The decision to compete in drill for the first time this season is bringing the Camas High School horseback riders closer. Sometimes, the horses run into each other and the riders knock knees. It can be painful, but also beautiful when all of the movements go off without a hitch. "It's a lot of fun when we're not bumping into each other," said drill co-captain Jordan Moore.
Camas High School Boys basketball Player of the Year: Jacob Kaler.
The beauty of Camas and Washougal is best seen from the seat of a bicycle. Peddling on roads, sidewalks and trails with the wind blowing through your hair is the definition of freedom. You can go as fast or as slow as you want to. It doesn't matter where those wheels take you, as long as you're outdoors with friends and family.
The first of three meets for Washington High School Equestrian Teams District Three took place Feb. 18 to 20, at the Grays Harbor County Fairgrounds in Elma. Emily Carroll of Washougal captured first place in figure eight, second in poles and sixth in the team bi-rangle with Goose Rogers.
Fueled by an "unstoppable will" to be a state champion, "Mean Machine" Miguel Salamanca did not stop until there was nobody left to drive into the mat. After a triple overtime victory over Sunnyside's Josh Romero in the semifinals, it was full steam ahead. The Papermaker capped off his high school career by beating Hanford's Matt Owens 9-7 to win the Class 3A 145-pound state championship Saturday, at Mat Classic XXIII in the Tacoma Dome. "I always wanted to be a state champion, and it finally happened," Salamanca said. "I worked hard in practice this week, last week and all season long for this moment. It's a dream come true."
John Barrette and Brendan Casey wanted to wrestle each other one more time in the Tacoma Dome. After Casey pinned Mount Baker's Levi Wigg in the opening round, and Barrette beat Joel Trujillo of Burlington Edison 13-2, the two Washougal High School seniors were just a victory away from facing each other in the semifinals. If that happened, it guaranteed at least one of them would be wrestling for a state championship Saturday night and the other would still be going home with a medal.
Amy Siebenthaler's four years as a Camas High School gymnast have come full circle. She finished eighth as freshman in the floor exercise, but experiencing her first high school state gymnastics meet was more rewarding than anything she accomplished or failed at on that day. Sophomore year got even better, when she captured a state championship on the balance beam.
What a week for the Camas High School girls basketball players. The Papermakers captured second place in the 3A district tournament, at Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver. Camas knocked off Kelso twice in four days, and then defeated Mountain View for the first time this season to play for the championship against Prairie. "You never want to lose in the end, but I'm proud of what the kids accomplished this week. We played four games, we took second and we're going to region," said Camas head coach Chuck Knight. "We want the kids to understand if you persevere through the difficult times, the good times are going to far outweigh the bad times."
To be one of the 1,300 wrestlers competing for a medal this weekend, at Mat Classic XXIII inside the Tacoma Dome, is the thrill of a lifetime. Only five Washougal High School wrestlers, and four from Camas, get to experience it. Leading the way for the Panthers are seniors John Barrette, Brendan Casey, Michael Huck, LaDwana Jurgens and Chism King. "If you let down at all at state, you're not going to be able to come out with a win," said WHS head coach John Carver. "When this weekend is over, we want every Washougal wrestler to know they gave all they had and that they didn't hold anything back."
Revenge tasted sweet for the Camas High School boys swimmers Saturday, at Kelso High School. The Papermakers racked up 368 points, left league champion Mountain View in their wake, and captured their third district championship in the past four years. The Camas quartet of Ian Ulmer, Jake Yraceburu, Kevin Li and Trent Harimoto clinched first place in the 200-meter medley relay. Harimoto finished first with a time of 1 minute, 44.53 seconds. Robert Short of Mountain View was right behind at 1:44.58. "It was bang, bang! [Harimoto] beat him on the reach to the wall," said Camas head coach Mike Bemis.
