Hood River area athletes competed in the Oregon Special Olympics Athletics (track and field) Regional Competition this past Saturday, July 30. The annual event had been cancelled the last two years due to health concerns but returned Saturday at Clackamas High School with all the enthusiasm and competitiveness that has become customary at these events.
Blood, sweat and seizures weren’t enough to stop The Dalles Special Olympics athletes from crossing the finish line. At the Special Olympics Oregon Regional Athletics Competition at Clackamas High School on July 30, eight athletes from The Dalles competed in track and field events such as running, jumping and throwing. The competition is for athletes with cognitive disabilities.
AJ Valencia had a big-picture view of things roaming centerfield as a high school and college baseball player. He’ll have a similar view of countless sporting events in his new role as athletic director at Columbia High and Henkle Middle schools in White Salmon.
A year ago, Oregon high school volleyball teams were celebrating a return to normalcy after two years of having seasons canceled and shortened because of the C0VID-19 pandemic. Last season was anything but normal for The Dalles High Riverhawks, who experienced a third straight year in which they endured some highly unusual circumstances.
