Tennis standouts: Cascade girls make historic run at state

The Cascade High girls tennis squad tied for second in the Class 4A-3A-2A-1A state tournament, the highest finish for the Cougars since 1981.

The Cougars and Klamath Union scored eight points apiece in the May 18-19 competition at Oregon State University. Perennial power Oregon Episcopal won with 16 points.

Leading the way for Cascade was the fourth-seeded doubles team of Tori Lewis and Jaja Osuna, which advanced to the finals before falling to an Oregon Episcopal duo. Lewis and Osuna upset the No. 2 seeds from Catlin Gabel in the semifinals after dropping the first set 6-1. Gio Hernandez participated in singles for the Cougars.

The state meet success followed a Special District 2 championship May 10 at Black Butte Resort. It was the third district title in four years for the Cougars. Lewis and Osuna won the district doubles crown, teammates Erica Mitchell and Jenica Weibenga were fourth in doubles and Hernandez took fourth in the
singles draw.

Lewis, Osuna and Mitchell, the three seniors on the squad, participated on three district championship squads for the Cougars.

“It is amazing to see Tori and Jaja accomplish something as significant as this at the end of their high school careers,” Cascade coach Ron Suelzle told Our Town. “They, along with Erica, Jenica and Gio are great young ladies who carry themselves with grace and dignity. They are great ambassadors for Cascade and the Cascade community and their families are so proud of them.”

Also on the Cascade squad this season were Jenna Schnepp, Allya Sierra, Brenna Moore, Faith Drill, Aliya Borchers, Skylar Perlichek and Kandee Xiong.

Stayton’s Emma Lindemann, meanwhile, won the district singles title and advanced to the state quarterfinals before falling to eventual runner-up Courtlyn Lam of Klamath Union.

Class 2A track and field: Junior Kirkland Scott was the best of the throwers for Regis at the Class 2A state championships May 17-18 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Scott took first in the discus (136-4), second in the javelin (162-2) and fourth in the shot put (47-7 1/4) to personally score 23 team points for the Rams.

Regis finished with 52 points, tying for second with Heppner. Bandon won the team competition with 70 points.

Also scoring for Regis were:

• The 4×100 relay squad of Jonathan Urena, Jacob May, Courage Minten and Brandon Piete, which ran 45.12 and finished second.

• Piete finished second in 11.49 and May was fifth in 11.66 in the 100. May also was third in the 200 in 23.33.

• Michael Crowell (sixth in the pole vault, 10-0)

• Wyatt Heuberger (eighth in the 3,000, 9:41.55)

The Santiam boys scored 10 points on the first-place finish by Brody Davidson in the high jump (6-2). Also participating for the Wolverines was Josh Fawcett (ninth in the triple jump, 39-8 ½).

In the girls competition Santiam scored 10 points, led by Alena Archer (fifth in the pole vault, 8-1/4) and Lilliana Lyness (third in the shot put, 36-3/4).

Regis, meanwhile, placed Kylie Fisk fifth in 16.98 and Kassi Toombs seventh in 17.58 in the 100 hurdles, while Lilly Persons was seventh in the 400 (1:04.18)

Class 4A track and field: Cascade and Stayton both produced individual state championship performances at the 4A meet held May 18-19 at Hayward Field in Eugene.

Cascade senior Kalulusno Ngaida took first in the high jump, third in the triple jump and fifth in the long jump to lead the Cougars.

Ngaida leaped 5-6 in the high jump, two inches better than runner-up Darian Hageman of Astoria. Ngaida cleared 5-6 on her third and final attempt before missing three tries at 5-7. She turned in a mark of 37-1/2 in the triple jump and leaped 16-8 ½ in the long jump in a tight competition in which two more inches would have vaulted her into third.

Ngaida scored 20 of Cascade’s 33 points, which earned the Cougars ninth place in the team race. Marshfield won the championship with 60 points.

Here is a look at how other Cascade girls athletes performed:

• Faith Craig finished fifth in the 100 hurdles in 15.97 and also ran a leg on the 4×100 relay team which finished sixth in 50.83. Also on the relay were Ashley Fraser, Vanessa Romero and Renae Beckmann.

• The 4×400 relay team of Alexia Privratsky, Maliah Russell, Fraser and Beckmann was sixth in, 4:08.80.

• Kaelyn Worst was ninth in the javelin (112-0).

• Russell was 13th in the 800 (2:28.48), a finish matched by Lucy Roache in the 300 hurdles (51.50).

Stayton freshman Hailey Notman finished 10th in the 1,500 (5:15.94 and 13th in the 3,000 (11:38.36).

In the boys 4A competition Stayton’s Jarred Boedigheimer won the high jump with a leap of 6-3 and took seventh in the long jump (19-6 ¾).

Boedigheimer helped the Eagles score 24 team points, good for ninth place. La Grande won the team title with 94. Here is a look at how other Stayton boys athletes performed:

• Ben Kirby was fourth in the 1,500 in 4:07.84 and sixth in the 3,000 (9:10.62). Teammate Casey Pugh was 11th in the 3K in 9:24.15.

• Jacobe Croff was 11th in the 200 meters (23.65) and 13th in the 100 (11.59).

• Chase Rogers finished 12th in the triple jump
(39-4 ¼).

OSAA update: Cascade won its lengthy battle with the OSAA regarding its classification. The Cougars will remain in the Class 4A Oregon West Conference. The original OSAA redistricting plan had elevated Cascade to the Class 5A Mid-Willamette Conference, despite school and district officials arguing that its enrollment levels warranted remaining in the lower classification.

“I am very pleased for our activities and sports teams that the hearings officer placed Cascade at the 4A classification level,” said Cascade Superintendent Darin Drill. “All along we believed that it made much more common sense.”

Because the decision happened so late in the school year Drill said “scheduling back to 4A, particularly in the upcoming fall sports, was not an easy task, but the athletic directors from the Oregon West Conference are working on it, and I am sure will get it worked out.”

Baseball, softball: Cascade infielder Jake Davidson and outfielder Kyle McAlister were named to the first-team on the Oregon West all-conference baseball; list. Cascade utility player Jake Whisman and Stayton pitcher Donovan Stanley earned second-team honors, while first baseman Riley Nichol and infielder Danner Salisbury of Stayton and Cascade utility player Grayson Reeder received honorable mention.

Stayton utility player Sydney Maurer and Cascade outfielder Karsen Lewis were first-teamers on the softball list. Catcher Sarah VanHyning and outfielder Jade Beaumont of Stayton and Cascade pitcher Mackenzie Dysinger and infielder Camryn Boyles earned second-team spots. Receiving honorable mention notice were Stayton infielders Lyndsey DeSantis and Cedella Ritchie, Cascade infielders Riley Bangert and Bailey Dysinger and Cascade outfielders Alexia Loukojarvi and Alexis Bales.