Emily Thomas enjoys life on the run. The 22-year-old Camas High School and Gonzaga University graduate is just hitting her stride. Next, she's off to Regis University, in Denver, to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. "It's just one more year after my master's," she said. "Might as well go for it all and become a doctor by the time I'm 25. Then I can really start my life."
You can't start a fire without a spark. New Washougal High School volleyball coach Mallorie Thompson hopes her passion for the game can ignite the program after several losing seasons. "I love that fire, intensity and excitement of the game," she said. "You can't find it in any other sport."
Alex Torres just made his dream come true. He is one of the 1,386 Americans who are going to race at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Torres, a 15-year-old from Camas, qualified for the AMA Loretta Lynn National Motocross Championship, July 28 to Aug. 3, in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. He spent the last four months working his way to the top of his region to earn this opportunity. Call (503) 867-7167 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
Taylor Williams got the call he had been waiting for his whole life Friday. The Milwaukee Brewers selected the 21-year-old Camas pitcher in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft. Williams was the 122nd pick overall. "It's amazing and surreal," said the 2010 Camas High School graduate. "Ever since I started playing baseball, this has been a dream and a goal in my life. "I've worked so hard for this moment," Williams added. "I thank my family and friends for being there with me every step of the way. I thank the community of Camas, as a whole. Every coach and every teammate I've had growing up have been a factor in me getting drafted."
The Camas High School softball team will not settle on being second best. "As painful as it was to be so close to winning the state tournament, there's nothing to be ashamed about getting this," said head coach Ken Nidick to the girls as he held up the second place trophy at the award's banquet. "There are 50 other teams in the state who would have given their left arm to be in our position. We've been to the state tournament three times in the last five years. If you continue to work hard, you're going to raise that state championship trophy for Camas again."
Ever since she was a freshman at Portland's Wilson High School, Rachel Webb dreamed of coaching a high school girls basketball team. She recalls an encounter with a young girl struggling to shoot the ball into the basket as a moment that changed her life. "She couldn't even hit the backboard," Webb said. "But after I gave her just a few pointers, she started making them. Swish, swish, swish. I got goosebumps."
Just after 11 a.m. Friday, Taylor Williams got the phone call he had been waiting for his whole life. The Milwaukee Brewers selected the 21-year-old Camas pitcher in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft. Williams was the 122nd pick overall. "It's amazing and surreal," said the 2010 Camas High School graduate. "Ever since I started playing baseball, this has been a dream and a goal in my life. "I've worked so hard for this moment," Williams added. "I thank my family and friends for being there with me every step of the way. I thank the community of Camas, as a whole. Every coach and every teammate I've had growing up have been a factor in me getting drafted today."
Charlie Hinds is now a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. But the words he heard from former colleauges, wrestlers and friends during Saturday's open house celebration at Liberty Middle School, in Camas, touched his heart in more ways than any national recognition could. "This is an award that Camas can share because it's something that Camas did," Hinds said. "I got the opportunity to work with some great coaches and athletic directors. Camas fans love their teams. We always had packed houses for the wrestling matches. We also had some amazing wrestlers who worked hard, were willing to follow and became great leaders when the time called for it. If it wasn't important to them, it would just be a wrestling match."
CAMAS HIGH SCHOOL Girls track and field Track Athlete of the Year — Alexa Efraimson.
The world is about to change for Washougal's Tanner Baldwin. On July 1, the 16-year-old is on his way to New Zealand for four days and Australia for three days to wrestle in three different tournaments. After that, he will enjoy three days at Waikiki, in Oahu, Hawaii. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Baldwin said. "I'm excited to meet other wrestlers from all over the country and the world. I just want to take in all the wrestling and the culture."
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