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By JEFF GOODMAN
Last year, there were
about 50 boys and girls on
the Canby swimming team.
Roughly half of those were
seniors.
And while the Cougars’
roster hasn’t shrunk this
season — it’s actually
grown thanks to the influx
of many new athletes —
coach
Eric
Laitinen
acknowledges there will be
a transition phase for his
program.
“It’s definitely a rebuild-
ing year,” he said. “I have
about 60 kids, and probably
a third of those are fresh-
men. I really don’t know
what to expect. There are so
many new people. I do have
a couple surprises — a few
who look like they can real-
ly help the team. But this
year is more of a learning
year for a lot of them.”
On the boys side, Canby
is led by juniors Ryan Cully
and Christian Meza as well
as
sophomore
Cole
DeRisio.
Cully, the defending dis-
trict champion in the 50-
yard freestyle race, was the
team’s lone male represen-
tative at the Class 6A state
championships last year.
Meza and DeRisio also
played key roles last sea-
son.
Like last year, Laitinen
said, the sprints and relays
will likely be strong suits
for the boys.
On the girls side, it will
be difficult for the Cougars
to replace a talented senior
group that included Carrie
Kralovec, Krissy Peterson
and Tonja Polack, among
others.
Kralovec, the squad’s
only female representative
at the state meet last year, is
now on the swimming roster
at the Colorado School of
Mines, a Division II univer-
sity.
“I just don’t have any-
body coming in to fill those
spots,” Laitinen said. “It’ll
happen in the next couple
years with kids coming up
from the club team.”
Laitinen said Kendra
Olsen and Carson Manning
will make major contribu-
tions for the girls, who
placed fifth out of seven
teams with 122 points at last
year’s district meet. Olsen
and Manning have both
competed on the Canby
Gators club team over
which
Laitinen
has
presided.
Canby’s season begins
Dec. 4 with a home meet
against Glencoe at the
Canby
Swim
Center.
Conference
competition
starts Dec. 12 with a road
meet against Oregon City.
It’s almost like a brand-
new team,” Laitinen said.
“Our league is tough, so I’m
really going to focus on
more of a long-term
answer.”
| DECEMBER 4, 2013 | PAGE 17 |
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By JEFF GOODMAN
What the Canby wrestling
team was able to accomplish
last year came despite its
lack of numbers.
What the Cougars are
able to do this season, coach
Jeremy Ensrud hopes, will
be because of their renewed
depth.
“We’re pretty solid,” said
Ensrud, who is entering his
eighth year at the helm. “We
have almost three guys at
every weight except for
some of the upper weights.
So we have a lot of depth
and experience. There are
only a couple guys who are
really tough, but there are a
lot of decently tough guys.
We’re pretty deep all the
way through.”
That depth will certainly
help Canby, which went 3-2
in Three Rivers League
matches
last
year.
Maddeningly, the team’s
two losses came by a com-
bined three points even as it
competed with holes in its
lineup.
“Last year, we had two
weight classes that were
empty, and that always hurt
us,” Ensrud said. “This year,
we definitely have the num-
bers and the depth.”
Although
graduation
stripped the Cougars of star
Keith Nichols and four
regional placers — Rawley
Warren, Jesse McCaffrey,
Chris Norred and Jacob
McKinnon — the team
returns with plenty of talent.
Noel Hygelund will vie
for a state title after taking
third place in the 152-pound
bracket at the Class 6A
championships last year.
The senior will start his sea-
son at 160 pounds, Ensrud
said.
“He definitely has made
some gains,” Ensrud said.
“He’s very tough, very diffi-
cult to score on. (Assistant
coach Trevor Lofstedt and I)
both notice that he’s very
competitive. He’s got the
potential.”
Alejandro Sandoval (285)
is also primed for a standout
senior campaign after quali-
fying for the state meet with
a second-place regional fin-
ish last season. He and fel-
low senior Nick Kraxberger
will compete for time at the
heavyweight slot, Ensrud
said.
North Marion transfer
Keltin Boykin also brings
state-meet experience to the
Cougars. He reached the
Class 4A championships at
182 as a member of the
Huskies last year.
Other likely contributors
include freshman Gus
Warren at 106, sophomore
Alek Purtzer at 113, Jesus
Zuriaga and Aaron Jarmer at
120, Sam Hintz at 152 and
Jacob Posey at 170.
In the last seven seasons
under Ensrud, Canby has
had 70 state qualifiers and
35 state placers. The
Cougars’ last individual
state champion was current
Oregon State wrestler James
Roberts, who won it all in
2010. They have not won a
team OSAA title since 1963.
Canby’s season begins at
4 p.m. Dec. 6 with a tourna-
ment at Hillsboro High
School.
The team’s first home
meet is slated for 7 p.m.
Dec. 11, and its league
schedule starts Jan. 9.
“Guys are competing to
get into the varsity lineup,
which is good,” Ensrud said.
“We don’t have a lot of
standouts, but we have a
good feeling that we’re
going to be competitive.”
File photo by Jeff Goodman
Noel Hygelund (top), who placed third in the 152-pound bracket at last year’s Class 6A state
championships, returns to lead the Canby wrestling team in his senior season.
After forfeiting matches (and points) at two weight classes for much of last
season, the Cougars enter their 2013-14 campaign with decidedly more depth
HOPE RUNS DEEP
CANBY WRESTLING
AT A GLANCE
Canby wrestling
Coach
: Jeremy Ensrud (eighth year)
Last year
: 3-2 in the Three Rivers League;
sent three wrestlers to the state tournament
Key athletes
: Noel Hygelund, Alejandro
Sandoval, Keltin Boykin
Key losses
: Keith Nichols, Rawley Warren,
Jesse McCaffrey, Chris Norred, Jacob
McKinnon
First home meet
: 7 p.m. Dec. 11
Outlook
: Three state qualifiers — Noel
Hygelund, Alejandro Sandoval and North
Marion transfer Keltin Boykin — look to lead
a Canby wrestling team that appears much
deeper than it was last season.
Schedule
12/6
Hillsboro tournament 4 p.m.
12/11
GRESHAM/REYNOLDS 7 p.m.
12/13
North Bend Classic 11 a .m.
12/14
North Bend Clsasic 8 a.m.
12/18
at Gresham HS TBD
12/21
CANBY TOURNAMENT TBD
1/3
Pacific Coast Invitational TBD
1/4
Pacific Coast Invitational TBD
1/9
OREGON CITY * 7 p.m.
1/11
Dallas tournament 10 a.m.
1/15
LAKE OSWEGO * 7 p.m.
1/17
Oregon Classic TBD
1/18
Oregon Classic TBD
1/22
West Linn *
7 p.m.
1/24
Liberty tournament TBD
1/25
Liberty tournament TBD
1/30
Lakeridge *
7 p.m.
2/5
CLACKAMAS * 7 p.m.
2/21
TRL/MHC finals 10 a.m.
2/22
TRL/MHC finals 10 a.m.
2/28
State tournament TBD
3/1
State tournament TBD
3/2
State tournament TBD
* Three Rivers League meet
File photo by Jeff Goodman
Ryan Cully, the only male Canby swimmer to qualify for the state meet last year, is primed for another standout campaign.
A LOOK AT THE FUTURE
CANBY SWIMMING
The team boasts a few
individual standouts, but
coach Eric Laitinen says
he’s focused on boosting
the long-term vitality of
his inexperienced squad
AT A GLANCE
Canby swimming
Coach
: Eric Laitinen (second year)
Last year
: Advanced two athletes to the
state championships
Key athletes
: Ryan Cully, Cole DeRisio,
Christian Meza, Kendra Olsen, Carson
Manning
Key losses
: Ross Brown, Aaron Perkett,
Krissy Peterson, Carrie Kralovec, Tonja
Polack
First home meet
: 4 p.m. Dec. 4
Outlook
: After losing about half of last
year’s roster to graduation, the Canby swim-
ming team returns with numerous freshmen
in what appears to be a transition season.
Schedule
12/4 GLENCOE 4 p.m.
12/5 TRL relays (at LOSD Pool) 4 p.m.
12/9 MOLALLA/NORTH MARION 4 p.m.
12/12 Oregon City * 3 p.m.
12/19 GRANT * 4 p.m.
1/9 WEST LINN * 4 p.m.
1/11 at Osborn AC (Corvallis) 9 a.m.
1/16 JESUIT 4 p.m.
1/22 LAKE OSWEGO * 4 p.m.
1/30 Lakeridge (at LOSD Pool) * 4 p.m.
2/6 Clackamas (at NCAP) * 4:30 p.m.
2/14 TRL districts (at LOSD Pool) 2 p.m.
2/15 TRL districts (at LOSD Pool) TBD
2/21 State meet (at Mt. Hood CC) TBD
2/22 State meet (at Mt. Hood CC) TBD
* Three Rivers League meet
