometimes timid to let it all go and challenge her conditioning, which she owns. She worked on staying relaxed and switching from long strides to shorter, faster kicking on the final 100 meters. She is unpredictable, but could fight her inner demons this week and go for broke and challenge the more experienced runners.
“Jordyn came in third at Districts (800), but caught a break and was invited to run because the District winner was unable to be here. She has nothing to lose, a true freshman, raw, inexperienced but a fighter.
Finally, ‘P’ [Nightingale] ranked highest amongst our runners here. He was an alternate on the 4×400 team last year. He has something to prove this year and could break into the top three in the 1,500. He needs to make sure he doesn’t get boxed in early and have to exert too much energy working his way up. He’s a big, strong kid with a big kick and heart. He trains hard and looks ready to race.
“Gabe will be cheering and coaching from the sidelines with me. I am hoping this new role might entice him to consider coaching once he completes his collegiate career. I’m glad he came up and is always a great role model and teammate for his fellow companion. I love being his dad and coach and being a member of the Taft family.”
What a great job you have done in covering Taft High sports. It is really nice looking forward to your articles right after it happens. The article on the Tigers baseball team was the best written I have ever read.
Hopefully, you will be writing more about them in the next 2 weeks.
As a Taft Alumni, with three sons, grand-kids and wife all Taft High grads, we are very proud of these young men and the job the coaches are doing.
As far as I know this has been the best any baseball team has done. Thank you again and GO TIGERS!
