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June 12, 2012
Chase the mountain peaks in White Salmon
Hill top scenic views of the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood and Mount Adams will be the sought after reward for many runners and hikers above White Salmon Saturday.
Hill top scenic views of the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood and Mount Adams will be the sought after reward for many runners and hikers above White Salmon Saturday.
A dream freshman year for Alexa Efraimson continued Saturday when she got the opportunity to represent Camas at the Adidas Grand Prix track and field meet, in New York City. The Papermaker held her own in the Dream Mile against 13 of the best high school runners in the country. She finished in fourth place with a personal best time of 4 minutes, 42.21 seconds. "The competition was there and I was able to do my best," Efraimson said. "It was like the perfect race."
Take the natural elements like earth, air, fire and water -- throw in some barbed wire -- and you have the blueprint for a Spartan Race. The world's leading obstacle racing event comes to the Washougal Motocross Park for the first time Saturday. Admission is $15. Elite heats occur from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Regular heats of up to 250 competitors each follow every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event culminates with a lively festival of raffles, food, beverages, vendors and games.
Triton Pitassi took 2 inches to the bank. The Camas High School junior captured the Washington State Hammer Throwing Championship, May 27 in Centralia, with a toss of 191 feet, 4 inches. Andy Miller of Capital was hot on his heels with a throw of 191-2. "I thought I could handle the pressure, but I never expected it to be that close," Pitassi said. "It helped that one of my first throws was my best throw. As it turned out, there was a 2-inch difference between first and second. I'm glad my throw was long enough."
University of Washington went 5-for-5 during Saturday's grand finals of the 2012 Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships, on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill N.J. Reiner Hershaw, a 2008 graduate of Washougal High School, was right in the middle of all the excitement. He was a member of the open four crew that finished in first place and set a new course record time of 6 minutes, 15.257 seconds. Hershaw then cheered all of his teammates on to victory in the other four races. It was a complete sweep for the purple and gold.
A.J. Geaslen is the best brother a child with a mental or a physical disability could ever have. For the past three years, the 13-year-old from Camas has dedicated his time and effort to help athletes with special needs excel on the soccer field and the baseball diamond. He has been a buddy to the Camas-Washougal Kickers TOPSoccer team and has also volunteered in the Lacamas Little League's Challenger program. Camas-Washougal Soccer Club TOPSoccer Coordinator Tammie Naffziger nominated Geaslen for the 2012 Washington Youth Soccer Association's TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year award. Included were letters from Kickers' head coach Greg Bost and Liberty Middle School language arts teacher David Kilpatrick.
A day of golf at Camas Meadows doesn't end on the 18th green. The new Lower Terrace restaurant, open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., extends the fun into the evening. Guests can gather around the tables equipped with umbrellas and fire pits, and choose from a variety of healthy, hearty foods and beverages. "We are trying to bring a fresh face to Camas Meadows. We want to have the whole experience and not just the golf," said general manager Doug Burton. "We have high demand for outdoor seating. The upper deck is always full. This is a place to sit with your spouse or your buddies after a round, enjoy some good food and a cold beverage, and take in the beautiful scenery. The fire pits and the live music bring a whole new ambiance to the experience."
The look on Alexa Efraimson's face during those final 50 meters of desperation in the 800 told the story. She was pushing her body, mind and soul to the brink to become a state champion Saturday, at Mt. Tahoma High School. But on this day, Amy-Eloise Neale of Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, was just a step ahead of the Camas freshman. "I feel like I couldn't have given it any more than I did," Efraimson said. The Papermaker stumbled across the finish line, in a breathtaking time of 2 minutes, 10.51 seconds, before collapsing on to her knees in complete exhaustion. She had just broken the meet record of 2:10.98 set by Penny Graves of Port Angeles in 1983.
As the Camas softball players celebrated at home plate after Mikaela Searight tied the score with Liberty on a 2-run home run, they rediscovered their love for the game. "After going 0-for in the first two games, I told myself, 'I'm done failing. I'm going to help my team now,' " Searight said. "That swing felt so effortless. Every time I hit the ball well, it's when I relax. I felt great because I finally didn't let my teammates down." Somewhere between the white lines and the mounting pressure of the state tournament, the Papermakers lost their edge. Camas rallied to beat Bainbridge 2-1 on a 2-run triple by Sarah Nidick in the sixth inning, but tightened up in the first few innings against defending state champion Juanita Friday, at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey.
Katie Wright had a lot of fun flying through the air against the best jumpers in the state Friday. The Washougal High School senior cleared the high jump bar set at 5 feet, 3 inches to get into the top three at the 2A state track and field championships, at Mt. Tahoma High School. "I wanted to make a clean 5' and then go as high as I could," Wright said. "Clearing 5-3 felt so great. I was at the height I was usually jumping and going after my PR again."