Cardinals, Bulldogs Go To State

WAITSBURG - Cardinals and Bulldogs from throughout the Touchet Valley made it into the state playoffs for softball, track and field, and golf this week.

By deadline on Tuesday night, Cardinal Dakota Baker and Bulldog Dain Henderson made the next round in the golf tournament at the Meadow Park Golf Course in Tacoma, tying one another for 10th with a score of 84, 12 above par.

That means the two valley players are among the last remaining 40 high school students who were expected to advance to Wednesday's final round.

"I'm excited knowing he's in the top 10," said Brenda Baker, Baker's mother who learned of the news while driving bus for the Waitsburg school district.

As a freshman last year, her son tied for the last spot to go to state but "chocked" in the tie breaker and didn't travel to the state tournament.

Fourteen Cardinals and one Bulldog advanced to the state track and field meet that starts in Cheney on Friday. The Waitsburg Prescott athletes include: Antonio Thompkins (Jubilee), James Thompkins (Jubilee), Seth Deal, Jared Morris, Billy Brown, Eshom Estes, Alex Dill, D.J. Leroue, Logan Dozier, Kristin Potter, Ronnie Hulce, Kayla Huxoll, Yesenia Escalante and Krystal Harris.

The lone Dayton competitor to advance to state is Adam Strohbehn, who made a long jump of 19'1" during last week's district championship meet at Martin Field in Walla Walla.

The Cardinals will compete in sprints, distance runs, shot, javelin, discus, hurdles and relay.

Meanwhile, the Lady Bulldogs beat WP last Friday to advance to the state playoffs at Yakima's Gateway Complex. They play the Reardan Indians at 9 a.m. on Friday in the first of a doubleelimination round. The last time the lady Bulldogs went to state was in 2008, when they won their first game but lost the second and third game.

Seniors Kayla Turner, Claire Lyman, Taylor DeRuwe and Rowene Huwe were freshmen at the time.

"They're all very excited," assistant coach Desirea Jones said about the younger and older players alike. "We're just going to enjoy ourselves and get a few wins."

Football head coach Dean Bickelhaupt, whose daughter McKayla is on the Dayton team, said it's the second time this year that many of the girls go to a state tournament after the team went to Yakima last fall for the volleyball playoffs.

"They won in basketball and now in softball, and McKayla is only a sophomore," Bickelhaupt said. "She's pretty jazzed."

If the Bulldogs win, they play again at 7 p.m. on Friday. If they lose, they play at 3 p.m. The team leaves Dayton at 1 p.m. on Thursday.