Mount Hood

Breaking down student sport options

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

With the beginning of the new school year, many students may be looking to join and compete in athletics. There are two major ways for students to get involved athletically with the school: either joining an Intramural or a Club Sport. While both offer several benefits to joining, it’s important to note the differences. To make the choice between the two easier, I’ve broken them down to see which sports may fit the needs of each student.

Intramural Sports

Intramural sports are played by Western students against Western students. Intramurals give students the opportunity to form their own teams comprised of other students to battle it out against friends and foes from all over campus. Fall, winter, and spring terms are packed with full seasons of sports as well as single weekend tournaments. The winners of each championship are awarded a champions shirt.

Intramural sports give students the opportunity to compete athletically, while simultaneously allowing them to meet other students from all around campus that they otherwise might not have known. Intramural sports are very low demand on the schedule as there are no practices and no coaches. There are two types of play, full seasons with a postseason and single weekend tournaments. The leagues offer three combinations of teams: coed, which is comprised of half men and half women, open, which is a varying amount of men and women, and teams comprised of only men or only women.

To sign up and start or join a team visit IMLeagues.com/wou

Club Sports

Club Sports are essentially varsity level sports without the school funding. This means that club sports host weekly practices, have full seasons of games and play against other schools. Many of the club sports also have coaches or a coaching staff. There are two levels of club sports: Tier 1 and Tier 2. Tier 2 sports don’t normally compete and are more centered toward meeting new people that share the same athletic passions. Tier 1 sports are much more serious. They compete in national leagues and battle with schools all around the country.

Club Sports are a great way to continue playing sports at a high and competitive level. There are some restrictions on club sports such as maintaining a certain GPA or credit amount. These restrictions vary from sport to sport. However, there is no experience needed to join. All club sports are open to all students regardless of their experience level.

To join a club sport team visit IMLeagues.com/wou

 

Contact the author at lllarsen13@wou.edu

 

Fall sports recap

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Football

L 17-24 vs. Angelo State University

L 17-50 vs. Central Washington University

L 17-28 vs. Azusa Pacific University

W 38-13 @ Humboldt State University

Leaders:

Rushing- Omari Land 47 rushes for 282 yards

Receiving- Tyjuan Prince 17 receptions for 238 yards

Volleyball

Concordia Tournament:

L 0-3 vs. Northern State University

L 2-3 vs. Colorado Christian University

L 1-3 vs. Tiffin University (OH)

DII West Region Showcase:

W 3-1 vs. Holy Names University (CA)

W 3-1 vs. Humboldt State University

L 0-3 vs. Stanislaus State

W 3-0 vs. Hawaii Pacific University

 

L 1-3 vs. Concordia University (OR)

W 3-0 vs. Montana State University Billings

L 0-3 @ Seattle Pacific University

W 3-1 @ Saint Martin’s University

L 1-3 vs. RV Central Washington University

L 1-3 vs. Northwest Nazarene University

 

Leaders:

Kills: Mariella Vandenkooy 128 Kills

Blocks: Morgan Haskett 54 Blocks

Women’s Soccer

L 0-1 @ Cal State San Marcos

W 1-0 @ California State University, Dominguez Hills

T 2-2 vs. Stanislaus State

L 1-2 vs. Academy of Art

L 1-4 @ Simon Fraser University (B.C.)

W 1-0 vs. Montana State University Billings

W 1-0 @ Northwest Nazarene University

 

Leaders:

Goals:  3 Goals Alexie Morris

Points: 6 Points Alexie Morris, Alyssa Tomasini

Cross Country

Men: 2nd, Women: 2nd @ Linfield Harrier Classic (4K/6K)

Men: 1st, Women: 1st Ash Creek Invitational (5K/7K)

Women: 5th SF State Invitational (6K)

 

Contact the author at lllarsen13@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: Paul F. Davis

Heugly’s go-to pivot move

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

5.8 seconds were left for the Wolves basketball team. Tied at 62 in a November 21 game against Humboldt State, Shelby Snook, senior guard, inbounded the ball from the side to Savannah Heugly, senior forward, who caught it at the right free-throw line. Heugly then drew a slight hesitation, dribbled past three defenders who were delayed, and extended a right-hand layup for the go-ahead score.

Heugly used her pivot foot for the slight hesitation. The pivot is fundamental in basketball and fundamentals are important to Heugly.

“I think it’s a very important piece to work on your fundamentals every day,” explained Heugly. “Because if you stop, you lose part of it, and if you lose part of that, you’re not going to be able to progress in your game.”

Basketball became a love of Heugly’s at the age of eight. After playing basketball year-round, it eventually beat out other sports, such as softball and volleyball.

“I shot everyday,” said Heugly.

As she kept shooting, she got older, more skilled and grew taller to where she’s been a stable 5-foot-11 forward since middle school.

Heugly’s mother Julie also played high school ball, at Parkrose in Portland, Oregon — just a 30-minute drive from Tualatin High School, Heugly’s school. Her mother was a standout hooper and, though she received offers from a web of colleges, she stopped playing after high school. But Heugly kept the ball bouncing and had the opportunity to apply more to her basketball future.

“She (Heugly) is ten times the player I ever was,” said Julie.

The two went head-to-head in backyard one-on-ones many times. Eventually, Heugly got the better of her mother.

“I think that I finally beat her in my junior year of high school. I think I beat her by like seven,” Heugly said. When asked if it was a changing of the guard, Heugly laughingly explained. “Yeah, she kind of said ‘well, if you can beat me then you’re fine’.”

At Tualatin, Heugly was awarded first-team all-league honors. There, she teamed with current Wolf and childhood friend Jasmine Miller, senior business major.

“(Jasmine) and I have always gotten along really well, like our chemistry works really well and we play the same position and so in high school we were always give-and-go,” Heugly said.

After high school she took basketball with her to the college level and started her collegiate career at Blue Mountain Community College. The move from Tualatin to Blue Mountain provided the next level for Heugly.

“The players there were faster, bigger, stronger and better,” explained Heugly. She nonetheless continued progressing and averaged a double-double in her sophomore year with 21.2 points per game — fourth in the Northwest Athletic Conference — and 11.3 rebounds per game. Having never scored fewer than 13 points in a single game, she earned the pair of first-team and all-defensive honors.

From Tualatin Timberwolf, to Blue Mountain Timberwolf, to Western wolf, Heugly continued to excel while the competition grew even larger. She played in all 27 games her junior year.

While leading the Wolves in scoring, 11.4, and rebounding, 6.1, averages and totals, Heugly earned an academic all-GNAC honor with a 3.65 GPA in the 2017-18 season.

As with how the pivot provides players options on what angle to shoot from, Heugly says she has options as to what she’ll do after graduation and will see where careers in chiropractics or athletic training will possibly lead her.

This June, Heugly graduates with a major in exercise science, and will pursue a chiropractic internship this summer in Tigard, Oregon. She’s also open to the possibility of coaching one day at the high school and perhaps college level.

Either way, she’d like to lean more towards sports, something that’s close to home for her, and would like to continue working with athletes.

Teaming up with Miller in her past senior season, the two worked in tandem. Often times, Miller and Heugly performed a high-low combination; one player at the top of the key feeds the ball to the person near the basket through a lob — because of their height — or bounce pass, a play NBA hall of famers Tim Duncan and David Robinson helped popularize.

The Wolves had a lot of motion plays where players were constantly moving the ball and themselves around. But their go-to was into the post to Heugly who had a few options for points.

“Everyone says my go-to move is the fadeaway,” explained Heugly. But Heugly demonstrated that one could fake out of it as someone attempts to block it, using the pivot foot.

Heugly explained her options; “You can fake the fadeaway and then go under, I’ve done that a couple times. They just fly right by you cause they’re expecting it, and then you get a wide open layup.”

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: Savannah Heugly

Four lasting impressions

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Track

The first paw prints were put on the cross country tracks during the fall season. David Ribich, senior, was the first to catch fire for Western, claiming a GNAC title in the 8,000-meters. Ribich drifted ahead of the pack after 4,000-meters, and towards a comfortable individual win and, helped the men’s team triumph to their first ever GNAC championship win.

Ribich soon stepped indoors and towards conference titles in the 800 and mile, and a repeat indoor national title in the distance-medley-relay. Training partner Dustin Nading, junior, was on that relay team, and won his second national title in the men’s mile.

The Wolves earned six titles competing on campus on April 6. Kennedy Rufener, senior, who broke record upon record in the school year, won the 1500 title, while Olivia Woods added another in the 400. Woods and Rufener went on to receive multiple All-American honors throughout their running campaigns.

Western returned home on May 12 for the GNAC outdoor championships and put together three titles; two more belonging to Ribich in the 800 and 1500, while Alani Troutman, sophomore, brought home the long jump title.

Track and field then revved up one final competition in the nationals, with Ribich continuing his conquest and collegiate career with another 1500 medal.

Photo courtesy of: wouwolves.com

 

Basketball

The basketball team made their presence felt once they won 10 games in a row. Ten increased to 18, and at that point in the season, the Wolves were defeating their opponents consecutively by double digits while putting up individual accolades. Tanner Omlid, senior forward, who went on to receive numerous awards after the season, recorded his second five-by-five of the season in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

The team’s lone defeat up to that point came at the mercy of Western Washington early in the season. But the streak continued as the Wolves avenged the earlier loss in a rematch with the Vikings while improving their streak to 22. The regular season GNAC title clincher moved them up to a number three ranking in the nation.

The next level was the GNAC championship. Not only did two tournament wins crown them champions, but they drew automatic bid and host for the regionals. The squad opened their regional tournament with two wins before falling in closing seconds to regional champions, Cal-State Baptist, ending a historic season. The 31-1 mark is the best all-time start to any season in Western’s history. Twenty-six straight wins is also the longest ever for Western.

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

Baseball

Baseball’s preseason polls strongly favored the Wolves as GNAC champions. The team started slow with seven non-conference losses, but found footing with a 14-5 record during conference play. During play, Gabe Benavidez, junior, and Craig Grubbe, senior, helped bolster a deep pitching rotation that included multiple one-hit performances. By seasons end, the two helped their team to league bests in fewest hits allowed per game, lowest earned-run-average and lowest runs allowed.

Along with the pitchers was a overall league leading defense in fielding. The team led the league in fielding percentage, and sophomore infielder Connor McCord led in double plays with 35. Jay Leverett, infield senior, was second on the team in that category, with 29. Plentiful offense made for five total walk-offs on the season — three of which came via Spencer Bennion, first-year outfielder.

Four key games forfeited to Montana State led to Montana clinching playoff seed number one, but Western eventually got back at the Yellowjackets when it counted.

The Wolves had won all but one conference championship since their merger into Division II and conquered Montana for 16th in the overall title.

Photo by: Paul F. Davis

 

Softball

Softball season was up and down and ended at 28-25. The Wolves got off to a strong start at 12-8, during which, pitchers Haley Fabian, junior, and Lizett Dominguez, senior, started them out right with a combined 9-4 pitching record. Western had one of their best years with regard to hits. Much is due to their top hitters on the year; senior outfielder Zoe Clark, first-year outfielder Tyler Creach and junior infielder Ryanne Huffman. All three combined for 13 triples. Eighteen is the most the team’s ever had in a season. Western’s year had critical turning points towards the end, as the Wolves continuously battled for playoff positioning.

Two key victories, April 22 and 29, were accomplished through walk-offs. Chandler Bishop, sophomore pitcher, hit one to keep their playoff hopes alive. One week later, on senior night, first-year outfielder Ayanna Arceneaux made the playoffs a for sure thing with a home run clincher.

Beginning the tournament as the fourth seed, they dropped their playoff opener against Northwest Nazarene. The Wolves saved their season in a playoff double-elimination with a win versus Central Washington, thanks to a two-shot from Clark to seal the victory. But the second loss to Simon Fraser ended all hopes.

Photo courtesy of: wouwolves.com

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

 

Western challenges Mexican national team

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

A chance at playing Mexico’s under-20 World Cup team came knocking for Western’s women’s soccer team as the two squads squared off in an exhibition match on May 23 at the University of Oregon’s Pape Field. Mexico’s roster consists of some of the top national players in the country who will play in this summer’s FIBA U20 World Cup in France.

Mexico also visited the University of Oregon Ducks on May 19 on the same field in 1-0 defeat.

“I think that this game taught us that soccer is its own community,” said Dana Jacobs, junior defender. “Through our coaches’s connections we got to play against a world-renowned national team — something most people in DII don’t get to experience.”

Mexico scored on and often but Western’s team stayed on the ball and maximized their effort all the way until the horn blew. Western had a difficult time getting scores off attempts at Mexico’s golden glove goalkeeper Miriam Aguirre. The Wolves couldn’t contend with cross shots and the speed to get it down from one end to the other by Mexico. Despite losing the game, a few of Western’s players said it was a very opportune experience.
“To me it was a really cool experience, not everyone gets to play a national team,” commented Kaili Brundage, sophomore midfielder.

Having few players at the age of 21, most of Western’s roster was of comparable age and experience compared to Mexico’s team. When asked if the unique matchup taught the Wolves anything about themselves, sophomore defender Kaitlin Poe answered: “This type of match taught us the importance of work ethic and really just makes us all around better players being able to play the best players our age from Mexico.”

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

 

Photo courtesy of: wouwolves.com

Colby Fuller steps into leadership role

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Sports like baseball, basketball and football are team games, and in team sports, a team leader has to take initiative when needed. Such is the case when plays breakdown or when the chemistry gets out of control. But in an individual sport, like golf or snowboarding, self-determination and responsibility usually fall back on one person.

Colby Fuller, senior communication studies major, has been invested in both worlds and the sports included. But leadership is the accentuation of which Fuller is going for.

“I’ve seen multiple times where something needs to get done and the leader’s not efficient and things fall through,” Fuller said.

After dribbling up and down the court for four years of high school basketball — captaining the team — and also following through on his golf swing, Fuller took on that leadership role even more so while coaching soon after playing.

Coaching led him to where he is now: his first year being a supervisor of Western’s intramural sports.

As one of four intramural supervisors, he oversees every prep, game activity, as well as media event that help to promote intramural sports such as the recent encompassments of golf, tennis and corn hole. The other three supervisors are in charge of administrative activities, employee recognition and making sure that athletes that play in intramural sports are enrolled students. Fuller and his fellow supervisors have also been involved in the intramural games as athletes.

“We’re at every game,” Fuller said of supervisor duty. “Thirty minutes before the game and 15 minutes after, helping set up, taking everything down.”

Intramural supervisors are also tasked to maintain potential hostile situations between athletes.

“I’ve seen, at points, where a game got a little heated, and I had to go in there and break it up,” said Fuller. “I’ve learned so much dealing with all different kinds of situations and scenarios between injuries, fights — when it comes to the ins and outs of the game, dealing with people’s attitudes; it’s just a mix.”

Leadership for Fuller also means stepping into a managerial position at some point in the future. Fuller works at a power line company in Washington, where his job is to keep power lines activated and cut down trees that grow around them. In five years working for the company, the experience has helped pave Fuller’s path towards prospective management.

Some loathe the idea of having to do hard stressful labor work, but it’s been rewarding for Fuller. The most demanding thing he’d ever done was while he was working at his power line company; Fuller was tasked with keeping power lines clear of trees.

“Last summer, they gave me a chainsaw,” he said. A path lied in wait; two miles worth of power lines and road covered with trees that trucks couldn’t get through to.

“They just gave me a big chainsaw and said, ‘here ya go’, and so it was just three straight days — eight hours each — worth of cutting,” explained Fuller. “I don’t think my arms have ever been so sore, but my bosses had the trust in me to get it done.”

Fuller’s content with how hard his bosses push him at work and is aware of the hard work and expectation they require. These are bosses he also fishes with every weekend at a harbor in Westport, Washington, about an hour and 20 minutes from his home city of Shelton.

Fuller’s plan after his 2018 graduation is to move back to his hometown and continue working with the company.

Management and the specific work Fuller has done goes hand-in-hand with his minor in organizational leadership and it’s been pushed even further with his major in communication studies. One of the many things the study of communication teaches is how to manage conflicts and situations, which Fuller has learned to deal with.

Whether that’s been the job of coaching, refereeing a basketball game, or coordinating an IM event, Fuller says “I’m the kind of person that likes to be in control. I like to take initiative and lead the group… I don’t know I just find myself comfortable in leadership positions. I know that when I’m in control, things are going to get done.”

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: Colby Fuller

One title earned, eight All-American wolf performances

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The NCAA DII Track and Field championships from May 24-26 was the last meet for the Wolves, as 10 of their athletes competed.

David Ribich, senior, paced the field until he found victory in the end of the 1500-meter. In a timed finish of 3 minutes, 45.34 seconds, Ribich earned his second consecutive national title in the event.

Teammate Dustin Nading, junior, led all 1500 runners for the first half of the race. Ribich soon crept into the lead in the back half and stayed ahead for the remainder of the run. Nading followed right behind him into the finish and crossed .2 seconds ahead of Adams State’s Elias Gedyon.

Kennedy Rufener, senior, was the first wolf member to finish her event and ran in the 10,000-meter. Alaska-Anchorage’s Caroline Kurgat went on to title in the event, but Rufener ran the fastest lap time in the race. Moving to as high as the seventh position for most of the 10k, she soon kicked harder and faster in the final lap, passing four runners to finish in fourth with a time of 35:06.02, earning an All-American honor in the process.

Suzanne Van De Grift, senior, also notched another All-American fourth place performance for a run in the 1500. The run time of 4:23.87 lowered the school mark and her personal record.

Olivia Woods, junior, and Darian Wilson, first-year, were All-Americans number five and six in the 800-meter and women’s javelin, respectively.

Woods finished in eighth position while Wilson threw to seventh with a measurement of 147-09 (45.04m). Teammate and sophomore, Halie Korff’s throw measured at 134-10 (41.10m). Alani Troutman, sophomore, was the lone field competitor for the men’s team and finished in 16th place in the long jump. Troutman’s first jump was his best of the event, at 23-8 ¾ (7.23m).

Two of the final All-American honors, Megan Rose, senior, and Grayson Burke, sophomore, merged with Woods and Van De Grift for the team relay. The team concluded their 4×400 relay in eighth place.

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: wouwolves.com

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