Papermade athletes are college bound

The biggest assembly of Papermakers particpated in National College Signing Day Wednesday, at Camas High School.

Eight athletes were advertised. Four more completed the final steps just in time. All of them thanked their parents, teachers, coaches, teammates, friends, family and community for their unwavering support for the past 12 years.

Tanner Aldridge will be playing football for Southern Oregon University, and plans to study criminal justice. He is a three-year varsity letterman in football, and earned the most improved player award during his senior year. Aldridge anchored the offensive line that helped guide the Papermakers to league championships and deep runs into the state playoffs during the past three seasons.

Brett Ball will play golf at Bellevue College. He has been a part of three league championship teams, and will play in his second state tournament this May. Ball is a four-time scholar athlete award winner and carries a 3.39 GPA.

Jordan Bethune is off to Montana State University-Billings to play soccer. She competed in the Olympic Development Program, and won a state championship as part of Football Club Portland. She has a 3.77 GPA, and plans to major in health.

Nicole Corbett will play basketball at Western Washington University. She has earned several letters in swimming, basketball and track and field. Corbett is maintaining a 4.0 GPA at CHS, while also taking running start courses at Clark College. She plans to major in science, with a focus on veterinary medicine.

Isaiah Ephraim is on his way to Eastern Oregon University, and will play football and run track. He has received all-league honors for kick returning and hurdling. Ephraim plans to pursue a career in education.

McKinley LeFore will play baseball for the University of Oregon. The first-team all-league pitcher also maintains a 3.9 GPA in the classroom, and has gained multiple academic achievement awards in the process.

Maddison Neely plans to play softball and pursue a nursing degree at Western Nevada College.

Victoria O’Neill will continue her love for softball at Clackamas Community College on a full tuition scholarship. She helped the Papermakers reach the state championship game in 2013, and was voted as the offensive player of the year in 2014. O’Neill carries a 3.61 GPA, and plans to study criminal justice.

James Price will play football for the University of Wyoming on a full scholarship. He is a four-year letterman in football and a two-year letterman in basketball. He also has a 3.58 GPA, and plans to pursue a chemical engineering degree. During his senior football season, Price amassed many awards including Greater St. Helens League Offensive Player of the Year, first-team all-league as a defensive back, and first-team all-state as a wide receiver. He also helped the Papermakers reach the state championship game in 2013.

Alissa Pudlitzke is going to run cross country and track for Boise State University on a full scholarship. She has a 3.62 GPA, plans to study human biology and enter the nursing field. Pudlitzke helped Camas earn three cross country state championships, two northwest region titles and two top 15 finishes at the Nike Cross Nationals. She has also gained a handful of state medals on the track.

Katie Schroeder heads to Utah State University to play softball and study exercise sciences. She has been a valuable contributor to the CHS softball program’s three district championships and a trip to the state championship game in 2013. She has received all-league honors for pitching, while logging a 3.73 GPA.

Alex Walker will play football at Central Washington University. He anchored the offensive and defensive lines for the Papermakers. During his time in uniform, Camas won four league titles, played in the state semifinals in 2012 and 2103, and reached the state championship game in 2013.

A dozen Camas High School athletes made their dreams come true on paper Wednesday.

Now, the hard work starts all over again.