Mount Hood

Men take first, women take second at John Knight Twilight meet

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

McArthur Field was home to 17 different teams, six different levels and a full day of track and field events for the John Knight Twilight, held on April 5. With 38 different events taking place beginning at 1 p.m. on a stormy Friday, the Wolves were ready to come out on top.

The first event that the Wolves were able to capture the title of was women’s 400-meter dash. Olivia Woods of Western completed the race in 58.13 seconds, earning the Women Wolves 10 points.

Up next to the start line were the men, also taking on the 400. After completing the lap, Western’s Gabe Arce-Torres came out on top with a time of 49.38, taking first and adding 10 points to the men’s score.

Continuing on in the day, Wolves managed to come out victorious in the men’s 1500-meter run. With Western’s Justin Crosswhite completing the race in 3:53.42, he earned another 10 points to add to the men’s score.

30 minutes later, Wolves were ready to add another 10. The men’s 3000-meter steeplechase also deemed a Wolf victorious, with Western’s Hunter Mosman completing the race in 9:29.41, earning another full 10 points.

Off the track, Western also took home two first-place wins. The first one came at 4 p.m., with the women’s javelin throw. Western’s Darian Wilson threw 42.14 meters, earning 10 points for the Women Wolves. The second win off of the track also came from the women, with the Women’s Discus Throw. Western’s Moana Gianotti was able to pull out the victory, throwing a 10-point earning 43.24 meters.

By the end of the event, the Wolves had taken first in six total events. They pulled through second place in three other events, and third in six others. By the end of the day, Western men walked away with 116 points, earning them the first-place spot. They were 9 points above the second-place ranked Concordia University. Western women came out with 93 points, just 16 under the first place Southern Oregon University, earning them the title of second place.

The Wolves are on the road for their next event, at the Pacific Luau Invitational in Forest Grove, OR, on April 13.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men’s basketball 2019 postseason, 2-2

Paul F. Davis | Managing Editor

A year after one of the most successful seasons in Western Men’s Basketball history,  this year’s team was not expecting to be nearly as dominant as last year; the Wolves had graduated a majority of their most highlighted players from the year prior. Still, the basketball team showed that even though this may be true, the newer and less experienced team could still take home wins in the postseason.

The GNAC’s fourth-ranked Western Men’s team started the postseason at the GNAC Championship Tournament, located in Bellingham, Washington on March 7, by playing the fifth-ranked Montana State Billings. The game ended in a close 79 to 72 win for the Wolves.

In the semifinals of the tournament played on March 8, Western faced a team which they had already lost to twice. In this game the Wolves faced first ranked Saint Martin’s University. In the beginning of the game, odds were not in Western’s favor and neither was the score. The Saints started the game by holding Western scoreless for almost five minutes. The Wolves eventually did score, but at half they were down 23-33.

The Wolves, who trailed the entire game up this point, came back fired up and ready to control the odds. Only the players and assistant coaches know what Coach Jim Shaw said during half time, but one can assume it turned a switch in the Wolves.

At the third minute of the second half, the five players on the court started to light up Saint Martins. In the next six minutes, Western went on a 22-6 run which clinched Western’s first lead of the night. From this moment on, Western kept the lead and won with dominance over the first seeded saints 70-53.

In the final game of the GNAC tournament, on March 9, Western’s mental grit was nowhere to be found. They played the second-ranked team, Seattle Pacific, and fell short in a loss of 66-78.

With their impressive performance at the GNAC championship the Men’s basketball team was invited back to the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament. They came into the tournament ranked eighth in their bracket and that meant facing first seeded Point Loma. Facing a team with a 27-4 record proved too much for the inexperienced Wolves in a game that ended with a score of 58-70.

After splitting wins and losses in the postseason, the Western Men’s team came home with more postseason experience and hopefully that will translate to them coming back next year ready to win.

 

Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Club vs. Varsity: An unprecedented battle

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

The skies darkened and the clouds rolled in as the two teams made their way to the turf. Raindrops rolling down their cheeks as the unforgiving showers would not surrender, the women showed their game-faces, signaling that they’d fight with the same tenacity as the storm overhead. On April 1, the ladies went head to head to start an unprecedented battle: Women’s Club Soccer versus Women’s Varsity Soccer.

Though the scrimmage, which was spearheaded by Women’s Club Soccer’s captain Haylie Shinsato and their coach Robert Oretaga took place on April Fool’s Day, there were no laughs; both teams meant business. According to Rip Horsey, Director of Campus Recreation, this was the first time in his 10 years at Western that a club sport played against a varsity one. Nobody was sure of what the result would be.

“Our team was really nervous … but also excited because it was a nice opportunity to be able to play each other and support each other,” said junior Spanish and art and design major Hannah Greene, who played for Club.

Meanwhile, Selene Konyn, junior pre-early childhood and elementary education major and Varsity player, noted a different energy as their team went into the game.

“Our energy was really high. We just got a new coach and we feel like we created a new identity as a team and we just really wanted to go out there and prove to everyone and prove to ourselves that we are good soccer players,” Konyn said.

From the beginning, the action started off slow. Both teams found themselves running up and down the field, playing an equal share of offense and defense. As the game progressed, Varsity was able to make their way down the field, forcing Club onto defense for a substantial portion of the half.

Despite this, Club wasn’t ready to wave their white flag; their defense was able to prevent the ball from reaching the goal in the face of the relentless attempts by Varsity’s offense. This kept up until, near the end of the half, Varsity made their first goal of the game. As the horn signaled the half, the scoreboard displayed 1-0, with Varsity in the lead.

Once the women made their way back to the field, Varsity seemed to have picked up momentum, as they were able to keep Club on defense for almost the entire half. Though Varsity’s offense was fierce, so was Club’s defense. Numerous goals were attempted; most were prevented. By the end of the half, Varsity was eager to win, and Club seemed to have lost their momentum. After two more goals were snuck in by Varsity, the scrimmage came to a close, 3-0.

Afterwards, Greene discussed what this scrimmage meant for her and her team.

“Our school is united and supporting each other, which I really appreciate … this showed that we can play but still be a team after all,” said Greene. “I hope it becomes (a tradition).”

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western hosts Rugby Pacific Coast Challenge Cup, takes third

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

The final two days of Spring Break were greeted with sunshine, warm weather and four teams coming together to go head to head for a bid to the big stage: the National Small College Rugby Organization National Championship Tournament. On March 30-31, Western was home to the Pacific Coast Regional Challenge Cup, which saw the Wolves, Azusa Pacific University, Humboldt State University and Central Oregon Community College battle each other out in a single-elimination tournament.

In order for Western to have the opportunity to act as host, they had to apply and fall under a number of specific qualifications.

“It was a comprehensive application process,” said Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Andy Main. “We had to outline everything from the size of your bleacher seating … the capability to do live stream … manage parking … manage the staff.” This information was outlined as clearly as possible for NSCRO, which is what Main believes won the Wolves the bid, along with their high level of organization which differentiated us from other schools.

When the bid was awarded to Western, excitement was felt for a couple of reasons.

“Not only were we excited for all the good things it could do for Western,” said Main, “but it meant that our team would be able to play in this tournament. If we hadn’t gotten the bid, we would not have been eligible for this tournament.”

The first semifinal of the tournament on March 30 saw the Central Oregon Bobcats take on the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. After 80 minutes of action, the Lumberjacks came out on top with a final score of 27-17, setting themselves up for the championship match 24 hours later. 

With game one of the tournament over, the Wolves made their way onto the rugby pitch to face the Azusa Pacific Cougars for the second semifinal, ready to see who would take the final seat in the championship match the following day.

From the opening kick, Western was met with a relentless offensive attack from Azusa Pacific. After four tries, three conversions and a 3-point play by the Cougars, the first half came to a close, posting a harsh score of 0-29.

As the second half began, Western was ready to turn things around. Nine minutes in, they scored their first try and conversion of the game, bringing the score to 7-29.

The Cougars were unyielding, but the Wolves weren’t ready to give up the fight. For the remainder of the game, Western put up a noble defensive blockade, holding Azusa Pacific from scoring at all in the second half. The game ended with a final score of 21-29, with the Cougars on top, earning their seat in the championship match.

The sun was shining brightly on March 31 as the four teams made their way to the pitch for day two. This seemed to stir up a sense of optimism in Western, who exhibited a clear hunger for victory as they got ready to take on Central Oregon.

“We came into the game with some energy,” said exercise science major Riley Bardes. “We knew we didn’t come into the game yesterday with energy, so we wanted to do the opposite of that.”

Right from the beginning, the Wolves came out firing. Within the first five minutes, Western scored two tries. The men continued a ruthless, offensive assault throughout the game, holding the Bobcats from scoring until the home-side had 17 points posted on the scoreboard.

The attack only got more brutal from there. The cheers from the audience continuously got louder as the ball seemed to live in the hands of the Western Oregon Rugby Men. Any attempts by the Bobcats to inch towards the goal-line were halted immediately by the Wolves until the game came to a close, 49-7.

“We finished (the season) well here today,” said Bardes, “that’s what we wanted to do… I’m really proud of today.”

In the final match of the tournament, Azusa Pacific came out on top over Humboldt State, 25-5, earning their bid to the NSCRO National Championship Tournament, which is set for April 27-28.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Wolves stomp Eagles, fall to Boxers

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the final time before the Challenge Cup, the Wolves took the field for back-to-back home matches on March 2 and 3. Their first of the two opponents was Eastern Washington University. Due to the Eagles being short on players, the Wolves agreed to adjust the match from the typical 15 vs 15 contest to only 10 vs 10. But regardless of the numbers, the Wolves were ready.

From the opening whistle it became clear that this game was far from typical rugby.

The Wolves blew past the Eagles and were off to the races on a seemingly regular basis. This supposed rugby match quickly became a track meet as both sides were able to make a single tackler miss and sprint to the goalline for a try.

As the game continued on, the only thing running faster than the clock was the score. With the Wolves on top by an amazing twenty points, the scoreboard began to look like that of a basketball game. Players could be heard laughing and joking with each other as the points kept piling on.

By the final whistle, Western put up an astonishing 73 points. Eastern Washington had put up a valiant fight as they finished with 53, leaving the teams to combine for a total of 126 points — an unofficial record for the club. But now the Wolves looked forward to their next opponent, Pacific University.

“We know we’ll have a really physical game” commented senior criminal justice major Chris Davis. “They’re a well conditioned team and communicate well so it will be a good game.”

As the Wolves stepped back onto the field for the second time, it became clear that today’s match would pale in comparison to the previous. The once high-scoring heroics of the offense would have to shift to hard-hitting defense for the Wolves to win.

No team had an advantage over the other as both sides stood their ground. The defensive powers collided over and over like the rumble of thunder. But finally, a crack a lightning struck the Wolves.

A firm Western pass out to the wing was intercepted by an opposing Boxer. The Wolves quickly changed their direction and began their pursuit, but it was too late. Pacific found its way onto the scoreboard first, leading 0-7.

The first half wore on, deprived of another score. Both teams knew that whichever side follied first would suffer. With only 11 minutes left to play, a slick juke followed by a hard cut let to a Boxer breakaway and another score. The Wolves now trailed 0-14.

With only a couple minutes remaining before the half, Western was in desperate need of a score. Thrice before the Wolves had seen their offensive push foiled by Pacific, but with only two minutes remaining, the Wolves caught a break.

Throwing down a would-be tackler with a violent stiff arm, senior Matthew Cornish broke away and flew down for a try. But with a nearly 40-yard conversion try falling short, the Wolves still trailed by two scores, 5-14.

With the second half underway, the abundance of scoring from the previous day showed to be more of a liability than an asset. Out of breath, the Wolves were unable to match pace with the well-rested Boxers. Tries began to pile up on the Wolves as they seemed to have no answer. In the echo of the final whistle, Western eked their way to one last try and conversion. But the match was all but over with Western having fallen 35-11.

After splitting the weekend 1-1 the Wolves look forward to some much needed rest. With their final regular season games now behind them, they prepare to host the Challenge cup on March 30 and 31.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Women’s basketball gets slaughtered on senior night

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

March 2 marked the final time the Wolves would take their home court for the 2019 regular basketball season against Saint Martin’s. Fresh off of a 60-53 win over Seattle Pacific on Feb. 28, the Wolves were ready to finish their season off with a win on senior night. With a pregame ceremony for the graduating senior players as well as for the senior dance team members coming to an end, the Wolves focused on the game ahead of them.

Due to the abysmal 8-17 record for the Wolves leading up to the night, there would be no chance for a postseason. But despite this reality, Western still took to their court with a vengeance.

The Wolves wasted no time as they jumped out to a massive lead half way into the first. A flurry of good jumpers slung Western to a 12-6 lead. This dominating burst was short-lived, however, as the Saints came marching back in the closing minutes of the first. By the end of the opening quarter, Western clung to a one-point lead.

The second quarter showed no team had a clear advantage over the other as both teams swapped the lead back and forth. Each good bucket was met with another by the opposition. But as the minutes dwindled down, Saint Martin’s went on a hot streak that carried them into halftime with a seven point lead.

The momentum gained in the closing of the first half carried into the second as the Saints again buried with Wolves with shot after shot. Saint Martin’s had taken their seven point lead and pushed it to a high of 12 before finally settling at eight.

The fourth quarter showed signs of an all too familiar final quarter of the Wolves. What started as a close match quickly devolved into utter chaos as the Saints pushed their lead higher and higher. With little resistance from Western, the score quickly got out of hand. The final buzzer had the Wolves leaving with their tail between their legs, with the final score reading 82-58.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western baseball hits a walk-off home run, saves game


Sarah Pitz | Freelancer

A bright sunny Saturday afternoon proved a perfect day for baseball. Add to that an excited crowd of 150 spectators, and it was evident the Wolves were ready to bring home a win in their doubleheader against Montana State Billings Yellowjackets on March 2.

The first inning showed some solid hitting by both teams, but none that were able to bring in runs. Pitchers rallied in the second inning. Despite almost getting hit in the face by a pitch in his previous at bat, Western’s Alex Roth delivered with two strikeouts in a row.

Montana State countered, also delivering a pair of strikeouts. With the game scoreless until the fourth inning, things began rolling for the Wolves when Collin Runge scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch.

By the sixth inning, Montana State was scrambling to score. That finally occurred with a run by the Yellowjackets’s Conner Linebarger due to a throwing error by the Wolves. That was rapidly followed by runs from Montana State’s Jalen Garcia, Brandon Koszuth, Daniel Cipriano and Matt Dillion. By the end of the inning, Montana State University had collected five runs.

While the Wolves turned around collecting three more runs of their own — Jared McDonald, Thomas Ahlstrom and Connor McCord all scored — Montana State dominated with an ending sixth inning score of 5-4.  

In the seventh inning, both teams were able to hold their own. But that changed in the eighth inning when Montana State’s Andrew Schleusner picked up yet another run.

However, it was the ninth inning that proved to be the game-changer as Montana remained scoreless and Western pushed ahead.

The break came for the Wolves when Patrick Chun sent a ground ball to second base allowing Derek Maiben to score. Later in the inning, it would be Jared McDonald who hit a home run ball to right center field, bringing home Griffey Halle and Collin Runge. The three run play brought the crowd to their feet and clinched the win for the Wolves.

The 8-6 victory marked Western’s second continuous win and their first home win of the season. The Wolves would continue to end up on top in their four game series with the Yellowjackets with three wins and one loss.

 

Contact the author at spitz18@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

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