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Local Swimmers Experience Successes at Summer Meets

Local swimmers from Columbia River Swim Team (CRST) and Lacamas Headhunters have seen a lot of competition this season with the Summer Blast Swim meet series, Senior Sectionals, State Championship, and now at Futures National Championship, which is located in Santa Clara, CA.

The Summer Blast series is designed to keep the athletes swimming competitively while preparing for the larger events. Senior Sectionals brought swimmers from all over the Western US region (including college-level athletes), and saw some gains and improved personal times for both clubs. CRST swimmers are in peaking training mode with twice-a-day practices at two pools.

“It’s a pretty intense time,” said CRST swimmer, Max Dolbinin. “We’ve been focusing on the larger meets.”

CRST coach Darlene Hill has been pleased with results from State, and says her team is currently seeing personal bests at Futures this weekend.

“We’ve had several successes this summer,” said Hill. “The kids have been working hard.”

Ilia Zablotovskii swims in the 200 M Medley Relay at Senior Sectionals.

 

Swim

Mark Kim, of Lacamas Headhunters Swim Club, at warm-ups at Senior Sectionals.

 

Maddie Wick at Summer Blast #3.

State Long Course Competition

State competition, held just last week at Mt. Hood Community College, also saw gains and improvements for the swimmers.

Here are some State stats from local club swimmers:

  • Madison Wick, CRST: 50 Free (29.40) – 2nd place
  • Annette Chang, CRST: 50 Free (29.40) – 3rd place
  • Justin Xue, CRST: 50 Free (26.58) – 3rd place
  • Tom Utas, CRST: 50 Free (24.15) – 2nd place
  • Avery Gunderson, CRST: 200 Breaststroke (2:54.54)
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 100 Breastroke (1:08.96) – 2nd place
  • Madison Wick, CRST: 100 Back (1:15.37) – 3rd place
  • Annette Chang, CRST: 50 Free (1:15.83) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, CRST: 200 Back (2:16.17) – 2nd place
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 200 IM (2:16.02) – 3rd place
  • Andrew Chang, CRST: 200 IM (2:20.52)
  • Jace Creech, Lacamas HH: 200 IM (2:30.47)
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Free (28.53) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 100 Fly (1.08.01) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Back (33.00) – 1st place – 11 y/o
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 50 Fly (30.60) – 1st place – 11 y/0
  • Sammy Empey, CRST: 100 Free (1:02.04) – 1st place – 11 y/0
  • Nathan Kim, Lacamas HH: 50 Back (33.63) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, CRST: 400 Free (4:25.64) – 3rd place
  • Finn McClone, Ilia Zablotovskii, Jacob McCarthy, Christian Madden, CRST: 200 M Medley Relay (1:53.65)
  • Alex Wahlman, Steven Wu, Caden Lee, Sammy Empey: 400 M Free Relay (4:37.90) 3rd place 11 y/o
  • Nick Wahlman, CRST: 200 Fly (2:25.25) – 2nd place
  • Tom Utas, CRST: 100 Free (53:34) – 2nd place
  • Max Dolbinin, CRST: 100 Free (54.23) – 2nd place
  • Ilia Zablotovskii, Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 400 Free Relay (3:36.88) 1st place
  • Eric Wu, CRST: 400 IM (4:43.31) – 1st place
  • Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Illia Zablotovskii, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 200 Free Relay (1:38.45)
  • Nick Wahlman, CRST: 200 Breaststroke (2:32.95) – 2nd place
  • Eric Wu, Tom Utas, Finn McClone, Max Dolbinin, CRST: 800 M Relay (8.08.27) – 1st place

Futures National Championships

These championships, located in Santa Clara, CA, are open to swimmers who are members of USA Swimming, and who have achieved the published time standard in one or more events.

“It’s a great pool, exciting to race all the fast swimmers around,” said Dolbinin, of the Futures National. This is his second time to attend this meet.

Currently, CRST swimmers has seen personal best times at this meet. Current stats are as follows:

  • Max Dolbinin: 200 Free (1:59.9) – PR
  • Tom Utas: 100 Fly (59.6) – PR
  • Eric Wu: 100 Breaststroke (1:09.1)
  • Eric Wu: 100 Fly (58.77)
Swim

From right: Tom Utas and Max Dolbinin at Futures National Championship, in Santa Clara, CA.

Swim

From left: Finn McClone, Tom Utas, Max Dolbinin, and Eric Wu.

More details to follow. The meet ends on Sunday, August 6.

To learn more, visit www.crstwaveriders.org and www.lacamasheadhunters.com

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Today’s August First Friday: “Small Town Summer Fun!”

First Friday in Camas is coming today with a focus on “Small Town Summer Fun” with the fun beginning at 5 pm in downtown Camas on 4th Avenue. The festivities end at 8 pm.

Due to the heat, several of the outdoor games and crafts are moving indoors.  

Downtown shops, restaurants, galleries, and the Liberty Theatre will have their air conditioning to keep things nice and cool. Stop by Journey at 304 NE Birch for games, crafts, and your activity list for the evening.

First Friday Activities

  • Play the “Guess the Missing Word” game in downtown businesses & earn tickets to win great summer prizes!
  • Outdoor fun & games including duckie race, marble grab, cornhole, ring toss, and more with prizes (*most will be brought inside Journey due to the heat)
  • Woo-hoo! 3 Ribbon Cuttings and Grand Opening Celebrations for Salon 904 at 5pm, 904 NE 2nd; Camas Beauty Bar at 5:15pm, 210 NE 4th; and Salud! Wine Bar-Event-Center-Wine Storage at 5:30pm, 224 NE 3rdAvenue. All are invited.
  • Free kids’ painting sponsored by The Paint Roller Mobile Paint Party
  • Make a paper boat and see if it floats!
Friday

Artist working on 4th Avenue in downtown Camas.

To learn more, visit www.downtowncamas.com

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Camas, Washougal Cities Offer Cooling Stations During Heat Wave

The cities of Camas and Washougal are opening COOLING STATIONS this week due to the extreme heat warning for the Pacific Northwest.

The City of Camas is extending hours at the Camas Public Library.

“The Camas Public Library will be utilized as a cooling center to provide relief to those trying to keep cool,” said Camas City Councilwoman, Bonnie Carter. “Library hours have been extended — from 10 am to 8 pm.”

The City of Washougal will be opening COOLING STATIONS all week at the municipal complex in downtown Washougal, which is located at 1701 C Street, as follows:

  • Tuesday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Wednesday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Thursday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)
  • Friday – City Hall and Library (8 am-5 pm), Community Center (5-9 pm)

There are also several churches with the community participating in the relief effort. Look for the COOLING STATION signs throughout Washougal.

CRESA has information regarding ways and places to stay cool. Clark County Public Health, in coordination with CRESA, has also released information about how to avoid over-heating and the prevention of health-related illness.

 

 

 

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WA State Champion Swimmers Face Senior Sectionals This Week

Mt. Hood Community College, OR — Several of the best local swimmers, including many with Washington State titles, will convene at the 2017 Speedo Western Region Section Championships this Thursday for a four-day event that drives athletic excellence.

Swimmers from as far away as Colorado and Arizona will descend on Mt. Hood Community College to compete in 36 individual and relay events. For some, this is an essential stop, or preparation for Future Nationals in August, which is an even more significant meet. 

The Camas High School (CHS) Boys Swim team won the State title in February, which comprised athletes from multiple private swim clubs — Columbia River Swim Team (CRST), Lacamas Headhunters, and Pacific Athletic Club (PAC). It was the first time in 50 years a high school swim team south of Tacoma won the prized victory. Several won individual and relay events.

Many of those same State Champion swimmers, representing their private clubs, have been getting ready for the past weeks and months, trying erase seconds and milli-seconds off their event times.

Mark Kim, representing Lacamas, is the 2017 200 Free Washington State High School Champion (1:40.76) and will be competing in the 100 Free, 400 Free, and 1500 Free events at Senior Sectionals, as well as several relays. He and his brother, Jaden Kim, also won the State High School title in the 200 Free Relay (1:26.82) with Eric Wu and Tom Utas. Jaden, also representing Lacamas, is competing in the 200 Fly, 200 Free, 100 Fly and 50 Free this week.

Swim

Eric Wu in the 400 IM.

Utas, a Camas High School graduate, is also the Washington State 50 Free Champion (21.07) setting a new team record. He added another record placing 3rd in the 100 Free with a time of 46.74. Utas will compete in the 100 Free, 200 Free, 100 Fly, and 50 Free events this week, representing CRST.

Max Dolbinin, a recent Heritage High School graduate, placed 4th in the 100 Free (47.25) and 5th in the 50 Free (21.50) at State. Representing CRST, he will be competing in the 100 Free, 200 Free Bonus, 100 Fly, and 50 Free events this week.

Finn McClone added to the Papermaker Championship in February with 7th place in the 100 Free (48.85) and 5th place in the 100 Back (54.27).

Wu competes in an incredible six events at Senior Sectionals: 100 Breastroke, 200 Free, 400 IM, 100 Breastroke, 100 Fly, and 200 IM.

In total, CRST is sending 10 swimmers. Avery Gunderson, Andrew Chang, Christian Madden, Benjamin Phelps, Nick Wahlman, and Ilia Zablotovskii have been training rigorously for the meet.

“I’m just trying to drop time in my events and hopefully that can put me into finals,” said Chang. “This summer is just about closing out my high school career strong, and set myself up well for college.”

Dolbinin says “Sectionals is a prep meet for Futures, and I want to get good times to have a good spot at Futures, and see what else I have to work on before Futures.”

To learn more, visit: Senior Sectionals

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Local Aviation Association Offers Fun Plane Rides This Weekend

Grove Field, WA — As part of the upcoming Camas Days festivities, the Camas Washougal Aviation Association (CWAA) is hosting two fun events — a Steak Feed Fundraiser this Saturday, and an Open House/Public Plane Ride on Sunday.

“The  Sunday Open House is for our Aviation Association that is based at Grove Field,” said Terah Brice,  CWAA Treasurer and Social Committee Chair. “The funds go towards several scholarship offerings ranging from Aviation Education, Summer Camp financial aid for the week long, the youth camp that we put on every July and also funding for local future pilots to help cover costs of obtaining their private pilots license from our field. So it can cover fuel, airplane rentals, ground schooling or help pay for their flight instructor.”

Costs are $25 per ride.

CWAA member pilots are volunteering their time and planes to give the public a look into what general aviation is really all about, as well as to open up our invitation for people to join and be active with the organization, said Brice.

“Or to give them an opportunity to look into pursuing education or flight training,” she said. “We will be selling rode tickets from 10-2:30pm but often have pilots in the air until after 6pm. We are hoping for a food truck or will have popcorn, hotdogs, chips and water available.”

The annual CWAA events are a fun part of the Camas Days celebration.

Aviation

CWAA pilot gets ready to depart Grove Field.

CWAA Steak Feed

The Steak feed will be held Saturday, July 22 from 5-9 pm costs $20 at the door (gate) and it’s right on the airfield at 632 NE 267th in Camas. CWAA tosses tents up and visitors may eat alongside the runway. There will be raffle baskets donated by downtown shops and restaurants, which will include anything from gift certificates to trinkets to large items. The time is 5-9pm for that. Guests can mingle and have one-on-one talks with pilots if they are interested in pursuing aviation or are simply curious.

@cwaagrovefield

To learn more, visit www.cwaagrovefield.org/home

 

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State Baseball Tournament: Camas LL 12U All Stars Fall to Marysville

Federal Way, WA — The Camas 12U All-Star baseball team fell to Marysville, 6-5, on Saturday at the Washington State Little League Tournament, and face West Valley tonight in a must-win game.

The boys fought back after falling down by four runs in the fourth inning during Game 1. Their comeback fell short, though. The Camas All-Stars scored three runs in the failed comeback on a home run by Zach Blair, and a groundout by Jackson Knuth.

Camas stayed right with Marysville into the fourth inning, when Marysville hit a home run. Marysville captured the lead in the first inning when player #7 drove in a run when he was walked with bases loaded. Camas knotted the game up at two in the bottom of the third inning when Blair drove in one run when he homered, with zero outs.

The Camas starting lineup:

  • Zach Blair
  • Easton McCarty
  • Carson Gilligan
  • Justin Taylor
  • Jackson Knuth
  • Tyler Stewart
  • Stephen Behil
  • Ethan Hubbell
  • Canon Bauman

Tonight is a must-win for the boys to continue tournament play.

The Camas 12U All-Star team won the District 4 Tournament last Monday night, and were undefeated in post-season play until Saturday’s game. The team is coached by Casey Taylor.

To learn more, visit www.camasll.com

 

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CRST Swimmers Gain Momentum for Long Course Championships

Vancouver, WA — The Columbia River Swim Team (CRST) is in peak training season with twice-a-day practices as the team prepares for the Long Course State Championships in late July, and Future Nationals in August.

The club team, and its dozens of members practice at Cascade Athletic Club in Vancouver, and also at Mt. Hood Community College for some of its long distance events. For most, they compete all year long, battling cold swimming pools, inclement weather (even in June) as the swimmers jump from a cold pool onto the rainy cold deck, and discuss improvements with their coach Darlene Hill, or Mike Bemis, who themselves struggle to maintain body warmth for hours.

Practices focus on building endurance, improving kicks and strokes, relay exchanges, timing, and dry land strength training — to name a few topics. The swimmers take their sport seriously, acknowledge the work involved, but are able to joke about the experience.

“We smell like chlorine all the time,” said a smiling Max Dolbinin, 18, who graduated from Heritage High School in June. “And it kind of bleaches your hair, especially during summer. We get these facial goggle tanlines, and those changing Speedo tanlines.”

Then, a laughing Andrew Chang chimes in.

“Sometimes you have problems untying your suit,” said Chang, 18, who graduated from Union High School in June. “You have to change slowly because the string can get really messed up.”

CRST

CRST practices. By Max Dolbinin.

 

CRST

Max Dolbinin swims.

They laugh at themselves, but they also love what they do.

“I’m a sprinter,” said Dolbinin. “I compete in the 50 Freestyle, Butterfly and Breaststroke. And, I do this because this sport is really competitive, and it takes a lot of strength — both physically and mentally. I really like the competition, and the friends that we make.”

The 10-year swimming veteran said he appreciates the friendships most.

“We see each other twice a day, with two-hour practices,” Dolbinin added. “And, you just really become good friends.”

Chang, also a 10-year swimmer, said he just loves being in the water.

“It soothes me, it’s my way to relax and de-stress from the pressures of the day,” Chang said. “We make good friends also, and you get to meet people from all over the state.”

Chang said people think swimming is easy, but that’s not so.

“They don’t see all the training and preparation that comes with it, “Chang said. “They don’t understand the amount of physical strength that comes with it. It’s a hard sport. It’s high intensity all the time.”

Chang will be swimming at Carleton College this Fall in Minnesota, and looks forward to continue swimming competitively.

Maddy Wick, 12, is preparing herself for State, and will compete in the Backstroke, Butterfly and Freestyle. Annette Chang is also competing in the same events. Lily Seitz said she’s working on Butterfly.

CRST

Sammy Empty completes a late night event at Summer Blast #2.

Twelve-year-old Sammy Empey set a new 11-12 year old record in the 200 Fly at Summer Blast 2 in June.  Empey’s time was 2:50.33, which surpassed Chang’s long-held record by 7 seconds.

“I swim because it’s fun to me,” said Empey. “I just love the competition. I mainly compete in the Butterfly and Freestyle sprints. I may do IM’s in the future, we’ll see.”

The swimmers compete at Summer Blast #3 today at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. The meet is way for them to prepare for State.

To learn more, visit www.crstwaveriders.org

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Camas 11/12 All-Star Team Wins Districts

Vancouver, WA — The Camas Little League 11/12 All-Star Baseball team handily won the District 4 Championship Monday night against Fort Vancouver with a final score of 12-2. The win propels the 14-member team onto the Washington State Little League tournament, which begins Saturday, July 15.

The undefeated (4-0) Camas team “10-runned” the competition in every tournament game.

During the Championship game, Cannon Bauman pitched the entire game — 79 pitches — and didn’t allow any runs until the fourth inning.

Offensively, Zach Blair got things going in the first inning with a base hit. A double from Justin Taylor brought Zach “Z-Train” in to score the first run of the night. Taylor stole third. Holt Williams got a base hit, bringing in Taylor to score.

At the top of the second inning, Bauman struck out three Fort batters in a row.

Tyler Stewart hit a double, and Caisen Burr followed with a double RBI, bringing Camas ahead 3-0.

Fort found their bats during the third inning, and got on base once, but the Camas defense held them.

At the bottom of the third inning, Jackson Knuth hit the only home run of the night, bringing the score to 4-0, but Camas wasn’t done yet. Hits by Bauman, Stewart, Burr, Cade Gehlen, Blair, and Carson Gilligan added another 5 runs to the scoreboard. It was Camas 9-0 by the top of four.

All-Stars

The District 4 Little League All-Star Champions.

A little breeze was blowing for Fort during the fourth inning. They got one base hit, and a couple walks. Defensively, Bauman was showing signs of fatigue, throwing a few more balls than he had previously. Fort scored two.

Fort walked a couple Camas players, and eventually bases were loaded. The game came to a quiet stop with  two walks that gave Camas the 10-run advantage.

The team will take Tuesday off, and then continue practicing on Wednesday night as they prepare for State.

“We stayed even keeled and didn’t allow failure to determine what we did next,” said Coach Casey Taylor. “To prepare for State, we won’t let the moment overcome us. We’ll just play baseball.”

Jackson Knuth was really pleased what his team accomplished during the All-Star tournament.

“Well, we went out right from the get-go, and we just hit really well,” Knuth said. “We were focused. Fort had a great tournament. We came out and had fun.”

To learn more, visit www.camasll.com

All-Stars

Cannon Bauman pitched the entire game — 79 pitches.

All-Star Championship Game Photos

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Papermakers Win Rutschman Wood Bat Tournament

Hillsboro, OR — The Camas Papermakers 18U Varsity Baseball team handily beat Columbia River, 10-0, in five innings Sunday night to win the 2017 Ad Rutschman Wood Bat Tournament.

The Papermakers went undefeated during the three-day tournament.

During the Championship game, the Papermakers took an early lead, 4-0, at the bottom of the first inning and stayed focus during the entire game. Ryan Potter pitched the entire game, not allowing a single run.

The boys hit well Sunday night. Jacob Trupp hit two deep into left field.

“We did a good job offensively,” said Head Coach, Stephen Short. “Our opponents didn’t play a real clean game, but we took advantage of it. Gavin Holley had a real good night tonight. We did a good job of running the bases and taking advantage of mistakes. Obviously Ryan Potter did a real nice job on the mound.”

The boys have been traveling extensively for the past few weeks, and placed a close second in the Firecracker Tournament in West Linn a week ago.

Their next home game is July 11 against Reynolds, and will then travel to Kelso to play a Legion team. Camas will then host a few games, play in another tournament, and then play in a big GSL tournament after that.

“The GSL tournament will be a good test for us to see really where we’re at,” said Short. “We will play some high level teams, and that will give us a good indication of where we are. We’re focused on getting better and enjoying our time together. I feel like that’s happened.”

 

Rutschman

Ryan Potter pitches.

Rutschman Tournament Photo Gallery

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Two Camas Baseball Teams Head For Championships

Two Camas baseball teams are heading for their respective tournament championship games today and Monday. Fresh off winning their semi-finals today (18-0 vs. Mt. Adams), the Camas Little League 11/12 All-Star Team plays in the District 4 championship game on Monday at 5:30 pm at David Douglas Park, home of Columbia Little League.

The Camas Papermakers 18U Varsity team won their semi-final (10-5 vs. Hillsboro Spartans) game Saturday night at Rutschman Stadium, which is home to the Hillsboro High School Spartans. The Papermakers are playing in the Hillsboro Wood Bat Tournament. The Championship game starts at 5:30 pm today at Hillsboro High School against Columbia River.

Baseball

Gideon Malychewski pitches at Hillsboro.

Both teams are undefeated in their respective tournaments.

The All-Star team, which is coached by Casey Taylor, Bryce Gehlen, and Bryan Williams, will play the winner of today’s 4 pm game on Monday at 5:30 pm. The winner of the District 4 Tournament Championship will represent District 4 at State, which will be held in Federal Way, WA.

The Papermakers team, which is coached by Stephen Short, has been playing an aggressive summer schedule with multiple tournaments and regular games. During the semi-finals, they pitched brothers Sam and Gideon Malychewski.

To learn more about Little League, visit www.camasll.com 

Baseball Photo Gallery

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