Mount Hood

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

No superstar needed, baby steps for the Blazers

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

The big debate over the Trail Blazers’s offseason activity is in the process. Help’s sorely needed after the previous playoff outing. But one change that doesn’t hold is bringing over a superstar, like Kevin Durant.

The last markee guy to sign with the Trailblazers? Scottie Pippen in ‘99 when he was traded for six players.

But who wants to come to Portland right now? A sweep in the first round is a bad look, especially after the team was highly touted for a run. If Portland does move players, it’ll be difficult to trade for an elite with how players like the overpriced Evan Turner underperformed.

Also, wonder why no big name has wanted to join the team over the years? It’s simply because no star wants to live in a city like Portland. Compared to metropolis’s like Los Angeles, Miami, Houston? Portland isn’t alluring to a guy like LeBron James.

The best thing Portland can do is to not panic and shake everything up — but, rather, to continuously improve through the NBA draft. Damian Lillard, 2012 draftee, and 2013 draftee, CJ McCollum are still young: build around them. The 2006 draft and how they acquired Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge is a quintessential example. They traded fourth pick Tyrus Thomas, who had a subpar career, for second pick LaMarcus Aldridge — but didn’t stop there — and moved up one spot to get Roy for Randy Foye.

Coaching changes I can go for — a slight shift in play style, most likely — but let’s not look in the wrong places. The Trail Blazers almost went for Paul George on a one-year deal. Portland for him wasn’t alluring, and redirected to Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City team and look at how that panned out. The best example Portland can take note from is Golden State. For years, they were terrible, but Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, are all draftees. They improved and finally lured Kevin Durant. Let’s try that formula.

 

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo courtesy of: Trailblazers.com

Volleyball digs for gold, Soccer takes the shot

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Western’s intramural teams went after the nets in both volleyball and soccer as men’s, women’s and co-rec leagues all played for titles from May 15-21.

In women’s volleyball, the Gold Diggers, undefeated at 6-0, rematched with the 4-3 Sushi Burritos for the final. Both teams were quick toward the net and sharp in reaction for digs, but it was the former who succeeded in the end: two sets to zero.

“This is like the first team that I’ve been on that went undefeated,” said senior outside hitter Breayna Webster. “It was definitely a great feeling. I’m happy we got to win a shirt on my last year.”

Tournament champions in each sport won a t-shirt.

Also winning a t-shirt in co-rec volleyball was Rough Sets who defeated Dalls Beep, 2-1. The first set was a rotation of games with Dalls Beep winning 25-19. Dalls Beep’s Mia “Felicia” Medina, senior, said their team looked to their strong advantage in communication to help them prevail. It helped them win past matches and the first set, but Rough Sets were also communicative with their rotations. Rough Sets also never lost a match at 7-0, and they kept it that way winning the remaining sets, 25-17 and 15-9.

In men’s soccer, We Probably Won’t Win didn’t win as Take the Shot’s protection at the post by goalkeeper Keegan McMurry, senior, and junior striker Hatim Alhamdin’s offensive push helped rally their team for the 5-1 win.

Alhamdin also plays in co-rec soccer where his team, Bella Ciao, out-maneuvered team Chaos, 6-0 on May 15. In the closing minutes of the first half, the team started right in with a goal that screamed past the hands of Chaos’s goalkeeper Peter Puettmann, sophomore. Chaos’s back line could not match up with Bella Ciao’s constant attack for the remainder of the game.

Bella Ciao stands at 4-1 and is involved with compact competition. Big Baller FC and Ballkickers are also at 4-1, after having picked up victories on May 15.

All three teams will play in the co-rec championships which concludes on May 24.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Simson Garcia

Rounding the bases with Creach

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Believing starts internally. For Tyler Creach, a first-year business major, and outfielder of the Wolves softball team, this much is so. Whether Creach plays softball, studies, or acts, it’s then about having confidence.

“That’s when you can really do things,” said Creach.

Creach believed in herself when she led her Portland high school team to a state championship. She trusted in herself: that she could start in her first year at Western, and in proving she could cover all of the bases as a utility. The Portland native drove the belief home, when she finished the 2018 season second in the GNAC in hits, and third in runs scored. Creach also believes in a future business career around sports, and an acting career.

“Aspiring,” Creach emphasized. “I don’t think I’ve been in enough things to say I’m an actress.” But it is something she says she’s highly interested in and pursuing while in college.

“Well when I was in high school, I took a film class, and that was more of studying different film techniques and doing scene studies … I’m kinda just open to learning more about it,” Creach said.

That learning will take its course over the summer, as she’ll continue to look for casting calls in the area, like the opportunity she seized last summer when she acted as an extra in the Netflix series “Everything Sucks!”

The big dream, however, is to be in a Star Wars movie.

Thrilled from the news that the saga will roll out another trilogy, she followed saying she wouldn’t want to be a Jedi, however.

“Oh no, no, I’d want to be a bounty hunter. First of all, I love the Fetts: they’re my favorite characters. And so I’d definitely want to be this badass female bounty hunter,” she commented.

It’s a fun thought for Creach, but she says she’d be delighted at the idea of being a part of the growing movement in cinema that includes strong female characters.

The drama also played out on the diamond, with Creach being one of Western’s standout performers.

To set the scene: Creach nears the on-deck circle motioning a few full swings, eyeing down the trajectory of her aluminum bat.

Kendrick Lamar’s “HUMBLE.” plays in the background during her walk to home plate. With quickness and speed, Creach poses a dual threat: she can measure for a bunt and then take off running, or she can full on hit for the outfield.

She stares at the pitcher intently, with a pierced gaze, like a statue. When the ball is thrown, it’s no match. Creach crushes it like the gravitational pull had shifted and the ball went far and away.

Creach kept believing and stayed dedicated, and that’s when everything came full swing in a playoff game against Simon Fraser, on May 4, the last of the Wolves’s season.

Six years to the day her team played Simon, Creach had to undergo a heart procedure.

Creach was born with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome.

“I basically was born with an extra electrical node in my heart,” Creach said.

The same heart condition sidelined NBA player LaMarcus Aldridge from playing after having to undergo two procedures.

“It can basically put you at high risk for heart-attack,” Creach explained. “and it was really scary. I know it was really scary for me and my family also.”

From the moment Creach and her family discovered her syndrome, a heart procedure was soon performed where doctors removed the extra node.

“I still have (Wolff-Parkinson-White) but it’s not going to be a problem. I can still play sports and do normal activities … I’m good to go now, so that’s the good thing, and yeah, it’s really surreal that that home run ended up happening on that day,” Creach commented.

In that last game of the season — an elimination game — and down 6-2 in the fifth inning, Creach smashed her first collegiate homer: a solo beam over the right wall. It was the last run of Western’s season.

“It was pretty crazy how everything had led up to that, and I’ve never hit a home run as a lefty. I’ve hit lots of home runs as a right-handed hitter, when I used to be right-handed. But it was cool how everything had let up to that moment,” said Creach.

The former-shortstop started her collegiate season primarily as a utility, but eventually worked her way to cover right-field for most of the season.

The lead off grew with confidence in her offensive ability. In 52 games played, her hitting allowed for a relentless on-base percentage of .483. Another big moment came in a April 15 matchup with Concordia, where she went four-for-four and scored every time for her team’s 8-4 win.

Creach is glad she chose Western, and felt that the team had a great season despite the outcome.

“I think we developed a lot and learned a lot this past season so I’m excited to see kind of how we do next year,” said Creach.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Simson Garcia

Football springs back into shape

Simson Garcia | Sports Editor

Since April 23, Western’s football team has held spring training and practice between McArthur Field and the campus turf field. The team had the opportunity to try out its new roster in a scrimmage on May 12 at Central High School’s football field.

“The secondary and the backers are starting to be in a place where we’d like speed wise and communication wise,” said head coach Arne Ferguson.

After fall ball, 23 upperclassmen left the team, but the Wolves have sprung back to practice 35 first-year redshirts from 2017.

“Any time you lose 23 seniors — especially a receiver like Paul Revis — it’s really good to see some young receivers step up. (Tyler) Sweet had a great day today,” said Ferguson.

The team lost two potential starting quarterbacks to graduation last season. The last two years were spent rotating between seniors Nick Duckworth and Phillip Fenumiai. Next season, the Wolves quarterback depth chart will consist of first-years Ryan Worthley, Jordan Hickman and junior passer Ty Currie.

“Quarterback Ryan (Worthley) did a really nice job with our second group,” commented Ferguson.

Many were added to the defensive back and receiving corps from past recruitment, like wideout Tyler Sweet, first-year, who could boost the team with his catching and speed mechanics. Sweet will play alongside his brother, junior Torreahno Sweet, who was a dual threat as a running back and kick returner in the 2017 season.

The football team will also see the return of multiple upperclassmen. Staying with the team and turning senior in the 2018-19 season is linebacker Bo Highburger, who earned an all-GNAC first team defensive selection in 2017.

Defensive backs Curtis Anderson, incoming sophomore, and Jacob Kantola, incoming senior, also returned for spring training and will add leadership to the team.

Kantola reflected on the first-year group, saying, “Sometimes you get guys who don’t really want to play, but these guys are ready to jump in and have fun. They’re in with the mix.”

The scrimmage session provided ample time for the team to work and get used to each other. The team was divided up into several groups to practice specific plays.

“We were over 100 plays, which is our goal, so they’re getting a lot of work in the spring, which is what they need,” said Ferguson.

Contact the author at journalsports@wou.edu

Photo by: Simson Garcia

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