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Sports

August 27, 2013
Drew Clarkson leads the Papermakers in a rally cry at the start of football practice Thursday. The 17-year-old Camas High School senior conquered testicular cancer over the summer.

Defining a hero

Drew Clarkson is the definition of a hero in the eyes of his Camas High School teammates and coaches. The 6-foot, 3-inch, 275-pound left tackle had surgery in March to remove a tumor in his right testicle. He also endured four rounds of chemotherapy to remove the stage 2 cancer that was later discovered so he could get back on the football field in time for his senior year. Clarkson was already receiving offers from several colleges, including a few schools in the Pacific-12 Conference. Suddenly, he found himself fighting for his life at the age of 17. "I was just starting to do track and I was in the middle of rugby season," Clarkson said. "It all started to go downhill from there. I had to stop everything."

August 27, 2013
Quarterback Chase Duey delivers a pass from the orange Washougal "W." The Panthers play their first football game on the new turf at Fishback Stadium Friday, Sept. 6. Kickoff is at 7 p.m., following a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Washougal football team breaks in new turf

There's new turf in town, at it belongs to the Washougal Panthers. As the football players began their first practice of the season Wednesday, head coach Bob Jacobs gave them a little advice. "As you guys step foot on that field for the first time, I want you to think about how grateful you are to be able to play this game. There are plenty of people who would love to trade places with you," he told them. "Don't be satisfied with just wearing that uniform. Wear it with pride by giving your maximum effort every time." The Panthers remembered their coach's words as they marched out on that new playing surface at Fishback Stadium as one family. They growled with excitement. One of them sretched out like he was creating a snow angel. After a few sprints, and agility and balance drills, it was time to throw the football around and have some fun. "This makes the old turf seem like cement," said senior quarterback Chase Duey. "Normally after the first practice, everybody has sore feet. Nobody's complaining right now."

August 27, 2013
New Camas High School cross country coach Laurie Porter gets excited as she watches the Papermakers practice Monday.

Porter shares her passion for running

New Camas High School cross country coach Laurie Porter aspires to share her knowledge of running with current and future Papermakers. "If you want to continue to run for a long time, you have to enjoy it," Porter said. "I still enjoy running all the time at the age of 51. I want these kids to develop a lifelong passion for this like I have." Porter takes over for Mike Hickey, who is now the head cross country and track and field coach at Clark College. She is stepping into a program with a girls team that won its second straight state championship and a boys team that cracked into the top 10 at state in 2012. "The girls are primed to win state again. I really want to see the boys move up to the next level," she said. "I know that they can. I see a lot of dedication and motivation in them, and I know they will succeed."

August 20, 2013
Julia Ross, director of the Clark County Equipment Exchange Program, accepted donations of sports equipment twice this summer at the Camas Farmer's Market. Ross founded the program to promote participation in youth sports programs and leagues by helping families offset the costs of purchasing new equipment. When young athletes outgrow equipment such as soccer cleats, they can exchange them for a larger size. Donors are also invited to bring sports equipment sitting unused in their garages.

Sports equipment donation program gets underway

A mother of young athletes has developed a sports equipment donation program. Julia Ross said her two youngest children, ages 9 and 14, have been involved in basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and soccer for several years. She said the idea for the Clark County Equipment Exchange Program came about a few years ago when she and other family members were cleaning out the garage and getting ready to take a load to Goodwill. "I started wondering about how we could better reuse the old, outgrown sports equipment we were collecting," Ross said. "I wrote up a plan, but I was not able to act on it as I was working full time then. This summer while not working, I revisited the idea and just went for it." For more information, visit www.cceep.org.

August 20, 2013
Photos by Mike Weber/For the Post-Record Washougal's Brad Ruth (No. 10 black car on left) maneuvers around turn one of River City Speedway's quarter-mile clay oval track during the trophy dash race July 27, at the Columbia County Fairgrounds motorsports facility in St. Helens, Ore.

Racing Ruths

The seven-member Ruth Racing team of Washougal, has enjoyed a successful season of stock car racing at River City Speedway in St. Helens, Ore. The slogan listed on the team's uniform is "Go Fast Turn Left," which is something Brad Ruth has been doing very effectively and it's helped him become a top contender for a Columbia County Racing Association (CCRA) Division Championship. Ruth, 25, has competed well among a group of 20 drivers in the speedway's mini stock class (four-cylinder cars). He has recorded top-five finishes in seven of eight 25-lap main events, including three wins while driving his 1985 Toyota Celica and he's ranked second in the series point standings. "It sure would be great to win the championship," said Ruth, a 2006 Washougal High graduate who was atop the standings for the first two months of the season. "I broke my collarbone in June when I fell off a bicycle, so that made it a little more difficult for me to drive the race car. I'm feeling much better now, so we're hoping to continue focusing on our goal of winning the division title." For more information, visit www.river-city-speedway.com.

August 20, 2013
Visitors from the sovereign state of Georgia, located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, spent time doing volunteer work at the Cape Horn Trail.

Cape Horn Trail hosts international visitors

The Cape Horn Trail recently provided the setting for international interaction with individuals hailing from Georgia, a sovereign state located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Four professionals, representing Georgia's Agency of Protected Areas (Imereti Caves, Mtirala National Park and Tusheti Protected Areas) were accompanied by two interpreters. At the trail, the group participated in maintenance and stewardship efforts in removing invasive species. Teresa Robbins, Cape Horn Conservancy president, provided information, strategies and historical context in response to questions. She said several themes emerged though the conversations, including the need for successful collaboration of non-profits and government agencies, the ethic of volunteerism, and "how to" in attracting and engaging volunteers.

August 13, 2013
Members of the Camas High School girls cross country team grab hold of their state championship trophies. The News Tribune, in Tacoma, honored the Papermakers for having the best athletic programs in the 4A classification.

CHS athletics honored by News Tribune

The News Tribune, in Tacoma, selected Camas High School as the Class 4A All-Sports Champion based on team and individual performances at state tournaments during the 2102-13 school year. Alexa Efraimson won the state cross country championship race. Efraimson, Alissa Pudlitzke, Maddie Woodson, Megan Napier, Camille Parsons, Mckenzie Good and Alexa Jones finished in first place as a team. Efraimson also captured state track titles in the 1,600- and 800-meter runs. Brian Humphreys earned first place in the state boys golf tournament, at Camas Meadows. Humphreys and Braden Campbell led the Papermakers to fourth place as a team. To view the complete News Tribune article, visit www.thenewstribune.com/2013/06/30/2658994/all-sports-championships-underclassmen.html.

August 13, 2013
Brian Humphreys watches his chip shot land on the 15th green during the Hogan Cup Saturday, at Riverside Golf and Country Club. The 15-year-old from Washougal contended for the lead after shooting even par on the first day of the tournament.

Humphreys ties for fifth at Hogan Cup

The birdies didn't fall into the holes for Brian Humphreys during the Hogan Cup, but the 15-year-old from Washougal kept his cool and shot even par. "My ability to recover and make par on hole after hole was nice," Humphreys said. "Perseverance is key to playing consistently well. You can't blow up if you have one bad hole. It's going to happen." Humphreys shot a 72 Saturday and Sunday for a combined total of 144 strokes, at the Riverside Golf and Country Club course in Portland, Ore. He finished tied for fifth place out of 48 golfers from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii and British Columbia, Canada. Humphreys dropped 14 strokes off his final tally from playing in his first Hogan Cup a year ago. "I definitely learned a lot from playing here last year," he said. "I really like this golf course. It's cool to have such a big regional tournament close to home."

August 13, 2013
Around 65 kids attended the Macaya Soccer Camp July 15 to 19, in the grass fields behind Doc Harris Stadium. Another 75 children came to a camp last week.

More than 230 kids attended three Macaya Soccer Camps this summer

Dan Macaya ushered in the 10th anniversary of his soccer camp by juggling three of them this summer. Enthusiastic kids, feedback from parents, use of the Camas School District's fields, donations by local sponsors and time given by fellow coaches are the lifeblood of his camp. As long as that heart beats strong, Macaya said there will always be a soccer camp to run. "Over 230 kids attended a soccer camp this summer," he said. "It's really crazy when I see all of these kids running around with a soccer ball. I don't think it could happen in any other community. "Soccer is the mecca in Camas," Macaya added. "We had so many great sponsors this year. Without them, we wouldn't have the fields, the coaches or the prizes."

August 6, 2013
Alexa Efraimson represented the stars and stripes at the 2013 World Youth Track and Field Championships July 13, in Donetsk, Ukraine. The 16-year-old from Camas earned a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter run. She crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 16.07 seconds.

Efraimson embodies American spirit

As the American flag draped across her shoulders, Alexa Efraimson beamed with joy.She couldn't catch two Ethiopians in the 1,500-meter race July 13, but the 16-year-old from Camas beat athletes from Great Britain, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Japan, Denmark and China to capture a bronze medal for Team USA at the World Youth Track and Field Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. "I'm so tired right now, but this is a really proud moment," Efraimson said. "This is what I had been training for all year long. For it to all pay off in that moment was really special." Dan Efraimson flew from Portland to New York to Moscow to Donetsk to see his daughter compete. Watching her run around the track with other world class athletes sent shivers down his spine. "You realize these are going to be the next Olympians. They are doing things that you don't get to see on a regular basis. It's amazing just to experience that and to realize Alexa is a part of that," Dan Efraimson said. "This was not just Camas and not just the Evergreen Storm; this was representing your entire country. For her to travel to the other side of the world and find the strength to compete on an international level will always be impressive to me."