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SPORTS

LEWIS & CLARKS NON-EXISTENT ATHLETIC TEAM

BY ROCKY MCNEFF
SPORTS EDITOR

Swing and a miss

THE PIONEER LOG

APRIL 26, 2013

Over the past couple of years, the womens golf team roster has been declining. This is not the case for the mens team, which secured sixth place in the Northwest Conference Tournament this year. There is no definite reason for the lack of women golfers; Head Coach Dave Andrews has been working with the administration in attempts to bring in more players but was unsuccessful this year. However, Andrews has gotten a good number of female golfers to apply to Lewis & Clark. Andrews does have more incentives for incoming golfers: the College has added an indoor practice facility that the mens team has been using. In addition, the golf simulator will be fixed in the practice facility by the end of this year. The next big installment, which will also appear this year, is the outdoor putting and chipping green. The green will reside next to the tennis dome. Director of Athletics Clark Yeager said, These two facilities will be among the finest in the Northwest and will make on-

campus golf practice in inclement weather very convenient for our students. Jack Mathews (13) of the mens team believes that women recruits will come with time, and the mens team will definitely help with that. When a prospective player comes to campus, the guys talk to the girl recruits. It is nice to have that counterpart, Mathews said. Were putting forward a team as well. The mens team is graduating only Mathews and otherwise consists of all freshmen. Hopefully, the womens team willbe composed similarly. The senior also believes that these facility changes will benefit the teams immensely, because driving to Eastmoreland to practice adds more time and is not very convenient. Yeager said, Coach Andrews himself is an excellent PGA professional instructor and collegiate golf coach. Lewis & Clark is a great place to be a Division III golfer within a rigorous academic environment. It is only a matter of time before the mens and womens golf teams are competitive in the Northwest Conferenceour departments short term goal.
COURTESY OF HANNAH PRINCE

Still blazing towards the future

BY PETER MELLING
STAFF WRITER

If this season is anything to go on, the Portland Trail Blazers will have a happy future. While the Blazers ended their season on a 13-game losing streak and with a 33-49 record, there were several positive aspects to their season. What will the Blazers take away from this season, and how will they use these assets in the future?

the season and has proven himself to be one of the most consistent performers on the team. Although his defense requires some significant tweaks, he could easily be an All-Star within a couple of years.

The Short Crawl Back Up

The Blazers have a good example to follow when it comes to reviving their team, and it is the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have gone from cellar dwellers to contenders through a series of risky trades and draft choices that have paid off. The Blazers front office, unlike the Warriors, has more to work with. They already have two franchise players in Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, and they have some good supporting players like J. J. Hickson. Hopefully, they will make good choices in this years draft and can trade away some of the flab on the bench for a few solid players or more draft picks. The future is looking bright for Rip City basketball, and they could be blazing towards it soon enough. son strong with a 11-1 conference record and a 16-5 overall record. The team placed second in conference and competed in the NWC Tournament for the first time. The women will be graduating one senior: Izzy Borris (13).

Aldridge Returns to Form

Even though a series of injuries have limited his playing time this year, what fans saw of LaMarcus Aldridge was spectacular. He went to the All-Star game in Houston, averaged 21.1 points per game and further cemented his role as a leader of this young team. While his chances for injury have become larger as he has gotten older, he has fought through these setbacks well. In a couple of years, if he remains healthy, he should be able to direct this young Blazers team towards a significant playoff run. are in more than a month, the teams have proved their strength thus far. The teams will travel to Sacramento, Calif., this weekend to compete at the WIRA Championships Heats.

The Emergence of Damian Lillard

This kid is getting started on the right track. A shoe-in for Rookie of the Year, he has averaged 38 minutes and 19 points per game, more than hyped rookies Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (29 minutes and 13.5 points and 26 minutes and 9 points, respectively). He has also won the Rookie of the Month Award each month of

ILLUSTRATION BY CAMILLE SHUMAN

SPORTS RAMBLINGS
BY ROCKY MCNEFF
SPORTS EDITOR

Softball
Although the women finished sixth in conference, the softball team completed their season with their best record, 16-22, since 2001. The team beat each conference opponent except George Fox and Linfield at least once.

Mathews solidified his career with his best performance, finishing one stroke away from earning second-team All-NWC honors.

Baseball
The baseball team has struggled this spring season with a current overall record of 9-28. This weekend will be their last as they face number one Linfield for the first time. Their second game on Sunday will be senior Geoff Wertzs (13) last game.

Mens Tennis
Finishing fifth in conference, the team claimed a 6-11 overall record for the season. The team is graduating one senior: Cole Pfeiffer (13).

Track and Field

As the track and field team heads towards the NWC Championship meet this weekend, they feel well prepared. Many members of the Pioneers have set school records, made personal records and created new legacies for upcoming seasons.

Mens Golf
The mens golf team took on five freshman on top of lone senior, Jack Mathews (13). They finished their season placing sixth at the Northwest Conference Championship Tournament.

Men & Womens Crew

Both men and womens crew have showed promise this season. Although NWC Championships

Womens Tennis
The women finished their sea-