Just like that, the season was over. But it didn’t come via a close loss or being dominated by a superior opponent. It was a major public health crisis that shut down high school sports in Oregon.
For the Stayton Highlights dance team it was doubly deflating because the squad competes so rarely and the state championships, originally scheduled for March 20-21 in at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, was something the squad had been working toward since fall.
“We were ready. We were strong. We were going to go get that title,” said Highlights coach Robin Meier, who has led the program to 14 state titles and five more runner-up finishes.
“The 2019-2020 Stayton Highlights are some of the finest athletes and young adults I have ever met,” Meier told Our Town.
The Highlights seemed primed for another title run. They were heading into state with the highest score, regardless of class, in Oregon. And Stayton had dominated the Class 4A-1A all-state team, placing seniors Kaitlin Sandall, Jasmin Johnson, Brylie DiGesualdo, and Macey Frost on the eight-dancer squad.
Those four, along with fellow seniors Ashley Kintz and Kaelin Hill, participated all four years with the Highlights and took home state titles in 2017 and 2019 and a runner-up finish in 2018. Frost, Hill, Kintz, Johnson and Sandall served as captains for the squad.
Other seniors: Riley Craig and Brianna Harp. Juniors: Reighlee Allen, Alyssa Bach, Sierra Baker, Laura Camacho, Karissa Flatman, Maddie Fuson and Laura Taylor. Sophomores: Ashlyn Brunner, Jocelyn Christison, Suzie Cox, Lynsie Duchateau, Sophia Harmon, Lea Hill, Adrienne Holgado, Ashlee Moore, Elizabeth Perez, Kaitlynn Solberg and Jenica Trujillo. Freshmen: Rori Bentz, Myrissa Craig, Jillian Hardage, Victoria Lance-Gonzalez, Elizabeth Pizzuto, Kyla Schuster and Paige Stinson.
Meier was aided by assistant coaches Alyssa Russell, April Herrmann, Chloe Stinson and Nicole Witherell.
Basketball: The Stayton boys team, in its first year under coach Aaron Muhic, took a pair of victories in the playoffs to advance to the Class 4A state tournament in Forest Grove. Included was a 52-50 upset by the 12th-seeded Eagles at No. 5 Banks.
But just as Stayton was preparing for its March 12 quarterfinal matchup with No. 4 Henley word came from the OSAA that all of the basketball tournaments had been canceled. Further cancellations and postponements of the spring season have followed with all activities frozen until at least April 28.
“Our team was fun to be a part of and rewarding to coach,” Muhic told Our Town. “I was disappointed especially for our seniors that we did not get to see how we could have performed in the state tournament against the best.”
The Eagles finished 17-8 overall and 7-5 in the tough Oregon West Conference. Cascade, also under a new coach, Calvin Molan, came within a couple of points of joining Stayton in the final eight. The Cougars lost their round of 16 game, 69-68 at Klamath Union.
Cougars standout Carson Molan was named player of the year in the Oregon West, with teammate Drake Davis joining him on the first team. Both are juniors.
Stayton placed seniors Logan Classen and Derek Berning on the second team. Jacob Axmaker and Ben Rash of Stayton received honorable mention, as did Carson Bischoff and Elijah Nolan of Cascade.
The Stayton and Cascade girls also finished one game shy of the state tourney. The Eagles, under first-year coach Wendi Nyquist, were 17-8 overall and lost 37-34 at North Marion in the round of 16. Cascade, meanwhile, finished 15-10 after falling to La Grande 52-46.
Stayton placed senior KJ Nyquist and sophomore Karlee Tyler on the Oregon West’s first team, while Cascade sophomore Kenna Coleman also was honored.
Camryn Boyles and Abigail Cordeiro of Cascade made the second team, while Miley Mitchell of Stayton and Ariel Tobiasson of Cascade received honorable mention.
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