Kevin Coombs asked his son, Connor, to caddy for him during the defining moment of his 42-year golf career. The general manager of the Green Mountain golf course, in Camas, will be playing in the Senior U.S. Open Championship Thursday, July 11, at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club.
Nathan Milojevic has iron in his veins. The 19-year-old from Washougal earned 30th place out of 43 competitors in the 18 to 24 age division at the Ironman Coeur d'Alene June 23. He completed a 2.4-mile swim (1:06.25), a 112-mile bike ride (6:38) and a 26.2-mile run (5:42.05) in 13 hours, 39 minutes and 51 seconds. "In those last couple of miles, when I realized how close I was, I was just stoked even though I had a hard time standing," Milojevic said. "At the end, it was like a dream. It didn't feel like it actually happened, but it did."
Alexa Efraimson's effort is getting noticed by track and field coaches across the country. The 16-year-old upcoming junior at Camas High School captured first place in the 1,500-meter race at the World Youth Track and Field Trials Wednesday, at Bob Guelker Field, inside Korte Stadium, on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Running in warm and windy conditions, Efraimson crossed the finish line in 4 minutes, 23.12 seconds. She had to eclipse the qualifying time of 4:36 to be considered for the World Youth Track and Field Championships July 10 to 14, in Donetsk, Ukraine. She was selected to Team USA Wednesday night.
Several youth soccer players took a break from their Clash at the Border tournament to cheer for the Portland Timbers U-23 team Friday night, at Doc Harris Stadium. Jose Ribas got the Timbers on the board with a goal in the 73rd minute of the game. Zack Foxhoven delivered a bicycle kicking goal that seemed to freeze time in the final ticks of regulation. The Timbers almost tied the game during stoppage time, but Washington Crossfire held on for a 3-2 victory. "It was too little, too late. We should have been attacking like that the whole game," Foxhoven said. "I hope these kids saw how hard we played at the end. A game is not over until it's over. There's always a chance to come back. I hope they can learn from our mistakes, and see how important it is to be aggressive from the very beginning."
Shredding up dirt tracks on a motorcycle has been a lifetime hobby for Alex Torres. While his friends are relaxing for the summer, Torres tells them he has a race to prepare for. A big one. The 15-year-old from Camas is going to compete in the Loretta Lynn Amateur National Championships, which take place July 28 to Aug. 3, in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. "I have the opportunity to go up against the fastest people in the country. It's going to be an exciting road trip," Torres said. "There are people who think you just sit on a bike and let the bike do all the work. It takes so much endurance and physicality. You don't understand it unless you experience a race, and do what all of us riders do out there."
No matter how many events and venues Alexa Efraimson competes in, the thrill of stepping up to the starting line never fades. "It's one of the reasons I love racing," said the 16-year-old from Camas. "I just get that feeling of excitement, and I know I'm ready to race." When she crosses the finish line, the thrill comes right back. It could be finishing in first place, attaining a new personal best time or just gaining points for her team. Efraimson relishes it all. She uses each race as a stepping stone toward the next big challenge. "I think back to all the training I've done," Efraimson said. "All of it was worth it for that one moment."
With enough shirts saved to stitch a quilt, Dan Macaya looks forward to next decade of soccer camps in Camas. What started out as just a high school senior project has turned into a career for Macaya and his friends. His camp coaches are professional soccer players, college soccer players, local high school graduates and youth soccer coaches. "The [senior] project was titled, 'the positive effect of role models on children,'" Macaya said. "I've always liked to work with kids either on the soccer field or in the classroom. A soccer camp seemed so natural." Macaya conducted a two-day camp for a Camas-Washougal Soccer Club team in that first year. He came back home from Western Washington University the next summer and did another camp for about 20 kids. By the third year, Macaya starting donating money from the camps back to the Camas School District.
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].
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