Regardless of where you look, 2016 is certain to go down as a memorable year.
The mid-valley prep sports scene was no different as several teams and individuals captured championships, broke records and soared to new heights.
The Democrat-Herald and Gazette-Times will be recapping the 2016 high school sports season in a chronological three-part series. Below is part two, a summary of this year’s spring season.
Golf
It was a fitting end to Kevin Geniza’s prolific high school career.
Geniza, a Crescent Valley senior, closed out May’s OSAA 5A state tournament with a 5-under 67 at Trysting Tree Golf Club to win his third consecutive title. Geniza finished the tournament with a 6-under 71-67—138 while CV teammate and fellow senior Alec Berrey took second with a 1-over 72-73—145.
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Lebanon senior Marcus Frazier fired a 2-over 71-75—146 to place third.
Geniza, who now plays for Oregon, sank an eight-foot birdie putt on his final hole for the exclamation point.
“I was just thinking on that last hole 'you’ve got one more (birdie) left in you,'” Geniza said after the tournament. “'This is the last hole of your high school career, so no matter what you do just smile and have fun and thank the crowd for all the support.'”
Geniza joined Siuslaw’s Jesse Schulte as the state's only three-time boys medalist.
The Raiders placed fifth in the team points race while Corvallis took eighth. The CV girls finished sixth.
At the 6A boys state tournament, West Albany junior Richie Mikesell recorded an even-par 70-74—144 at Trysting Tree to finish alone in third.
The Bulldogs tied Sunset for fifth in the team points standings.
Tennis
The Corvallis girls weren’t interested in sharing this time around.
A year after tying Ashland for the title, the Spartans pulled away from the field at May’s OSAA 5A state championships. CHS finished with 16 points, well ahead of Marist’s 13.5.
“They told me they wanted to go back to state and they wanted to win it,” CHS coach Donna Keim said after the tournament. “The first one was a co-championship and I think it made them hungrier to go and get one by themselves.”
Crescent Valley shared fourth with Wilsonville.
CHS freshman Anna Kern fell to Marist senior Madisyn Bryant in the title match, 7-5, 6-3. It was the fourth consecutive state championship for Bryant.
Teammates Courtney Romrell and Catrina Liner also placed second in doubles, falling to Bend’s Kyla Collier and Jesse Vezo, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
CV’s Megan Alder and Sara Huang took home the consolation title with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Sonja Kinney and Sabryna Adrianson of Summit.
On the boys side, CHS placed third in the team points race.
The West Albany girls claimed their fourth straight district title (two Greater Valley Conference, two Mid-Willamette Conference).
Track and field
A sore finger didn’t prevent Zack Short from breaking more records.
The Lebanon senior overcame the injury to set a new OSAA 5A boys state meet record in the shot put with a top throw of 62 feet, 8¾ inches in late May at Hayward Field.
Short, who was the event’s defending champion, re-aggravated a prior injury to his right middle finger while winning the MWC district title.
“I’m really feeling grateful to be able to compete,” Short said after the event. “I didn’t throw all week in practice, didn’t warm up at all and just did some rotation work. I was hoping for the best, didn’t know where I was at, so I was very happy with my performance.”
The toss was just off his personal and school record mark of 65-7¾. He also holds the Lebanon record in the discus at 179-10.
The Warriors, who were the defending champions, finished fourth with 57 team points, not far behind Hood River Valley (70), Marist (66) and Redmond (57.5).
An untimely injury to senior John Bates, the 2015 5A athlete of the meet, hurt their chances to repeat. Bates injured his hamstring during the long jump and was unable to compete in the 110-meter hurdles — where he was the defending champion — the 4x100 relay and the triple jump.
The East Linn Christian boys and girls both finished second at the 2A state championships. The Central Linn boys, bidding to win their sixth straight title, placed 10th. The Monroe girls took fourth.
At the 3A meet, the Harrisburg boys finished third.
Other boys state champions included Harrisburg’s Zach Phelps (3A 300 hurdles), ELCA’s Austin Linville (2A 300 hurdles), Jefferson’s 3A 4x400 relay team of Abdi Hursane, Farah Bule, Sulieman Ibrahim and Hassan Ibrahim and Scio’s 3A 4x100 relay team of Dillon Rieger, Colby Borresen, Anthony Johnson and Santiago Alvarez.
Girls champions included Santiam Christian’s Rebeka Preston (3A 400), Monroe’s Kyndal Martin (2A 100 hurdles), ELCA’s Mackenzie Wilson (2A 100), Central Linn’s Sydney Belcastro (39-9¾) and ECLA’s 4x100 (Wilson, Ericka Starr, Sydney Nichol, Dahlia Rickman) and 4x400 (Wilson, Julia Strawn, Grace Wilson, Nichol) relay teams.
Softball
Under first-year coach Ryan Borde, West Albany won the Greater Valley Conference title and finished the season with a 24-4 overall record.
The Bulldogs’ run ended abruptly with a loss to Franklin in the second round of the OSAA 6A state playoffs. Injuries to star pitchers Julia Smith-Harrington and Kelsey Broadus, who missed most of the season, were too much to overcome.
Borde was named GVC coach of the year and Smith-Harrington, who now plays at Towson, pitcher of the year. Broadus, now a freshman at Boise State, was the GVC pitcher of the year in 2015.
Lebanon also had success under a first-year manager.
Mardy Benedict, the school’s longtime girls basketball coach, guided the Warriors to the Mid-Willamette Conference title and a trip to the 5A state championship game. The Warriors, who finished the season 25-4, fell to Churchill at OSU Softball Complex, 11-3.
It was the first title-game appearance in program history.
Sophomore Lauren Christie was named MWC pitcher of the year and Benedict coach of the year.
Scio ran the table in PacWest Conference play for the second straight season and lost to Rainier in the 3A state semifinals.
Baseball
Crescent Valley won the Mid-Willamette Conference by three games and reached the OSAA 5A state semifinals before falling to Summit, the eventual champion.
The Raiders finished the season 24-6 overall.
Corvallis senior Zack Zalesky was the MWC player of the year while CV’s Ryan Starwalt won coach of the year.
Philomath claimed the Oregon West Conference title but was upset in the first round of the 4A state playoffs. Junior Austin Gerding was the OWC player of the year and Levi Webber was named coach of the year.
Looking to defend its 3A state title, Santiam Christian dropped a 5-4, 10-inning decision to Stanfield in the championship game. SC’s Matt Nosack was voted West Valley League coach of the year and senior Dru Draper player of the year.
Monroe won the 2A/1A Special District 3 title and reached the state semifinals.