The first full week of spring prep sports action was seemingly filled with more postponements than games played. But even with the small sample, there were several outstanding performances turned in by Clark County athletes, even more so impressive when you considered that they were achieved in cold, wet and windy conditions.
Topping the list was the season-opening effort turned in by Heritage track and field athlete Sean Keller.
In Heritage’s season-opening meet against Gresham on Thursday, Keller got warmed up for the 2011 season by throwing the javelin 206-5.
Not only was the mark a personal best by 15 feet for the junior, he also won the event by more than 70 feet.
According to athletic.net, Keller’s season-opening heave was the best in the state by two feet. It was the best 4A throw by more than 30 feet. It also would have been good enough for second place at the 4A state meet last year. Keller placed third at state in 2010.
Prairie’s Jon Lawson had a state-best mark in the discus (181-1) by more than 20 feet, and Kristina Owsinski of Prairie went higher than any girls pole vaulter in the state (12-0). There were state second-best marks by Camas’ Megan Kelley in the 400 meters (59.24) and Union’s Jordan Troupe in the high jump (6-6).
Two county soccer players scored four goals in a game: Justin Solomon of Columbia River in a 10-0 win over Kelso, and Dennis Gorlachev of Fort Vancouver in a 9-1 win over Woodland. Three others notched the traditional three-goal hat trick: Hockinson’s Jarren Parthemer, Ridgefield’s Kyle Morris and King’s Way Christian’s Josh Russell.
In baseball, Camas, the Class 3A state runner-up last year, opened the 2011 season in impressive fashion Saturday in an 18-0 win over Molalla, Ore., that included two milestone feats. Pitcher Kurt Yinger threw a five-inning no-hitter, recording 10 of his 15 outs by strikeout. And Austin Barr hit for the cycle in four at-bats. He drove in six runs.
You can’t have a much better game than that. That is unless you haven’t won a game the last 57 times you played.
That’s what the Fort Vancouver softball team when it beat Portland Christian 14-5 on Monday. Sara Erager went 5 for 5 with a run, RBI and stolen base, while Skyle Reyes was 3 for 5 with three runs, a double, home run and five RBI.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached at (360) 735-4538 or email at tim.martinez@columbian.com
