Camas High seniors sign letters of intent

Graduating students head to college-level sports teams

By Wayne Havrelly
June 7, 2018 5:30 am
Sports

A proud moment for student athletes as these Camas seniors commit to take their athletic and classroom skills to the college level.

Family and friends surrounded 15 of the top student athletes at Camas High School on May 30, National Letter of Intent Day, as they signed letters of intent to play sports at the college level. Following are the spring athletes from Camas who have committed to colleges around the region and country.

Luke Bruno: Bruno, a three-year letterman in both baseball and football for the Papermakers, signed to play baseball for the Whitworth Pirates in Spokane, Washington, where he will pursue an engineering degree.

“Football was fun and exciting and it was great to be around coach Eagle, who is such a great guy,” Bruno said. “But baseball has been my passion since I was a little kid watching the Mariners and copying Ichiro’s swing.”

Bruno sometimes told his parents not to come to games when he wasn’t starting, but said they always came anyway. He added that their love and support means the world to him.

Madison Child: Child is headed to Ellensburg, Washington to run cross-country and track for Central Washington University. She lettered all four years at Camas and has been recognized as a Greater St. Helens League scholar athlete four years in a row.

JD Ellis: The Camas goaltender will play soccer for the Bruins of George Fox University in Oregon, and plans to major in business.

Emma Jenkins: The long-distance specialist will run for Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, next year. Jenkins lettered in cross-country and track all four years at Camas and helped lead a cross-country team that earned four league championships, four district championships and two state championships. She also qualified for state in track and field all four years, earning multiple top-10 individual finishes in track. Jenkins will major in nursing.

Ashley Kempf: Kempf, a cheerleader, will join Jenkins and Peffers in Pullman to cheer for the WSU Cougars and study nursing.

Carter Kinkead: Kinkead will play rugby for the Wildcats of Central Washington University. Kinkead was a three-year letterman for the successful Papermaker football program.

“I want to thank my parents for constant support and my coach, because I haven’t been playing rugby very long, so he managed to get me up to speed to compete at the college level,” Kinkead said before shouting “I love you, mom.”

Keelie LeBlanc: LeBlanc is heading to Arizona State University to play volleyball next year. She helped lead Camas’ volleyball team to league championships her junior and senior seasons. Leblanc plans to double major in psychology and Spanish.

Brison Manandic: The Camas senior will play soccer for Warner Pacific University in Portland, Oregon. Manandic moved to Camas his senior year and played goaltender, but competed at the varsity level two years at Prairie High School prior to becoming a Papermaker.

“I really want to thank my coaches, teammates, but especially my family who taught me to work hard and stay humble,” Manandic said. He plans to study business administration.

Finn McClone: Joining Bruno at Whitworth College is McClone, a four-year letterman on the most successful Camas swim team in history. which included back-to-back state team championships in 2017 and 2018.

McClone’s best friend and state champion swimming partner, Mark Kim, is going to the United States Military Academy at West Point. McClone said his aunt operates the Thayer Hotel, a landmark property on the West Point base, so he’ll get to visit his friend during their college years.

“It’s a pretty cool situation. I plan on visiting Mark at least once a year, but not until he’s done with boot camp,” McClone said.

Kim signed to swim at West Point earlier this year, but was in the audience on May 30, supporting McClone.

“Having a teammate like Finn really enhances your training and you can push yourself so much harder,” Kim said.

Madison Peffers: The state champion high jumper is another Papermaker turned WSU Cougar. Peffers won the state championship in the high jump her junior season and finished third this year. She said track and field has prepared her for a nursing career.

“Nursing is stressful, and for the high jump it’s all mental, so I had to learn how to stay calm and relaxed so I could do what I needed to do to compete,” Peffers said. “That ties in perfectly with nursing, because you have to stay calm and do your job.”

Ellie Postma: Postma will travel up Interstate 5 to attend Seattle University, where she will run cross-country and track for the Redhawks.

Between the cross-country and track and field programs at CHS, Ellie was a part of seven league championships, seven district championships, two state second-place finishes and two state championships. Postma has been a Greater St. Helens League scholar athlete award winner four consecutive years and will study nursing in Seattle.

Brooke Roy: Roy signed on to run cross-country and track at California State University, Monterey Bay, where she plans to study marine science.

“My parents always push me and support me in whatever I want to do, even if it’s not the plan they originally had,” Roy said. “Their love and support means everything to me.”

Lauryn Tsukimura: Tsukimura takes her golf skills to Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, Washington. She was an important part of the Papermaker team that finished in second place at state, three years in a row. Her swing coach, professional golfer Conan Elliot from Camas Meadows, was in the crowd on May 30.

“The dedication she has shown from the start is just amazing. She never misses a lesson, never misses practice time. She always finds the time to do it and has learned how to push through to persevere,” Elliot said of Tsukimura.

“I started taking lessons from Conan in eighth grade, and I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for his guidance,” Tsukimura said.

Ka’iulani Warren: Warren will join the basketball program at Multnomah University, in Portland. She helped the Papermakers basketball team win three league championships and two state tournament appearances as a Camas starter. Warren also was a scholar athlete award winner and will graduate high school with her associate degree from Clark College.

Emily Wilson: Wilson is traveling to the University of Northern Colorado to run track. Wilson was part of the 2014 and 2015 state championship cross-country teams. She will study graphic design and communications.

Related Stories