By James Day
The Silverton High dance team competed in three events at the Dec. 1 State Categories Championship in Tualatin, which featured 36 teams. The Foxes came home with third-place finishes in two of the categories, lyrical and jazz. The team also completed in hip hop.
Coach Emily Sword choreographed the jazz performance and coach Paula Magee choreographed in lyrical. Also on the coaching staff is Alex Reese.
The team captains are Leah Geck, Monica Steele, Jordan Teeney and Renae Stratton.
Silverton qualified for the Tualatin meet by finishing first in lyrical, first in jazz and second in hip hop at a competition at South Albany High School.
In other bits and pieces:
The Chemeketa Community College men’s soccer team, coached by Silverton resident Marty Limbird, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges tournament before losing 1-0 to eventual champion Peninsula of Port Angeles, Wash.
Silverton boys basketball ace Zach Gengler still is committed to Portland State, said Foxes Coach Darren Shryock, but he chose not to sign a letter-of-intent during the early signing period, Nov. 14-21. The next signing period begins April 17.
The Foxes are off to a 2-1 start this season, with wins against Sprague and North Eugene and a loss to Churchill of Eugene.
Tri-River Conference champion Kennedy dominated the all-conference football team. Trojans coach Randy Traeger was named coach of the year and Jonathan Venegas and Nathan Bielenberg were named co-running back and co-lineman of the year, respectively.
Venegas was named to the first team at running back and linebacker. Bielenberg was a first-teamer on both the offensive and defensive lines. Two other Kennedy players were named first team on offense and defense: Blake Traeger (defensive back/tight end) and Daniel Glaede (offensive line/defensive line). Others named to first team were wide receiver Sam Moreno and defensive back Ricky Parker.
Earning second-team honors were quarterback Noah Giberson, wide receiver Darren Garza, defensive back Wyatt Rodriguez, linebacker Moreno and kicker Alex Snegirev.
Former Silverton High player Tyler Hagen was named to the all-Cascade Collegiate Conference soccer team for Corban University. Hagen, a 5-foot-7 midfielder, tied for the team lead in points with 14 on four goals and a team-high six assists. The senior and team co-captain, who previously played at Chemeketa and with the Cascade Surge of the Premier Development League, started all 18 games. In conference play he ranked in the top 10 in five statistical categories and led the league in assists.
Former Fox player Sierra Brusven, a sophomore midfielder, played all 16 games and started twice for the Corban women’s team.
Hannah Deede, a 6-2 sophomore from Silverton, helped Western Oregon’s volleyball team to a 21-6 overall record and a 14-4 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Deede, who transferred from Gonzaga, had 72 kills, 17 services ace, 88 digs, and 56 blocks. She started 15 matches and played 61 sets for the Wolves, who finished tied for second in the GNAC with Central Washington.
Sophomore wide receiver Derek Traeger, a Kennedy grad, hauled in 12 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown for Willamette University. Traeger also returned three kickoffs for 49 yards and rushed one time for 18 yards.
Junior cross country runner Aaron Molstad of Silverton placed 48th for George Fox in the NWC championships and took 77th in the NCAA West Regional.
