Mount Hood

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

Men’s Basketball smothers the Wildcats

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

For the final time in the 2018-19 season, the Wolves took their home-court on Feb. 23. Having beaten Central Washington University early in the season on Jan. 24, Western knew their final match was a must-win to finish their home-season off right.

After a senior night presentation for the departing members of the team, the Wolves started to take it to the Wildcats. Within minutes of tipoff, the Wolves sank a couple of baskets to jump out to a slim four-point lead. This minimal lead proved to withstand the precision shooting of Central Washington as the Wolves clung to it. By midway through the half, Western was able to build off of their lead, pushing it to seven.

The Wildcats were nipping at the heels of the Wolves throughout the final minutes of the first half. However, every comeback attempt by Central Washington was met with a barrage of shots by the Wolves. Western’s lead was extended to a double-digit margin with only a handful of minutes left. But a relentless final push by the Wildcats shrank that lead to four by halftime.

The Wildcats were able to carry the momentum they built in the closing seconds of the first half to the second. The once mighty double-digit Western lead had been diminished to a single point. This minuscule lead was soon eliminated as Central Washington took their first lead of the game.

Less than 10 minutes remained on the clock as the score stood deadlocked at 51 each. After a good free throw and a breakaway dunk, the Wolves were back on top. And this time, the Wolves wouldn’t surrender their lead. Every shot by the Wolves pushed their lead higher and higher. The Wildcats had no answer for this deadly finale by Western.

The Wolves had taken a tied game, and 10 minutes later had beaten the Wildcats by a huge 15 point margin. Smiles could be seen across the Western side as the Wolves had blown away Central Washington 77-62.

The Wolves finish their season with two more matches against Western Washington and Simon Fraser before heading to the GNAC Tournament.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Club Sports know how to win

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Western’s Club Sports department has been continually expanding with new team after new team in the past two years. One thing that these teams seem to have in common — winning. This tradition was proved true again as the Wolves club sports took to their respective fields on Feb. 23 and 24.

One of the teams competing was the brand new Men’s Basketball Club. Just weeks after being introduced as a member of the club sports family, the team took to the court in a multi-game tournament at the University of Portland. With three teams listed to play, the men knew their games would be anything but easy.

Just as the basketball team took to the court in Portland, the year-old Women’s Soccer Club took to the pitch in Corvallis. The tournament was a two-day event, spanning the weekend. Just a year ago, the Wolves took part in this tournament for their first-ever game.

The last of the competing teams was the Women’s Rugby Club on their home turf in Monmouth. The Women’s team has only played a handful of games due to scheduling problems. Despite these difficulties, the Wolves were still ready to play.

Scores began to ring in from all across Oregon, and most scores followed a familiar trend — Western wins.

The day started off with a disappointing loss from Women’s Rugby, falling to the University of Puget Sound on Feb. 23. But the sorrows quickly shifted as the basketball scores were posted.

Despite being only a few weeks old, Men’s Basketball had beaten the University of Oregon, Portland State University and the hosting University of Portland. This undefeated record caused the Wolves to be named the tournament champions — an amazing feet for a team that was only an idea a few months ago.

The final games of the weekend were to be played on the soccer pitch. The first day of the Oregon State University tournament was huge for the women, as they took on both the first University of Oregon team as well as the hosting Beavers. With a relentless offense, the Wolves blew past both teams to post a 2-0 record on day one. The following day, the Wolves took on the second Oregon and Oregon State squads. Again, the Wolves topped the hosting Beavers, but fell at the hands of the Ducks. After a strong showing, the Wolves finished third overall in the tournament.

With two of the three teams competing being founded during or after the previous school year, Western’s club sports are a new force to be reckoned with.

To become a member of a club sports team, visit IMLeagues.com/wou/clubsports.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Women’s basketball falls to Yellowjackets

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Nearly a month after their last meeting, the Wolves took the court again against Montana State Billings on Feb. 21. With a disappointingly long five-game losing streak hanging above the team, Western was in desperate need to end the spell. Sitting third from last in the GNAC standings, the Wolves were ready to attempt to pick up a much needed win.

The first quarter looked promising for the Wolves, as they quickly jumped out to the lead over the Yellowjackets. Efficient passing helped push the Wolves to a growing lead as the quarter’s time passed.

Montana State Billings was able to post a short run of their own to narrow Western’s lead, but the Wolves were relentless with the rebounds to help extend their lead to nine as the first quarter closed.

With the momentum still swinging their way, the Wolves offense came out even stronger in the second quarter. Western quickly scored a pair of baskets to push their lead to more than double that of the Yellowjackets. The Wolves edge seemed to hover in the low teens as the clock ticked to only a minute left before the half. However, cracks began to form as a pair of missed three-pointers from the Wolves let the Yellowjackets to narrow the gap to five.

The pendulum of momentum started to slip away from the Monmouth women in the third quarter. The Wolves’ lead began to follow a trend of one step forward, two steps back as their five-point lead jumped to seven, only to be cut to three just moments later. The Yellowjackets eroded what was once a double-digit Western lead. By the end horn of the third, the Wolves were down by one.

The fourth quarter was shaping up to be an all out brawl as the Yellowjackets and Wolves traded baskets. The opening minutes of the final quarter seemed to be anyone’s game, but this slugfest ended as the Wolves seemed to buckle under the pressure. Two missed layups and a missed jumper from the Wolves let the Yellowjackets grab a lead they wouldn’t let go.

The final minutes of the game were a disaster for the Wolves as the Yellowjackets sealed Western’s fate. It took the Wolves over a quarter to grow a double digit lead — Montana State Billings was able to do so in just three minutes. By the final whistle, the Wolves’ losing streak pushed to another high, falling 80-70.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western lacrosse thrashes Seattle University

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The sun began to set over the hills as the Wolves broke from their huddle for the pregame lineup. Standing shoulder to shoulder in their icy white uniforms and matte black helmets, the Wolves looked ready to dominate in their first home match of the regular season on Feb. 16.

Hoots and hollers rang out from the Western bench as the players knelt for the opening faceoff. Within seconds of the starting whistle, it became obvious that the 0-0 score would be the closest the Redhawks would be to keeping this game close.

After winning the opening faceoff, the Wolves swept the ball around to the back of the goal to let senior attackman Andrew Barnett begin to pick apart the defense. Minutes later, the Wolves found their way onto the scoreboard.

From that point forward, it became evident that Seattle University was no match for Western. With every pass the offense threw, another Western player waved their stick to signal they were open. Once the pass connected, a blisteringly quick shot found its way to the back of the net. At the end of the half, Western stood tall over the Redhawks, 16-0.

With the game already essentially over, the Wolves started to ease up on Seattle University. The final quarters highlighted Western’s restraint and their drive to improve. After putting up 16 points, the Wolves shifted their focus from hammering the back of the net to improving their offensive gameplay.

In the two games leading up to the home-opener, the offense seemed to have been struggling, only able to put up an average of six goals a game. But now with score heavily in Western’s favor, the Wolves wanted to ensure their offense was running as it should.

“The ball movement was a lot better,” said senior history major Alex Eidler. “Everyone was on the same page, and there was not as much selfish play. It was good.”

“I think we’ve got a lot of work to do, but it’s starting to come together. Once we learn to come together as a team, we’ll start playing better,” added Barnett.

On the other side of the field, Western’s defense was also a main influence on the lopsided win. The first and only goal the Redhawks scored was deep into the third quarter on the heels of a fluke play.

After snatching the ball and rocketing down the sideline, first-year goalie Wyatt Livengood was knocked out of bounds, later to be flagged for a delay of game. Being sent to the penalty box, the Wolves were forced to play in a man-down situation with a backup goalie. A powerful shot snuck past the Wolves, leading to a single smudge on an otherwise perfect day for the defensive unit.

“It was a good game, but kind of boring. We weren’t on defense a lot but it was still good,” said Livengood on the blowout win. “I think the defense played really well. I think the defense is what kept us in the last two games as well as tonight.”

As the final horn sounded, the Wolves were on top 23-1. Five different Wolves posted hat tricks, having scored three or more goals. Further, Livengood was credited with a statistical shutout having had six saves and not given up a goal. This victory marks the first home win for the Wolves as well as the first regular season win.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Cora McClain

Western’s new club sport: Women’s Volleyball

Mikaela Wong | Staff Writer

Another recent development in Club Sports has emerged — Women’s Volleyball. Started by multiple students who were interested in playing year-round for fun, the club is off to a strong start.

In the weeks since its inception as an official club, Women’s Volleyball has gathered 13 players. The team has already found its way onto the court by hosting weekly practices in the Health and Wellness Center. Along with this, the team has acquired a coach, junior exercise major Michael Burns, and is currently looking into holding friendly scrimmages with other local teams such as Willamette University.

“We just want it to be fun and give a chance to people who are interested in volleyball to be able to do it. That’s our main focus,” said Tatianna Brock, a senior psychology major who helped start the club and is currently co-president.

“I think a lot of people … get really involved in volleyball in high school and then go to college and say ‘what now?’ Because yes, there are intramurals, but that only happens for a couple weeks out of the year,” added Brock about how the club hopes to be a good transition from high school competitive sports to more recreational activity.

Many of those who know the struggle of wanting to continue their love for their sport without playing for the school can relate to Brock.

“That’s what happened to me. I got out of high school and knew I loved volleyball but I didn’t really want to play competitively at a college — I’m not really at that level yet,” Brock explained.

At the end of Winter Term, Brock is graduating from Western, but hopes the team of mostly first-years carry on what has been laid down as foundation for the club.

“We want this club to get to the point where we feel confident playing other schools and in tournaments,” Brock added. “I wish there was something like this when I was a freshman.”

Currently, the club does not have any matches scheduled but does still practice regularly, offering perspective athletes the chance at something a little more competitive than intramurals. Students can join the club or learn more information on IMLeagues.com/wou.

 

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Winter Intramural leaderboard

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Basketball
Co-Rec W-L
Backdoor buddies 4-0
big girls don’t Kawhi 3-1
Ball is Life 1-3
Wienie Hut Jr 0-4
Men’s Competitive W-L
Lake Show 2-0
Rimshots Only 2-1
DB’s are here 2-1
Show Your Worth 1-2
The Sailor Cats 1-2
off in the woods 0-2
Men’s Recreational W-L
Butterbuckets 3-0
Dino Nuggets 2-0
King’s in The North 2-0
11 HC’s 3-1
Bye Week 2-1
Los Treys Leches 1-2
Air Ballers 0-2
Confused Athletes 0-2
Backcourt Violators 0-2
Team Name 0-3
Women’s W-L
CA$H Money 3-0
SWISH 2-1
Hoop There It Is 1-2
LeBrontourage 0-3

[fruitful_sep]

Futsal
Men’s W-L
Los Busties 3-0
The Republic 2-1
The OGs 1-2
Burger King 0-3
Open W-L
Dunder Mifflin 3-0
Landage 3-0
Italy 2-1
Kekambas 1-1
Ball Kickers 1-2
Fury 3-0
Grace & The Funky Bunch 0-2
Team Name 0-1

 

 

Men’s Rugby takes a snow-covered victory over Pacific University

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

The Wolves couldn’t escape the impending blizzard as they headed to Pacific University for their next match. Ready to play in the frigid temperatures, Western stepped onto a snow covered field on Feb. 9. With a large number of first-year players making the start, the Monmouth men were apt to build off of their previous win over Oregon just a week before.

The advantage seemed to be with the home team early in the match as Pacific quickly drove down the field, scoring a pair of tries with successful conversions. Shaking off the snow, Western responded with a try and successful conversion of their own to bring the game back to just a single score deficit. Despite the Wolves’s ferocious defense, the Boxer’s found their way down the field to put up another score and tacked on the conversion.

At the half, Western was two scores behind with a score of 12-21. A cloud of frozen breath steamed out from the Wolves huddle as they discussed how to climb out of the hole that was dug in the first half.

With the opening of the second half, the Wolves looked up to the task. Western bashed their way down the field, fighting for every inch. The Wolves tenacity shrank the lead to only two points after scoring a try and conversion.

Pacific wasn’t ready to roll over yet. After Western had brought the game back to only a single possession, the Boxer’s forced their way back down the field. Just as in the first half, a pair of Pacific tries knocked the Wolves back into a deep hole. With the clock working against them, Western knew they needed to score, and quickly.

The crunching of snow and the grunts of Wolves could be heard as Western fought back down the field. The defense of Pacific showed cracks that the Wolves were able to slip through to score their first try of their comeback attempt. But after the missed conversion, the Wolves were still down 24-33.

Players from both teams kept an eye on the clock as Western again trucked their way down the field. The tired Boxer defense again let the Wolves slip through, scoring another try. With only minutes to go, Western had shrunk their deficit to only four points.

As the Boxers fought to hold off the Wolves, the time continued ticking away. But the Wolves kept their heads down and drove. Pitch after pitch, the Wolves continued to advance the ball until finally they were able to break through once again. The final try was scored and the successful conversion put the Wolves on top 36-33. The last seconds ticked off the clock and the miraculous comeback was final. The Wolves pulled off a snow-covered come from behind victory.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Andy Main

Western whoops Montana State Billings

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After losing a close match to Concordia on Feb. 5, the Wolves were ready to rebound against Montana State Billings. With students and their families filling New P.E. on Feb. 9, the home-court advantage seemed to already take effect as the Wolves took the court. Western had already smashed Montana State Billings earlier in the season, so the odds of another big win looked good for the Wolves.

The Yellowjackets made a quick jump to the lead as Western was slow to start. After a pair of good three-pointers, Montana State Billings stood over the Wolves by four. This lead, however, seemed to only be a small hiccup for the Wolves as they quickly regained control of the game after having only played three minutes. From that point forward, it was Western’s time to shine.

As with many other Western matches, this game quickly devolved into a Wolves shooting gallery. Three’s were followed by layups, followed by jumpers. Basket after basket was scored with Montana State Billings unable to do anything to halt the power of the Wolves. By the midway point of the match, Western had a commanding 23 point lead.

The second half saw no change in pace for the Wolves as they continued to extend their lead. Point by point, Western pushed their control to a new high as the students and families looked on with excitement. Just over five minutes were on the clock and Western had pressed their lead to 30 points. By the final whistle Western has in front by 32.

With the scoreboard highlighting the 97-65 win, Western looked forward to their next match. The Wolves pack up and head on the road to take on Seattle Pacific in a Valentine’s Day match on Feb. 14.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men’s Rugby tramples University of Oregon

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Clouds blocked out the sun and the winds picked up as the men of Western’s rugby team lined up. With the memory of losing to the Beavers on Jan 26. in mind, the Wolves were ready to take on the Ducks on Feb. 2. In their home debut of 2019, Western looked to not only redeem themselves, but to dominate.

The Ducks quickly jumped ahead of the Wolves. In the opening minutes of the match, University of Oregon scored a try and was unsuccessful on the conversion to bring the score to 5-0. But this was nothing to the Wolves. A tenacious Western defense made mincemeat of the Ducks offense, forcing chaos amongst the team.

Taking advantage of the frantic Oregon offense, Western pounded their way to back to back tries with a pair of successful conversions. These scores catapulted the Wolves to the lead and shifted any momentum Oregon had right over to Western. The quick scoring seemed to be a trend for the Wolves as the game started to become out of hand with breakaway after breakaway.

By midway through the first half, Western had developed a blitzkrieg-style attack on the Ducks. A powerful defense was complemented by lightning fast offense from the Monmouth team. By the time the horn for the half sounded, the Ducks hadn’t been able to come within 20 yards of a score.

The fireworks of the first half were quickly followed up in the second half as Western’s relentless assault on the Ducks forged on. With a fresh set of legs taking the field for the Wolves, Oregon looked visibly shaken. While the Ducks attempted to fight back, Western’s men never let Oregon back into the game.

In response to playing at home again, sophomore Drew Reyes commented that, “It feels great … we love playing on this field. We wanted to hold ourselves accountable to the mistakes we made at OSU. We wanted to fix the mistakes while having fun … I think we played well today, but there’s still a lot to work on.”

Western heads on the road to take on Pacific University on Feb. 9.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Western’s newest club sport: Men’s Basketball

Mikaela Wong | Staff Writer

Students around the Health and Wellness Center may have grown accustomed to seemingly common pick-up basketball games involving a variety of students. This popularity has paved the way for a pool of potential candidates to start a new club sport — the Men’s Basketball club.

The Men’s Basketball club adds to the basketball opportunities for Western’s students offered by Campus Recreation. This club gives students the ability to play in competitive games with other schools in the region. By communicating with other school’s administrations, Western has been able to be a part of the creation of a new club league that includes schools such as the University of Oregon, Portland State University and University of Portland.

“The idea of this club actually started around three years ago when we initially joined the NIRSA tournament,” said Noah Jones, a senior business major and club founder, on when the club was created.  “We ended up doing really well consecutively (in the tournament) and that laid a foundation for the next couple years to start this club this last summer.”

The clubs season extends from February to the beginning of April. Every weekend, the team travels to various schools, playing multiple games a day. These games are a pathway leading to a playoff. The post season concludes with a single championship game, held at Western in early April.

Currently, the club is comprised of nine members. The majority of these members are seniors, just like the founder. But Jones has strived to ensure the longevity of the team.

“I’ve made sure to recruit some underclassman so that when (the seniors) leave, they will know where to take the program,” said Jones. “(I want them to) have all the contacts and tools to keep the league going and maybe even add more teams to it in the future.”

Jones hopes to have the team continue to stay around the school for years to come.

“Having multiple club teams at WOU would be great so that the culture could grow,” mentioned Jones. “I know it’s a bit of a stretch, but maybe eventually they could even hold games in the New PE Gym. Ideally, I would want enough students to participate in the club teams that we could hold our own tournaments at the school and make it an annual thing.”

The team practices every Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. in the Health and Wellness Center. Visit IMLeagues.com/wou to learn more about how to join.

 

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men’s Basketball smashes Alaska Anchorage

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After falling to the Seawolves in their previous meet up on Jan. 3, Western was suited up and ready to battle back on Feb. 2. Recently, Alaska Anchorage had been mentioned in an article in the GNAC news as a hot team late in the season due to their daunting play. While this may have been worrisome to some teams, the Wolves looked unphased.

The opening minutes of the game showed signs of what would look like an all out war on the court. As time ticked away on the clock, neither team could hold a manageable lead. The Wolves would quickly jump out ahead only to see their lead vanish and find themselves in the hole. But this back and forth didn’t last long.

By the midpoint of the opening half, the Wolves seemed to have finally established a solid lead to which they could expand on. The swish of the net began to echo on the Wolves’s side as they grew their lead two points at a time. By the buzzer, Western was ahead of the Seawolves by a firm seven points.

In their last match up, the Wolves looked outclassed by the Seawolves. But this time around, Western was ready for their revenge. Immediately into the second half the Wolves pushed their single point lead to double digits. While Alaska Anchorage fought back, their efforts proved futile. The Wolves kept adding to their lead, growing it to 20 points at times.

With only a handful of minutes left in their match, Western’s lead hovered steadily in the high teens. No matter what the Seawolves did, Western was there to not only match their push, but force their lead even higher. After dropping their first matchup 57-61, the Wolves finalized their revenge with a commanding 81-61 win.

Western remains at third place in the GNAC standings. The Wolves have only seven matches left in their season, two of which are against Western Washington and Northwest Nazarene, the top ranked opponents. Western takes the home court again Feb. 9 against Montana State Billings.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Club sport statistical breakdown

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

In the previous season, Western’s lacrosse team missed the conference playoffs by a razor-thin tie-breaking vote. However, the team only graduated two seniors while they brought in a slew of first-year players for the upcoming season. This new youth in the program have a chance to set a foundation for success over the next few seasons. The Wolves take the field for the first time on Feb. 9 against UC Davis at a neutral site in Ashland.

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

 

The 2018-19 season for the Men’s rugby program has been a historic year for the club. During the fall season, the Wolves were unstoppable after rebounding from a narrow loss on Oct. 7 against reigning conference champions Central Oregon Community College. While there is still a lot of rugby left to play, the Wolves have already obtained a bid to the Challenge Cup for the regional championships after being chosen to host the tournament. The Wolves hope to right the path on Feb. 2 after losing their first match in over a month on Jan. 26 against Oregon State

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

 

After being a club for barely one year, the women’s soccer club has already shown they’re not too young to dominate. The club was started during the middle of the 2017-2018 school year and only played a handful of matches before the end of the season. However, during the fall of 2018, the Wolves showed they meant business. Western dominated their opponents in every game, earning them an undefeated record as well as a small school championship win before losing in the overall championship game. The Wolves first spring match is set for Feb. 9 against Portland State University.

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

A look inside intramurals: Female participation

Mikaela Wong | Freelancer

Intramural sports have become a well known opportunity for students to take part in organized sports without the need to commit to the high-levels of competition that student-athletes do. It’s a common way to meet friends, get some physical activity in or just take a break from studies.

From Fall Term of 2017 to Fall Term of 2018, the three most popular intramural sports at Western were volleyball, basketball, and flag football per IMleagues.com/wou. According to the participation by class, first-years and seniors were the most active students to sign up for IMleagues. However, the biggest disproportion of participation was the female vs. male statistics. Out of 1429 participants in the 2017-2018 school year, 975 (68.2%) of them were male and only 454 (31.8%) of them were female.

While some may argue that this lack of participation from females is due to lack of opportunities, Western offers equal opportunity to males and females. Basketball, for example, offers a women’s, men’s, and co-ed league. Also, the co-ed league offers some different rules such as female players getting awarded more points per basket.

When asked about this rule difference, senior exercise science major Tori Cambra weighed in.

“The fact that girls get more points per shot makes it more fun for us because everyone wants us to score. And the men’s ball is heavier than the women’s ball anyway, so it evens it out,” said Cambra.

Another potential cause for the disproportion may just be that some women enjoy playing pick-up games at the Health and Wellness Center more rather than joining intramurals.

“I like playing for fun and I feel like a lot of people’s mindset is to be competitive … I wish there were more teams who just wanted to have a good time, or at least made that clear in their team name when we want to sign up,” said junior communications major Mia Medina.

On the reverse side, there are girls who play multiple intramural sports per season and love it. Emily McMillian, a junior education major, is one of those girls. When asked why she thought the female participation within Intramural sports was so different, she offered her personal insight.

“I think girls do a lot of things in groups and it’s either everyone does it or no one does,” said McMillian. “But if you have the mindset of just wanting to have fun and put yourself out there, you’ll make a lot of new friends who love doing the things you do. No one is going to force you to do anything in college, so if it’s up to you to make that jump and just do it.”

Compared to some national averages, Western does an above average job at getting females to join and play, per researchgate.net. However, there is always room for improvement and Western’s Intramural Department is looking for suggestions to help grow the options for all athletes.

“We are always open to suggestions on how to improve IMs and how to get more IM participants. In fact, most of of the changes we have made are a direct result of participant feedback,” said Assistant Director of Intramural and Club Sports Andy Main. “To make such suggestions, simply contact me at: maina@wou.edu”

To join or start a team, visit IMleagues.com/wou.

 

Contact the author at mwong16@mail.wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Women’s basketball won’t go down without a fight

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Coming off of a loss to Concordia, Western’s women’s basketball found themself in a familiar place — desperately in need of a win. After losing on Jan. 22, the Wolves sat just below .500 on the season. Their away match in Billings, Montana on Jan. 26 was a must win if Western wanted to pull their season’s record to even.

During the first quarter, the Wolves looked out matched. The Yellowjackets were relentless and deadly accurate in their shooting. Western’s offense seemed to keep gasping for air with a shot scored every few possessions, but Montana State Billings kept the pressure on. The Wolves found themselves buried in a double-digit hole at the end of the first quarter.

The gap between the teams was narrowed slightly by the Wolves midway through the second. Bringing the lead to only single digits highlighted that the Wolves would not just roll over to Montana State Billings. By the end of the first half, Western trailed by nine.

The glimmer of hope that Western had before the half was quickly squashed minutes into the second half. Throughout the third quarter, the Yellowjackets nailed shot after shot. By the beginning of the final quarter the Wolves found themselves down by 20.

Entering the forth quarter, the game was all but over. Montana State Billings clung to an over 20 point lead. However, the Wolves weren’t done competing. Although the game was all but lost, Western kept pushing. With less than seven minutes in the game the Wolves outscored Montana 23-10 to bring the score to 65-53 when the final whistle was blown.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Men’s Basketball falls to Northwest Nazarene

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After a huge win over Central Washington on Jan. 24, the Wolves continued their road stint against Northwest Nazarene University. The Nighthawks sat just above the Wolves in the GNAC standings at second place. With a chance to move ahead in the conference, the Wolves took to the court on Jan. 26.

In the opening minutes of the first half, the Wolves pulled ahead of the Nighthawks. However, this lead was short lived. What was once a multiple possession lead was quickly erased as Northwest Nazarene shot ahead. As the minutes ticked away on the first half, Western fell deeper and deeper into a hole with seemingly no way to fight back. At the half, the Wolves were down by 14.

In the opening minutes of the second half, the Wolves again fell victim to precise shooting and suffocating defense. The Wolves looked outmatched and out-classed as the Nighthawks put the pedal down and began to run away with the game. Finally, with the final half reaching the midpoint, the Wolves fought their way to a single-digit deficit. Unfortunately, this seemed to only be a minor speed bump to the Nighthawks as they quickly shot back ahead.

In the waning minutes of the match, Western again had brought the game to only being a few points down, but the match was all but over. Western hadn’t seen the lead beyond the opening minutes of the first half and as a result lost 70-78. The Wolves remain at third in the conference and still have chance at a postseason.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

The history of Western’s wrestling program

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Oregon Normal School campus, Monmouth, Oregon, fall of 1927, a handful of bright eyed and hopeful Normal School men looked to bring a new sport to the campus. A small school with only a couple of sports and no mascot became host to one of Oregon’s first wrestling programs. These men started what would be known later as the “Neck Snappers,” the “Back Breakers” — the Monmouth Mat Men.

At the start of the new school year, a group of Normal school men gathered together to start a wrestling team. In its first year as a program, the team never saw a match outside of friendly intra team sparring on the Normal school campus, but in the years to come, the rag tag group of fighters started to develop a reputation.

Great Depression era Oregon was host to only a handful of colleges with wrestling programs. This lack of teams meant the Monmouth Mat Men were forced to bout with untraditional opponents. Ranging from local Portland YMCA’s to Corvallis High school, the Mat Men were ready to take on anyone.

The 1930’s Lamron, Western’s newspaper at the time, was packed full of the weekly action of the wrestlers, and in some cases, showcased the brutality of the sport. It was common to find infirmary updates highlighting the names of wrestlers. From twisted ankles to broken ribs, the Mat Men cemented a reputation of being hardened fighters. But come 1991, there was one opponent that no man could defeat.

Western Oregon State College campus, Monmouth, Oregon, winter of 1990, a team of 27  Western Oregon State College wrestlers began their season as normal. Coaches began to plan for the upcoming meets, wrestlers worked to get in peak condition, and only 20 miles away in a Salem government building, a new measure was making its way onto the upcoming ballot.

Measure 5 aimed to make changes to the property taxes and public school funding within the state. However, these changes would be devastating to a nearly 65 year old program. Rumors started to stir around campus that if Measure 5 was passed, a slew of programs across the campus would be cut. On the rumor mill’s chopping block — was the once mighty Mat Men.

Despite the possibility of losing their team, the Wolves still fought valiantly every meet. As the season grew on and the Oregon state ballots began to be tallied, the wrestlers never surrendered.

In November of 1990, election results started being published — Measure 5 was officially passed. With the new measure over property tax becoming law, school officials had difficult decisions to make.

Despite the new instability of their future, across campus in New PE gym, there was only one fight on the mind of the Mat Men — the National Championship. Four wrestlers were invited to take the trip to Butte, Montana: sophomore Dan Ward, junior Dennis Moore and first-year Jason Ingram. Unsure of the future of their program, the wrestlers geared up and headed out. But little did they know, this would be the last time they, or anyone, would don the red and black singlet for the Wolves.

Upon arriving back home, the Western Star, formerly the Lamron, ran a short, but blunt, message in Volume 2 Issue 17 from Feb. 28, 1991 — “… wrestling had been cut at WOSC in the wake of Measure 5.” The team had decades of seasons full of hard fought wins, but in the fight that mattered most, the Wolves fell short. The 1990-1991 season was the last season of wrestling was recognized as varsity sport. Today, wrestling survives as a club sport on the Western campus.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of omeka.wou.edu

Women’s basketball’s losing streak is snapped

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

Coming off a double digit loss in their last home game and their second loss in a row, the Wolves needed to right their ship if they wanted any hope of a postseason. Sitting at eighth in the GNAC, Western was desperate for a conference win on Jan. 19. In the first of two Western home games in the night, the Wolves took the court against last place Alaska Fairbanks University.

From the first tip off it was evident that Western was playing at a much higher level than the Nanooks. A swift 10 point run took the Wolves to a double digit lead before Alaska Fairbanks scored a single point. A three pointer and a pair of jumpers helped the Nanooks narrow the margin to five, but this was no worry for the Wolves. The first quarter finished as it started, with Western on top by 10.

The second quarter turned into a shooting gallery for Western. Layups were followed by three pointers which were followed by jumpers, then followed by more layups. There seemed to be no answer by the Nanooks for Western’s relentless shooting as the Wolves kept extending their lead.

After the half, what was once considered a basketball game devolved into an all out massacre. Western’s deadly offense pushed the lead to higher and higher margins. Starting the half with a whopping 25 point lead, the Wolves blew past the defense of the Nanooks to finish the 3rd quarter with an immense 37 point lead, more than doubling the score of Alaska Fairbanks.

The 4th quarter saw the Nanooks show some signs of life by bringing the lead back to only 29 points by the end of the game. But the game was seemingly over before it started. Western snapped their losing streak and finished the night on top with a final score of 79-50. Their next home match is Feb. 7 against Western Washington University.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Men’s basketball win a Saturday night fight

Lake Larsen | Sports Editor

After a disappointing at home loss to the 23rd ranked Saint Martin’s Saints on Jan. 17, the Wolves suited up for their next in-conference opponent Seattle Pacific on Jan. 19. The men’s team took the court after the finish of the women’s game for alumni night. While the Falcons weren’t nationally ranked, the Wolves were still up against a tough opponent.

Western got off to a slightly rocky start with a pair of missed shots and a Seattle Pacific layup, but bounced back quickly with a three-pointer to hop in front of the Falcons. The lead was only held for a few moments by the Wolves as the Falcons sank another shot to pull ahead.

With the Wolves missing back to back threes, Western started to see the offense of Seattle Pacific take advantage. A four-point Falcon lead was quickly brought back to just a one shot game by the Wolves before Western quickly sank another shot to tie. Both teams duked it out shot for shot with each other as the lead never expanded beyond four points.

After a six minute run of being without the lead, a layup finally brought the Wolves back on top. But that lead would only last for a few moments before being snatched back by the Falcons. The game started to take on the theme of a heavyweight bout with both teams trading blows. As one side took the lead, the next possession would end with the opposing team on top. After a grueling 20 minute half, the Wolves left for the locker room down by four.

Right out of the gates of the second half the Wolves again brought the lead back to only a single point with a deep three. But a Falcon’s three would bring their lead back to four. Following the back and forth nature of the games, the Wolves fought back to a tie with a pair of free throws and a layup.  

After another over five minute stint trailing, a Western three-pointer put the Wolves back on top. This would be the Wolves first lead since the 2:30 mark in the first half. But this time, the Wolves weren’t ready to give it up.

Deadly outside shooting from the Wolves helped extend their lead to five, the largest margin of the game. Just like the first half however, the Falcons knocked the score back to even. Only 10 minutes remained and the score kept switching between being a slight Western lead to a deadlocked tie.  

Finally, with only seven minutes left to play, the Wolves took a lead that stuck. A barrage of Western shots helped push the lead to six before a final last second push from Seattle Pacific shrank the score back to a single point lead. With only a second to play, a pair of free throws put the Wolves just out of reach.

In a game that had nearly 20 lead changes, the Wolves finished the night on top 73-71. The gripping action of the night showed Western has a lot of fight left late in the season. After the win over Seattle Pacific, the Wolves climb to third in the GNAC standings, sitting just below Saint Martin’s and Northwest Nazarene. Western travels to play Central Washington University for their next match on Jan. 24.

 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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