After making a run to the state title game in baseball the previous year, 2023 ended a little too soon for Lebanon, as the Warriors made an early exit in the quarterfinals, losing 4-0 at Thurston, which then went on to win the championship over West Albany, 2-1.
Lebanon opened the playoffs with a 2-1 win over Putnam at home on May 23, but got off to a bad start at Thurston on May 26.
The Colts did the damage early, leading 4-0 after three innings, at which point Tyler Walker and the Warriors shut them down for the remainder of the game. But Lebanon couldn’t generate enough offense at the plate to get runners around the diamond.
Matt Woodward had a double in the second, but was stranded, and Walker led off with a single in the third, getting to second on a bunt by Sam Thompson, but didn’t make it any further.
Bryant Starr reached third in the fourth inning on a deep fly ball by Ryan Rivers, but was stranded there.
In the seventh, the Warriors put two runners on, but were unable to score.
Walker put in a gutty performance for five innings, and Bryce Harmon pitched a perfect sixth, striking out one, but Lebanon finished with the loss and a 22-7 record.
ELCA Track and Field
East Linn Christian had the big finish in track, as the Eagle boys won the 2A state title.
East Linn scored 53 points, behind individual wins from seniors Aidan Morgan and Keleo Wellman. Weston-McEwen was second with 47 points, followed by Delphian (44) and Blanchet (43.5).
East Linn’s girls were eighth, with 30.5 points, as Bandon edged Heppner 61-58 for the team title.
For the boys, Morgan won the 110 hurdles (15.43) and was fourth in the 200 (23.55), while anchoring the Eagles to third in the 4×100 with juniors Josh Cowart and Elliot Nofziger and senior Kaleo Wellman.
Wellman won the long jump title, going 22-0¼, and also was state champion in the triple jump with a leap of 44-8¾,.
Nofziger went 6-0¾ in the high jump to finish third, also placing sixth in the long jump 19-6¾ and eighth in the triple (39-6).
On the girls side, most of the points came from sophomore Daisy Lalonde, who won the 1500 in a PR of 4:56.36 and the 3000 (10:30.34) and placed fourth in the pole vault by clearing 7-6, also a PR.
Freshman Lexy Kauffman was seventh in the 200 (27.73) and helped teammates Anna Gozelski, a senior, sophomore Ruby Cowan and junior Ruby Lane to seventh in the 4×100 (52.91). Cowan, Lane, Lalonde and Kauffman were also seventh in the 4×400 (4:27.13).
Lebanon Track and Field
Lebanon’s boys finished in four-way tie for 15th in the 5A state championships, with Springfield, North Eugene, Silverton, scoring 14 points. Summit, having moved down from 6A, swept both the boys and girls titles.
Crescent Valley was the top MVC boys finisher, in fourth with 41, followed by South Albany in fifth with 37.
For the Warriors, sophomore Carlos Villafana-Garcia was the top finisher with fourth place in the javelin, throwing 162-4. He was trailed by teammate Gabe Allise-Jester, also a sophomore, who was 10th with a best of 144-8.
Senior Jackson Parrish was fifth in the triple jump, with a best of 43-7.
Parrish was 10th in the long jump after scratching his first two attempts and finishing with one legal jump of 20-6¼.
He and sophomore Grant Harris tied for 12th in the high jump, both finishing at 5-8.
The girls tied for 20th with Hillsboro, with nine points. Corvallis was the top MVC finisher wiin eight place with 26 points.
Senior Sadie Voight was sixth in the 300 hurdles (49.05), whilc sophomore Cadence Graves finished 10th in a personal best of 49.49.
Junior Alyse Fountain was eighth in the 100 (12.95), and the 200 (26.70).
Fountain and Pickles teamed with senior Taylor Roles and junior Hayden Knutson to help the Warriors to sixth in the 4×100 (50.52). Voight, Graves, Roles and Pickles finished 14th in the 4×400, in 4:18.
Senior Aurora Torresi was sixth in the javelin 120-2, and senior Hallie Miller just missed a medal with a ninth-place finish of 108-0.
Freshman Addilynne Pickles was fifth in the 400, but scratched all three of her attempts in the long jump (she was the only freshman in the field).
Sophomores Taryn Cornell and Teagen Cornell had a rough day in the shot, finishing 11th with a best of 33-3 ¾ , and 14th respectively after scratching twice and getting off one legal throw, 31-6½, out of the medals.
