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Sports

June 21, 2011
After seven months of rowing, Kayla Yraceburu advanced to the U.S. Rowing Junior Nationals June 10 to 12, on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Camas High School graduate took third in the women's youth single "B" final.

Riding a wave of discovery

Kayla Yraceburu missed her Camas High School graduation ceremony for a good reason. On the day her friends and classmates received their diplomas, she was skimming the surface of the water with the best in the nation at the U.S. Rowing Junior Nationals June 10 to 12, on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The former Papermaker finished third in the "B" consolation final of the women's youth single, with a time of 8 minutes, 52.48 seconds. This made her the ninth fastest individual rower in the nation in her event.

June 21, 2011
Heather Deuhlen proudly holds her Vancouver United Soccer Alliance Player of the Year award.

Deuhlen loves soccer with all her heart

Wherever the soccer ball is bouncing, that's where Heather Deuhlen is going. Coaches from the Vancouver United Soccer Alliance watched the 14-year-old Heartbreaker from Washougal wreaking havoc on their game plans. They also noticed that she is one of the first players to congratulate them after a hard fought match. Teamwork, sportsmanship and a love for the game are traits coaches never forget. When it came time for them to vote for the VUSA Select Soccer Player of the Year, they chose Deuhlen.

June 21, 2011
Vancouver's Michael Walsh (left) and Washougal's Patrick Johnson (right) stand in front of the Buckingham Water Fountain, at Grant Park in Chicago. More photos and an online journal are available at www.sportroadtrip.com.

A journey only sports nuts would dare

They have traveled 3,335 miles through 13 states in 13 days. The itinerary reads like a sports fan's dream come true. On Monday, Casey Johnson of Washougal and Michael Walsh of Vancouver were in Pittsburgh taking a tour of PNC Park before watching the Pirates play baseball. "PNC Park is pretty much where this whole thing started. We really wanted to get to this ballpark," Walsh said. "When we got our first look at the Major League Baseball schedule, it was very favorable for us. We are able to get to 12 games in 12 different ballparks in three weeks."

June 14, 2011
The new fitness center at Camas High School offers a variety of equipment and teaching stations to students.

Promoting health at Camas High School

When the new Camas High School opened its doors in 2003, most of the equipment inside the school's smaller weight room had aged by more than 30 years. In the week after spring break, a new weight room and fitness center opened to the campus with great fanfare. The renovated rooms are home to approximately 600 students during the school day, and are used by athletes before and after school for weight training and summer conditioning. "With the weight room and fitness center next to each other, we have a total of about 5,000 square feet," said head football coach and fitness instructor Jon Eagle. "It's really great for the kids, when you think about how we had to do things before."

June 14, 2011

A championship family man from Washougal

Stepping into a caged octagon is the newest sensation for the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Chris de la Rocha of Washougal, but family always comes first. The 32-year-old mixed martial artist works as a correctional officer and a defensive tactics instructor for Larch Corrections Center, and is a member of the regional Special Emergency Response Team. De la Rocha is happily married to Sheila, his wife of 10 years. He is also a father of two daughters, Kiersten and Carissa, and a newborn son named Quinn.

June 14, 2011
Left to right: Clark County high school gymnasts Dakota McMillan (Union), Jordan Hess (Columbia River), Amy Siebenthaler (Camas) and Amanda Bolton (Camas) represented Team Washington at the National High School Gymnastics Senior Showcase May 20 and 21, at the DiamondHead Beach Resort in Fort Myers, Fla.

High school gymnasts go out shining for Washington

A love for gymnastics took Camas High School graduates Amy Siebenthaler and Amanda Bolton all the way to Florida. Bolton and Siebenthaler competed in the 2011 National High School Gymnastics Senior Showcase, May 20 and 21, in the Estero Community Center at the DiamondHead Beach Resort in Fort Myers, Fla. They represented Team Washington with Dakota McMillan, of Union High School in Camas, Jordan Hess, from Columbia River High School in Vancouver, and nine other girls from Tacoma and Seattle.

June 7, 2011
Nico Lema Severich (center) became good friends on the Washougal tennis courts with Patrick McCarthy (left) and Eyan Cagle (right). The three Panthers played in the state tournament May 27 amd 28 in Seattle.

An unforgettable year in Washougal

Bolivia is home for Nico Lema Severich, but Washougal will always hold a special place in his heart. By playing on the Washougal High School tennis and soccer teams, the 17-year-old foreign exchange student feels he has become a Panther for life. On May 29, Lema Severich earned third place in the single's bracket of the state tennis tournament in Seattle. He also helped the Panther soccer team win a home playoff game, on May 10.

June 7, 2011
Catching a fish brings a smile to a kid's face during the 2011 Camas Moose Lodge fishing derby.

Catching fish and sunshine with friends at Lacamas Lake

The sun was shining, the fish were biting and the kids were smiling. A total of 21 special needs students from Liberty Middle School caught their limit of five fish Friday, during the 2011 Camas Moose Lodge fishing derby at Lacamas Lake.

May 31, 2011
Parker Roland, Nate Beasley, Drew White and Adam Allison (inset, left to right) celebrate the first of seven goals for the Camas boys soccer team in the final four. Beasley scored two goals in the finals and one in the semifinals.

Brothers become state champions

Twenty eleven goes down as the year of redemption for the Camas High School boys soccer program. After losing in the state semifinals in 2010, and the first game of 2011, the Papermakers won their last 20 matches of the season. They did not stop scoring goals and slamming the door on opposing offenses until they were crowned state champions. "After what happened last year, it's nice to be able to come back here and win it all as seniors," said Drew Gourlie. "This is the way you want to go out."