Mount Hood

Men’s Lacrosse closes out their senior send-off on top against Southern Oregon University

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

The stands were filled with the cheers and howls of Wolves and fans alike, as the men made their way to the field for the last home game of the season. For some, it would be the last time they ever play on the home-turf. For others, it would be the last opportunity to show their Western fans the potential that Men’s Lacrosse has for years to come. Playing against rivals Southern Oregon University, the Wolves had a tough fight cut out for them on April 20.

However, before the game could begin, there were four seniors to be celebrated. Seniors Bryce Hinkle, Zack Rodgers, Andrew Barnett and Alex Eidler were presented with framed photos of them playing, a memento of the dedication put forth and memories made while taking to the field as a Wolf.

Once the gifts were given, it was time to get down to business.

“I was personally nervous up until the game actually started,” stated senior Bryce Hinkle. “The energy seemed a little less focused but more energetic than usual.” But once the game actually began, the momentum didn’t cease until the game came to a close.

Western would dodge down the field and score, and Southern would retaliate in the same manner. For the first quarter, this type of play continued, until Western found itself in a comfortable lead. Always sitting above Southern by at least a point, the Wolves wouldn’t let the Raiders’s quick-scoring get the best of them.

At half, Western was ready to make an adjustment to ensure the Raiders couldn’t come out on top. They decided to put their defenseman Justin Morales on Southern’s #00, and according to Hinkle, “he essentially shut down their best goal-scorer.”

From then on, Western was able to extend their lead to an even more comfortable margin, sitting a firm three-points above the Raiders throughout most of the third quarter, stretching into the fourth. It was a defensive stalemate, with both keepers putting a stop to any potential score. However, it wasn’t until the final minutes that the Wolves were able to find the back of the net, and extend their lead to 5, closing the game 18-13, Western.

“That game meant a lot to me, especially with it being the last game with some of my best friends who I would have never met otherwise,” said Hinkle. “The future of WOU LAX looks pretty good … this team has had the best chemistry of any team that I’ve been on here and I don’t see that changing in the future.”

The Wolves play again on Friday, April 26 at 4 p.m. against Gonzaga University in the first game of the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League playoffs. The last time Wolves played against Gonzaga was 2016, where Western lost 21-10 in the second round of the PNCLL playoffs.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Caity Healy

Four Western Rugby players nominated to try-out for All-Star Grizzly team

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

In its first year as part of the National Small College Rugby Organization, Western Oregon Rugby was already making a name for itself. Two seniors and two sophomores were invited to try out for the Pacific Coast All-Star team to play as Grizzlies: seniors Joey Caver and Matt Cornish, and sophomores Kai Segundo and Trever Kahunahana. Trying out individually, if they made it, they’d be playing the All-Star tournament in Houston, Texas beginning on May 23.

“It’s an honor to just be selected to try out,” explained Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Andy Main, “but if we get someone on the team, I’m really hoping to make it known because it’s a pretty big deal.”

Main went on to explain what it takes to be nominated; aside from talent on the turf, it all comes down to character.

“The success of the Pacific Coast All-Star team in the past was because they had high-character guys, as well as good rugby players. Absolutely all four of these guys meet that criteria,” Main said. “They’re good rugby players but also really good guys so I’m really proud they’re the ones getting the shot at this.”

On April 13, the morning of the tryouts, the players could feel a change in energy on the pitch.

“It was different honestly. I kept thinking about it the day of because I was comparing it to a regular game,” said Caver. “I was still really nervous but I knew that because it was more-individual focused … I didn’t have all the pressure and focus that I usually do. It was a different focus.”

Kahunahana could relate with the energy Caver was feeling that morning.

“I was really nervous. Not knowing the coaches… it’s really hard preparing for that… just getting thrown into the fire,” said Kahunahana.

When it came down to it, the four pushed their nerves aside and played as hard as they could. For the seniors, just being nominated was significant, as it was their last opportunity to show their skill for Western.

“It means a lot, actually. I’m a senior… Western Oregon Rugby means a lot to me,” said Caver. “It’s sad to know that I’m done with Western but now we have this, the All-Star game… knowing that there’s more gives me hope.”

Cornish added, “I’m always trying to go out there and do my best so this felt like a really good thing.”

As for the sophomores, being nominated at a young age meant something entirely different. For Kahunahana, it was only his second year playing rugby.

“For me it was a big experience. My position doesn’t really get the spotlight,” said Kahunahana, “the fact that someone actually made notice of my work was a really special thing.”

For Segundo, this was his first year every playing rugby at all.

“It was truly an honor to be nominated,” said Segundo. “I have been constantly working … to get a better knowledge of the game of rugby and to mold myself into the best player that I can be.”

After a long day of every player going out of their way to prove their talent and abilities, the team walked away with a sense of pride in what they had accomplished. But for Caver, that sense of pride came in the form of a confirmed spot in the Houston All-Star game.

“After the game, the coach pulled me aside and asked me, ‘are you going to be available for the Houston game?’” said Caver, “and I was like, ‘I’ll make myself available.’ … I got one of the three total automatic spots on the team from that day.”

The rest of the players are anxiously awaiting to hear whether or not they’ll be joining Caver with the Grizzlies, and the final results will be released on May 1. But as for now, the nominations alone shows the direction that Western Oregon Rugby is headed.

“WOU Rugby is going to be dominant in the future. With the four of us being nominated, it will motivate our other teammates to push harder in practice and in games to be nominated as well,” said Segundo.

Kahunahana added to that, saying “we’re going to be a really young team but luckily this year with a lot of experience passed down, we’re looking really good.”

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photos courtesy of Brandon Killen

Club Sport highlight: Get to know Western’s Dance Team

Caity Healy | Editor-in-Chief

How long has Western’s dance team been around?

WOU Dance Team has been a part of the WOU Club Sports for about 4 years.

What does an average day look like for someone who is on dance team?

The great thing about the dance team, (it) does not typically interfere with a student’s school schedule or ability to participate in other extra curricular activities at school. We practice three times a week in the evening Tuesday through Thursday.

How many people are involved with it?

For this academic year, we had 21 girls involved with the team by the end of basketball season. That has been the largest amount of participation and positive growth I have seen since I have been involved with the team in the past four years.

Is dance team currently doing anything on campus?

Spring Term is usually considered our “off season”- it is much more relaxed regarding our practice and performance schedule, but right now we are prepping for our upcoming kid’s clinic on May 25.

If someone is considering joining or trying out for the team, what is your advice?

Something that is really cool about our try-out process, is that we have two per year. One during Spring Term for the following fall and one at the end of Fall Term in the current academic year for basketball season in the winter. For somebody considering joining … my best advice is to have a positive attitude and have fun. Of course the dance team values somebody who is committed and a harder worker, but all we can ask is for  an individual who is willing to learn and have fun. We are not a competition team, so our schedule is not as rigorous as some people may think. We encourage people who have a background in dance such as other previous dance team experience, hip-hop, jazz, or pom to try out, but it is not required.

Where can students go if they are wanting to join, or wanting more information?

If you want to stay updated on current events, you can like our Facebook page “Western Oregon University Dance Team” or follow us at “WOU_danceteam” on Instagram. We have tryouts coming up at the end of May for football season of 2019. Follow our social media for updates if interested.

 

Contact the author at howleditor@wou.edu

Photo by Paul F. Davis

Women’s rugby faces off against unplanned Alumnae/outside player team

Cora McClain | Copy Editor

There was a chill in the air on the drizzly morning of April 13 as Western’s women’s rugby took to the pitch against a team sporting very similar colors to our Wolves. An interview with club president Lexi Osborn after the game cleared up the confusion.

“Eastern cancelled on us Wednesday, so we sent out a mass Facebook post inviting any women ruger (rugby player) in the Oregon area to come out for our seniors’ last home game … most of them are alum,” Osborn explained.

The Alumnae and Wolves faced off for this exciting match. From the first blow of the whistle, the energy between the two teams was palpable, both giving their all. The experience of the alumnae was obvious from their expert passing and pushing against the Wolves as they held their defensive line. However, it couldn’t hold the Alums back from scoring the first try of the game. This was followed shortly by a quick play by the Wolves that won them their first try.

After, the aggressive teams struggled up and down the sideline. Their bodies slammed together, each team pushing as the rain began to pour. The raw power of the Wolves gave them the ability to crawl along the sideline to their next try, making it through the uprights for the extra points, taking the lead. However, the Alumnae retaliated with their fast passing to earn their next try.

This struggle continued as the cheering of supportive fans rang out as the Wolves found a break in the Alumnae’s defensive. Sprinting down the center of the field to a slide through the uprights earned the Wolves their final try for the half. The hard work of each team displayed in the final score of the half, 24-20 Wolves.

The second half saw the teams come back with even more energy than before. A battle that traveled from sideline to sideline ensued, with injuries sustained from both the Wolves and Alumnae as the later pulled ahead with decisive passing and power pushing them into a lead. However, as the clock had 16 minutes left, the teams broke and gathered together into a huddle. Hip-hip-hoorays rang out over the field as the sun peaked out from the clouds.

After the seniors were presented to the crowd of cheering fans, each sporting a crown of flowers, Osborn explained that it was the Wolves’s final home match for the season.

“We wanted to give the seniors a good send-off,” Osborn said. When asked about the future of the club, she explained that half of the team are rookies who started just two weeks earlier.

“We have a lot to learn,” Osborn said. She explained how they were going to have to work on their defense for future games.

The Wolves will be taking to the pitch once again on April 20 to face off against University of Portland.

 

Contact the author at cmcclain17@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Western Oregon host Northwest Club Basketball Championship, takes first

Shariff Youngblood | Freelancer

On a typical Pacific Northwest cold and gloomy day, five teams battled for the Northwest Basketball Club League Championships. A trophy was on the line, and there was only one team that was going to go home with it.

On April 13, the Wolves, University of Portland, Seattle University, University of Oregon and a second Western club team, which was added due to a team dropping out, came together. Western students gathered around the gym to show support for the home team.

The first game of the tournament on April 13 saw the Wolves take on the University Of Portland Pilots. The Pilots came out scoring in the first half, and kept hitting shots in the second; they ended up closing out Western, 71-52.

With a game under their belt and a loss on their record, the Wolves responded by coming out on fire versus the University of Oregon as they built a comfortable halftime lead of 47-32. The University of Oregon would not go quietly as they hit three-pointer after three-pointer and cut lead down to six with about five minutes remaining, but it was all Wolves from there as they pulled away late with a final score of 96-77.

After every team played two games, the tournament playoffs began. The Wolves were matched up against the Pilots. Western’s second club basketball team was matched up with Seattle University. The Wolves had revenge on their mind as they looked to knock the Pilots out of the tournament; Western’s second club team was looking to advance to the championships.

Western’s second club team played a close game all the way through the second half. The deficit was cut to three points in the closing seconds. Seattle University stepped up late and made four free throws to close out the game, 47-41.

The Wolves started their game against the Pilots by hitting six threes in the first half. However, the Pilots were determined to make it a close game and cut the lead down to single digits with the score being 35-28 going into the second half.

The second half proved to be a physical game with both teams trading buckets until the last four minutes, when Western held to the win. Both teams fought hard, but the Wolves hung on with a 54-44 win to advance to the championships versus Seattle University.

The championship game was finally here. The Wolves were matched up against the  undefeated Seattle University team. Western came out fired up and was able to build a double-digit lead in the first couple of minutes. The teams traded baskets but the Wolves were leading 38-23 going into the second half.

The second half was a completely different game as Seattle University started making shots. They fought their way back and cut the lead down to four points with about six minutes to go. With his team needing to extend the lead, the Club Sports player of the week Joey Gaylord took over. Gaylord started the runoff by hitting back to back deep threes extending the lead to 10 in the closing minutes.

However, Seattle University would not let up, and cut the lead down to six with about 40 seconds of play left. The Wolves made their free throws and closed out the game 54-46, capping off a 3-1 finish and earning the title of Basketball Club League Champions.

“This championship is really big for WOU with us being such a small school. We have about 6,000 students and were playing against D1 schools and we have proven ourselves as one of the top D2 schools out there,” said Gaylord.

 

Contact the author at syoungblood16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

Get to know your Western athletes: Cheyanne Rimer

Mikaela Wong | Staff Writer

It’s typical for students to watch school sporting events and cheer on the athletes from the stands. However, it’s also easy to forget that the very athletes they are there to watch, are students too, who have lives outside of their sport.

Cheyanne Rimer, a senior and exercise science major, is one of these student-athletes, who plays third base on Western’s softball team. It can be difficult to see her outside of this lens, especially when she’s reaching high success with the team.

An example of this success came during the matchup against the Montana State University Billings on April 8. Rimer hit a grand-slam, which sealed her sixth homer of the year. Western conquered both games, 12-0 and 11-1.

When asked what got her first interested in playing softball, her answer was honest.

“I’m from Scio, Oregon and to be honest, there’s not a lot to do in Scio… My graduating class was 59 people and I knew most of them since pre-school.”

For this reason, she picked up the sport. But she didn’t want to quit, and she had a reason for that.

“Softball just happened to be my favorite sport, so I just kind of kept with it.”

While some may see her and think of her as only an athlete, there’s more to Rimer than softball. When asked to describe her personality in a nutshell, she explained it in simple terms: “I’m goofy, kind of loud, friendly, approachable,” Rimer said.

While there are many reasons to enjoy the sport, Rimer said her favorite part of playing softball actually has to do with her teammates.

“I never grew up with a sister, so I feel like I was kind of shorted out on that aspect,” said Rimer, “but I get that with them.”

Although it’s clear she built important relationships with the teammates she works so closely with on and off the field, Rimer also has traditions she keeps with her friends apart from those she made through softball.

“My roommates and I have ‘roomie nights’ where we all make something for dinner and then watch a movie together — usually classic ‘80s movies,” Rimer explained.

After the end of the season, Rimer will be graduating from Western. Upon her graduation, she has plans to hone in on her future career aspirations.

“I have an internship in the fall for Cardiac Rehab which is where I want my career to go,” said Rimer. “And then eventually (I’ll) move to Roseburg because I really like it down there.”

As for her potential to ever give coaching a try, Rimer’s stance wasn’t entirely certain.

“I would consider coaching but not right away because I want to focus on my career. But I can see myself going back to it in the future.”

Catch Rimer and the rest of Western’s softball team at their next game. April 13, Western will be playing a doubleheader at Concordia University, followed by another doubleheader against Concordia University at home on April 14.

 

Contact the author at mwong16@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Ashlynn Norton

Club spotlight: Rock climbing club

Paul F. Davis | Managing Editor

So often, sports involve the mastery of ball use or implement to be truly great in competition. However, climbing is different; it requires a mastery of one’s body instead. Dyno’s, side pulls and gastones could potentially be in the near future of those wanting to participate in a challenging, yet exhilarating, sport that always allows its competitors to improve. If this peaks your interest, then luckily, there’s a resource ready at Western for you: Rock Climbing Club could be your perfect fit.

Western Oregon University Rock Climbing Club started in 2015 and has been growing ever since.

Senior Kayla Baker, club captain, loves climbing because, “there’s a lot of problem-solving involved so it’s a really satisfying way to stay active … and there is always room to grow as a climber.”

Rock Climbing Club meets at Salem’s climbing gym Rock Boxx Thursdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.; Rock Boxx is located at 3895 Cascadia Canyon Ave SE, Salem, OR 97302.

For anyone who may feel nervous about joining, Baker noted that, “I don’t think there’s any group more welcoming than the climbing community.” Not only is the community extremely inviting, but the best time to join is right now. This is especially true for those interested in competing against other collegiate climbers in the Northwest Collegiate Climbing Circuit. This is because the last three competitions of the year are occuring in the next three weeks: April 13 at Portland State University;  April 20 at Whitman College; and April 27 at the University of Washington.

For those that have just started climbing, or for those that have climbed a majority of their life, feel free to email Baker at kmbaker15@wou.edu, so you, too, can start solving new problems and finding solutions to them as a part Western’s Rock Climbing Club.

 

Contact the author at pfdavis14@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of Paul F. Davis

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